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Does Your Dominant Hand Dictate Form Or Are You Ambidextrous.


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Much discussion goes on here about being left handed or right handed and needing wheels in the correct direction. I am dominantly left-handed, but I work with both hands. My left hand is on the inside when I am throwing. I still feel in control. Wheel goes counter clockwise.

I have been throwing since 1967 or 47 years. I am convince you need control in both hands to throw.

Can anyone share their thoughts on this for those newbies who worry about the direction of the wheel.

 

Marcia

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High five to another lefty Marcia!

 

I also have my left hand on the inside.  However I do use more pressure from my right hand to center.  The left is still applying pressure, but I depend more on the right to really get it centered.  I think this is due to the fact that, when I was learning in college, I tried with the wheels going both directions.  I continued the same process, once I got through the class, despite the fact that nearly every wheel that I've encountered since, only goes counter-clockwise.

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This has come up before. I am also left-handed.There is no point, as a left-handed person, in rewiring your wheel to go clockwise. Everyone in North America throws with the wheel turning counter-clockwise.

Pottery is one of those few activities, other than being a pitcher in baseball, that left-handedness is an advantage. Your dominant hand is on the inside when throwing.

Did you know that Michael Cardew was left-handed?

Also Bruce Willis, and Angelina Jolie.

I tried to make my kids become lefthanded by putting the spoon in their lefthand, but none of them went for it.

TJR.

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TJR, you weren't committed enough, to get them to use the left hand.  You should have had two sets of silverware, one on the right one on the left.  Then you should have wired up the set on the right to deliver a mild shock, when they went for them...

 

I also feel that being a left handed guitar player, playing a traditional right handed guitar, would be an advantage.  The more intricate hand movements, along the frets, seems like something you'd want your dominant hand to do.  I should note, this comes from someone who doesn't not play an instrument... Well since 5th Grade Band.

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I'm not everyone, I guess.  I'm left handed and my wheel goes clockwise, with my right hand inside.   my right hand is dominant when centering.

My college  instructor is left handed and his wheel goes counter clockwise.  when in school, I tried both ways and my body said 'This is correct" when I reversed the wheel.

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My mother was rt, my father lft, my wife is lft, my daughter is lft as is my son. I throw with the lft inside, and pull with both, I shape with the lft or rt, sometimes reversing the wheel. I pull handles with my rt, and attach them with the rt. So does any of this matter, only if you were trained to write upside down like my dad was to write. Stupid righties in the prewar WW2 years could not teach how to write if left handed.

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Guest JBaymore

Rt handed, wheel counter-clockwise ( an endangered term!  ;) ), left hand inside, can throw reverse (clockwise) if pressed to do so, ambidextrous to a good degree. (Former professional drummer... that helps that too.)

 

best,

 

....................john

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Rt handed, wheel counter-clockwise ( an endangered term!  ;) ), left hand inside, can throw reverse (clockwise) if pressed to do so, ambidextrous to a good degree. (Former professional drummer... that helps that too.)

 

best,

 

....................john

Man! What haven't you done! I thought you were going to say; "Former professional dancer, but I didn't want this blog to go South!"

South,get it! South Paw!

Time for my nap.

TJR

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TJR, you weren't committed enough, to get them to use the left hand.  You should have had two sets of silverware, one on the right one on the left.  Then you should have wired up the set on the right to deliver a mild shock, when they went for them...

 

I also feel that being a left handed guitar player, playing a traditional right handed guitar, would be an advantage.  The more intricate hand movements, along the frets, seems like something you'd want your dominant hand to do.  I should note, this comes from someone who doesn't not play an instrument... Well since 5th Grade Band.

I guess you are right. I didn't try hard enough. It's too late now, they are all teenagers.

T.

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Ambi dextrous sounds like an energy drink this am . Do most pract. stuff left handed, had to write right handed, teacher said, writing illegible, first time I sat at a wheel I put my hands to the left with the right hand inside but  seemed to be fighing the clay so changed. Do change hands and tasks at wheel without thinking, trying to learn " proper' technique as an old dog. Thinnk I need those electric shocks. Neighbours have an electric dog training collar perhaps I'll borrow it

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Guest JBaymore

Tom........ was playing in clubs professionally at 13.  Music success almost derailed the clay career.  But if I'd have stayed on that path I likely would not be here now.  ;)   I revealed a bit of visual evidence on "Throwback Thursday" on my Facebook page B) .

 

Thanks for the birthday wishes...... coming up soon...... the big 65!!!!!!  How'd that happen.

 

best,

 

..................john

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Another leftie here. Left hand inside wheel counter clockwise. I tried the wheel spinning both directions and this way just feels right. I can actually write with both hands if pressed, but my left is where my art is.

 

I tell people more lefties are artists and creative types because from an early age we have had to adapt to a right handed world. Anyone remember the right handed scissors in school? Those lovely torture devices that left a groove in your left hand for a good hour after you used them. And what about the old crank pencil sharpeners! As I said we have to learn early on to be creative in our approach to stuff.

 

Terry

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Perhaps you will feel more mature on reaching seventy... Hamada other post :D  :D

John sounds like if you were in school now you would be medicated or labelled with some sort of syndrome..keep the alert ones quiet and manageable.  or give them a set of drums, wise parents..

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Another leftie here, but I'm a bit of a mixture, whilst I'm not particularly ambidextrous I do do some things equally well or even better right handed; throwing a ball is one I can think of - I just can't really do that well left handed.

 

I can't write or use cutlery right handed, most of my carpentry work is done left handed, I can't use a hammer or saw right handed but planes or chisels are fine either way.

 

I learnt to throw pots right handed (anticlockwise wheel head) cos the wheels I learnt on weren't reversible - mine is, but I've not tried it lefty fashion yet, I will one day, if only to say I've tried.

 

 

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Tom........ was playing in clubs professionally at 13.  Music success almost derailed the clay career.  But if I'd have stayed on that path I likely would not be here now.  ;)   I revealed a bit of visual evidence on "Throwback Thursday" on my Facebook page B) .

 

Thanks for the birthday wishes...... coming up soon...... the big 65!!!!!!  How'd that happen.

 

best,

 

..................john

I guess that's why you were able to do so much stuff.I wish you a long life.

Tom.

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Another leftie here, but I'm a bit of a mixture, whilst I'm not particularly ambidextrous I do do some things equally well or even better right handed; throwing a ball is one I can think of - I just can't really do that well left handed.

 

I can't write or use cutlery right handed, most of my carpentry work is done left handed, I can't use a hammer or saw right handed but planes or chisels are fine either way.

 

I learnt to throw pots right handed (anticlockwise wheel head) cos the wheels I learnt on weren't reversible - mine is, but I've not tried it lefty fashion yet, I will one day, if only to say I've tried.

I bought a chop saw-you know, the one on the stand, where you can cut 45 degree angles. you can also cut straights like nobody's business. I was always afraid of cutting my hand off with those circular saws.[being left handed.

Anyway, i built a bike stand. Then I built an 8ft. by 8ft storage shed. Then I built an outdoor shower at the lake.

Then my wife said in a sexy husky voice;"oh! You are handy!."

Then I knew it was over. Next, either wood fired pizza oven, or wood-fired sauna. Actually, I do like building. It is also creative.

Tom.

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I throw right handed but do many things left handed. Funny how you don't notice you are ambidextrous until somebody points it out. When I was small my bro always checked me if I used my left hand.

I do my first pull with the left hand out & right inside count clockwise. More strength in the left.

Joy

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I did some glass blowing in college , but the very small set up was for right handed people. My glass chilled too much being farther away...far side of the bench from the furnace.

Dexterity in both hands seems to develop in people who work with their hands..both of them.

 

Marcia

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Tom,

 

There was some reason to be worried, about cutting yourself, with a tool designed for right handed folk.  My second year teaching, I was using the Medieval paper cutter in my room, to cut some thin strips for file labels.  As with most, cheap, cutters of it's type, there is a bit of a gap between the cutting arm blade, and the surface blade.  So you have to pull the arm to the left when cutting, or risk tearing the paper.  So I was doing this, and me pulling left with my right hand, caused my left hand holding the small pieces of paper to slide towards the blade....  And a crunching sound later, I had to make a ER visit.  Luckily, it was just a "fillet" cut, the Doctor's words, not mine.  But as I am a lefty, I naturally used my left hand constantly, and kept bumping the injury on things, which didn't feel great.  

So it's not just that the right handed world is against us, by having things that don't work as well for us, scissors, paper cutters, etc, but when things go wrong, it can end up hurting our dominant hand....IT'S A CONSPIRACY!!!

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I agree a right handed conspiracy. REVOLUTION AND FREEDOM FOR ALL LEFTIES!!!!!!!

Why we are not considered a special minority group in need of special rights I have no idea... Bet it's that right handed conspiracy at work again trying to keep us lefties down.

 

Anonymous

(Never know when those righties might start taking names)

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