Left-Handed Golf Clubs: How to Tell If You Need Them and What to Buy

Left handed golf clubs are the right choice for fewer golfers than you might think, and the wrong choice for some left-handers. Two of the most successful left-handed swingers in history, Phil Mickelson and Sir Bob Charles, are naturally right-handed. Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, played left-handed because that was how he held a hockey stick. What decides it is not the hand you write with; it is which way your body wants to swing. This guide covers how to tell, what the choice means when you buy clubs, and how to get a set that fits without paying for a mistake.

What "left-handed" means in golf

A left-handed golfer stands with their right side towards the target and swings from right to left, the mirror image of a right-handed player. The clubs are mirrored too: the face of every iron, wood and wedge is on the opposite side of the head. You cannot play a right-handed club left-handed, apart from a handful of two-way putters designed for it.

The confusing part is that the lead hand, the one at the top of the grip, does much of the guiding. A right-handed golfer leads with the left hand. So a naturally left-handed person playing right-handed has their stronger hand at the top of the club, which some coaches argue is no disadvantage at all.

Left-handed champions, and who is really left-handed

Only a small number of left-handed players have won men's majors, and their stories show how loose the link is between handedness and swing:

• Bob Charles won the 1963 Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes, the first left-hander to win a major. He plays left-handed but is naturally right-handed.
• Mike Weir won the 2003 Masters. His first sport was ice hockey, where he shot left, and he carried that into golf.
• Phil Mickelson, nicknamed "Lefty", is right-handed in everything else. He learned by facing his right-handed father and mirroring his swing, and won the 2013 Open among his majors.
• Bubba Watson won the Masters in 2012 and 2014.
• Brian Harman won the 2023 Open at Royal Liverpool by six shots, becoming only the third left-hander to lift the Claret Jug, after Charles and Mickelson.

Four tests before you buy anything

If you are new to golf and unsure, spend twenty minutes on these before spending money on clubs.

1. Other stick sports. Which way do you naturally swing a cricket bat, hockey stick or baseball bat? This is often the best single clue, as Mike Weir's story shows.
2. The broom test. Pick up a broom and sweep something firmly towards a target. The side you stand on and the direction you sweep usually match the golf stance your body prefers.
3. Throwing a ball underarm towards a target. The motion is similar to a golf swing, so note which side feels natural.
4. Try both with a coach. Hit balls both ways with borrowed or range clubs. A professional can spot quickly which side produces the more natural movement. Our guide to your first golf lesson covers what to expect.

If the answers are mixed, there is a practical argument for learning right-handed: there are more clubs to choose from, and far more second-hand, demo and hire clubs. But it is a weak argument next to comfort. A swing that feels backwards for years is a bigger handicap than a smaller shop shelf.

Buying left-handed clubs

The major manufacturers make left-handed versions of most of their ranges, but not always every model, loft, shaft or colour. Shops keep less left-handed stock on the shelf, so a set is more likely to be ordered in. A few points save time and money:

• Check the specific model and loft. Before you set your heart on a club, confirm the left-handed version exists in the loft and shaft you want. It is common for a range to be left-handed in most lofts but not all.
• Get fitted. Custom fitting matters more for a left-hander, because you are less likely to find the right length and lie angle off the shelf. A fitter orders to spec anyway.
• Allow for lead times. Built-to-order left-handed clubs can take weeks. Order well before the season, or before a golf day you have committed to.
• Look second-hand for a first set. A used set lets you confirm you really do prefer left-handed before you spend on new clubs. Check that every club is left-handed: mixed sets do turn up.
• Do not start with a full set. A beginner needs far fewer than 14 clubs. See which golf clubs a beginner needs and how many clubs you can carry.

Irons, woods and putters

Irons and wedges must be left-handed; there is no way round it. The same is true of drivers, fairway woods and hybrids, whose adjustable hosels and face angles are also mirrored. Putters are the exception, as some are designed to be used either way. Most are not, because the loft, offset and alignment marks are set for one side, so check the listing says "two-way" or "ambidextrous". Our putters guide explains the head shapes, and the irons guide covers cavity backs and blades.

Gloves

Glove labelling catches people out. Golfers wear a glove on the lead hand, so a left-handed golfer wears it on the right hand. Listings vary: some describe a glove by the hand it fits, others by the golfer it is for, and those are opposite hands. Read the description, not just the headline.

Playing left-handed on the course

A course plays differently for a left-hander. A dogleg that bends right to left suits a right-handed player's draw and a left-hander's fade, and trouble down one side means something different depending on your natural miss. Before you play somewhere new, look at the hole layouts and think about where your common miss will finish, rather than copying the line a right-handed playing partner takes.

If you are visiting Lullingstone Park without your own set, ask about club hire when you book and check whether left-handed clubs are available on the day. The pay and play visitor guide covers hire, and green fees and booking has the current rates. Junior left-handers are covered in our family and junior golf guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I should play golf left-handed?

Look at how you naturally swing a cricket bat, hockey stick or broom, and hit balls both ways with a coach. Your writing hand is a poor guide: Phil Mickelson and Bob Charles are right-handed but play left-handed, and many left-handers play right-handed.

Can a left-handed person use right-handed golf clubs?

Yes, by learning to swing right-handed, and plenty of naturally left-handed golfers do. What you cannot do is swing a right-handed club from the left side, because the face is on the wrong side of the head. Only some putters are designed to work both ways.

Are left-handed golf clubs more expensive?

Compare the list price of the left- and right-handed version of the same model with the retailer. The more reliable extra costs for a left-hander are practical ones: fewer bargains in the second-hand and ex-demo market, and sometimes a wait while clubs are ordered in.

Which famous golfers play left-handed?

Major champions Bob Charles, Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Brian Harman. Charles won the 1963 Open, the first major won by a left-hander, and Harman won the 2023 Open at Royal Liverpool.

Which hand does a left-handed golfer wear a glove on?

The right hand. The glove goes on the lead hand, which is at the top of the grip, and for a left-handed golfer that is the right hand.

Do left-handed golfers need a left-handed putter?

Usually. Most putters are made for one side, with loft, offset and alignment aids set for it. Some are sold as two-way or ambidextrous and can be used from either side, so check the description.

Sources

• The Open: left-handed Champion Golfers, for Brian Harman's 2023 win at Royal Liverpool and the earlier left-handed Open champions, Bob Charles in 1963 and Phil Mickelson in 2013
• Bob Charles, Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson (Wikipedia), for each player's handedness and major wins

Checked on 17 September 2026. Availability of left-handed models changes each season; confirm the exact loft and shaft with the retailer before ordering. More from Lullingstone Park Golf Course.