I had wrist surgery on my dominant hand last week. In anticipation of the surgery, I've been practicing with "the other" hand regularly. I'm better than I used to be, but I feel like a brand new shooter, having to always focus on the basics. Anybody out there successful in feeling as strong with one hand as the other? Is there hope that it will ever feel natural? I'm sticking mainly with TDA because I fear a negligent discharge more than missing a target. I'm hoping that by the time I can shoot with my "good" hand again, I may be more comfortable with the other.

I'll squeeze off a few rounds in either hand. Can't get ragged holes other handed just yet.

I shot left handed in the Army as part of passing the CID pistol qualification. It's a weird feeling to shoot off hand, one handed. I hit the target as required, but I wouldn't call it a group...

I practice shooting left & right-handed and am equally bad at both!

I can switch hit with a rifle pretty well.

I am not as good with a pistol or shotgun from my left hand/shoulder.

Grew up left handed in a family without any others. Dear old dad ( god rest his beautiful soul!)
Taught me to do pretty much right handed as that is what he knew. Shoot bullseye one hand matches left handed but do carry steel challenge and similar shooting right handed. When on the army team shooting for leg points toward my distinguished medal, earned points shooting “combat” distinguished matches right handed and bullseye matches left handed and did manage to leg out.
Shoot rifle primarily right handed but shooting NRL22 matches some of the positions make it practical to shift to the left shoulder and I do about as well.

I'm about equally accurate right or left handed, but those are both far less accurate than I am when using two hands, and my speed goes way down, especially left handed.

I wouldn't say truly ambidextrous, but I learned over the years how to use my left hand.


Kinda the same boat as you... I shattered my right wrist a while back. I had to learn how to shoot better lefty. I've shot just left handed many times before that, but I really pushed myself after the accident. Unfortunately, I let that skill slip away.

It takes a little time, but a lot of dry fire helps. It's awkward at first, but your brain figures it out. You know the basics, it just takes a little bit of time and effort.


(Pro-Tip: shortly after the surgery, DO NOT let loose with a few magnum rounds out of a S&W 340PD. That just hurts!!! )

 
When shooting unsupported (other hand in your pocket or something), I actually shoot better with my non-dominant hand. Supported, better with my dominant hand.

If you practice you can adapt

I shot part of a summer of IDPA weak handed after a shoulder surgery

I bought a holster for my weak side and put enough rounds down range weak handed that I became pretty good with it.

I even learned to load bullets in to my mags one handed,

The IDPA guys were supportive of me holstering to
Load the mag in the gun, and racking the slide on my belt.

This was when I shot bottom feeders, the revolver would be a bigger challenge.

Time was... I'd say I was better weak hand than most people strong hand. I own one revolver that I only shot left handed. Now days, older and through a lack of shooting, plus loss of motor skills and a shake that looks like Parkinson's disease (due to neck/spine issues), I can pretty much hit the berm with almost every shot now.


Pretty much how things go for me. By the time I was in my late teens, early 20's my right elbow was so abused playing baseball and similar sports, I couldn't throw. I wanted to be able to keep playing, at least a little, so over a couple years I taught myself to throw left handed. (I always hit from both sides). Nowhere near like the right side of course, but good enough to play infield in softball. I had a bad fall, destroyed my left shoulder, making it near impossible to throw anything from that side. Swell.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cas,

I write with my left hand and do everything else right handed, so I guess I am somewhat ambidextrous. I'm not sure if it is because of this, but I do fairly well shooting left handed. Not quite as fast or as accurate, but I can hit what I'm aiming at. I was at the range with a buddy, and we were each shooting in our own lane. After about an hour, I put ten rounds down range on a new target. I had two rounds that were about three inches outside the X ring, and of course my buddy picked up on this right away. He asked if I was getting tired, with a big grin on his face. I said that I was a little tired, but that I had shot that group left handed. He said, man I don't ever want you shooting at me.
Rod

In a right-handed world if you are left-handed you become some what amberdictrous.

Many years ago, when I was working at my Uncle's range as an RSO, I used to shoot with my weak hand every night.

I got pretty good, but my strong hand had LOTS more practice and was always better

I have not practiced like that in decades, but I do test myself often enough to be confident in a life threatening situation