Grandfather Ferruccio
It is also thanks to my grandfather Ferruccio that you are reading this article today. His great passion for golf was the trigger that naturally introduced me to the discovery of my lateral motor skills.
When I was about ten years old, I often accompanied my grandfather to the “Betulle” golf course. My task was important: carrying the trolley with his clubs. He, already advanced in age, said they were starting to weigh on him. I, on the contrary, was always happy. I still remember the precision of the emerald-colored grass and that restaurant with a buffet that seemed endless.
Golf and Laterality
In that context, a certain interest in golf also began to grow in me. My grandfather often practiced in his garden, and as soon as I heard the snap of the club hitting the ball that the “session had started,” I would run down to watch him. I enjoyed searching for balls that ended up far away, among the leaves or stuck between the stones.
One day, my grandfather gave me a club to try. After explaining the conventional technique – grip, thumb position, swing – I still had difficulties. Until I decided to follow my instinct: I took the club with my hands reversed, in a non-conventional way… and finally, the balls began to fly far.
It was then that my grandfather, with his ever-present Tuscan cigar, said to me:
"I think you are ambidextrous."
A Hypothesis Takes Shape
The idea of ambidexterity began to spin in my head for years. Until, during a particularly boring class around the age of sixteen, I tried writing with the other hand just as an experiment. At first, the handwriting was illegible and the speed minimal. But with some consistency, the first results started to show.
Dictation after dictation, coordination improved. After a couple of weeks, I was already able to write more fluidly, and over time, writing with the hand I had “benched” for all that time became my favorite exercise during the most repetitive lessons.
I took notes, drew lines, sketched shapes. And improved every day. At home, my grandfather was thrilled. He kept repeating that he had always known.
Training Both Hands
Over time, I began using both hands for every daily activity: shaving, brushing my teeth, cutting vegetables. Even banal actions became little coordination exercises. Every gesture was a way to stimulate that less used motor part.
After more than ten years of practice, today I hardly notice which hand I am using, not even when signing: it comes naturally to use whichever is free or more comfortable at the moment.
If you too feel you might have a natural predisposition or simply want to develop new motor skills and improve your coordination, training your non-dominant hand can be a useful and stimulating experience. Here is a guide to start developing this ability.