Are Left-Hand Dominant People Marginalized in Sports and Elsewhere

[jbg]

Today, when I went to play tennis, my partner asked if I wanted the "backhand" side when we were receiving. My wife is left-hand dominant; I am a "righty." I corrected my partner to call it the "add court" and the other side the "deuce court."

Question is, is the use of the term "backhand" court a micro-aggression towards "lefties" since it is for them, of course, the "forehand" court? Is it bullying, disparaging or marginalizing? As one committed to social justice, should this be of concern? Or should we all stop walking on eggshells?

 

[Orbit]

Today, when I went to play tennis, my partner asked if I wanted the "backhand" side when we were receiving. My wife is left-hand dominant; I am a "righty." I corrected my partner to call it the "add court" and the other side the "deuce court."

Question is, is the use of the term "backhand" court a micro-aggression towards "lefties" since it is for them, of course, the "forehand" court? Is it bullying, disparaging or marginalizing? As one committed to social justice, should this be of concern? Or should we all stop walking on eggshells?

Are you being serious? As a left-hander myself, I don't see a problem.

 

[Watchmen]

This thread is a micro-aggression.

 

[jbg]

This thread is a micro-aggression.

Should I have given you a trigger warning? Should I provided a safe place? How about puppies or stuffed animals?

 

[Father Heathen]

Shouldn't this be in the jokes section? I would say this was a straw man, except that it's not even clear what's it's supposed to (mis)represent.

 

[Watchmen]

Should I have given you a trigger warning? Should I provided a safe place? How about puppies or stuffed animals?

Lol. You got it backwards. You’re the snowflake.

 

[icehorse]

Us lefties are discriminated against to be sure. We're called gauche, sinister, and maladroit. For years teachers tried to force us out of our innate lefty-ness. It's harder to get sports gear, especially as a kid. There are a few tools that are "handed", and you cannot get those in lefty versions (apart from scissors).

But we're a tough bunch, we can take it!

 

[Father Heathen]

Us lefties are discriminated against to be sure. We're called gauche, sinister, and maladroit. For years teachers tried to force us out of our innate lefty-ness. It's harder to get sports gear, especially as a kid. There are a few tools that are "handed", and you cannot get those in lefty versions (apart from scissors).

But we're a tough bunch, we can take it!

I'm also left-handed, and I was annoyed by this: Zelda: Skyward Sword Joy-Cons a Blow to Left-Handed Link Fans

Damn dirty righties.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Question is, is the use of the term "backhand" court a micro-aggression towards "lefties" since it is for them, of course, the "forehand" court? Is it bullying, disparaging or marginalizing? As one committed to social justice, should this be of concern? Or should we all stop walking on eggshells?

That is, should we invent reasons to take offense or should we ignore the category entirely? No.

 

[Curious George]

So left handed individuals usually have an advantage in sports.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Wait, isn't backhand used for when the back of the hand is forward in the swing, no matter what hand it is?

 

[Yazata]

I'm left handed.

As far as being left handed in sports is concerned, it can be an advantage. Just think 'left-handed baseball pitcher'.

But yes, left handers are "victims of bias" in many ways. Furniture and devices are often designed for right-handers, with left-handers forced to make use of them as best they can. Everything from scissors to those right handed school seats in classrooms.

If we want to align ourselves with today's passive-aggressive culture that seems to assume that all "bias" is somehow evil to be stamped out and where "victimization" somehow equates to power, then I suppose that us lefties can play that game too. We are "victims", don't you know, and we demand special consideration from everyone else! We demand that the rest of you feel guilty about how terribly we've been wronged by people like you!

But I don't like that game and choose not to play it.

 

[exchemist]

Today, when I went to play tennis, my partner asked if I wanted the "backhand" side when we were receiving. My wife is left-hand dominant; I am a "righty." I corrected my partner to call it the "add court" and the other side the "deuce court."

Question is, is the use of the term "backhand" court a micro-aggression towards "lefties" since it is for them, of course, the "forehand" court? Is it bullying, disparaging or marginalizing? As one committed to social justice, should this be of concern? Or should we all stop walking on eggshells?

[Groan] I think there should be a moratorium on the use of the term "micro-aggression". It seems to be an excuse for hair-trigger offence-taking when there is really nothing substantial to complain about.

In many sports, being left-handed can be an advantage (boxing and cricket spring to mind). I expect the same may be true of tennis actually, though I don't know much about it. Where left handed people have legitimate cause for complaint is in the design of certain objects, such as scissors, or secateurs, that can exhibit handedness. Though nowadays one can get these in left hand design (I still have a pair of left handed secateurs that my wife used to use for cut flowers.)

 

[jbg]

Wait, isn't backhand used for when the back of the hand is forward in the swing, no matter what hand it is?

Yes. That's why designating the left side of the court, facing the net, as "backhand" should insult lefties.

 

[jbg]

[Groan] I think there should be a moratorium on the use of the term "micro-aggression". It seems to be an excuse for hair-trigger offence-taking when there is really nothing substantial to complain about.

I totally agree, as a matter of fact. When people go off to college they are presumed adults and should not need safe zones, stuff animals or puppies.

 

[exchemist]

I totally agree, as a matter of fact. When people go off to college they are presumed adults and should not need safe zones, stuff animals or puppies.

Yeah, while there are plenty of real injustices, there is, I'm afraid, a bit of an offence-taking industry around at the moment.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Us lefties are discriminated against to be sure. We're called gauche, sinister, and maladroit. For years teachers tried to force us out of our innate lefty-ness. It's harder to get sports gear, especially as a kid. There are a few tools that are "handed", and you cannot get those in lefty versions (apart from scissors).

But we're a tough bunch, we can take it!

Not in sports, though. Majority of coaches would see left handedness as either neutral or advantageous.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Yes. That's why designating the left side of the court, facing the net, as "backhand" should insult lefties.

Should???

I hear your 'should' and raise it a 'why?'

 

[lewisnotmiller]

[Groan] I think there should be a moratorium on the use of the term "micro-aggression". It seems to be an excuse for hair-trigger offence-taking when there is really nothing substantial to complain about.

In many sports, being left-handed can be an advantage (boxing and cricket spring to mind). I expect the same may be true of tennis actually, though I don't know much about it. Where left handed people have legitimate cause for complaint is in the design of certain objects, such as scissors, or secateurs, that can exhibit handedness. Though nowadays one can get these in left hand design (I still have a pair of left handed secateurs that my wife used to use for cut flowers.)

In very broad terms, being a leftie is an advantage in tennis, for similar reasons to cricket.

Clearer advantages are in football (of many codes) where a team with lefties running the left side of the field (at least) is quite beneficial.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I'm left handed.

As far as being left handed in sports is concerned, it can be an advantage. Just think 'left-handed baseball pitcher'.

But yes, left handers are "victims of bias" in many ways. Furniture and devices are often designed for right-handers, with left-handers forced to make use of them as best they can. Everything from scissors to those right handed school seats in classrooms.

If we want to align ourselves with today's passive-aggressive culture that seems to assume that all "bias" is somehow evil to be stamped out and where "victimization" somehow equates to power, then I suppose that us lefties can play that game too. We are "victims", don't you know, and we demand special consideration from everyone else! We demand that the rest of you feel guilty about how terribly we've been wronged by people like you!

But I don't like that game and choose not to play it.

Quality post.