I have thought about this issue a lot.  I have a theory.  First,
let me say that I am a right-handed person who hockey-shoots left.
 
        Back when I started watching hockey in the '60s, right-handed
shots were a rare commodity in the NHL.  In particular, right-handed
shooting defensemen were hot properties.  How come?  Well, back then
there was a fairly tight correlation righty person <--> lefty shot,
lefty person <---> righty shot.  This is because (here goes the theory)
stickhandling and passing were the first things little kids learned
how to do, and those are tasks best addressed with one's dominant hand
at the end of the stick.
 
        When Big Slapshots became the Real Deal, kids started learning
shooting earlier in life and started opting for a stronger *shooting*
alignment of the hands --- which, for most people, is dominant hand low
on the stick.  The number of righty shots in the NHL, which has grown
tremendously since the '60s, is evidence that more right-handed kids
are ending up righty shots nowadays.
 
        One of my good friends is a left-hander who hockey-shoots right.
One day I asked him how he batted.  He said he could bat both ways, but
had a better average batting righty and better power batting lefty.
The same is true for me "in reverse" --- i.e., I'm a right-hander
who can switch-hit but my average is better lefty and my power is
better righty.  This gibes with the stickhandling-versus-shooting angle
on hockey-handedness.
 
 
                                                Dave Delchamps
                                                Cornell University
                                                Let's Go Red !!
 
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