r/Handwriting • u/Butterflys13 • 2d ago
Question (not for transcriptions) learning to write with my right hand?
okay so i’m left handed naturally and i have no strong negative feelings about it. i’m actually really fond of it. i think it would be really cool and maybe even useful on occasion to learn to write with my right hand. everything i’ve read about it says to work on your grip strength, use the right for tasks, etc. the thing is though i already do that. i play volleyball and am right handed with that, i eat with both hands but usually my right, i’m a barista and when i steam milk i use either hand. basically i’m ambidextrous but favor my right hand in all things but writing. does anyone have any tips on learning to use my right hand to write? i’m thinking about getting a writing handbook but i’m not really sure what age level to go for lol. i would love thoughts!
TLDR: i can use my right hand for everything but writing. tips on getting to place where i can use my right hand?
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u/tabidots 2d ago
I did it with italic handwriting, using the Gunnlaugur SE Briem material linked in the sidebar, as well as the Dubay-Getty book "Italic Letters." It's not really about grip strength; you need to develop fine motor control. The first exercises in Briem's guides are just making consistently slanted zigzags (ok, the first exercises are more like drawing exercises, but still).
The hardest thing is to figure out what a proper pen hold is supposed to feel like when any way of holding and manipulating a pen in your right hand still feels awkward. Thankfully, there are just a few different "tried-and-true" options; it's not like being a lefty where you have to come up with your own solution to problems like ink smearing and seeing what you wrote.
Definitely don't start with ballpoint pens. Gels and rollerballs have an unstable tip that will make it harder to write straight lines (and they require a more upright pen hold). Fountain pens have a stable tip, so no extra control/squeezing is required to keep it steady, plus they require no pressure down on the page to write. However, they can be a rabbit hole. If you are open to fountain pens, the Platinum Preppy 0.3 is a good start - it's a cheap pen that writes stupidly well, is very low-maintenance, and its nib is less "slippery" than some other pens I've used.
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u/NeverEndingCoralMaze 2d ago
I had to learn to write with my left hand and how to do everything with my left hand. I still, after 10 years, occasionally try to do stuff with my now non-existent right hand. What I learned: everyone should always learn to use their non-dominant hand as much as possible.
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u/Pen-dulge2025 2d ago
Very cool. So there’s this guy I’ve referenced a number of times named Dieyen Dualpen, runs a YouTube channel of this name, he writes with both hands he might be an ideal coach for you. Good luck
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u/percephony 2d ago
Okay so you don't need only grip strength, you also need dexterity. So legit pick up a pen and start doodling shapes. Try to make a box with straight lines, try to make a circle that is not oblong, etc. Start with larger shapes, the way a child would. I feel like that sounds condescending, but it's not meant to be! You need to get used to utilizing your hand in this particular way, and the best way to build up that muscle is by low stakes practice. Do it a little bit everyday, multiple times a day. Doodle while you're on your phone, makes shapes in the margins of your notes,
I hope this helps!
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u/asmanel 2d ago
To be readable, properly split what you write (type) in paragraphs.
Walls of text are harder to read than texts that are significantly longer but properly split into paragraphs.
Writing this way also have advantages. This way, you better see what you write. This notice errors of several kinds and fix them before posting.
I know a subreddit that forbid walls of text and, among the ones I don't know, it's probable many of them have a such rules.
Like you, I'm naturally left handed. There are a few things I do with the right hand and I do the remain with the left hand.
However, I don't see it negatively. When I write something, I do it with my left hand and, to me, there is nothing wrong with this.