Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Cross dominance a problem?

I think what NSG is saying is that in softball, if you can bat left, then bat left all the time to gain those advantages. That suggestion assumes the player can drive the ball from the left side, though. A player who drives the ball from the right and slaps it from the left is tipping off the opponent to what's coming when they step into the batter's box.

Players gain an advantage by switching sides in baseball because of the way breaking balls break. A ball that curves towards you appears to hang in space, making it easy to see and hit. A ball that curves away has the opposite effect. Batting opposite the pitcher (right against lefty, left against righty) ensures that curve balls curve in.

There are no curve balls in softball.

Hmm, interesting. Perhaps it is more of a lack of dominance rather than cross dominance. He is definitely not ambidextrous. It isn't that he can do things with either hand. I haven't asked, but it doesn't seem that he's comfortable with both either. It is that he does SOME things with his right (like writing and eating) and some things with his left (like all sports related activity). When he was very young I was worried that he was being taught to write right handed but he was actually left. However, that didn't seem to be true. But writing and fine motor tasks have always been a challenge for him and these are the things he does with his right hand. He is significantly less clumsy with the activities that are left dominant.

Polarbear, we did do the neuropsych eval this summer and are awaiting the results. I am definitely going to ask about this in the follow-up.

Not to hog this thread or stir the pot but...



I agree with everything else you said, but I beg to differ on this one point.

You most definitely can throw curveballs in softball! It is actually an essential pitch to know if you want to play competitively. I played high school and college softball and I can guarantee I had to know how to hit a curve by about the time I turned 14-15. Not all pitchers that age can throw one and some pitchers can throw one prior to that age. Every pitch you see in baseball you also have in softball.

As a matter of fact you can even throw a curve in slow pitch softball. I swear...check it out!