Cross-dominance, also known as mixed-handedness, hand confusion, or mixed dominance, is a motor skill manifestation in which a person favors one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others, or a hand and the contralateral leg. For example, a cross-dominant person might write with the left hand and do everything else with the right one, or manage and kick a ball preferentially with the left leg.[1] [2] [3]
In baseball a left-handed batter is about two steps closer to first base than a right-handed batter, one important advantage. Because curveballs and sliders - the most commonly used breaking pitches in the game - curve in the direction of a pitcher's non-throwing hand, a batter who bats opposite the pitcher's throwing hand enjoys an advantage. Since most pitchers are right-handed, left-handed batters enjoy a second advantage over their right-handed counterparts.[4] However, right-handed throwing is more valuable in the infield. Every fielding position can be played by a right-handed thrower, although left-handers are considered more valuable pitchers and have a slight advantage at first base as they do not have to turn around to place their foot on first when stretching to catch a throw, and because their gloved hand is closer to the runner on pick-off plays. Conversely, left-handed throwers are almost completely absent at the highest level at the other infield positions and at catcher.[5] [6] Switch hitting exists so a batter can hit from the side opposite every pitcher's throwing arm, but it has gained some criticism because a batter will always be more dominant from one side of the plate than the other; the switch hitter may be less reliable from one side. So, many baseball players are trained to be simply cross-dominant, batting solely left-handed and throwing solely right-handed.[7] There are a few position players, such as Rickey Henderson and Cleon Jones, who bat right and throw left, but this serves as a substantial disadvantage. Henderson batted right despite his natural inclination to do so left-handed only because he was taught to do so by right-handed teammates.[8]