Is Ambidexterity Inborn? Can You Develop It Later?

What’s the difference between a dominant side and being ambidextrous?

“Dominant hand/dominant foot” refers to the side you naturally find easier to use, allowing you to perform movements more accurately and consistently.
“Ambidextrous” refers to a person who can perform complex movements at a similar level with both the left and right sides.

Is ambidexterity inborn?

Handedness is closely related to brain structure and genetic factors, and it is true that some people are born able to use both hands skillfully—i.e., they are naturally ambidextrous.

Can you become ambidextrous through training?

It is generally considered difficult to become “fully ambidextrous” through training alone.
However, the key point is not to eliminate left–right differences entirely, but to improve your ability to adjust and use both sides effectively, assuming some difference will remain.
With practice and experience, it is possible to develop a body that can “manage and compensate for left–right asymmetry.”

How does managing left–right differences affect sports performance?

(Here, we use soccer, golf, and tennis as examples.)
In sports, it’s often assumed that your dominant hand/foot is clearly defined.
Rather than forcing symmetry, what matters is building a body that understands existing asymmetry and can adjust and switch appropriately.

① Impact on Soccer

In soccer, precision with your dominant foot is a major strength, but being able to adjust left–right differences expands your range of play.
When you can trap, dribble, and pass with your non-dominant foot, you reduce the need to switch to your dominant side, which speeds up decision-making and execution. As a result, your play becomes harder to read and more consistent.

② Impact on Golf

Golf involves many asymmetrical movements and is strongly affected by left–right differences.
Rather than trying to force symmetry, understanding your asymmetry and improving core and lower-body stability can increase swing repeatability and help reduce mis-hits.

③ Impact on Tennis

In tennis, attention often focuses on the strength of the dominant hand, but performance is also supported by the non-dominant side’s ability to stabilize and maintain balance.
By managing left–right differences, footwork and change-of-direction become more stable, and movements during rallies become smoother. This can help reduce fatigue buildup and make it easier to maintain accuracy in the later stages of a match.

Being able to adjust asymmetry also helps prevent injuries

When left–right differences are large, repeated dominant-side use during jumping and landing, cutting, and throwing motions can concentrate stress on one side. Learning to use both sides more evenly distributes load and can reduce the risk of overuse injuries.

Training for the non-dominant hand and non-dominant foot

Non-dominant hand

● Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand
● Use your smartphone with your non-dominant hand
● Use chopsticks/spoon/fork with your non-dominant hand
● Practice writing (hiragana → kanji → full sentences)
● Shift your weight to the non-dominant hand during planks
● Play catch (throwing with the non-dominant hand)

Non-dominant foot

● Make the first step on stairs with your non-dominant foot
● Single-leg balance (e.g., while brushing your teeth)
● Single-leg balance with eyes closed
● Pull a towel toward you with your toes (towel gathers)
● Toe rock-paper-scissors
● Single-leg squats
● Dribble with your non-dominant foot (soccer)

Summary: “Daily use is what expands your potential”

Dominant hand/foot does have an inborn component, but with consistent effort you can absolutely develop a body that can “manage left–right asymmetry.” The steady accumulation of small improvements—gradually narrowing the gap—can become the key to expanding your potential.

Author
Ikejiri-Ohashi Sera Clinic   Physical Therapist   Shuto Sato

Supervised by
Ikejiri-Ohashi Sera Clinic   Physician   Yasushi Sera

Ikejiri-Ohashi Sera Clinic
https://sera-clinic.com/