What Is Southpaw?

So what's this “Southpaw” thing anyway?

The term Southpaw is another name for a left handed person. It can also refer to athletes who throw, punch, or play from the left side, like a baseball pitcher or a boxer in a left handed stance.

Some historians say the term was used in boxing before it became common in baseball. During an 1860 prize fight, a reporter described a left handed fighter planting his “south paw” under his opponent's chin. However it started, the meaning stuck.

Today, Southpaw simply means left handed. And yes, if you're wondering, the playful opposite is “Northpaw” for right handed people.

Whether the word began on a baseball field or in a boxing ring, the meaning is the same: Southpaws are left handed people.

The goal of The Left Handed Store is to provide an organized, easy-to-browse collection of left-handed products. When you purchase through links on this site, you support the store at no extra cost to yourself.

Migrated from the original The Left Handed Store site.