Finger snapping and hand dominance

I can't buy the notion that the non-dominant hand is "flabby." It has different jobs than the dominant hand. So, for example, if you were carving an intricate pattern into a piece of wood with your dominant hand, the non-dominant hand must hold the wood steady for long periods of time. That's a completely different skill.

Our equal volume snapper had completely different sounds. The dominant hand made sound in the front part of the snap, while the non-dominant hand made sound at the back end of the snap.

One of our dominant hand snappers could also do an awesome flap-snap, but only with his dominant hand.


(yes, I took notes)

I was wondering about this in my case, having done photography for 40 something years. My right hand presses the shutter but my left hand steadies the camera, and operates the focus, aperture and shutter speed. I wonder if I've just developed a different kind of dexterity in my left hand.

When i was at university, i took phys ed courses for the interest--swimming, weight lifting--things which required equipment or facilities which i would not otherwise have access to. One class, which i enjoyed but had to drop (too heavy a load that semester) was fencing. The instructor told us that the biggest problem for people new to the sport was fatigue in the sword arm. By the end of the course, one was supposed to be able to hold a sabre (a very heavy sword) at arm's length for 15 minutes. He then told us that we do different things with our hands, arms, feet and legs. So, first we held the sabre out at arm's length in the "off hand." We were to hold it for 5 minutes. People's arms were trembling and they were moaning and groaning, but everyone held the sabre at arm's length for 5 minutes. Then we switched to the dominant hand. Nobody made it past two minutes, and most people didn't last that long. He told us we use a different set of muscles and different types of muscles for the tasks we expect of our dominant hands and our "off" hands.

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing that.

That is actually what I noticed too - a pitch difference. Frankly, I assumed that the amount of meat/muscle of my left hand as compared to my right (dominant) hand is what makes the different pitched sound. Just guessin'!

Sorry..I'm not buying this as a parallel situation at all. You give an example that is most likely related to the strength of the arm..and not the hand and/or the fingers. The use of the arm muscle (vs strictly the hand) is not isolated and points to causes that could be deemed as inconclusive as far as proving the hand strength itself..

As far as a finger-snap test: If you want to isolate and determine the strength of finger snap muscles, you could create a test where:

snap for a period of time with each hand. See how long each hand could sustain snapping. See how tired you hands feel afterward. When done after say an interval of 5 minutes of snapping at about a snap/per second for as long as you can.

I have asked to more co-workers to perform the test, both of them had louder snaps with their off hands.

So far in my office the hypothesis has proven true.

Dominant hand (right) = Hopeless. No snap possible at all!
Non-dominant (left) = endless numbers of loud snaps on demand!

In my experience as a photographer I notice all these controls are right-hand oriented..so it would be awkward if forced to switch (being a righty) otherwise. Lord knows how lefties manage it. I guess they learned it that way and taught themselves to use it 'wrong'- handed.

FWIW, I just tried switching to my non-dominant side eye and I almost dropped the camera. It didn't help make better images either.. LOL

Make it snappy, huh? As Parents used to say to kids: "Now, you go make that bed, and you make it snappy!! That would mean do-it-fast.

I'm here to say my dominant right hand doesn't have half the snap power as my left. Never would have thought that.

The sound from the left hand is crisper and louder then my right hand. I'm right handed.

Maybe they should make it part of the interview process! That would freak a few applicants out.

I totally know what you mean about dominant eye! I'm utterly hopeless with my other eye.

Okay! Now we're getting somewhere. The non-dominant snappers have arrived!

I've even tried reviewing the image photographically with one eye closed looking through the viewfinder. It's seems as though the contrast or something differs. And it stays different even after an interval of accustoming myself to using the non-dominant eye. Same thing when I'm printing w/ color printer and viewing/reviewing on the monitor or reviewing/editing to decide on the final print. It's like one eye interprets differently.

I can snap with either hand, similar loudness, different key. I'm a righty, hand - not politics... Left hand snap has a higher pitch. I play piano - not sure if that matters, but when I sing, I often snap or keep rhythm with whatever hand is not holding the mic.
My hands are sore at the moment, I spent the weekend building a fence, so I'm not sure if that matter or not either.

I know what my next home brewed science experiment will be!

I just got a new camera about a month ago and even though I'm trying to use it a lot and get used to it, it feels so clumsy in my hands. The shutter release is too small and it's too high and the depth of field preview is all wrong and... and... and....

I really like the camera but it still just doesn't quite fit right.

I can't snap with my domiant (right) hand at all. Comes out sounding like a weak fart. Weak (left) hand -- no problem, loud and clear.

I'm a righty, and my right-hand snap is louder and higher pitched than the left-hand snap.