How to Hold a Pencil Left-Handed

Being left-handed has its ups and downs. According to ABC News online, lefties are more likely to be alcoholic, schizophrenic, delinquent, and suffer from digestive and bowel diseases -- but they're also more likely than right-handers to have an IQ over 140. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, you can start by conquering one of life's more simple challenges: learning to properly hold a pencil.

First, sit on a chair with a flat seat and back. Next, adjust the height of the chair if necessary. You should be able to touch the floor with your feet comfortably. Select the proper height of the chair or table according to your needs.

If that’s not possible, use adjustments on the chair to increase or decrease the height of the seat. The desk or table should be two inches higher than your elbows. Then, practice writing with your pencil. Grab the pencil with your left-hand, gripping it an inch taller than a right-handed person would.

Relax your forearm by keeping it flat on the writing desk. As a result, turn your hand gripping the pencil, so the pinky finger presses against the paper. Bend your wrist back ever so slightly so the thumb can easily rest upon the pencil, touching the tips of your forefinger and middle finger. As you hold your pencil this way, you create a relaxed, rounded, concave space between the pencil and your hand.

The lowest part of your pencil should rest against the upper position of your ring finger. Next, tilt the pencil slightly as you write toward your left. Be careful to keep the wrist relaxed to avoid it from tensing into a hook shape. Turn your paper somewhat to the right to increase the visibility of your page.

When writing in spiral notebooks, you can use individual spiral notebooks designated for left-handed writers. These specific notebooks have the margin on the left and the spiral to the right for comfortable writing. If these notebooks are challenging to find, you can use bound composition notebooks without any spiral ream.

Another common troubleshooting technique for left-handed writers is smudging. Prevent smudges on paper by tilting the surface slightly to the right. Next, place your pencil at an angle to begin writing on the paper. A left-handed writer needs practice as much as a right-handed writer to develop excellent penmanship.