For a reference, sit down and hold the pen in your dominant hand. Then trade hands and try to mirror the way you held the pen in your dominant hand. Take a picture of your dominant hand holding a pen if you need more guidance. Don’t hold the pen tightly. This is a common mistake people make when using their non-dominant hand. A tight grip makes your writing worse and also stresses your hand muscles. If you’re learning to write with your left hand, it’s common to smudge your writing. Use a pen without gel ink. Also avoid erasable pens. These varieties smudge much worse. Hold the pen 2–3 cm (0. 79–1. 18 in) from the tip so your hand rubs on the page less. [3] X Research source
Turn to a new page and repeat this activity a few times before moving on. It will feel awkward at first. Continue until you feel more comfortable holding and moving the pen in your non-dominant hand.
Work slowly when you draw these shapes. Pay attention to forming the shapes, not working quickly. Speed will come with time. Right now, train your muscles to get used to writing. If you need a reference, draw these shapes with your dominant hand first. Then switch hands and try to copy these shapes.
Another design to draw is a line of upward loops like a cursive lowercase “L”. Extend these loops across the page.
Write on loose-leaf or notebook paper and try to stay between the lines. Write large at first. Extend your letters through two rows instead of one. When you’re just starting out training your non-dominant hand, begin every practice session with this exercise.
Repeat writing each sentence a few times before moving on to a new one. Copy sentences out of a book or magazine if you can’t come up with your own at first. If you aren’t ready for sentences yet, try just writing out your name a few times.
Write with your dominant hand in front of a mirror to get a better view of how it moves and forms words. Try to copy these motions with your other hand.
As a very advanced technique, some people write the same word in opposite directions at the same time. Try this out when you feel confident in your ability with both hands.
Warm up and stretch your hands before working them out to avoid injuries and pulled muscles. Doing bicep curls with dumbbells strengthens the muscles in your wrists and forearms. Squeezing hand grips specifically targets your hand muscles. Something simple like squeezing a stress ball will also help strengthen your hand. Do this while you’re watching TV or on your daily commute.
Guitar, for example, requires you to strum with one hand and fret the strings with the other. Since both hands need to work together, this activity improves your coordination. Other choice include bass guitar, piano, and drums. On many stringed instruments, you can flip them upside down and play them the opposite way with your other hand. When you get proficient enough, try this exercise to further strengthen your non-dominant hand.
Try brushing your teeth and holding a fork with your non-dominant hand. Buttoning your shirt with your non-dominant hand is a good exercise that requires more precision. Don’t do activities that could be dangerous if they aren’t done correctly. For example, driving with your other hand isn’t safe until you’re very proficient with it.
