I've played open handed left for a while now and enjoyed some of the positional freedom it brings and certainly more relaxed postures as well in the open stance. Certain feels are better too for me and my 'back beat' right hand has an easier time for a variety of rim shot positions. For instance, if I want a hihat shanks on the thicker shaft and want a relatively hard hit rim shot close to cetner, left open is way easier for me and while keeping my hi hat pretty low. Doing this with a crossover right lead, I'd have to raise the hihat higher to make this reasonable but now for lighter tip playing, my right hihat lead is raised higher than necessary and I don't like this compromise ergonomics just for this particular sound choice. Having more room on the left side for bigger cymbals with contrast is a creative freedom I like having for whatever the music calls for. Plus getting both side to develop finesse and stamina has been helpful.
I still play right lead because that can still do better on certain feels and will still cross over for certain things too as I'm natural right handed...there are no rules and don't even really think about it at all, it just happens where is goes. But it took some forethought, experiments and experience to have time to develop it musically in order to get to a point of 'not thinking and just hit the drum'...I feel this yields more musical freedom when it counts in the end, not less.
I still play right lead because that can still do better on certain feels and will still cross over for certain things too as I'm natural right handed...there are no rules and don't even really think about it at all, it just happens where is goes. But it took some forethought, experiments and experience to have time to develop it musically in order to get to a point of 'not thinking and just hit the drum'...I feel this yields more musical freedom when it counts in the end, not less.