I reel lefty....
that said I own a couple of Lew’s and probably 18 of the pro qualifiers. I don’t use the Lew’s.
I take a reel out of the box in the store, turn the handle and listen for any noise. If none, I check where the spool is set, loosen to just contact the shaft and give it a spin. If it spins for a 5 count, it’s a keeper. (The high end shimano spins a little longer fwiw). For the LH reels I’d say 4 of 5 pass the test.
Neither of my Lew’s will cast as far as easily as the pro qualifiers. Never mind the $ difference