I suggest you only turn to the right from now on - you will find your way home eventually.
I check front ends for king pin and bearing play as you describe. Check for play and if you feel any movement grease the king pin first. If the play goes away, it's the king pin. If it doesn't go away, it's more likely a loose wheel bearing. To check the upper and lower pivots, the lower control arm would need to be lifted to remove any weight bearing load from the front side of the car you're working on. Lift your car on the sub frame to check from king pin and wheel bearing play and under the control arm while looking at pivot wear. Inner pivots are harder to check but they tend not to wear as quickly since there's less suspension movement in that area. Having the fittings take grease should be your main concern at all times.
I replace the upper and lower pivots when I do king pins because most of the time they will be worn out too or seized up. King pins are now only sold in sets so don't be surprised by the price. You can safely do everything with the front of the car on jack stands and you can remove everything except the lower control arms.
Leave the front shocks in place - this is your safety net! It's imperative that you be able to see grease come out of the joints between parts while lubing your front end or something could be plugged or seized. Metric grease fitting are slightly smaller than SAE and any wear on your grease gun nozzle will likely result in a big mess. I keep a separate gun around with a new nozzle so it holds better for this job.
