Tips to Take Your Axe Throwing to the Next Level
Axe throwing is an exciting indoor sport, and people love to visit our Axe Throwing & Bar to show off their skills. However, some of us need the right guidance to improve our game. Well, axe dropping can be embarrassing, and it’s always a great idea to learn how to use the full potential of your axe throwing abilities and unlock your ancient warrior spirit.
For beginners who are new to axe throwing, and even for intermediate throwers, these points can help you in your journey to amazing throws. But remember, we do not intend to entirely change the way you throw because there are many different proven methods for great axe throwing.
With that in mind, let’s dive into it.
Keep a Solid Stance While Throwing
Having a concrete stance is crucial for indoor axe throwing. Whether you’re positioning yourself to step forward or wanting to keep your feet on the ground the entire time, your stance should be stable, balanced & solid.
To reduce any margin of error, try to move your entire body – heady, arms, hands, feet – and axe towards the center of your target.
You should also be mindful of the starting distance. While releasing the axe, try to keep your feet as close to the 12-foot line as possible. If you’re currently not able to keep your foot close to this line, practice it! You can visit the Rage Room in Denver to do so. Remember, the closer you’ll get to the target, the more accurate your throw will be.
Have The Right Grip to Improve Your Accuracy
In the end, it boils down to how you hold your axe. An improper handle can lead to a higher potential for incorrect release. This can severely reduce your accuracy and increase margins of error. This will also lead to difficulty in controlling spin speed.
Typically, most people participating in axe throwing in Denver use a lighter grip. And if you want to be a fast thrower, avoid a strong grip.
However, if you’re having issues with vertical inaccuracy, you may be holding your axe like a hammer. Here are a few reasons why it’s happening:
- Strong & full-hand grip
- Sweaty hands & strength of the throw can influence the release point
If you try light grip, which can almost release itself, you can see improvement in inaccuracy. But this requires a good amount of practice & experiment. So, ensure you’re practising enough!
Understand the Board to Improve the Game
Before your axe throwing party, get familiar with the board. Understand how rough or moist the wood is, how hard it is to cut through the wood, and if it’s new or used. Because in the end, it boils down to the board you’ll be throwing the axe at.
For example:
- If the board you’re throwing at is soft, the axe would easily stick on it. So, the only thing you’ll need to ensure is to strike with the flat blade.
- However, if the wood of the board is hard, you would need to minimize the potential of the axe dropping. To do so, you may want to adjust the throw so the angle of the axe hitting the board results in the tip hitting first. This will likely lead to the axe sticking onto it. To do so, change the distance of your throw from the board because changing grip or release point can influence a lot of variables.
Pick a Very Small Point on The Intended Target
Keep your focus on the target. Slightly move away from your target (in a straight manner) for a nice backswing motion. Now, directly move towards the target for throwing the axe. You can apply this method during your throws at Denver Axe Whooping for better accuracy.
To make your throw even more accurate, practice by drawing a dot on the board & targeting it. The good news is that almost every hatchet-throwing bar has a dot in the center of the board.
Relax Arms & Shoulder(s) in Your Throw Setup
If your shoulders and arms are tensed for your throw setup, maintain that tension every time for better consistency and accuracy. However, typically for most people, relaxing your arms and shoulders for the throw setup is better. Repetition is key. Working on your throw often can help develop muscle memory, and throwing the axe perfectly will become second nature.
Sometimes, the shoulder may get tensed up easily, and flaring your elbows can skew your throw, decreasing accuracy. This can lead to a poor angle at which the blade strikes the board, resulting in a drop.
Try Not to Throw The Axe Too Hard
For many people, hard throws sometimes result in bulls-eye, but after a certain point, it can be difficult to maintain precision & accuracy. Additionally, the more the axe gets into the board, the lesser surface area will be available to throw at during your next throw.
Yes, it’s true that hard throws can help improve scores as it results in fewer drops. But you can advance to a higher average score by keeping your throws at light to medium strength. This gives you more area to target & for your next throw, and hence the score keeps increasing (assuming the axe sticks). Like anything, practice makes progress.
Take a Deep Breath Before Each Throw
Keeping your breathing in check can be the key to improving your accuracy and precision. Before each throw, breathing status can vary from person to person; however, it is recommended to take a deep breath. This will help control your breathing, and you may score higher.
Axe Whooping in Boulder can be exciting for many people, and therefore, people love to visit our axe throwing bar. We hope the above tips help you get better at axe throwing, and you score higher!
Remember, there is no substitute for hard work!