In order to become better at cornhole throwing not only is technique important but it is also important to practice on a regular basis so that you can improve accuracy and master your techniques. Like anything else, the more you practice, the better you get at something. When you are practicing, especially if you are practicing for competition play, it is a good idea to practice using regulation equipment so that when you go to play against other people it feels more natural to you and you don’t have to alter any of your techniques in order to play properly. Here are some tips that you can use in order to become better at cornhole throwing:
Simple Tips
The first thing that you are going to have to know about cornhole throwing is that no matter the rules and regulations of your area, you are going to have to put in a fair amount of practice time in order to improve. If you are just starting out it may be a good idea to go out with someone that has a lot of experience so that they can teach you the rules of the game as well as give you some ideas as to how you can improve your throwing technique to become more accurate. The best thing about going with someone who has more experience is that you can watch how they play and attempt to mimic them in order to improve your game. It is always important to make sure that you practice by the same rules that are in your local area so that the practice time that you put in isn’t useless thanks to rules that you are breaking.
How to Throw
Most cornhole players toss the bag using a spin technique as it allows for more control of the bag, especially in windy conditions. Some people do have their own unique variations to the tossing technique but most of the techniques are relatively the same. Generally, the player should start the throw with both of their feet together and with knees slightly bent. Most players like to lean their body slightly in the direction of their throwing arm to allow the arm to swing absolutely straight without banking off of your knee on your follow-through. As you step towards the foul line your arm should swing in a backward motion. At this point in time, you will need to transfer your weight over to your front foot as you swing your arm around and past your hip. You should release the bag at just above waist level so that the bag goes high enough in the air in order to reach the target. As the bag goes out of your hand you will leave your index and middle finger on the bag a little bit longer than your other fingers in order to put a spin on the bag and make it a little bit more accurate.
How High to Throw the Bag
One thing that many beginner players struggle with is deciding how high of an ark they should put on the bag when they throw it. Generally, the bag should be between five and ten feet in height in order to have a balance of both accuracy as well as distance. If you were to throw the bag higher than ten feet up in the air you risk bouncing the bag right off of the board. If you throw the bag lower than about five feet in height the risk goes up for the bag sliding right off the board if you hit it. Over time and with practice you will begin to improve your bag throwing technique and the struggle will mainly be getting the bag to land at the position that you want. Most people like to land the bag at a slight angle rather than flat on the board in order to prevent bounce from occurring as much as possible. The more you practice the better you will get at spinning the bag and you may even end up attempting to spin the bag in a variety of ways in order to attempt to improve your accuracy and performance.
Accuracy Tips
If you find that your bags are sliding off of the board it is likely because you don’t have enough arc on your throw. It is important to make sure that you are performing the same technique time after time; even the slightest change to your technique can throw off your accuracy and your performance. The more you practice the same technique, the more comfortable you are going to get with it, and the more often you are going to be hitting the board. When you miss the board it is important to think through the motions that you made and think about whether you could have done anything differently in order to have made a better and more accurate throw.
Distance
Depending on the competitive nature of your game and who you are playing against, you may have the board placed at various lengths away from the line. Generally speaking, a professional game will have the board at 27 feet away from the line where a casual game will have the game at about 24 feet. If you are going to be competing it is always a good idea to make sure that you are practicing at the appropriate length as the strength of your throw, as well as the force of your spin, might slightly differ depending on the length that the board is away from the line. If you are just playing a game for fun and you are finding it too easy try moving the board further away from you in order to make the game more difficult, or move the game closer towards you if you are finding it to be too difficult.
Care
One thing that you may not realize is that depending on the surface that the board is sitting on, it can have an impact on the gameplay. The most important thing is to make sure that the board is nice and level regardless of where the board is located. This is because an off-level board will change where the bags will slide and can cause them to slide too fast, too slow or to the right and the left depending on which way the board is setup. It is always good practice to have a level handy when you are setting up so that you can be sure that everything is nice and level. It is also a good idea to have a few warm up shots to make sure the board is secure and that it won’t move during gameplay. If you need to put something under the feet of the board in order to make them level or to keep them from moving, this is a good idea that could save you some points. One good thing to remember is that in hot weather a bag may get more dry than usual which can cause excess sliding. If you want to fix this you can simply put a bit of water on the bag and it will help to prevent the excess sliding from taking place and get the bag back to its normal feeling.
Hopefully after reading this article you now have a better idea as to some of the techniques that you can use in cornhole throwing as well as hopefully you now know how to actually play the game properly and by the rules. Remember that if you are training for some kind of a competition it is always a good idea to check the rules of the competition out beforehand so that you can start practicing with the same rules so that you aren’t thrown off once you get to the competition. Best of luck with your cornhole throwing and hope that you become a great cornhole throwing player!