This information is valuable for beginners for sure, but it will have its greatest value for intermediate and advanced throwers, who for all their skill and knowledge may yet have a few things to learn!
Try these training tips next time you are out and see what happens to your performance at the next tournament. Hope they help!
1. Find the edges
By this I mean, intentionally practice throwing TOO FAR RIGHT, TOO FAR LEFT, TOO HIGH, TOO LOW, TOO HUMPBACK, etc. WHAT IS TOO FAR unless you find out? In boomerang throwing we are trying to throw bullseyes normally. We want the boomerang to come back TO US in Accuracy, Aussie, Trick Catch, Fast Catch and Endurance. Consequently we often only practice trying to get the boomerang right back and we never FIND THE EDGES in practice. What is guaranteed is that THE EDGES WILL FIND YOU in a tournament and it is way better to have prepared ahead of time!
So, when I am throwing Aussie Round for example, I usually start out throwing what I think will bring the boomerang right back to me. But then, I intentionally start throwing too far right to see what happens. Where is the EDGE? Where is TOO FAR RIGHT? Then I know. Then I go TOO FAR LEFT. What happens? Which is safer? Now, with the edges defined, I can throw down the middle and get the bullseyes. But as the wind shifts, I know where the edges are and where is too far so I can safely find the middle.
2. WHERE TO ERR?
Once you know the edges you have an idea what goes wrong when you go past them! So IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE A MISTAKE (and eventually you will because the wind will switch on you mid throw), WHERE SHOULD THAT BE?
In other words, if I am going to misread this wind, do I want to go too far into it or too far right? Would it be better to go too high or too low? Certain mistakes are deadly. Too far right and the boom can come screaming in front of you with no chance to catch it. Too far left and it might be a blow by where you are sprinting in vain. So each boom is different and you need to know what happens when THIS boom goes too far left, because that could be the perfect back door hover giving you time to recover from the mis-read or the wind shift.
I want to know with my Accuracy Booms which one will tolerate coming in the back door. Which one will blow out in that same scenario.
Full disclosure: I ALWAYS err to the right! I have this innate fear of getting blown out so throughout history, when I make a mistake I am almost invariably running forward to catch the incoming screamer. Because I can get those!
BUT as I have gotten older, I am finding that sprinting after screamers is less attractive and often less rewarding! I have had to make myself work into the wind, to the left because often that error actually gives me a cutting back door opportunity to move early and make the catch.
What works for you might not work for Danial Bower or myself, so in practice you want to find out what works for YOU!
And then in those moments of doubt where you are not sure if this wind is shifting right or left? Was that last read correct? Did those two that just threw in front of me get a sucker wind or did they miss it altogether? In those moments, you will be able to think, "OK, where are the edges? Now where is the middle? And if I am going to miss it, do I want to miss it right or left? Than you can make your best, safest throw at the moment!
3. THROW IT!
Once you have read the wind and made a decision, THROW IT! Be confident. Be aggressive. DO NOT HOLD BACK. We get tentative and everything goes wrong. Once you decide to hit it, hit it! Often times you get that instinct that says, "right there" and you need to go with that and just throw it. If you watch me throw, you will often see me nodding my head "yes" to no one at all, right before the throw :-) At that moment, I know what I am doing and I commit to it and throw it.
Good luck practicing! See you on the field.
Try these training tips next time you are out and see what happens to your performance at the next tournament. Hope they help!
1. Find the edges
By this I mean, intentionally practice throwing TOO FAR RIGHT, TOO FAR LEFT, TOO HIGH, TOO LOW, TOO HUMPBACK, etc. WHAT IS TOO FAR unless you find out? In boomerang throwing we are trying to throw bullseyes normally. We want the boomerang to come back TO US in Accuracy, Aussie, Trick Catch, Fast Catch and Endurance. Consequently we often only practice trying to get the boomerang right back and we never FIND THE EDGES in practice. What is guaranteed is that THE EDGES WILL FIND YOU in a tournament and it is way better to have prepared ahead of time!
So, when I am throwing Aussie Round for example, I usually start out throwing what I think will bring the boomerang right back to me. But then, I intentionally start throwing too far right to see what happens. Where is the EDGE? Where is TOO FAR RIGHT? Then I know. Then I go TOO FAR LEFT. What happens? Which is safer? Now, with the edges defined, I can throw down the middle and get the bullseyes. But as the wind shifts, I know where the edges are and where is too far so I can safely find the middle.
2. WHERE TO ERR?
Once you know the edges you have an idea what goes wrong when you go past them! So IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE A MISTAKE (and eventually you will because the wind will switch on you mid throw), WHERE SHOULD THAT BE?
In other words, if I am going to misread this wind, do I want to go too far into it or too far right? Would it be better to go too high or too low? Certain mistakes are deadly. Too far right and the boom can come screaming in front of you with no chance to catch it. Too far left and it might be a blow by where you are sprinting in vain. So each boom is different and you need to know what happens when THIS boom goes too far left, because that could be the perfect back door hover giving you time to recover from the mis-read or the wind shift.
I want to know with my Accuracy Booms which one will tolerate coming in the back door. Which one will blow out in that same scenario.
Full disclosure: I ALWAYS err to the right! I have this innate fear of getting blown out so throughout history, when I make a mistake I am almost invariably running forward to catch the incoming screamer. Because I can get those!
BUT as I have gotten older, I am finding that sprinting after screamers is less attractive and often less rewarding! I have had to make myself work into the wind, to the left because often that error actually gives me a cutting back door opportunity to move early and make the catch.
What works for you might not work for Danial Bower or myself, so in practice you want to find out what works for YOU!
And then in those moments of doubt where you are not sure if this wind is shifting right or left? Was that last read correct? Did those two that just threw in front of me get a sucker wind or did they miss it altogether? In those moments, you will be able to think, "OK, where are the edges? Now where is the middle? And if I am going to miss it, do I want to miss it right or left? Than you can make your best, safest throw at the moment!
3. THROW IT!
Once you have read the wind and made a decision, THROW IT! Be confident. Be aggressive. DO NOT HOLD BACK. We get tentative and everything goes wrong. Once you decide to hit it, hit it! Often times you get that instinct that says, "right there" and you need to go with that and just throw it. If you watch me throw, you will often see me nodding my head "yes" to no one at all, right before the throw :-) At that moment, I know what I am doing and I commit to it and throw it.
Good luck practicing! See you on the field.
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