Getting the stance right is fundamental for accurately throwing an axe. Just like any skilled action—be it golfing, archery, or pitching in baseball—the stance serves as the bedrock for your entire motion. In axe throwing, a good stance aligns your body, affects your balance, and helps determine the power behind your throw.
The basic stance involves positioning your feet shoulder-width apart to create a stable base. This width ensures that you’re neither too wobbly nor too rigid as you throw. If you’re right-handed, step slightly forward with your left foot, about half a step. If you’re left-handed, it will be the reverse. This slight stagger helps create a forward motion towards the target when you throw the axe.
Bend your knees slightly to incorporate a spring-like motion in your stance. This bend allows for a more dynamic throw, channeling power from your legs through your upper body and finally into the axe as it releases from your grip. Your weight should start on the balls of your feet enabling you to shift your weight forward as you throw.
It’s crucial that you keep your back straight and your shoulders squared towards the target. These aspects of your posture act as a guide for the axe, ensuring a smooth, straight path towards the bullseye. Any leaning to the side or slouching could divert the trajectory of the throw, leading to poor accuracy.
When you bring the axe back, it should align with your spine, which you keep as straight as possible. The axe’s handle should be perpendicular to the floor, and it should remain that way throughout the backswing to avoid introducing any lateral movement that would affect accuracy.
Equally important is the grip. It should be firm but not tense. A white-knuckle grip on the axe handle can impair your flexibility and make the release less crisp. You want to be able to let go of the axe fluidly, catapulting it in a smooth motion without any jerking.
Your arm should move in a straight line during the throw; some prefer to throw with one hand, while others use two. Using two hands can sometimes afford more control and power, but one-handed throws can be more agile. It’s a personal choice and either method can be accurate if executed correctly.
The release point is another critical factor in maintaining accuracy. You aim to release the axe at the same point in your forward motion every time. This point is typically when your arm is fully extended towards the target right before your axe would start to descend. Releasing too early or too late can send the axe too high or too low respectively.
Remember, even the slightest variation in posture, elbow angle, or grip during the approach can affect the trajectory of the axe. The best stance for throwing an axe accurately, therefore, is one that facilitates a symmetrical, balanced, and repeatable motion, that is comfortable enough for the thrower to perform consistently.
Practice is essential. As with any skill, the more you do it, the more muscle memory you build, and the more natural it feels. Over time, you might make small adjustments to your stance that better suit your body and throwing style. The fundamentals, however, remain: symmetry, stability, and a motion that’s linear and repeatable are the keys to accurate axe throwing.