How do you aim.

[junkman007]

Everyone has there own techniques and tricks when it comes to throwing a knife. So what is yours?

As a beginner, I am currently throwing a 12inch cold steel carbon throwing knife (one which I bought from the army surplus). I have been practicing for three and a half months with some improvements, I can now stick the knife into the board without problem at about 15 feet (just to mention, the board is about four feet wide, and about six feet high). But when it comes to hitting a specific target such as a piece of paper 11 inches by 8 inches, I couldn't hit it even if it jumped in front of my blade. So, any tips on throwing to aiming properly would be readily accepted.

 

[JClaude42]

It's the same way you aim a baseball when you throw it. No special technique, just more of an ability to judge the throw brewed from practice and experimentation. It's tough to be really precise with a throwing knife, though. I certainly am not.

 

[mrd74]

The follow-thru is important as well.

 

[hawkpatriot]

Throw it the same way all the time, sort of like a routine.

 

[pikey30]

Get yourself some tennis balls or some racquet balls and go out and just throw them at the target over and over standing from where you throw your knives.

 

[mwerner]

Be sure to actually pick a target on you impact board. I use small pieces of tape.
This helps you concentrate on a small point, rather than just throwing in the general direction of the target.

When I'm doing well, (and I admit I havn't been throwing much lately) I can pretty reliably hit a 2"x2" chunk of tape from 12-15 feet.

Another trick, if you have more than one knife, (saves walkin'...) is to use two targets. That way, your knives won't get so beat up whacking into each other.

 

[Jeff Clark]

Hawkpatriot has the answer, let me elaborate. Pick a standard way to face the target at the beginning of your throw. Step exactly the same distance and direction with the same foot every time. Hold the knife exactly the same way. Start your throw from the same arm and body position. Use the same follow through every time. These are all the types of things that help you get the blade to stick and they are also the things to stabilize your throw. Now don't worry about hitting the spot that you are aiming for. Try and get your knife to always hit about the same spot, but don't adjust anything. You want to get a tight grouping of where your knife is hitting.

Once you get a tight grouping of where the knife lands you just need to adjust your aiming process. If you are hitting two feet to the right and one foot down you might try sticking a piece of tape on your backstop two feet to the left and one foot up from your actual target. That would be the target shooters method. That just doesn't seem like as general a solution as you would like. So instead we have to adjust how you throw so that it goes where you think you are aiming. Now to adjust your aim pick just one thing to adjust at a time. For example rotate your stance slightly to the left. If you are hitting too high try only adjusting the point in your throw when you release the knife or alternately try swinging your arm a little stiffer. What you don't want to do is just start randomly changing various facets of your throwing technique. If you work off a stable baseline and adjust only one thing at a time you will have success. Subsequently you will be able to loosen up your technique a bit more.