Somewhat new to knife throwing, running into a new issue and could use some help figuring it out.

[Morgan L Smith]

Hello everyone, my name is Morgan and I have been throwing for only about 2 weeks. I have some basic throwing knives and I have been getting better with instinct throwing no spin and full spin. However today I ran into an issue where it felt like all my knives were stuck to my fingers, but I threw almost all of them at a really low angle and way off target from where I always throw. I couldn't get my release right. My two guesses are that my previous day workout is causing some sort of muscle delay between my brain and muscles when I am trying to time the release, or they really are sticking to my fingers for some reason. Some are cold steel some are stainless but all of them seem to feel stuck. Any ideas?

 

[BitingSarcasm]

Hello everyone, my name is Morgan and I have been throwing for only about 2 weeks. I have some basic throwing knives and I have been getting better with instinct throwing no spin and full spin. However today I ran into an issue where it felt like all my knives were stuck to my fingers, but I threw almost all of them at a really low angle and way off target from where I always throw. I couldn't get my release right. My two guesses are that my previous day workout is causing some sort of muscle delay between my brain and muscles when I am trying to time the release, or they really are sticking to my fingers for some reason. Some are cold steel some are stainless but all of them seem to feel stuck. Any ideas?

Honestly it sounds like there is some overthinking going on. Mentally there are a number of variables you are balancing in your head with each throw in order to get it to the target. It is quite similar to how an experienced driver can hold a conversation, fiddle with the radio, and still manage to get to the correct destination without crashing; the amount of direct attention required to complete the task is lessened. A rookie driver will neglect things, notice that something is going wrong, and then over correct. My bet is that you are concentrating on one part of the throw and your muscle memory isn't quite ready to go full autopilot on the other bits. Take a break, relax and loosen the arm, then come back to it.

If it is a physical thing, my bet would be on your arm being over tired or over trained. It's hard to do fine motor skills when the muscles are still recovering from a workout, and if you are throwing hard it puts a surprising amount of strain on small muscles and tendons that aren't used to it. Baseball pitchers have a whole library devoted to maximizing the power and longevity of their arms because of the strain involved. You aren't going to be going for fastball speed, but the Cold Steel knives have some heft--take a day between serious throwing sessions until you don't feel taxed.

 

[tiguy7]

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[Sam03]

Hey Morgan! The posts above have good advice and clearly are better sources than I am. As an avid yet greatly unskilled thrower, I also come across this issue occasionally. If my hands are very fatigued (for whatever reason), this can impact my release. I have found that my grip, both the technique AND grip-pressure, subtly change how I let go off the knife in question. Ironically, based on the style I utilize, the grip should be light and shouldn’t be a factor... but it does change things. Think of how you might hold a tube of toothpaste with the cap off WITHOUT squeezing any out. That might help. Clearly, if you are throwing in the Fedin/Skanf style, this isn’t as much of an issue. I’ve also found that focusing on the angle of my wrist (which should not be angled at all, actually) helps me with regulating grip pressure.

Additionally, I believe that humidity can also play a role. When I was a young teen, I trained with a guy near Lakeland, Florida that had been a knife thrower with the Haines Family circus, among others. This thrower, though unfortunately inebriated most of the time, always kept baby powder or cornstarch nearby to put on his fingers. He studiously avoided putting it on his palms. He said, “imagine gently holding a live baby bird In your palm and allow your fingers to be rails to guide your knife.” He believed that momentum dictated release and the grip shouldn’t do so. My two cents, probably worth less.