What is the goal of axe throwing?

The modern sport of axe throwing involves a competitor throwing an axe at a target, attempting to hit the bullseye as near as possible .

What is the secret to axe throwing?

Flare your hands out and follow through with your arms like you are throwing dust or mud at the wall. Keep your elbows straighter. Move your grip lower on the axe. Lean forward when releasing the axe, throw hands toward the target and follow through bringing your arms down past your legs.

What is a perfect game in axe throwing?

A natural perfect match – all 15 bullseyes in a match. An 80% bullseye rate for a night – 48/60 bullseyes. A supernatural perfect game – four bullseyes followed by a clutch .

How do you hit a bullseye in axe throwing?

When aiming for the bullseye, keep your eyes fixed on the target throughout your throw. Focus on the specific spot where you want the axe to hit. Visualize the axe landing in the center of the bullseye . Concentrating on the target will help you align your aim and increase your chances of hitting the bullseye.

How long should you do axe throwing?

How Long Does an Axe Throwing Session Take? Every axe throwing experience begins with 15-20 minutes of training from a certified axe instructor. Following training, the average time slot runs for 1-2 hours . The time of each session can vary depending on your group's size and reservation specifics upon booking.

How do you throw an axe for beginners?

The best indoor axe throwing stance suggests standing straight opposite your target, stepping forward with your non-dominate foot, shifting your weight forward, and extending your arms forward to point the axe towards the target . Make sure the blade is perfectly straight and aimed at your target!

Which foot forward when throwing an axe?

You want to throw the axe with your dominant hand so your non-dominant foot will be forward when you throw an axe. If you are right-handed, then your left foot will be forward.

What is a drop in axe throwing?

Drop – When the axe fails to stick in the target and falls to the ground, resulting in no points scored .

Why do people go axe throwing?

The force you exert and the feeling of release when you throw the axe are amazingly stress-relieving , which will make you feel so much better after. If you have any pent-up tension or emotions you need to release but couldn't put them into words, then you should try throwing an axe at the target!

What is the science behind axe throwing?

When an axe is thrown, air resistance as well as gravity acts against the velocity of the axe, which is travelling through mid-air. Both of these forces pull the axe down and the air pushes it back. However, the axe becomes balanced as soon as it hits the target, therefore it stays there.

What do you do at axe throwing?

Players stand behind a foul line, approximately 10-12 feet from the target (depending on venue and organization), and try to throw their axe into the target . The targets are labeled like most target sports, with the highest points in the bullseye, and decreasing the further your axe lands from the center.

What is the purpose of the axe?

ax, hand tool used for chopping, splitting, chipping, and piercing . Stone Age hand axes originated in simple stone implements that acquired wooden hafts, or handles, about 30,000 bc.

What Is Axe Throwing? How-To-Play, Scoring, And Rules (2024)

Axe throwing is a sport somewhat similar to dart, the axe is thrown at the target board with the aim of hitting it in the center of the targeted board. The target board is made up of wood with different scoring zones such as bullseye and outer rings.

In a normal throw, the bullseye has the maximum score, and the score starts to decrease in outer rings as you throw farthest from the center.

Axe throwers can play this game individually or in teams, and the player or team with the most points at the end of a round wins. Just like any other sport, axe throwing also adheres to predefined rules and regulations that must be followed.

This article is totally dedicated to what is axe throwing, from scoring rules to safety measures and everything you need to know about it.

How To Play Axe Throwing?

There are some basics that must be followed, regardless of whether you are playing for fun or in a competition. As a result, in addition to ensuring smooth performance, this will also ensure your along with your competitor’s safety. Before starting the play, make sure the following:

A cage surrounds the borders of the area so no one can walk in front of the target board while you’re about to throw. By doing this, you’ll ensure that the people around you are safe.
Both you and your opponent throw simultaneously, as well as retrieve simultaneously. The safety of both will be ensured this way.
The wood is soft enough to catch and hold the axe, preventing it from slipping out.
The axe is sharp enough to be stuck into the wood and doesn’t bounce back. If you’re unsure of the sharpness of the blade, don’t touch it rather hit the wood by standing close to it and see if it sticks deeply.

Once, you’re fulfilled the basic safety measure – it’s time to start playing. While playing with your competitor, you should stand in each other’s lanes. Hold the axe handle with both hands while standing shoulder-width apart. Your dominant hand should be on top of the axe handle, while the bottom of the axe should be supported by your other hand.

Raise the axe above your head and bring it down quickly with all your strength, releasing it at the right time and aiming for the target with the axe. Developing the axe-throwing technique requires time, and coaching. To get complete step-by-step tips on it, read our guide on How to throw an axe like a pro.

Scoring Criteria And Rules For Axe Throwing

As for the rules of axe throwing, certain rules are defined by both World Axe Throwing League (WATL) and the International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF) to ensure the safety of throwers, as well as the criteria for determining the winner.

WATL

According to the WATL rules, each game consists of 10 throws. The players switch sides after 5 throws to ensure fair play when there are 2 different types of target boards being used. One foot must be on the floor while throwing and the axe must make at least 1 rotation before it hits the target board.

IATF

In accordance with the rules of the IATF, a match is composed of 3 rounds and each round consists of 5 throws per player. A thrower must win 2 out of 3 rounds in order to be declared a winner. The throwers, switch the lanes within each round after 5 throws.

The scoring criteria of IATF differ from the WATL, if you hit the bullseye or the black ring you will be rewarded with 5 points, the middle or red ring has 3 points whereas the outer blue ring has 1 point. Just like WATL, they also have a kill shot which they call “Clutch” which has 7 points.

What Is Axe Throwing? How-To-Play, Scoring, And Rules (2)

What Are The Dimensions Of The Targeted Area?

When it comes to maximizing your score and hitting the bullseye, understanding the target board dimensions is essential. Depending on the standards set by the different organizations, the sizes of the board may vary. Most of the time, two standards for the targeted board are followed, WATL and IATF.

According to the WATL, a double side lane consists of two boards and both the boards are 4 feet long and 4 feet wide. The lanes are 12 feet wide having 2 feet distance between the boards and 1 foot from the corners. The bullseye and the kill shots are 1.5 inches in diameter.

What Is Axe Throwing? How-To-Play, Scoring, And Rules (3)

On the other hand, the IATF standard for the targeted board is slightly different. The board is 4 feet long and 4 feet wide, with 7 inches diameter of bullseye and 2 inches diameter of the kill shot.

What Is Axe Throwing? How-To-Play, Scoring, And Rules (4)

Safety Measures In Axe Throwing

Considering the sharpness of axes and throwing activity, you may have a question Is axe throwing dangerous? It is obvious that any sport that is played without rules and without safety precautions could result in dangerous situations for the players.

Safety measures must be taken into account in order to avoid the risk of injuries. Below are some of the core precautions:

Wear closed-toe shoes when you’re throwing the axe, this will not only provide you with a stable base for throwing but will also prevent you from being injured if you accidentally drop the axe.
Make sure you don’t wear loose clothing since they may get caught in the axe and cause injury.
You should never throw the axe at anyone or at anything other than a target board to ensure everyone, including yourself, is safe.
Only throw the axe that is in good condition, never throw an axe that is damaged or the handle is loose. Axes with loose handles can slip out and can cause serious injuries.
During your participation in a venue or league, you should follow all the rules of that venue or league. These rules are established to ensure the safety of all participants.

Besides these, you can also seek instruction from professionals with experience in axe throwing. They can educate you on the safety measures to ensure you’re throwing the axe safely.

Why Is Axe Throwing Popular?

Axe throwing is becoming one the popular sport but what are the reasons it is attracting people?

It is an activity that requires physical and mental focus along with a unique combination of skills and strength to master, and when you hit the right spot, it gives you a sense of accomplishment. There is nothing more satisfying than hitting a bullseye and that makes you want to keep playing more and more.

Furthermore, it is an excellent way to release stress, there is research that if you strike or punch something release the stress so if you have ever hit a wall or object while feeling stressed, try throwing an axe. Axe throwing can be used as a way to relieve stress and can be used as a form of therapy to help you cope with your stress.

In addition to these, there are a lot more reasons why axe throwing is growing as a popular sport. If you wish to find out what they are, refer to the in-depth guide on why is axe throwing popular.

FAQs:

A thrower aims at the target and throws with the motive of hitting the bullseye to score more points than his competitor.

Axe throwing is not hard for those who are willing to learn the technique while it could be hard for those who throw without learning the technique. It’s about learning with time, just like any other sport, “Practice is the key”.

Axe throwing was a form for training soldiers in the old times and it was also popular among the ones who uses axes in their daily lives. It has, however, gained global attention in recent years as a sport, and it has grabbed attention from different corners of the world.