How To Throw
Throwing Instructions
Model Specific Instructions
General Throwing Instructions (Most Models)
When you go to test out your throwstick for the first time, remember the four rules of Throwing Kylies. This is also featured in our “Flight School” video located above.
Rule #1 A kylie must spin rapidly. It is possible to throw any stick with an extended grip but this generally shortens flight distances and is sub-optimal for most models. Use a hammer grip instead, applied to the edges of the stick. Use a solid, forceful wrist. Throw at full force with your arm and full body. Do not baby the kylie. Throw it hard and snap your wrist to make it spin fast with that lead edge slicing into the air.
Rule #2 A kylie must slice the horizon/target. Throw the kylie directly at your target with proper wrist alignment to slice the horizon as precisely as possible. Do not lob the kylie into the air or throw above your target. Trust the kylie to fly straight to your target on a flat, straight and level trajectory. Keep the kylie aligned so that it doesn’t flap out of alignment after release, losing precious energy in the process. This takes practice to perfect. Slice the horizon!
Rule #3 A kylie must be thrown at or near horizontally. Throw the kylie side arm at or very near to 3 o’clock (9 o’clock for lefties). If you throw at 2 o’clock (anhyzer) the kylie will curve to the inside in flight. If you dip the tip of the kylie down to 4 o’clock (hyzer) at release, then it will curve off to the outside. The levelness of the kylie at the moment of release determines whether it will travel straight or not, so adjust your technique until it stays straight until the end of the flight, at which point it will drop down vertically as the final tell tale sign you’ve got it right. Note that there are a few models which are often an exception to this and are best thrown slightly above 3 o’clock (with slight anyhyzer). These models are The Wirlki, The Stinger and The Wedge. All the other models are best thrown directly at 3 o’clock.
Rule #4 A kylie must be thrown at optimal velocity (including a consideration of wind/breeze conditions). Throw your kylie at or near to your full strength. With practice your technique will become smooth. Be conscious of wind conditions. A headwind generally creates a slight gain in altitude, side winds create little effect other than drift, and a back wind is fatal to a kylie’s flight and will reduce flight ranges considerably. Generally, if you find your stick falling low then throw harder. If you find it flies high, then focus more on spin and/or lower throwing velocity slightly until flights are straight and level. Each stick will fly to at or beyond stated ranges when thrown optimally with a focus on the other 3 rules.
You can start out throwing slowly to get your form right, but keep going back to these four rules until you get success. It takes time to adjust technique and building up your muscle memory, just like any other sport. One additional tip is the use of grip chalk and sports tape to aid in grip, release, comfort, and easing finger soreness across a range of weather conditions or during long throwing sessions.
Warning
Throwsticks are inherently dangerous tools based in ancient traditions that extend back to the beginnings of human hunting. Please be very careful where you throw and what you throw at. Your throwstick may go a much greater distance than you might imagine it could, and if thrown incorrectly it may fly on a curved path which may completely surprise you and others. It may get lost, damage something, or severely injure someone up to 200 meters away. Know your target, its surroundings and beyond. We recommend you start off by throwing at targets at closer ranges until you get used to the range, power and behavior of your throwstick. A throwstick may look innocent in flight, but it can break bones, cause serious injury, and destroy valuable property. You are about to take super-human throwing power into your hands, so treat your new found power with the respect it deserves. Please protect the freedom of our unique sport by treating the environment you throw in with consideration and care.
Kylie Care
Polycarbonate kylies are extremely tough and durable compared to their hardwood counterparts, but they are not completely unbreakable. Impacts on solid, sharp, and hard objects, which include hard wood tree trunks, steel posts, rocks, and boulders, can damage or break them. Below freezing conditions increase risks further. Take careful note of how far you throw and count your paces to aid in locating sticks which have traveled into areas where they may be lost. Due to the aggressive nature of these instruments, the painted surfaces of a kylie take a lot of abrasive wear, particularly from dirt, rocks, impacts, and sand. It is normal for the edges of the paint to wear back and reveal the black polycarbonate underneath. On the grip area we purposefully sand the palm side edge to aid in a faster release on some models. Sanding the upper and lower surfaces of kylies or adding thick paint on them can change their tuning, so avoid alterations to the instruments. The general exception is that the edges may be lightly sanded to smooth out nicks which can occur from impacts with sharp rocks. This will not appreciably change the tuning if done in moderation with fine grit paper. Polycarbonate is chemically sensitive. Do not spray paint your throwstick to change the color or it may lead to chemical damange which can result in breakage. Have fun with your new throwstick!
The Sidewinder Scout Instructions
The Sidewinder Scout is our most accessible and accurate throwstick for a wide range of throwers. Its unique balance, which lines up with the hand and is close enough to the wrist to allow effective use of an extended grip. The extended grip allows for instinctive accuracy, and alignment, and is the recommended grip for adult throwers with this particular model.
To execute an extended grip, the core principle is placing the thumb across the top center of the grip. The lower three fingers wrap the grip and the first finger lays against the under side of the handle, opposite the thumb. See the illustration at left.
Younger or weaker throwers may use more of a hammer grip, if they instinctively feel this benefits their power or control. The most important principle to keep in mind with any grip when throwing the Sidewinder is to remember that it will not fly if it is not spun in alignment with its direction of travel. If thrown forward but spun with a slightly downward angle of attack, it will fall short of the target and not produce adequate lift.
Rule #1 The Sidewinder must spin rapidly in alignment with direction of travel. Throw at full force with your arm, wrist, and full body. Do not baby the stick. Throw it hard and snap your wrist to make it spin fast. If spun above or below the direction of travel, differences in lift force will occur.
Rule #2 A kylie must slice the horizon/target. Throw the kylie directly at your target with proper wrist alignment to slice the horizon as precisely as possible.
Rule #3 A kylie must be thrown horizontally. Throw the kylie side arm at or very near to 3 o’clock (9 o’clock for lefties). If you throw at 2 o’clock the kylie will curve to the left in flight. If you dip the tip of the kylie down to 4 o’clock at release, then it will curve off to the right.
Rule #4 A kylie must be thrown at optimal velocity (including a consideration of wind/breeze conditions). Throw your kylie at or near to your full strength. Do not baby it. With practice your technique will become smooth. Be conscious of wind conditions. A headwind generally creates a slight gain in altitude, side winds create little effect other than drift, and a back wind is fatal to a kylie’s flight and will reduce flight ranges considerably.
Warning!
Please be very careful where you throw and what you throw at. Your throwstick may go a much greater distance than you might imagine it could, and if thrown incorrectly it may fly on a curved path which may completely surprise you and others. It may get lost, damage something, or severely injure someone up to 200 meters away. Know your target, its surroundings and beyond. We recommend you start off by throwing at targets at closer ranges until you get used to the range, power and behavior of your throwstick. A throwstick may look innocent in flight, but it can break bones, cause serious injury, and destroy valuable property. You are about to take super-human throwing power into your hands, so treat your new found power with the respect it deserves. Please protect the freedom of our unique sport by treating the environment you throw in with consideration and care.
Kylie Care
Polycarbonate kylies are extremely tough and durable compared to their hardwood counterparts, but they are not completely unbreakable. Impacts on solid, sharp, and hard objects, which include hard wood tree trunks, steel posts, rocks, and boulders, can damage or break them. Below freezing conditions increase risks further. Take careful note of how far you throw and count your paces to aid in locating sticks which have traveled into areas where they may be lost. Due to the aggressive nature of these instruments, the painted surfaces of a kylie take a lot of abrasive wear, particularly from dirt, rocks, impacts, and sand. It is normal for the edges of the paint to wear back and reveal the black polycarbonate underneath. On the grip area we purposefully sand the palm side edge to aid in a faster release on most models. As the paint wears off this surface on your first 100 throws, your throwing accuracy and smoothness will increase as well. Sanding the upper and lower surfaces of kylies or adding thick paint on them can change their tuning, so avoid alterations to the instruments. The general exception is that the edges may be lightly sanded to smooth out nicks which can occur from impacts with sharp rocks. This will not appreciably change the tuning if done in moderation with fine grit paper. Polycarbonate is chemically sensitive. Do not spray paint your throwstick to change the color or it may lead to chemical damange which can result in breakage. Have fun with your new throwstick!
The Kimberley Stinger Instructions
Arm Identification: Hold the Stinger in front of you so that it resembles a moustache, with the curved side facing you and the flat side facing away. Now, for right handed throwers the lead arm is the arm on your right and the trailing arm is on your left. If you are left handed, then the lead arm is the arm on your left and the trailing arm is on your right. While throws can be conducted by holding either arm, for the Stinger we highly recommend the trailing arm hold as being the best technique overall. Note that this is the reverse of our other models.
Grip: To start out, place the trailing arm of the Stinger on your open hand with the flat side against your palm. Close your hand over the the Stinger firmly and make a fist around it, using the same grip you would use when holding a hammer. Focus grip strength around the edges of the stick. Adjust exact placement for comfort until you get the formula exactly right for you, while holding as far out to the end of the stick as you comfortably can.
Throwing: For normal long ranged throwing follow The Four Rules Of Throwsticks which you will find in our Flight School video located in the Q&A Page at Throwsticks.com
#1 A kylie must spin rapidly. #2 A kylie must slice the horizon/target. #3 A kylie must be thrown horizontally. The Stinger is actually best released at just above hozizontal/3 o’clock (with very slight anhyzer). #4 A kylie must be thrown at optimal velocity.
When you get the formula right of adequate power and spin, a correct release angle and slice of the horizon with good wrist alignment, then the Stinger wil do the rest! Enjoy!
Safety And Care
The Stinger is an inherently dangerous product, based in ancient fighting boomerang designs known to have been used historically in hand to hand combat to cause severe injury and death. Please be very careful where you throw or swing the Stinger, and what you throw at or strike with it. When thrown, your throwstick may fly a much greater distance than you might imagine it could and deliver a much harder blow than you realize is possible. If thrown incorrectly it may fly on a curved path which may completely surprise you and others. It may get lost, damage something, or severely injure someone up to 150 meters away. Know your target, its surroundings and beyond. We recommend you start off by throwing at targets at closer ranges until you get used to the range, power and behavior of your Stinger. Any throwstick may look innocent in flight, but it can break bones, cause serious injury, and destroy valuable property. You are about to take super-human throwing power into your hands, so treat your new found power with the respect it deserves. Please protect the freedom of our unique sport by treating the environment you throw in with consideration and care. The Stringer also features pointed ends which can be dangerous. It can be fallen upon by the user so that it is a stabbing danger, therefore do not run with the Stinger in hand or utilize it while riding a horse or bicycle. Do not navigate difficult terrain or climb with it in hand unless it is kept above body level so that you cannot possibly fall upon it. Do not rely upon it as a climbing safety device, as it is not a professional climbing tool and falls and injuries may occur. The Stringer can also ricochet or bounce fast and hard off hard objects at close ranges, and thus be dangerous to the thrower or bystanders. It can splinter and shatter items it strikes. Do not accidentally put the reverse point of the Stinger into your own eye when handling or throwing. Never throw The Stinger around people or pets. Polycarbonate throwsticks are much tougher than their hardwood counterparts, but they can still potentially break in rough environments. Avoid strikes on hard wood tree trunks, rocks, steel posts or boulders, as possible. Below freezing conditions make them more fragile than otherwise so be a bit more careful of hard strikes in those temperatures. Polycarbonate is chemically sensitive. Do not spray paint your throwstick to change the color or it may lead to chemical damange which can result in breakage of the material which would otherwise remain strong. Care for your Wedge and it will give you many years of enjoyment.
The Maverick And The Mini-7 Instructions
The Maverick and The Mini-7 are unique in our lineup, most of which is focused on heavy hunting sticks, designed to fly in straight flight paths. Kylie golf sticks are much safer, more versatile and acrobatic, featuring the ability to curve their flights in desired directions around obstacles.
If you haven’t yet, then please watch our kylie golf video on our website to observe the range of techniques available. As you view it, note that the power and angle of release are varied to achieve different results. For grip, we personally prefer the pinch grip for the Mini-7 and a shallow hammer grip for the Maverick, but many techniques will work. Here are a few tips to get started with throwing kylies.
1. A kylie must spin rapidly. Flick your wrist when throwing to deliver most of the power to the flight, and you’ll get that rapid spin that stabilizes the kylie.
3. A kylie must be launched at optimum velocity for the distance you intend to throw, the angle of your release, and the tuning of the stick. An excessively powerful throw will cause the stick to rise and climb in flight and an under powered throw will cause it to not carry the full distance you intended. Thus “over powering” a throw at an angle can result in curved flight paths around obstacles. Factor wind direction into everything you do as well, because it does matter! We are tuning these sticks “soft” so that little power is generally needed to send them flying. A moderately powerful, smooth throw is best in most cases.
4. Utilize the angle of your release (hyzer/anhyzer in disc golf lingo) to vary the curve of the flight path. The more you post your throws up at 1 or 2 o’clock, the further to the left the sticks will travel, and the more you throw at or below horizontal, the more they will travel to the right. These angled curved flights are usually more extreme when “over powered.”
5. Have fun and experiment! We work to make consistent products but each one will still be a bit unique. The Maverick and Mini-7 are designed to behave differently than each other as well. With experience you’ll be able to place them where you want them and choose the correct tool for each situation. Start off with throwing the Maverick at about 2 o’clock with moderate power, and the mini-7 at 3 o’clock with moderate power. See how they behave and modify your technique from there. This is an easy care free, loose throwing sport, not a heavy handed power sport! Finesse and smoothness matter more than strength.
Warning!
Please be very careful where you throw and what you throw at. Your kylie may go a much greater distance than you might imagine it could, or curve its flight into different places than you intended for it to go. It may get lost, damage something, or injure someone up to 200 meters away, if it strikes a vulnerable part of the body such as the eye, face or throat. Know your target, its surroundings and beyond, and do not throw where there is a risk to bystanders. We recommend you start off by throwing at closer ranges until you get used to the range, power and behavior of your kylie. A small kylie may look innocent in flight, but it can still cause eye and face injuries. Do not play catch with kylie golf sticks. Please protect the freedom of this unique sport by treating the environment you throw in with consideration and care.
The Wedge War Club Instructions
The Wedge is a unique product in our lineup, designed to be thrown in a slightly different way to the others. Most of our sticks are designed to be released horizontally at 3 o’clock (as the thrower is viewed from behind). The Wedge is designed to be thrown at 2 o’clock (10 o’clock for left handed throwers). In disc golf terminology this is called “anhyzer.” When thrown at 2 o’clock The Wedge will slowly rotate to level over the course of its flight, and as it reaches max range it will then drop vertically to earth. If you see it travel to the left or right at the end of the flight, adjust your angle of release above or below 2 o’clock until it drops vertically. That’s when you know you’ve learned the perfect angle for a straight flight, which you should repeat for every throw thereafter on this product.
For best results use a hammer grip with good wrist alignment and throw at your full force so that it flies as fast as you can make it go while spinning very rapidly. Use the weight in the head of the stick to help you develop the momentum of the throw. This leads to a natural sense of accuracy as well as tremendous power.
Align the Wedge as you throw to slice the air so that it is not thrown with a downward tilt. Because the weight of the head is forward of your hand, The Wedge has a natural tendency to til downwards in your hand, if you don’t direct it otherwise. If you allow it to tilt downwards at release, it will reduce its lift force and your flights will fall far short instead of flying the distances they should. Slice the air and throw directly at your target. Do not throw up into the air on a trajectory. When thrown correctly the Wedge is individually tuned and tested to fly on an almost flat, very shallow trajectory and it will fly straight to about 50 meters distance, if not more.. If thrown with inadequate velocity or downwards alignment, it will fall short. Be aware that a back wind will reduce your range and a head wind may produce more lift in the stick, which you can compensate for with experience, as necessary.
Safety, Practice And Care
The Wedge is an inherently dangerous product, based in ancient war club designs known to have been used historically in hand to hand combat to cause severe injury and death. Please be very careful where you throw or swing the Wedge, and what you throw at or strike with it. When thrown, your throwstick may fly a much greater distance than you might imagine it could and deliver a much harder blow than you realize is possible. The Wedge can easily shatter human bones. If thrown incorrectly it may fly on a curved path which may completely surprise you and others. It may get lost, damage something, or severely injure someone up to 150 meters away. Know your target, its surroundings and beyond. We recommend you start off by throwing at targets at closer ranges until you get used to the range, power and behavior of your Wedge. Any throwstick may look innocent in flight, but it can break bones, cause serious injury, and destroy valuable property. You are about to take super-human throwing power into your hands, so treat your new found power with the respect it deserves. Please protect the freedom of our unique sport by treating the environment you throw in with consideration and care. The Wedge also features pointed ends which can be dangerous. It can be fallen upon by the user so that it is a stabbing danger, therefore do not run with the Wedge in hand or utilize it while riding a horse or bicycle. Do not navigate difficult terrain or climb with it in hand unless it is kept above body level so that you cannot possibly fall upon it. Do not rely upon it as a climbing safety device, as it is not a professional climbing tool and falls and injuries may occur. The Wedge can also ricochet or bounce fast and hard off hard objects at close ranges, and thus be dangerous to the thrower or bystanders. It can splinter and shatter items it strikes. Never throw The Wedge around people or pets. Polycarbonate throwsticks are much tougher than their hardwood counterparts, but they can still potentially break in rough environments. Avoid strikes on hard wood tree trunks, rocks, steel posts or boulders, as possible. Below freezing conditions make them more fragile than otherwise so be a bit more careful of hard strikes in those temperatures.
Polycarbonate is chemically sensitive. Do not spray paint your throwstick to change the color or it may lead to chemical damange which can result in breakage of the material which would otherwise remain strong. Care for your Wedge and it will give you many years of enjoyment.
Additional Instructions
How Do I Grip My Throwstick?
Most of our models use a hammer grip, as pictured below. This grip allows for maximal delivery of force to the stick. It tends to feel more crude and less ergonomic with smaller sticks but more natural with bigger ones.
Grip, wrist alignment and the distance the throwing hand is out from the side of the body at release all have an impact on the alignment of the stick and the power and spin imparted to it. It can take practice and experimentation to find what best works for you. Remember that in the end what matters is the attitude, direction and energy imparted to the stick itself.
How To Acquire Accuracy
What Is The Difference Between The Lead Arm And The Trailing Arm?
The 4 Rules In Depth
#1 A Kylie Must Spin Rapidly
Rule #1 A kylie must spin rapidly. It is possible to throw any stick with an extended grip but this generally shortens flight distances and is sub-optimal for most models. Use a hammer grip instead, applied to the edges of the stick. Use a solid, forceful wrist. Throw at full force with your arm and full body. Do not baby the kylie. Throw it hard and snap your wrist to make it spin fast with that lead edge slicing into the air.
Inadequate Spin And Stability
The spin of the stick is responsible for holding the stabilizing energy of the flight through the gyroscopic effect this produces. If a thrower imparts inadequate spin to a stick he opens the flight up to instability and high drag, leading to stall, which may be imparted from bad alignment during throwing or strong gusts of wind.
When spun rapidly enough a basic bent airfoil will tend to auto correct its alignment and direction of travel to match, even if throwing alignment may be poor on the intial throw. The initial loss of energy to drag from poor alignment will reduce overall flight distance achieved, but the stick will salvage what it can from the throw if spun correctly.
Advance Ratio
Advance ratio describes the ratio of energy imparted to the spin vs. the forward velocity. A stick may be thrown with almost no spin at all but it won't fly very far, as described above, since it would be unstable. Similarly it may be spun without being thrown and in this scenario it would also not travel any distance. It is the cooperation between the spin of the stick and the forward velocity of the stick which are responsible for the magic of a throwstick's flight.
The gyroscopic spin on a throwstick stabilizes it and slowly changes its attitude through a mechanism known as gyroscopic precession, as unequal torque forces are applied to the wings which result from its forward velocity.
In practical terms, ths faster the spin, the more stabilizing energy the stick contains as it flies, and the longer it will maintain this energy through time, as it experiences drag.
If you want a stick to fly lower and longer, it needs more spin while maintaining forward velocity as well. If you want a stick to float and lift faster, it needs less spin or more forward velocity in relationship to spin.
In real world throwing, differences in advance ratio are low from thrower to thrower, if a hammer gip is used. Adaptation comes naturally and easily for most, from the feedback loop of success with the stick. It's good to recognize that over spun, low velocity flights will be short and low and under spun, high velocity flights will be short and high. A proper advance ratio results in a balance of powers that goes great distances.
If any thrower uses a firm hammer grip with some wrist force added to the throw, they will find that their advance ratios are very close to ideal and the above information is more theoretical than realistic for them to have great control over.
Still, knowing the above can help adaptation to windy conditions, such that when throwing into a head wind, a thrower may wish to focus on spin more than velocity, or with a tail wind, on velocity more than spin. Or perhaps in a more confined area a thrower may prefer an extended grip to a hammer grip, to limit range and power while still achieving flight.
#2 A Kylie Must Slice The Horizon/Target
Rule #2 A kylie must slice the horizon/target. Throw the kylie directly at your target with proper wrist alignment to slice the horizon as precisely as possible. Do not lob the kylie into the air or throw above your target. Trust the kylie to fly straight to your target on a flat, straight and level trajectory. Keep the kylie aligned so that it doesn’t flap out of alignment after release, losing precious energy in the process. This takes practice to perfect. Slice the horizon!
Kylies Fly Level
Many who are used to throwing non flying objects tend to try to lob a kylie into the air to achieve distance. This invariably produces bad results/short ranged throws because it completely disengages the balanced mechanisms the stick is meant to operate by. Kylies are meant to be thrown directly at targets and do not achieve longer distances by being thrown into the sky. Throwers must learn to trust the instrument to do what it is designed to do, and they must engage the learning curve in themselves with their throwing technique until they get it right.
Don't Waste Your Energy
The edge profile of a hunting stick is about 1/2" thick but the top view profile is about 2" wide. Therefore a slight angle turned up or down at release opens up the stick to high drag and energy loss right out of the gates.
By focusing on slicing the air with the edge of the stick as you throw, you will achieve much greater distances. If spun adequately you will find that most of our lineup will auto-correct alignment errors to a certain degree, but these errors always result in wasted energy right at the beginning of the flight.
When using a hammer grip, pay attention to your wrist alignment and the distance you hand is from your side as you throw, since this affects the angle of the stick at release as well. The whole process should feel natural, and the more wrist force you apply (firm and purposeful, not loose) the better your alignment will generally be.
You can hear the difference between a good slice and not, and you can also see it. If not in person then on film. Have someone film your throw from behind your shoulder and watch the attitude of the stick at release. Are you turning it down or up? Does it appear to flap low or high on the first spin afterwards before auto-correcting? Pay careful attention to these things and keep adjusting your technique until you get it right an it feels more and more natural.
Specific Nose Heavy Sticks
The more bent a kylie is, the more it will tend to auto-stabilize bad throws and handle windy conditions. That's good! However, if thrown with a loose hand, a very bent or nose heavy stick will tend to take a nose down attitude when thrown. This subtle difference between the plane of rotation and direction of travel will lead to a very low lift state at the beginning of a flight which may make a stick die /dive early in the flight rather than fly straight. This is especially true of throws conducted at inadequate velocity.
In our lineup there are two sticks most prone to this and one which has a slight tendency.
The Stinger is nose heavy and this is one of several reasons it is best thrown in reverse, by the trailing arm rather than the lead arm. This solves that problem entirely by giving it an initial nose up flight.
The Wedge is nose heavy and with the narrow grip, it is important to just moniter that it is not thrown with a loose hand and downward angle or orientation, or it will dive at 20 yards rather than fly to 80 yards. This can easily be done if one is aware of this tendency, inherent in the war club design, which tends to hand nose down in the hand if not gripped otherwise.
The Rabbit Stick is just slightly nose heavy and will produce inadequate lift if not oriented forward when thrown and not downwards. This is only a slight tendency with this model and again, easy to manage once one realizes this tendency.
"Over Stable" Sticks
The Sidewinder Scout is bent in an S configuration which is so stable that it will maintain spin orientation off angle from direction of travel, if asked to. When thrown with an extended grip, as intended for this model, this is a positive quality in this unique model. It also offers versatility where a throw can be conducted that is meant to drop early and skim along the ground. It is something to be aware of that to achieve long ranged distances with the Sidewinder, one should slice the air with the throw so that the spin orientation and direction of travel match.
Throwstick Forgiveness
With practice, good wrist alignment is natural and easy. Some of our models are particularly good at auto-aligning for those who struggle with this skill at first. These models are the Karli, the Central Desert Hunter and the Wirlki. These three models are particularly forgiving to bad throwers.
#3 A Kylie Must Be Thrown At Or Near Horizontal
Rule #3 A kylie must be thrown at or near horizontally. Throw the kylie side arm at or very near to 3 o’clock (9 o’clock for lefties). If you throw at 2 o’clock (anhyzer) the kylie will curve to the inside in flight. If you dip the tip of the kylie down to 4 o’clock (hyzer) at release, then it will curve off to the outside. The levelness of the kylie at the moment of release determines whether it will travel straight or not, so adjust your technique until it stays straight until the end of the flight, at which point it will drop down vertically as the final tell tale sign you’ve got it right. Note that there are a few models which are often an exception to this and are best thrown slightly above 3 o’clock (with slight anyhyzer). These models are The Wirlki, The Stinger and The Wedge. All the other models are best thrown directly at 3 o’clock.
Where Is Gravity?
To fly straight and level a throwstick must take into accoun the direction of gravity's pull. Straight down! Flight is the overcoming of this very gravity and to do this a wing must be pulling directly against it. If a kylie is thrown up at 1 o'clock like a returning boomerang, it will fall to earth fairly rapidly as it does a curve to the inside. However, when thrown on a horizontal plane with gravity pulling striaight down below, a kylie will be lifting directly against this gravity and can achieve considerable distances.
What Is Layover?
Layover is a term used to describe the tendency that frisbees, boomerangs and any spinning/flying object have to roll to the outside as they move forward. This phenomenon occurs due to a combination of gyroscopic precession and a center of lift which is ahead of center of mass on the object. The spin of the object translates the torque of this imbalance between lift and mass 90 degrees into the direction or rotation, resulting in a flight that curves to the side.
In a well made throwstick or kylie, these issues are partially or entierly mitigated by tuning, where center of lift and center of mass are re-oriented to the same line through application of various adjustments to the airfoil.
Depending on the range and intended usage of the throwstick, it may or may not be possible to eliminate all layover, and in some circumstances it is useful.
For instance in the kylie golf sticks, layover is used to create curved flights which can clear objects.
In the Wedge War Club, the Kimberley Stinger, and The Wirlki, layover forces are minimal but present, and these models are recommended to be thrown just above 3 o'clock or as high as 2 o'clock, to allow for a small bit of layover which varies a bit from stick to stick. When thrown at these slight angles of anhyzer, these models will tend to flatten out to totally horizontal at the end of their flight, producing maximal lift where it is most needed. This effect is factored into the tuning and you know you have the angle right when you see the stick drop straight down to earth at the end of the throw. Throwing at 2 o'clock is comfortable and ergonomic for throwers.
On our other models, a totally horizontal throw at 3 o'clock is best, as the layover is completely eliminated in the Karli, the Central Desert Hunter, the Rabbit Stick and the S. Queensland Hunting boomerangs such as the Whale's Tail. The precise angle varies a small bit from stick to stick. You can tell you have got it right when the stick drops straight down to earth at the end of the throw. If it travels leftwards or rightwards, you were imprecise on the angle. Of course this is of little consequence in most scenarios, but is something to be aware of. The angle of your throw results in the sidewards travel at the end of the flight either direction or not at all.
The Sidewinder Scout likes to be thrown low to the side and not above 3 o'clock, as it has a tendency to do a reverse layover, if thrown with anhyzer. However ibecause of this it is good at running along the ground if it does make contact, since the direction of spin and the leftwards lean of the anyhzer throw match each other. This running tendency can possibly increase chances of a hit on a moving target in some circumstances where other sticks may become entangled and lose all energy.
#4 A Kylie Must Be Thrown At Optimal Velocity.
Rule #4 A kylie must be thrown at optimal velocity (including a consideration of wind/breeze conditions). Throw your kylie at or near to your full strength. With practice your technique will become smooth. Be conscious of wind conditions. A headwind generally creates a slight gain in altitude, side winds create little effect other than drift, and a back wind is fatal to a kylie’s flight and will reduce flight ranges considerably. Generally, if you find your stick falling low then throw harder. If you find it flies high, then focus more on spin and/or lower throwing velocity slightly until flights are straight and level. Each stick will fly to at or beyond stated ranges when thrown optimally with a focus on the other 3 rules.
Super Throwers
Some rare throwers are much stronger than average. They may bey over 6' 4" tall and have long, strong arms, and tend to throw with their arms instead of their body because they are large and have learned to move well in these ways. They may over power a stick's forward velocity and produce inadequate spin rate on the stick.
These throwers sometimes give us feedback that they are having trouble keeping their flights low enough with our sticks. Our advice is two fold.
Focus on spin rather than forward velocity: The ability to throw hard is not the same as the ability to throw well. Practice will result in a balanced technique for anyone, whether short or tall, and it is the powerful/gifted throwers who struggle the most. The better they are at throwing initially just by brute force, the harder it is to learn to adjust techniques to achieve even better results. By focusing on spinning the stick adequately rather than brute force power, these throwers do better.
In the end, focus on throwing for what the stick likes, even if that's a bit relaxed for your. With powerful ranges available out to 120 meters +, it's hard to be discontent to find that easy to achieve with the Centeral Desert Hunter. Strong throwers will not beat these ranges by much unless they learn to increase spin as well as velocity at the same time. If you are a thrower with well above average power, relax a little bit if you need to, to achieve flat and level flights to the stated ranges. Only from that standpoint do you have a foundation from which to do more. To do more, focus on that spin and not just your overall power.
Weaker Throwers
Are sticks are tuned for average build athletic males and will work well for a wide range of throwers, the extremes of which are able to adapt with practice.
Still, some throwers don't put the force into the sticks that they are tuned for. Our most forgiving sticks of low velocity throwers are generally the Karli and the Central Desert Hunter, followed by the Whale's Tail. These tend to maintain level flight at a variety of initial velocities. Other sticks won't forgive weaker throwers very uch. The Wedge is particularly demanding that it wants to be thrown hard. It's a low lift stick. Most of the other models are in the middle of the range.
If you are a weaker thrower, focus on feeling the weight in the head of the stick and whipping it around your body rapidly with a snappy motion to achieve good velocity. These are hunting sticks and they need velocity to contain the power and speed they need to do their job. Practice makes perfect and with time you can get better and better. Another technique to learn from is throwing into head winds. You will find that when throwing into head winds, it takes less velocity to maintain level flights.
Note that for younger, weaker or older throwers, we are able to customize the tuning on the Karli Model throwstick so that it can accomodate you. We have made sticks for people with disabilities, shoulder injuries, even those in wheel chairs! The overall ranges are shortened to match with the skills of the thrower, but still, at least 50 meters is possible in most circumstances.
Wind
Tail winds uncercut the lift from wings and shorten ranges on hard sticks. On soft sticks such as the Mini-7, a tail wind may extend the range considerably. Reports out to 200 meters have been given to us. But with most of our lineup, a tail wind can only be compensated for by throwing even harder than normal.
Side winds enhance lift somewhat but have little effect other than on drift.
Head winds increase lift and to compensate for this, a focus on spin rather than forward velocity can help to keep a stick lower. Also, throwing below the point of aim can result in a good throw to some ranges.