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Tips from the Top
Free Advice on Improving your Game
Last update, 1/8/2002
Practice and patience will get you beyond the recreational level of achievement, however, few folks are able to stumble upon the tricks/techniques required to improve beyond simple mediocrity. The top players are typically willing to share information and give advice, but they are often difficult to corner at tournaments. In light of this, we hope that this page will become a clearinghouse of tips and advice for those seeking to improve their game.
A short course ... How to pitch like the pros (click here!!).
Tip #1
(from Roger Vogel, former state champion
of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois,
and Texas. Lifetime average: approx. 70%
ringers).
His secret is follow-through and body motion.
He focuses on following through using an
"outward" motion toward the stake
(as opposed to an upward motion toward the
sky). Further, as part of the follow through,
he ensures that the motion of his body does
not stop, but continues moving toward the
stake, riding up over his forward leg. Think
about exaggerating the follow-through.
Here is Ted Allen demonstrating his own version
of the follow-through. Click Here.
Tip #2 - Practice
(from Walter Ray Williams Jr., via a posting
we saw once on the NHPA website).
This is a practice tip. He offers a way to
simulate game play during practice. You can
pitch against an imaginary opponent by using
a pair of dice. Up front determine what level
of opponent you want to pitch against. For
example, if you want a 50% opponent, you
can count ringers on a dice roll of 1-3 and
misses on a dice roll of 4-6. Alternate pitches
based on who scores, just as you would in
a tournament. Here is how it works: 1. For
the first pitch, we flip a shoe and the opponent
wins. 2. Roll two dice; he gets a 2 and a
3 (a double); mark the score sheet accordingly.
3. Now you pitch; record your shoes and points
on the score sheet. 4. Continue until one
of you wins.
For other skill levels of opponents: Counting ringers on 1=17%, 1-2=33%, 1-3=50%, 1-4=67%, 1-5=83%. You can select other skill levels by basing the opponent's percentage on the roll of two or more dies. It is also possible to achieve the same thing using a deck of cards.
Tip #3 - Practice (attributed to Elmer Hohl, former world champion).
Practice uses up ringers and makes you tired.
Tip #4. The Release
(from Brian Simmons: 1998, 1999 New Hampshire
State Champion; 3rd in the 1999 World Tournament;
80%+ average).
"Try to release your shoe at only chest
height, or for some people a little higher.
You will find yourself hitting the stake
80% of the time. This is the perfect enlighnment
for the shoe and perfect height. That is
all I concentrate on and it got me pitching
80% with a lot of practice."
Tip #5 - Throwing the 1 1/4 turn shoe...
(from Walter Ray Williams, posted on the
NHPA Web Discussion Forum)
"The main part about the 1 & 1/4
grip is that the thumb is on the flat side
and the fingers are on the other side and
wrapping around a little bit. With your arm
(right handers) holding the shoe straight
up and your thumb an extension of your arm
the shoe should have the 'open' side facing
to your left. Your thumb should also be closer
to your face than your fingers!
"During the swing you will want to
rotate your arm appox. 90 degrees so that
the open side is facing towards the peg.
This can happen as you start your swing.
When your arm passes your right leg (knee),
the shoe should be facing behind you. Try
and keep your arm in this position throughout
the backswing. When you reach the top of
your backwsing, that is when you want to
take your step with your left foot. Your
arm should follow forward and as you pass
your leg, slowly rotate the shoe so that
your thumb will be on the top of the shoe
at the point of release. This rotation motion
will give the shoe a natural turn. Your arm
should continue in the same path so that
your arm is pointing to the sky in a 'perfect'
follow through'. I would suggest throwing
some shoes about 10 - 20 feet until you get
the feel of a turning shoe. You don't want
to snap your wrist as you may end up with
much more turn than desired."
Tip #6 Tips, photographs and advise from Ted Allen,
arguably the greatest horseshoe pitcher of
all time. Included is and article he wrote
for Horseshoe World magazine in 1941 on throwing
the turn shoe. Click here.
