The rotation

The rotation is the core problem with knife and axe throwing at all. The other calculation elements discussed on this pages, have the only purpose to bring the rotation under control.

The exact geometry of the trajectory of a knife or axe is not visible, not just by looking at a throw. To to tell the exact pathway, you have to have some preconsiderations.

(Dummy picture) Trajectory of an axe

A free Object rotates always around it's center of gravity.

If the center of gravity is within the material (knife), the object may rest at one spot. If the center of gravity is in the air (axe), then the object cannot rest at one spot.

For throwing, it is important, how far the center of gravity of the device is away from the hand. With a knife, the center of gravity may even be within the hand, then throws without turns should be possible. For axes, the center of gravity is always far off the hand, the grip is a lever and a pendulum.

Now one heretical question: Do you have to care about the rotations at all?! The Great Throwzini Newsletter reported the highly interresting result of a readers poll (Issue # 22 of September, 25th of 2000).

How many Spins Do You Usually Practice Throwing? 1/2 spin: 5.3 % 1 spin: 34.0 % 1 1/2 spin: 10.6 % 2 spin: 11.7 % 3 or more: 6.4 % Don't count: 31.9 % Total # of votes: 401 Reprinted with permission from Scott Gracia's The Great Throwzini Newsletter. Get your FREE 101 KNIFE THROWING TIPS and Newsletter, filled with throwing tips and ideas to help you with your throwing game, at The Great THROWZINI web site http://www.throwzini.com

Imagine: 31.9 %, that means most of the throwers, do not count the rotations and probably they do not even know the count. Phantastic! This is one of the most basic redundancies in throwing. The two poles of this redundancy are (1) the intuitive throwing and (2) the rational throwing.

(1) The intuitive throwing, this must be the way, how those 31.9 percent mentioned above, practice throwing, who do not count the rotations. "Not counting" surely may be not a drawback, but a privileg! They stick in a natural way, and they do not need the technical considerations, we conduct on this site here.

(2) The rational throwing is that, what you can find on this site here. We try to develop a theory how throwing works, how we can learn it, and what it's limits are. This is necessary, because we did not learn throwing as a child in a natural way. Instead we have to recover it in an artificial way out of nothing, only with the help of imagination and analysis.

As with all the other redundancies, you will probably make use of the both poles of it. But you may use more or less of the one or the other. Depending on your tradition and situation.