Any boomerang enthusiast will tell you that the only way toconsistently make good throws is to practice good technique. Here arethe basics so you can get started on perfecting your throw. Keep inmind that your first attempt will probably end up on the ground, aswill your second and third. So, if the boomerang your girlfriend gaveyou is an expensive hand-carved model, you'll want to pick up a cheapplastic design at the toy store to use for practice.

  1. Your first instinct when you pick up a boomerang may be to throw itlike a Frisbee. At its heart, a boomerang is just a propeller thatisn't attached to anything. So, if you try to throw it like a frisbee,the force of the propeller motion will launch the boomerang up into avertical arc instead of into a horizontal arc right above the ground.The correct way to hold a boomerang is at a slight angle, say 15 to 20degrees from vertical. This will aim the force of the propeller upwardjust enough to balance the force of gravity so that the boomerang isn'tpulled to the ground before it can make a complete circle.

  2. Hold the boomerang as shown in the diagram above, with the V-point, called the elbow,pointing toward you, and with the flat side facing out. Hold theboomerang at the end of the bottom wing, with a light pinch-like grip.This boomerang is designed for a right-handed person -- when you holdit correctly with your right hand, the curved edge is on the left andthe top wing's leading edge is facing away from you. It probably won'ttravel back to you if you throw it with your left hand. If you areleft-handed, make sure you get a left-handed boomerang -- one that is amirror image of the boomerang in this illustration. Colorado Boomerangssells a variety of boomerang styles, and the company says that everymodel is available in a left-handed version. If you are throwing withyour left hand, hold the boomerang so that it is tilted to the left,with the curved side facing to the right. A right-handed boomerang willtravel in a counter-clockwise circle and a left-handed boomerang willtravel in a clockwise circle.

  3. To keep the wind from forcing the boomerang off course,you should aim the boomerang at a point about 45 to 50 degrees to oneside from the direction of the wind (stand facing the wind and rotateabout 45 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise). Adjust the positionof the boomerang depending on how much wind there is, as shown in thediagram.

  4. When you have set your grip on the boomerang and you haveoriented yourself in relation to the wind, bring the boomerang backbehind you and snap it forward as if you were throwing a baseball. Itis very important to snap your wrist as you release the boomerang sothat it has a good spin to it. Spin is the most important thing in a boomerang throw -- it's what makes the boomerang travel in a curved path.

  5. When you throw the boomerang vertically, the uneven forceon the top of the spin tilts the axis down gradually, so it should comeback to you lying horizontally, as a Frisbee would. But don't try tocatch it with one hand -- the spinning blades could really hurt you.The safe way to catch a returning boomerang is to clap it between yourhands. Always be careful when playing with a boomerang, especially aheavier model. When you throw the boomerang, you must keep your eye onit at all times or it could hit you on the return. If you lose track ofits path, duck and cover your head rather then trying to figure outwhere it is. Boomerangs move quickly, with a lot of force.

Boomeranging is a difficult skill, but it can be a lot of fun topractice. It's certainly a satisfying accomplishment when the boomerangactually comes right back to you and you catch it perfectly!

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