Axe Throwing Tip: Everything is Practice

the 81 club at Meduseld

I'm a thinker. I'm paid to think, I think in my free time. To the credit of the Pizza Hut BOOK IT!

program I read a lot -- and all of that is great. I enjoy treating my body as only a device to move my brain around to new things I can learn and think about - but it comes at a cost.

Brother, I'll think on anything.

And while that's led to some deep introspection about my place in the world and how we might one day figure out how to have pizza anytime, it sometimes gets in the way of axe throwing. Like, a lot.

AXE THROWING AND OVER THINKING: THE PEAS AND CARROTS OF DRINKING SPORTS.

While thinking and axe throwing may not seem like a typical will they/won't they situation, it's common (I find) to think about a lot during a match.

If I'm up by X points by the 3rd throw, I'm safe.

If my opponent gets the bull, I'll have to go clutch.

I got a three that round. Might as well pack it up.

And that's, you know, normal I think. Axe throwers typically want to do well - they want to win. And that "win" mentality makes for some frustrations and distractions during league nights.

But a very wise Appalachian Gentleman wrote something on our league chat that really struck me as brilliant: just treat everything like practice for the tourney.

EVERYTHING IS PRACTICE, SO CALM DOWN

Now, I don't know if Otter Guy (image included here) put together how smart the thing he said was, but it lingered with me long after he wrote it down. Such a good axe throwing tip!

By thinking of everything as practice, you take away a lot of the pressure. When I practice, I slam bullseyes like they are tiny pizzas on bagels, and clutches like I'm having those tiny pizza bagels any. time.

But when I throw during a match, I miss the clutch. I panic about getting the bull. And maybe this is just new to me, or maybe I'm over-thinking everything, but bringing over that practice mindset to a match just seems like it'd make throwing more enjoyable AND more effective.

PRACTICE, IN PRACTICE.

So the very next two league nights, I put it in practice. And I'll tell you this: I could feel my brain calming down. I didn't stay in practice Zen for every match (my want to win got in the way, at times), but when I did manage it, I felt more relaxed and had more fun. PLUS I was so much more confident in my throw.

And maybe this isn't revelatory for anyone else, but honest to gub, it's making a big difference for me. I'm so excited to drop the...I dunno...fanaticism about doing well every single time I throw and instead replace that with the mindset that every time I throw, I'm getting better - and that's the point of it.

I really don't have a clean way of ending this post. So I guess give it a try, if you aren't in this mindset already. Anyway, rule of threes.