6 Cornhole Throws You Have To Try

If you haven’t really settled on the perfect throw yet, this list is for you. Even if you have, it can’t hurt to give the rest of these a try. Everyone is going to find one that works best for them. But if you don’t try them all for a throw or two, you might be missing out on your perfect fit. They all have their unique advantages. Some are affected more or less by wind. Some of the folds are dependent on the bags being made with the right amount of fill. In the end, it’s just going to come down to what feels right. Take a look and give them a try.

The Basic Fold
This seems to be the most popular throw among Cornhole enthusiasts in our neck of the woods. Basically you flatten the bag and fill out. Then you just fold the bag right in half with an even amount of fill in each half.

The Double Fold
With this fold, you hold the bag by one corner. Next you fold the corner without any fill over the corner holding all of the fill. Then you fold the bag in half with the other two corners.

The Pancake
With this throw the bag is flattened completely. It can then be thrown under hand while resting flat on your hand. The most popular way to throw the pancake is by spinning it like a Frisbee towards the hole while keeping it as flat as possible.

The Sling
To throw the Sling, you hold the bag by one corner with you index finger and thumb. You then sling (as the name suggests) the bag to the hole giving the bag backspin.

The Fling
This throw is similar to The Sling. However, you hold this bag by one edge rather than a corner. You then pitch the bag underhand giving the bag backspin.

The Overhead
This is the only overhead throw on the list. You could mix one of the above folds with this method. However, generally the bag is just held in a ball and sort of shot towards the hole. I will add that this is probably the least consistent throw that I have seen, although it does work for some.

21 Responses to 6 Cornhole Throws You Have To Try

  1. jason burris May 8, 2007 at 7:52 am #

    the pancake throw is the best and more consistant!

  2. nathan conrad May 8, 2007 at 9:57 am #

    Not matter how you throw it is important to distinguish you own motion. Like golf you have to work at a particular motion to hit the ball, the same is in cornhole. I am a flat hand thrower, my personal tip is to throw and follow through as if you are smacking yourself flat on the forhead this gives good follow through with less body movement and a good left to right bag motion.

  3. Debbie May 17, 2007 at 10:38 pm #

    I played this game last summer at my cousins house and it was lots of fun. I’m making my own game in the next week. i have open houses and BBQ’s to go to .
    Debbie of Lapeer Mi.

  4. Joe Goff June 15, 2008 at 1:46 am #

    I have the most luck with a toss I call the “Spiderbite.” I grab the bag with all five fingertips in the center of the bag, and throw it backhanded. Basically, hold the bag in flat like a pancake in your non-throwing hand, then “bite” into the center of it with your throwing hand. Toss it with your hand over the bag backhanded. Hint: If you’re really serious, always hold only 1 bag in your hand(s), the one you’re tossing. Since your 4th bag is the last and will always leave your other hand empty, don’t hold onto a 2nd bag while you toss bags 1-3. Just set them on the ground and pick ’em up 1 at a time.

  5. Joe Goff June 15, 2008 at 1:51 am #

    On the follow-through with the back-handed or “Spiderbite” toss, your throwing hand should be right by your ear, with your palm forward as if you’re waving at your bag as it disappears into the Cornhole! This will ensure the perfect arch also, guaranteeing at least an Ace every time!

  6. Andy Hutchinson August 20, 2008 at 5:59 pm #

    I was told by a neighborhood league organizer that overhanding the bag like a basketball free-throw is illegal… which bites because I kick butt that way. :-/

  7. Cornhole Dude October 2, 2008 at 9:52 pm #

    Most all of the pro players that I watch at tournaments use the Pancake toss. It seems to be the easiest to control because it should land on the board the same way every time, and doesn’t bounce off to the side, etc.

  8. Cornholio October 5, 2008 at 7:08 pm #

    I use the throw i would say is like a pancake throw. I grab the bag and pull laa of the contents to the outside while putting my middle finger and thunb in the center touching through the cloth. I then use a “sling or pancake style throw this allows it to spin a little on contact of the other board giving you a little more motion when it slides. The corners can then slide and spin causing it to catch the hole when around it and if not dropping it in the hole setting you up to a) block the hole or b) knock it in on the second throw.

  9. Cornhole Dude October 12, 2008 at 10:11 am #

    I was playing the other day and figured out something about my throw. I do the pancake toss, but sometimes it just rolls right off the right side when it hits the board. I realized it wasn’t very flat, hit on one side of the bag, and just walked right off as it kept spinning. I really have to concentrate on keeping it flat. If I keep it flat and straight, I get 10x better right away.

  10. Hershel June 9, 2009 at 7:06 am #

    My wife played this game for the first time last summer and me a couple of days ago and the both of us are hooked. We order a custom board and we should have the game in the backyard in a couple of days. I can’t wait.

  11. Mike June 23, 2009 at 5:55 am #

    I’m a league bowler, so I use a technique that most reminds me of throwing a bowling ball and it’s very easy to repeat and can allow for spin if needed. Let all the corns fall to the bottom of the bag. If you held the flat side of the bag straight in front of you, you would want the corners of the bag going up at a 45 degree angle. Basically forming a diamond shape. Then, squeeze the bottom corner of the bag (which is pointing straight down) between your middle and ring finger (the same ones you use in bowling). I can put backspin or sidespin on the bag with this technique and it is very consistent.

  12. deedeeditdee July 19, 2009 at 8:13 am #

    just play the game and have fun and drink and consume your favorite beverage. and heck the rest you figure out on your own. goodluck and have fun cornholing your friends and family. lol

  13. Rosemary April 18, 2010 at 4:38 pm #

    I can’t seem to be consistent except for throwing wide right or left.

  14. Mike K June 4, 2010 at 7:51 am #

    Rosemary, what type of throw do you use? If you want to get good at this game you need your own boards and spend lot’s of time practicing different techniques and variations until you stumble upon the one that works well for you.

    I have several techniques that I use and some days I’m on fire and other days I struggle to just get on the board. Recently I have been using more of a spring in my leg to get my arm moving more effortlessly and it’s helped to implrove my consistency.

  15. Rosemary June 7, 2010 at 2:40 pm #

    Mike, I use the pancake and rainbow the throw most of the time.

  16. Mike K June 7, 2010 at 8:40 pm #

    The pancake is what I use too but I use both the rainbow and the low hole seeking missle. You have to be able to throw it low especially if your outside and it’s windy. Plus thowing it low makes it easier to push one of your bags into the hole if it’s near the hole.

    For more accuracy of direction no matter whether you go low or high, try a little rotation of the bag so it feels like you are showing the bottom of the bag to the hole. That’s one of the simple thoughts I use all the time to get my game on.

  17. Cornhole Newbee June 11, 2010 at 8:49 pm #

    When you guys talk about throwing it frisbee style and /or pancake I have a question. I throw it underhanded and try my best to make it land soft and flat. Are you guys throwing it like an actual frisbee? Is it still an underhanded motion? Please elaborate.

  18. Mike K June 13, 2010 at 10:58 am #

    No, it is not thrown exactly like you would a frisbee but it does give you the same sort of feeling. It’s best to watch some video’s of players using the technique to get a good idea on what to do. Here is a video I made highlighting the basic technique I use. There are many subtle variations on this throw but it is basically the same thing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9GnsNLsT00

  19. Cornhole Newbee June 14, 2010 at 10:09 pm #

    Mike, thanks for the video. I was working on changing my swing. You throw about the way I was working towards. Thanks for the tips. I think that is the way to throw the bags.

  20. Pha King Cornholer February 13, 2013 at 7:54 pm #

    Having a hard time finding places to place in and around Delaware. Found one league and one tournament….can’t wait for summer to hold our own tournaments in the backyard! C-o-r-n-h-o-l-e WHAT!!!! I made a grid to practice…throw 8 bags record in the hole, on the board, off the board….should help accuracy over time.

  21. Michael Piephoff September 11, 2018 at 5:34 pm #

    My problem is that the boards are lined up exactly opposite of each other, and when I throw, I am always throwing at an angle to begin with because you have to stand to the side of the board when throwing. Am I missing something here? If I could stand in a straight line while throwing, I could do much better.

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