Playing Spoiler Logo

The Best Way To Throw Horseshoes

We’re an affiliate

We are a reader-supported website and strive to recommend only the best products. Just so you know, we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Thank you if you use our links, we really appreciate you!

Playing horseshoes is both fun and interesting. People learn a lot about concentration when they play the game. Apart from the standard rules of horseshoes, they need to know just the right way to hold the horseshoes so that they can throw them correctly. There have been many people that have worked diligently on finding the best way to play the game so that a person can win. Throwing the horseshoes isn’t an exact science. What works for one person may not work best for another. Finding the right motion that fits your playstyle is the most important part of playing a fun game. Read below to learn about some of the different techniques and maybe find the best way to throw horseshoes for you.

Clay Horseshoe Pit Double RingerOne Of The Goals Is To Throw A Ringer

A ringer is when the sides of the horseshoe encircle the stake. If you don’t get a ringer, you want your horseshoe to land as close to the stake as possible and closer than anyone else’s that you are playing against. Where a person stands when they are throwing the horseshoe is 37 feet to the stake. This is why it’s difficult for a lot of people to get their horseshoe even close to the stake unless they practice a lot.

The Best Way To Throw Horseshoes

Make sure that there is no one standing near the stake when you decide to throw the horseshoe. When you are ready to pitch your horseshoe, you have to decide on the grip that you want to take. There are 3 different grips and here is information on each one of them:

1. Grip – 1 1/4

With this grip, people will hold the horseshoe by one of its sides. These are called the flanks. The thumb should be on the top of the horseshoe flank and the rest of the fingers underneath it. They will want to have the horseshoe facing the left.

2. Grip – 3/4 Or 1 3/4 Turn

Similar to the grip above, this is one where the person will throw to the right instead of the left. With this grip, there may be wobbling that is going on when the horseshoe is thrown. When a person shifts their grip down, they will get a better rotation when they throw.

3. The Flip Grip

This is a grip that many women that play professionally will use. This is because they play on a shorter field. When using this grip, a person will hold the horseshoe in the middle of the arch and not on the sides. If you’re interested, take a look at our reviews of some of the best horseshoes for flip pitching.

The Proper Stance

If a player is right-handed, they want to stand on the left side of the stake. The opposite goes for someone that is left-handed, they want to stand on the right side of it. Standing in a relaxed state but up straight is the best way to play horseshoes. The shoulders of the person should be squared with the stake. There are some people that take a few steps back from the line. This is all up to the person that is playing. When it’s time to throw, they walk up to the line and then they throw the horseshoe. Most people need to do some experimenting before they find the best way for them to take on the game.

Horseshoes around stake in sandTips For Playing Horseshoes Well

People will want to make sure that they get some tips that will help them to play better. Here are some that will allow them to get better at the game all of the time:

1. Practice

They will want to practice throwing horseshoes whenever they can in order to improve on their game. There are many places that have horseshoe fields like parks and other recreation areas. The more that they practice, the better they will get at it.

2. Have Fun

Horseshoes is a fun and social game. Whether a person is playing with friends or with people that they don’t know, they should make sure to have fun.

3. Do What Feels Right

Since the game of horseshoes is an intuitive game, a person should do what feels right for them. That means in terms of their grip and stance.

Playing horseshoes can be a great time. Making the most of the time spent with others is important even though the goal is to win by getting the highest score against the other player or players.