Playing cornhole is a ton of fun! Whether you play for enjoyment or because you want to join a league, there are some great ways to boost your skills and really take your gameplay to the next level. Simply learning the best ways to make a toss can have a significant impact on how your game plays out.
If you’re willing to take the time to practice and improve your skills, you will find that you can amp up your play quite a bit. Take a look at these simple tips to help improve your cornhole game!
Get the Form Just Right
When it comes to tossing that beanbag, most of the toss comes from your form. If you can get your form perfected, you will have a great toss every time. Now that doesn’t mean every throw will be perfect, but the form behind your toss will matter.
Form should be part of your ultimate strategy, and it may take some practice to get just right. The basics of form really come down to your stance, then the toss itself. Here’s a pro tip: every time you toss the bag, try to get the slightest curve in the toss. This comes from releasing at just the right time to give yourself a smooth, clean shot with a slight arc.
The next piece of your form is the stance. Plant your feet firmly and make sure you’re balanced. You definitely don’t want to lose your balance in the middle of a toss. That won’t help your shot. Keep the bulk of your weight in your stance to help stay in place.
You might want to get the stance down and then perfect your throw with a firm stance. Also, you can take a step with your toss, but you still need to get the balance and weight down for the best results.
Learn Shot Styles
There are several different types of shots in cornhole games. The four most common shots are push, blocker, air mail, and the slider. There are several other options out there, but start here and then you can always build as your skill improves.
Here is a quick overview of how these shots work:
- Push: a push shot will push another bag. If one of your bags landed on the board, you can use a push shot to move that bag. You might be able to push it through the hole or use it to push a bag out of the way.
- Blocker: blocker shots are used for blocking purposes. These are about strategy. If you can land your bag to block a slide, you can keep other players from sliding their bags in without first pushing your bag in.
- Air mail: air mail is not an easy shot to learn. It’s the equivalent of a hole in one. If you can master this, you’ve got some incredible skill up your sleeve. Toss the bag and swoop it right in the hole. Then congratulate yourself for an awesome toss!
- Slider: Slider shots are one of the most common. This is the term used for a beanbag that lands on the board and then slides through the hole. It can help prevent you from tossing your bag too hard, so many players use this.
Try a Little Spin
As you’re learning to improve your skills and really perfecting your game, you should consider learning how to spin the bag. Strategically putting spin on a bag is used a lot by league players. Since it requires some skill, you might save this one until you get the basic shot perfected.
Putting some spin on the toss happens from turning your hand inward before you toss. Of course, there are specific details to really get the shot down, so keep that in mind. It’s easier said than done here.
You use spin to try to make sure your shot is clean and slices through the hole without bouncing back out of the hole. Thanks to the spin, the landing will be flat, which makes a world of difference in the bag movement at impact on the board.
Practice Makes Perfect
You’ve heard “practice makes perfect” before. It really is true. When you want to hone a skill, you use practice to your advantage. With consistent practice and tweaking things that might not be correct, you can improve your cornhole game.
If you really want to give yourself the best game, never stop practicing. While even the best players can have a bad day, practice is what builds and improves your skill over time.
When you practice, work on everything. Work on your stance, work on your form, and work on your toss. Learn how to improve each shot.
Even if you excel at cornhole, you should still continue to practice. There is always room for improvement, right?
Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
Now, we’ve talked quite a bit about practice and improving your skills, since that’s important. But while you’re doing that, don’t forget to simply enjoy the game. Yes, you need practice to help yourself have the best cornhole games. However, you also need to just relax and enjoy the game sometimes.
Whether you have a group of buddies over to play with or you get outside with the family, find your enjoyment and create a balance.
Time to Play
Now – it’s time to get your cornhole set and get to enjoying the best cornhole games ever.