How to Pitch a Horseshoe

A game of horseshoes is energetic and precise, much more so than it may appear to spectators. Two horseshoes turns are recognized at the game level. The 1 1/4 turn involves fine wrist control, while the 1 3/4 turn is good for beginners. Work slowly while learning to swing horseshoes. Natural skill can help, but practice is the key to the shoe landing open on the stake. Once you get the hang of the swing, you'll feel the shoe does most of the work and you're simply delivering it.

Things You'll Need

  • Stake
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Instructions

    • 1

      Grip the shoe. Hold the shank or bar of the shoe just above the halfway point, closer to the heel or round top of the shoe. Extend the thumb around the shank and grip with the index and middle fingers. Curve the index and middle fingers around the shank at the first joint. Balance your grip with the ring and pinky fingers.

    • 2

      Get into your stance. Stand loose in a very slight crouch. Stand with your body angled to the side with the non-dominant foot behind you approximately 6 to 8 inches for balance. Raise your arm and extend it fully so that the shoe lines up between your eyes and the stake.

    • 3

      Swing the shoe. Deliver the shoe by bringing your arm back toward the body. Keep your weight on the dominant foot. Twist the shoe vertically as you bring it toward the body and past the knee, so the shoe is behind you for a moment. On the swing forward, step forward lightly with the non-dominant foot, allowing your body to swing with you. Use enough force to turn the shoe 1 3/4 times. Once you notice the placement of your release, you can experiment with force to get this right.

    • 4

      Release the shoe. Once the shoe is aligned between your eyes and the stake again, release your grip by rolling your arm outward so that the shoe travels horizontally. Keep the wrist stiff and relax your fingers.

    • 5

      Follow through. This is the step that requires more "feel" or intuition gained from practice than any other step. Your body has a natural swing to it based on the trajectory that you create when you swing and release the shoe. Remember from Step 3 that your arm swings as if creating a circle. Allow your body to follow the momentum of that circle, so that the relationship between your body and the shoe is complete.