Twelve members of Marco’s Sunshine Sisters social club tried to shake up a flick of a hot, sticky summer “stagnation” by booking an hour-long spot at Swamp Ax Co. in Naples. How hard would it be to throw a small axe at a target 12 feet away and make it stick?
If you’ve never thrown an ax before, it can be pretty scary. When our group entered the venue, there was a tournament for expert axe-shooters. But we were told not to worry, it would be fun after a short lesson on safety precautions.
As part of the tutorial, the instructor showed us two simple ways to grip with one hand or with one hand. The coach also told the group, “You want to grab the ax but you don’t want to hit it with the axe.” “It doesn’t take a lot of force” to throw it at a target 12 to 15 feet away from you, he added.
Kathy Fogg and Betty Barter get a tutorial on how to score.
Marian Phillips has a strong grip on the ax handle.
This ax was intended for throwing according to the coach. I don’t think it’s an ax that you can go to Home Depot or the hardware store to buy. It is not intended for splitting wood – it was intended for wood gluing for indoor sports.
Which is better? One-handed technique or two hands? In fact, holding hands was my personal preference. The coach barked, “Stand at the throwing line facing the target point target and maintain a firm grip on the ax handle. Hold the ax at arm’s length in front of you, pointing the blade toward the target. Align your pick with the ax head and keeping the ax straight, pull it back and over your head.” If you remember everything you are now ready to throw the axe.
Just remember three things: attitude matters; Hold the ax handle tightly and try not to put pressure on your wrist; And try to stay relaxed. Holding an ax above your head is not exactly a zen or yoga pose.
What about the four rings and the target goal? Yes, there are points that count when the hubs are thrown! Hope to be in the winning circle. And even though you are among friends, you would like to go home and proudly tell your grandchildren that “Grandma went ax throwing today and hit the target.”
Betty Barter surprised herself! The ax is stuck!
As the hype of the event slowly faded, the fact that throwing an ax wasn’t easy at all came to light. Too many things to remember at once. I’ve thrown that ax multiple times in The goal has not yet been achieved to me Stick to the goal.
The four rings and the center is the target with the outer ring being equal to one point for each ax thrown. Most of us will accept one point. Each ring moving towards the center increases the score by one, and as you move towards the target point, the value increases by one point. There are three circles drawn in black between the outer ring and the center and these rings represent points 2 through 4. Six points are awarded to axes who have perfectly hit the center of the target. Wait – what are those blue dots on the outer ring opposite each other? They didn’t even bother telling us – I would have guessed those points would worry the Championship players.
Well how to do? Practice leads to perfect goals, and soon everyone gets close to the goal point and achieve their results. The more we spent throwing the ax, the better we got – or at least thought we did! The best part was that we were among the “very tolerant friends”. Ax throwing is a fun game that can test your upper body strength, concentration and act as a stress reliever. For this group, it was about trying something new and having fun with friends.