Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly ever acquire the skill to do difficult things easily! ~ James J. Corbett
If you learn how to throw cards like a pro — look no further!
The singular goal of these training exercises is to take the most crucial components of card throwing, tear them out, and present them to you in their most basic forms.
Like any other skill, throwing cards is simply the sum of smaller actions and skills, all of which can be singled out and refined on their own. Much like a professional fighter who refines his smaller skills, such as breathing and footwork, you too are refining small and sometimes seemingly trivial parts of your craft with the desire to increase your proficiency overall.
So let’s get cracking and teach you how to throw cards like a pro!
Other Awesome Card Throwing Guides:
- How to Throw a Card Fast, Far, and Accurately – A Complete Guide
- How to Throw Cards: The Ultimate Beginners Guide
Exercise #1: Pinpoint Accuracy & Lightning Speed
The professional card thrower can whip a card across the room at lightning speeds and smash anything they lay their eyes on. With this exercise, you will too!
Now speed and accuracy are not only about how hard you throw the card but more so about your throwing form and reducing drag.
So let’s start there!
Card Throwing Exercise:
Identify an object in the distance, grab a card and very slowly rehearse the entire motion of throwing the card at that object—without actually releasing the card.
Pay very close attention to your throwing form from start to finish ensuring that your middle and pointer finger are locked together and pointed straight at your target. It can sometimes help to pretend that your hand is a gun and whatever you are pointing at is what you want your card to hit.
Continue practicing this movement while slowly increasing the speed until you are whipping your hands as fast as you can while still maintaining a straight and level hand with flawless form.
Finally, allow yourself to once again release the card and notice the difference in both speed and accuracy!
Exercise #2: Extreme Target Practice
Any card-throwing sharpshooter knows that extreme accuracy comes from practice, challenging targets, and making the process fun and rewarding—so let’s do just that.
Card Throwing Exercise:
Grab a tiny object that can stand upright and place it about 10 feet away. My favorite object is a simply Expo dry erase marker.
Now practice throwing at it making sure that your fingers are locked and pointed directly at it upon releasing the card.
Continue throwing cards at it until you knock it over three times—after which, move it back 5 more feet and continue hurling cards at it once more until once again you knock it over 3 times.
Continue this process of knocking it over and moving it back until you have had your fill.
Now, this is an excellent daily practice and is easy to measure progress as after several days you will find yourself moving to longer distances much quicker.
Exercise #3: Spin Spin & More Spin
The spin that we give the card upon releasing it is one of the most critical aspects of throwing cards fast, far, and accurate. Check our guide here that dives a little deeper into the importance of spin and more techniques to improve it.
This exercise will help you put a clean and even spin on your cards.
Card Throwing Exercise:
With the opposite hand that you use to throw, grab your bicep to keep it from moving, and using only your wrist, begin whipping cards at a predetermined target. Like before, ensure that your middle and pointer finger are pointed directly at your target upon releasing the card.
Now, this technique is going to absolutely trash your accuracy and you may hit nowhere near your target.
However, as you practice you’ll start to slowly see improvements and will eventually be able to smash your target using only a wrist flick.
Continue practicing wrist flicks until you start to see improvements and consistency in speed, accuracy, and how much spin you give the card.
Now go back to using your full arm and I think you’ll be shocked at how much cleaner your cards fly!
Wrapping It Up
I hope that these 3 exercises provide you with the foundation to chase your card-throwing dreams—whether it be to impress your friends or simply having the ability to smash that cheating poker player in the back of the head as he tries to flee the scene.
Remember that perfection comes with practice and that refining even the most basic components of your skill can have rippling effects that can turn you into one of the greatest of all time—the GOAT of card throwing.
If you found this guide helpful and would like some more card throwing guides and articles like it, be sure to check out our complete collection of card throwing guides here, and as always, happy throwing!