Horseshoes – Posture and Footwork
There are many different points to throw a horseshoe. One piece that is commonly forgotten is the stance and footwork that occurs during a pitch. It’s time to review these basics and help you get your game to where it needs to be (ringing bells all day).
First things first… relax! Your body needs to function smoothly throughout the swing, so stop being tense. Stretch before playing if necessary. Do whatever it takes to relax before you even grab a horseshoe. Think spaghetti, soft thing, think loose! Ok, now we come to the positioning.
You want to start in a crouched position. If you’ve ever bowled, you know what I’m talking about. Knees slightly bent with a small spring in them. Now, most right handed shooters will shoot from the left side of the stake. Personally I have tried it both ways and I feel much more comfortable on the left side. I can align much better with the opposite stake from here. I can also easily monitor how far I am from my stake and make sure I don’t go over the foul line.
Begin by taking your left foot and bringing it back about 6 to 8 inches behind your right foot. This is your balance foot. Most of your weight should be on your right foot at this point. Left foot back, weight on right foot, knees bent in a crouched position, relaxed stance… let’s get going.
As you bring the horseshoe into the backswing, you’ll want to keep your right side relaxed. His right hip should start to bend and his right knee should bend a bit more now. Remember, all this time until now your weight is still mainly on your right foot. Now, as you bring the horseshoe back (during the rise), begin to move your left leg forward as the horseshoe approaches your right knee. As you move past the knee, you should shift your weight onto your left foot. As the horseshoe rises and is released, you should continue to shift your weight and straighten your left leg. The final position will have the left leg almost straight and the right foot barely resting on the ground.
Always keep your shoulders square with the opposite stake before, during and after your throw. Your feet should point toward your target, the stake, throughout the swing. This is important! If you let your left foot go off course, you can lose the entire balance of your throw. Your horseshoe may start to spin incorrectly or you may drift your aim to the left or right of the stake. Most failures are due to misalignment, which is 90% controlled by foot stance and movement during the swing.
So how far should you step with your left foot? Not far at all. Take a normal step. Imagine if you were about to start walking. One small step is all it takes to boost your shot. Most of the power comes from the legs and not the arms, so you don’t want to overdo it here. The most important part of your step is to make sure you end with your left foot pointing toward the stake. It is too easy to “step over” the right foot. If you’re not stepping straight, your left foot will likely end up tipping slightly inward. As discussed above, this type of wrong base will result in poor pitching. If necessary, work on the footwork of your swing without a horseshoe in hand. You can still do the moves and you can do this inside. You can still hold a horseshoe if you feel like you need the weight, but it will probably just make everyone very nervous inside. Remember, practice makes perfect! Good luck!