Aside from hurting the tree, throwing tomahawks at a rounded target can cause the ‘hawk to glance and bounce unpredictably. Even if you’re practicing proper safety, throwing at a live tree is a bad idea. Never throw tomahawks at targets it won’t be able to stick into. It might seem fun to knock cans off the fence, but you risk damaging your tomahawk and wearing the head down considerably. It’s also dangerous.
It’s very important to not put your thumb on the back of the handle. This affects the spin greatly, causing the tomahawk to rotate differently in the air, usually ending with a loud clang against the target when it fails to stick. Wrap your thumb around comfortably. Alternatively, if you’re standing in the right spot and getting too much spin on the ‘hawk, you can put your thumb up to slow it down. Practice some to get a feel for how it spins and the proper throwing motion to get a feel for what’s right for your throw.
To get it level, loosen your grip some and the let the tomahawk fall slightly (don’t let go entirely!) to let gravity do the work of straightening it out for you. Because it’s top-heavy it should settle naturally into the right position.
Consider marking the spot in your target area so you won’t have to count if off every time you want to throw. Mark a line in the dirt with your toe, or with sticks to make it easy on yourself.
It’s not in the wrist. Using your wrist won’t only make you less accurate, the weight of the tomahawk will put stress on your wrist which can potentially lead to wrist pain. Be very careful. If you bring the tomahawk back too quickly you may lose control, accidentally release it too soon, and throw it backwards.
Throwing is about the weight of the tomahawk and your natural easy motion, not a quick flick or an aggressive pitch. A common misconception is that you must throw the tomahawk with all of your strength, but in fact, the proper technique involves a fairly slow motion, focusing on maintaining that straight line and keeping the tomahawk on track.
Don’t release later because the tomahawk needs to spin and releasing too late will make it spin into the ground. Likewise, releasing too early will send your tomahawk flying too high. It’ll take some practice, but after a few throws you should have your timing dialed in.
