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How to Throw a Cornhole Bag

Hold the bag flat across your fingers, firm but not tight. Let go at about shoulder height with a small turn of the wrist so the bag spins flat, and keep your hand moving toward the hole. Aim to land on the middle or lower part of the board.

By Marin Barisic, a cornhole player and event organizer in Europe who builds BAGGERS, a cornhole training app. Updated 2026-10-02

The throw, step by step

  1. Grip. Lay the bag flat across your fingers and palm, firm but not too hard. No special grip needed: in Marin's experience, a simple hold like this gives you the most control.
  2. Stance. Stand next to your board, behind its front edge. That edge is the foul line, and stepping past it as you release makes the throw invalid.
  3. Swing. Keep your arm straight and swing it back and through like a pendulum, in line with the hole. Most players take one step forward as they swing, usually with the foot opposite the throwing hand. It depends on how you stand: some players keep both feet together and do not step at all.
  4. Release. Let go at about shoulder height. As the bag leaves your fingers, turn the wrist so the bag spins flat in the air, like a frisbee. Only the bag flies like a frisbee, not your arm: keep the swing at your side and do not cross your body with your hand.
  5. Follow-through. Keep your hand moving toward the hole after the bag has left it. Where your hand finishes is where the bag goes.
  6. Landing. Aim for the middle or lower part of the board, in line with the hole. The target board is 27 ft (8.23 m) away, front edge to front edge.
Side view of a cornhole throwThe bag leaves the hand at about shoulder height, flies a soft arc and lands on the middle or lower part of the board. A second, faint path shows a low, hard throw diving into the front of the board.
  1. Release at shoulder height
  2. Land on the middle or lower board
  3. Too low and too hard

Check your throw: 8 bags

Throw 8 bags and tap how each one flew.

0 of 8

Nothing you tap here is saved.

This is the Flat Throw Drill from BAGGERS: you ignore where the bags land and log only how each one flew. It is free in the app.

What is your bag doing?

Pick the miss you see most. Each fix is one change, and you check it with 8 bags.

Why does my bag dive into the front of the board?

What you see:
the bag hits the front of the board, short of the hole.
Why:
you let go too low and throw too hard, so the bag follows your hand down. It is the mistake Marin sees most in new players.
The fix:
let go at about shoulder height, and throw softer.
Check it:
8 bags with only that one change.

Why does my bag wobble or flip?

What you see:
the bag wobbles or tumbles in the air instead of flying flat.
Why:
it leaves your hand without a turn of the wrist, so it tips over.
Marin's cue:
think of the bag as a pancake. It has to fly flat.
The fix:
a small turn of the wrist as you let go, so the bag spins flat. Then keep your hand moving toward the hole.
Check it:
the 8-bag check above.

Why does my bag go left or right of the hole?

What you see:
the bag flies wide of the hole.
Why:
your hand stops early. Marin sees too little follow-through in beginners, and in intermediate players too, though less often.
The fix:
follow through toward the hole, and keep the swing at your side without crossing your body. Where your hand finishes is where the bag goes.
Check it:
8 bags, watching only where your hand finishes.

Why does my bag land past the hole?

What you see:
the bag lands above the hole or slides off the back.
Why:
too much power for the arc.
The fix:
the same release height, with less push. Aim for the middle or lower part of the board: a bag in front of the hole can still slide in, or be pushed in by your next bag. In Marin's words, an active bag in front of the hole is always better than one above it or off to the side.
Check it:
8 bags, aiming for the middle or lower part of the board.

Why does every throw feel different?

What you see:
no two bags fly the same way.
Why:
your grip changes from bag to bag.
The fix:
the same simple hold every time, flat across your fingers and palm, firm but not too hard.
Check it:
8 bags. Aim for the same throw, not the best throw.

How to practice the throw

Practice the throw before you practice scoring. This is how Marin does it:

  1. Watch your hand, not the hole. For the first rounds, pay attention only to your swing, your step and the moment you let go.
  2. Film it from the side. From the side you see straight away where your hand let go of the bag and the arc it flew. Watch it back and pick one thing to change.
  3. Start closer. Throw from a shorter distance until the bag flies flat every time, then move back to the full 27 ft.
  4. Aim for the same throw, not the best throw. A flat bag and the same release, bag after bag, is the goal.

In BAGGERS, the Grip & Release Calibration warmup does the same thing as step 1: two rounds of dry swings without letting go, then two rounds of live throws where you rate how the release felt. When your bags fly flat, the Slide-Only Warmup is the next step: four rounds of slide shots aimed at the front third of the board.

Do I need a special grip or a strong arm?

No. Marin often hears players say they need a special grip, or that they cannot throw that far. His answer to both is the same: a simple grip, firm but not too hard, gives you control, and with control you can throw the bag where you want it.

Already throwing flat?

Then the throw is not your problem anymore, and this page has done its job. The next step is the slide: a flat bag that lands in front of the hole and slides in.

FAQ

How do you throw a cornhole bag flat?

Hold it flat, firm but not tight, and turn the wrist as you let go at about shoulder height so the bag spins flat. Keep your hand moving toward the hole.

Why does my cornhole bag flip or wobble?

It leaves your hand without a turn of the wrist, so it tips over in the air. Spin it flat at release and follow through.

Where should a cornhole bag land on the board?

On the middle or lower part of the board, in line with the hole. A bag in front of the hole can still slide in or be pushed in.

How do you practice the cornhole throw?

Film your throw from the side, start closer than 27 ft, and aim for the same flat release every time before you think about scoring.

How far apart are cornhole boards?

27 ft (8.23 m), front edge to front edge. You throw from next to your own board, behind its front edge.