How to Execute a Controlled Shot

Right-handed shooters, who throw from stick-left, should stand parallel to the table with the arm rail across their front mid-section supported by the non-throwing forearm placed flat along the chip rail. The shooter will slightly lean over the table the way he can pick up the dice with his throwing hand, while his body faces the boxman.

Right-handed shooters throwing from stick-right should stand perpendicular to the table with their right side against the arm rail, facing the stickman and the target area at the opposite wall.

Throwing from stick-right, a right-handed shooter is actually throwing from a greater distance and uses an upper arm motion pivoting it around the shoulder. At stick-left, the throwing arm of the shooter is already closest to the target area and, with the extended arm there remains less distance. There also is fewer arm motion, as only the forearm pivots around the elbow and the shoulder is not involved. So, stick-left is more appropriate to execute controlled shot, although it can also be done at right-stick, if the shooter prefers so.

The goal of controlled shot is to throw the dice the way they will spin around only one axis and will stay in their preset position. So, the dice must not be thrown at an obtuse angle to the back wall. The two dimensional trajectory of the dice must be perpendicular to the wall, and the dice should hit the flat area of the wall and not the corners.

Shooting from stick-right, the shooter tends to stand straight up without leaning over the table. At this position, the shooter is more likely to throw the dice in the front far rounded corner, which is very undesirable, because the rounded surface distorts reflects the throw three-dimensionally, and makes the dice spin in multiple directions, destroying the initial set.

Controlled shot must hit the wall both in perpendicular direction and at a flat area. If you can not achieve both conditions, first of all avoid hitting corners, and than try to make the shot as perpendicular as you can. However, controlled shot requires a lot of practice, and the more you try, the better you will become.