All of our boomerangs were selected to be affordable, for everyone. They are easy to throw and catch in all weather conditions from no wind to strong wind. When the wind is stronger and the weather conditions become difficult, your boomerang can become unpredictable. It can be carried away by the wind and come back too quickly. During a competition, there are some tricks for improving the boomerang’s wind resistance. The idea is to simply slow it down to allow for an easier catch. Here are the main tricks used in competition. Easy to implement, they can be used to adapt your boomerang to your technique.
Here is a video of Logan Broadbent, one of the best American throwers, he is one of the best in the world. Logan is also known for his participations in NINJA WARIOR US. His youtube channel is essential, especially his participation in the DUDE PERFECT show. subscribe to his channel.
Thanks to logan for sharing his fabulous video
Rubber bands
Rubber bands are the easiest way to change the flight of your boomerang. When the wind strengthens, tie a rubber band at the tip of a blade. If one rubber band is not enough, do the same thing on a second blade, then a third. Experiment and put rubber bands in different parts of the boomerang, which will give different effects. The rubber band reduces the spinning effect of the boomerang and slightly increases its range, which in the case of strong wind, helps to slow its course so that you catch it more easily.
Flaps
Like rubber bands, flaps are a simple way of changing the boomerang’s flight. Use scotch or duct tape. Cut a 6 cm piece of tape, fold it in the center so it has a width of about 1 cm and then paste this on the blade’s tip. The flap will help curb your boomerang’s flight without changing its range. Experiment with this technique by changing the location of the flaps on your boomerang.
Holes
Rubber bands and tape didn’t do the trick? It’s unthinkable for a beginner to put holes in his/her boomerang but in competitions, it’s one of the most common techniques! Making holes can actually slow down the boomerang and improve its resistance to strong wind. However, one must be careful because once the hole is made there’s no going back. The diameter of the holes can vary from 6 to 8 mm. Start with one hole and proceed carefully until you achieve the perfect flight.
Lead
You can easily increase the range of your boomerangs by weighing each blade. Seeing a boomerang travel long distances is a fabulous sight to behold. If you want to increase the range of your boomerang, you can simply tape a coin (5, 10 or even 20 cents) on each blade’s tip. Your boomerang will become heavier and you will have to adjust your throw accordingly. The best is to use lead scotch, in order to gradually reach the ideal weight for your boomerang. Vary the location of the weights in order to obtain different effects.
Dihedral and anhedral angles
If you observe your boomerang, you see that it is tuned like an airplane’s wing with a flat side and a tuned side. Working on your dihedral and anhedral angles can help you change the flight of your boomerang. Plastic boomerangs are the most suitable for working dihedrals because they keep their settings.
Positive dihedral
You want to slightly bend one of your boomerang’s blades upwards to give it a more vertical path. If you find that your boomerang dives too much mid-flight, apply this torsion and it will thus have a more vertical path. You can then twist a second and a third blade according to the desired effect. A positive dihedral angle is often necessary to achieve a high path on Trick Catch boomerangs.
Negative dihedral
The goal here is to obtain a low and skimming path. Slightly bend one of your boomerang’s blades downwards and then test it. Repeat on the other blades if the effect is not enough. But be careful, too much dihedral will cause your boomerang to crash mid flight. Experienced throwers tune their speed boomerangs down in this way to obtain a fast and skimming path.
Positive anhedral
The idea here is to either decrease or increase the range of the boomerang by slightly twisting at least one of your boomerang’s blades. If you twist a blade by bending up the leading edge, it is called a positive anhedral. A positive anhedral will then reduce the range of your boomerang but also decrease its spinning. Be careful not to twist the blade too much since the return may be too slow. If you find that your boomerang loops in front of you, this type of setting can solve your problem.
Negative anhedral
If you slightly twist a blade by bending down the leading edge, it is called a negative anhedral. This negative anhedral will then increase the range of your boomerang. But be careful and do it incrementally. Too much negative anhedral will result in a bad return and your boomerang will be much less accurate. It may even loop in front of you or fly straight without any curve. It is therefore recommended to use this modification sparingly.
Advice
We have now provided you with some tips for achieving the perfect flight and throw. Each thrower is different and has to adapt his/her boomerangs to his/her own technique. Our advice? Test and try out all these techniques for yourself. A perfect flight depends on weather conditions, on the boomerang itself, and on the thrower. Competitors are typically equipped with a specific boomerang for different weather conditions and events.