Over the past three years, I’ve debated whether or not to even write about this particular subject with any kind of specificity and detail.

Two of our dice-influencing friends, QBinUT and Bearish will confirm that I have long resisted the urge to publicly discuss or explain what I consider to be, one of my primary dice-influencing weapons.

Underhand Tossing and Forward-Spin

Normally I only talk about using underhand (palm-up) tossing and forward-spin in hushed tones with a few other Board Members (through IM's and e-mails) because the entire subject seems to not only upset the womenfolk and unnerve the dicesetting community’s livestock, but it also flies in the face of accepted conventions, traditional doctrine and orthodox teachings.

My sense of it is that underhand dice-tossing and forward-spin both have a significant and very worthy place in Precision-Shooting.

Does it work on every table?

Heck no, but it works incredibly well on most of them, and it works exceptionally well on tables that most dice-influencers have branded as "unplayable".

I'll give you a quick example.

The tables at Wynn-LV, Harrah’s in Joliet and Detroit’s Greektown (to name a few), have each been described as being tough to beat because of their seemingly erratic trampoline bounciness and harsh backwall rebounds.

I have found that an underhand (palm-up), ultra Low, Slow & Easy Toss with moderate forward-spin turns each one of those untamed tigers into lovable little kittens.

Can forward-spin be successfully used on most tables?

I say it can.

I've found that it works even better on tables where I've traditionally done well on while using a more conventional overhand (palm-down), backspin landing.

Ø       In most cases, forward-energy decay can be controlled much more easily without having to resort to high-angle trajectories or any uncomfortably-slow throwing-motions.

Now that sort of talk has almost always been dismissed in the past as blasphemy simply because it contradicts the normal palm-down backspin tenets of dice-influencing; but frankly, if you can get the dice to do what you want them to do more often...and with a higher degree of control...and with an enhanced level of on-axis, primary-face consistency; then who's to argue with success.

Again though, the strongest foundation for any kind of consistently predictable and exploitable success using ANY TYPE OF THROW; is often best built up by one toss and one inch at a time.

How To Do It

For me, the easiest way to impart forward-spin is to take any conventional grip and turn it over and make it into an underhanded release.

That is, you can set the dice and grip them exactly the same way you normally do now...but instead of throwing them palm-down and with backspin; you turn your palm up and throw them underhanded to produce forward-spin. 

 At first it might feel a little strange. 

Ø       For example, you’ll find that you don’t have to release the dice quite so high in your toss-motion arc as you did when using backspin.

Ø       If your grip is as balanced (equal in finger-pressure) as it should be; then the dice should release as smoothly underhanded as they do when you release them with palm-down backspin.

Ø       The principal advantage to forward-spin of course is that you avoid most of the hopping, popping, skipping, jumping and off-axis splattering that often results from excess backspin on bouncy tables.  On “normal” tables, you’ll mostly discover that you can turn a good consistent overhand (palm-down) toss into an “Ohmigawd, I can’t believe how talented I am” underhanded throw.

The only overhand (palm-down) grip that I know of where you can impart consistently controllable amounts of forward-spin is with the Pincer-Grip (where the dice are held principally by their side-axles...and only lightly stabilized on their front faces.

Needless to say, forward-spin has not yet gained wide acceptance within the dice-shooting community; however to my findings, it does deliver almost-too-good-to-be-true consistent on-axis, primary-face production when combined with a L, S & E toss, especially on those hard-to-tame layouts.

Why Forward-Spin Works So Well

With backspin, the dice have to transition from spinning backwards to rolling or tumbling forward once they make their initial contact with the table.  The shock, impact and violence of their initial contact with the layout is often enough (about 30% to 55% of the time) to upset their on-axis orientation as well as their facial correlation.

Further to that, their initial impact with the table is usually quite forceful and intense although we don’t actually see it with the unaided eye. 

Ø       That first impact at the far end of the table is what forces backspin to transition into forward tumbling.

Ø       When they first touch down, the reversing-motion shock, especially on some types of layouts, often causes disarray to our pre-arranged die-faces, and the resultant outcome is NOT a pleasant one (again, about 30% to 55% of the time).  

Ø       Equally, a wide range of trajectories when coupled with backspin, cause all sorts of erratic and unexpected aftermaths.  However, with forward-spin, the range and severity of those problems are dramatically reduced.

Here’s why:

Ø       If you take some of the shock, impact, upset and violence out of the initial landing, you enable the dice to transition much easier and much more fluidly into their next “event” (their impact with the backwall). 

Ø       With forward-spin, there is essentially, no transition simply because the dice are continuing to do what they were doing instead of having to reverse their backspin motion. 

Ø       With an underhand toss, the dice are spinning forward as they fly through the air, and they will continue to tumble or roll forward once they touch down. 

Ø       By throwing them with forward-spin, you aren’t asking them to stop doing one thing (spinning backwards) and start doing something new (rolling forward).  Instead, you are helping them smoothly maintain their on-axis stability as well as their primary-face integrity, by assisting their undisturbed course of action instead of disrupting it. 

Ø       By avoiding the entire transition process (from backspin to forward rolling); the dice are more likely to maintain their straight-tracking direction as well as their axial and facial integrity.

Ø       As a result, you achieve a much higher degree of on-axis, primary-face outcomes. 

Ø       Add that to the fact that facial-correlation becomes much more coordinated and predictable, while double-pitch avoidance increases; and you have a situation where your exploitable betting-opportunities increase not only in breadth, but more importantly, your strongest wagering plays become even stronger.

Adjustments

The biggest adjustment that you’ll have to make when using an underhand forward-rolling toss, is to the speed at which you throw. 

Ø       Since the dice are no longer having to endure the violent transition from backspin to forward-roll, the energy that they used to expend in doing that, is no longer consumed. 

Ø       Therefore, you will almost always find that you have to reduce your throwing energy (the force with which you toss the dice) to much lower levels than you are used to.

Ø       The second biggest adjustment you’ll have to reconsider is to the trajectory with which you normally throw them.  You may find that some of the high-trajectory, high-apogee, high-zenith throws that you may have used in the past are no longer required quite as often.

I’ll quickly add that the one place you will probably find much more success with while still using a high-trajectory underhanded forward-spinning throw; is when you are trying to execute a perfect at-the-base-of-the-backwall Dead Cat Bounce.