Advanced Flag Tosses
Posted in Color Guard on Aug 1st, 2008
Color Guard Central.
Advanced” flag tosses are tosses that require greater skill and control. Some of these tosses may be basic to some more advanced color guards.
Pizza Hand Toss: Start out by holding the flag with your left hand at the tape that joins the flag silk to the pole. Your right hand should be palm up facing the sky with the pole being held between your pointer finger and thumb. Pull the pole to the left and let go when the flag has rotated so that it is pointed upward once more. This toss should rotate one to one and a half times and then should be caught upside down (for 1 1/2 rotation) with your right hand above your left hand.
Yo-Yo Toss: Begin with holding the flag pole at the very end of the bottom cap with both hands. Your right hand should be on top and your left, on the bottom. Circle the pole to the left and let it “swoop” behind you (like a “back scratcher”). When the flag is strait up and down again, switch your hand positions so that both palms are facing away from you and both thumbs are pointing down. Make 2 large and fast circles with your pole by rotating it with your wrists. Just as the second circle is being completed, let go of the flag. The momentum that you gained while making the 2 circles should propel your flag in the air. For this toss, your catch will depend on how high you toss the flag…come up with a way to catch and be consistent.
Horizontal (Helicopter Toss): The name of this toss describes what it is. This toss is thrown so that the flag is horizontal in the air. To do this toss, start with the pole parallel to the ground and behind your back. Hold the pole with your right hand at the tape that joins the silk to the pole. Now, as flat and as evenly as possible bring the flag around your body to the left (keeping the pole parallel to the ground). Still holding onto the pole, raise your right arm up and once the pole is above your head, let go. The flag should be horizontally in the air, and should rotate once. Then…if you can imagine, the flag SHOULD fall right into your hands with your right palm up and left palm down.
