Throwing clockwise/anticlockwise aside, I think this is the best way to throw a ball:
Adjust target size depending on your own accuracy Wait for target to attack, ignore all jumping or relocation Only start spinning when your target is attacking (important so you don't resize the circle and wait until eternity to find a circle size you like and happen to have the boss attack just before then) Aim and hit top of circle or the 'correct' quadrant to get appropriate curveball bonus (Credits Prodigiesnation for publicizing and the Silph Road teams for the research, and Funkysho for recommending 'off centered greats')See the Gif with Arcanine
Obviously for casual throws like pidgey you can do whatever, but i'm referring to those raid bosses or wild dragonite spawn.
Feel free to share your throwing methods too!
FYI I am right handed and use a left hand grip and throw with my right hand index finger. This is the mode when I come across zubats and far targets as well as legendaries and most raid bosses.
When I play normally I one hand grip and use my right thumb to throw while gripping the phone with the other 4 fingers. This is also my 'disrespect' mode and I pinap Ttars and catch them in this mode.
I am a pianist, so I cut my nails, and my nail is just short enough to allow both the nail and tip top contact (I slant my finger to the right to do this). Finger nail contact decreases resistance so you can spin the ball for longer without using much strength.
Most of my strength is coming from my wrist, if you don't apply part fingernail you might need to use arm strength and you don't want to do that as it will increase uncertainty and decrease accuracy for throws.
Then it also depends on the oiliness of your skin, the surface on your screen (glass screen protector or plastic? I enjoyed playing more on my old phone who had plastic)
Nice!
Articuno I couldn't even throw properly, at least 2 misses/deflection a raid. record 7/15.
Lugia I never locked target circle. I kept on spinning and hoped the circle would be a good size when it attacks. My record is 7/17
Moltres I was too impatient to wait for it to attack and I sometimes get deflected. Was also very far and it threw me off. Record 12/18.
Starting from Zapdos, I am able to hit the target circle consistently but I still spin and hope the circle is a good size when it attacks. My record is 17/20.
Suicune I am on 12/18 without golden berries (except for the 93/96 I used them)
Raikou I am on 6/8 without golden berries (except for a 96 I used to captire it)
lol before reading further, I CAN say, that in my million balls training, I get as many mons, including legendaries, with straight noob ball than a +10 curve ball. I just still do it just in case, but seriously, I have to be serious, I don't think it makes one shred of difference - and I know people are going to 'quote' the stats that whoever provides, but in my one million ball sampling, it does not friggen matter in my results. one million balls people, now that is a sampling, and that mfer will still pop out.
i have gotten a legendary ON THE LAST BALL with a pinapp with stupid hail mary staright noob ball, when it had already popped out of 11 great, curved, nice balls and a golden razz (I don't even go for excellent anymore lol)
P.S. That is why even 6 year olds have multiple legendaries and mewtwo.
let that simmer.....
....you're welcome.
While your data sampling is clearly exaggerated, at least in accuracy, I do consider the general message of your post to ring true.
My main raid partner has never learned to throw a curve and has caught more than double the legends I have, registered them sooner, and (aside from a single Lugia) caught every single raid encounter I have. That and seeing multiple children catch every legend that runs from me have led to my conclusion that RNG is the clear deciding factor for catching raid bosses.
All that said, I do completely adhere to the catch method the OP outlines, just because RNGesus never blesses me doesn't mean I'm not going to do everything in my power to (however minuscule it may be) increase my odds.
People who are adept at the technique, described in the question, have a higher catch rate than I do. I am not, so I spin the ball along the lower left edge of the screen, and when it seems like the inner circle is on a trajectory to be about a quarter of the other circle, when the ball arrives, I throw in an arc aimed at the upper right edge of the inner circle. When I hit my target, I get a "great" or a "nice", and very occasionally an "excellent". My catch rate on legendaries has been around 50% when I use goldens, somewhat lower, when I don't.
