When it comes to the game of cornhole, there are many different styles of play and techniques that can be used. A large portion of new players around the world tend to play the game in a simple fashion and only focus on getting the bags on the board.

While this can be a great strategy for beginners, as you start playing the game more it can be useful to understand the different techniques available to you. Just like many sports and activities, there are multiple moves and strategies that can give you an edge in your cornhole competitions.

In this article, we will be talking about the four main ways to improve your cornhole strategy for tailgates and tournaments.

The Slide

“The Slide” is one of the most simple and commonly used techniques in the game of cornhole. To perform the slide, you toss your bag onto the bottom half of the cornhole board, and let your bag slide up into the hole. Sounds pretty simple right?

When performing “The Slide” you will want to make sure that the board is mostly clear of other bags for you to complete your slide. If you are using Pro Style Cornhole Bags with a “stick and slick” side to them, be sure that you have the slick side down so your bag will have optimal slide.

The slide shot is a great technique to use to on a clear board specifically at the beginning of a new round. The reason for this is the idea that not only will you have a better chance to make your bag in the hole, but you also will have a better chance to keep your bag on the board and possibly set up a “roadblock” for your opponent. 

The Roadblock

“The Roadblock” is my favorite cornhole strategy to use during a game. To set up a roadblock, you first slide or land your bag (depending on your bag type) right in front of the hole on the board. This bag will create a roadblock in front of the hole for your opponent.

When using a set of Pro Style Bags, many people prefer to use the “stick” side of the bag and land it directly in front of the hole. Having the “stick” side down makes it much harder for your opponent to push your bags and theirs into the hole at the same time and nullify your points.

This roadblock creates a very hard shot for your opponent as they will have to either go over your bag with an “airmail” shot or risk pushing your bag in. This is a common technique that is used by the pros and is fundamental in setting your opponent up for a tough round. 

The Airmail

“The Airmail” is great technique to use, but it is also one of the most difficult shots to make. “The Airmail” is best used when there is a bag or multiple bags blocking the front of the cornhole board hole.

“The Airmail” shot consists of throwing your bag high into the air and draining it right into the hole while having the bag barely touching the board. When performing the airmail you will want to be sure that you get quite a bit of loft behind your toss. The more loft the better.

The reason you want to really focus on the loft is the idea that the more loft you have on your cornhole bag, the more likely it is to drop straight into the hole. When throwing your bag at an angle it decreases the chances of your bag landing cleanly inside of the hole. This shot will come in handy when you are trying to avoid pushing your opponent’s bag into the hole if it is blocking it.

The Push

Last on our list of the four main cornhole throwing strategies is “The Push.” The push is an extremely useful shot that can help you quickly rack up a lot of points. Much like the name portrays, this shot is performed by sliding your bag into another bag of yours near the front of the hole and pushing that bag into the hole.

One of the great things about the push shot is the ability to make multiple bags at one time. If you have a bag sitting near the front of the hole ready to be pushed in, often times you can put enough speed on your throw and push both bags into the hole at the same time.

Depending on how your bags are placed on the cornhole board, you might even be able to push three bags in at once. This can be a great strategy if your bags are piled up or very close to going in. If you are playing in a game where you will be penalized for going over a score of 21, you will want to be careful as this strategy could hurt you more than it helps.