The hammer throw, also known as the tomahawk or pan toss, is a type of specialty throw rarely used in disc golf. It does have its uses, however. It's typically only used when the course is very short or the player lacks a decent short game. It's also useful when a player has to navigate over an obstacle, such as bushes or shorter trees, in the course.
The hammer throw is thrown with an overhand motion, like a baseball. The disc can be gripped in two different ways, with the inside of the disc facing your side or with the top of the disc facing your side. If thrown with the inside of the disc facing your side, place your thumb on the inside of the disc and two or three fingers on the outside. If thrown with the top of the disc facing your side, place your thumb on the outside and your index and middle fingers inside the lip of the disc. You then rear back and give the disc a heave, releasing it when it's right past your ear.
The disc will fly vertically then flip over upside down midway through it's flight. By adjusting the velocity of the throw you can change when the disc flips over in its flight. When a hammer throw is thrown high into the air over an obstacle, it flips, but maintains a straight flight path unlike a backhand or sidearm throw that will veer off to one side.
The hammer throw can also be used to navigate under obstacles like tree branches. By throwing it low to the ground, with practice, you can control when the disc flips and have it slide across the ground on its top for 50 to 60 feet. This is a valuable skill when throwing out of the woods when there's a short distance to the basket.
Besides the relatively short usable distance of the hammer throw, it can wreak havoc on your score if the disc hits the ground vertically. If the disc fails to flip mid-flight and lands vertically, it can roll for a great distance, especially if rolling downhill. Exercise caution whenever using the hammer throw on downhill holes.
While not one of the most popular throwing methods for disc golf, the hammer throw can prove itself invaluable if you put in the time to master it and use it in the proper situations. Just like any other disc golf technique, practice makes perfect!