You've been there. A Galarian Moltres pops up on your Daily Adventure Incense. Your heart does a weird little somersault. You've got one shot, maybe two if the RNG gods are feeling merciful, and you know—deep down—that a Great throw just isn't going to cut it. You need that Pokemon Go excellent throw.
Landing these isn't just about showing off to your local Discord group or hitting those obnoxious "Make 3 Excellent Throws in a row" research tasks that Niantic loves to torture us with. It is the single most effective way to actually catch what you're looking at. We’re talking about a massive multiplier to your catch rate.
But honestly? Most players overthink it. They treat it like a surgical procedure when it’s more like a rhythm game.
The Math Behind the Circle
Let's get the technical stuff out of the way first because understanding why you're doing this helps with the how. Every time you hold down a Poke Ball, that colored circle starts shrinking. That's the catch circle.
The game calculates your catch probability based on how small that circle is the moment your ball makes contact. If you hit a "Nice" throw, you get a small bump. "Great" is better. But a Pokemon Go excellent throw triggers when the circle is at its smallest—specifically, when it is less than 20% of its maximum diameter.
Mathematically, the multiplier for an Excellent throw ranges from 1.7x to a whopping 2.0x. Compare that to a Great throw, which tops out around 1.3x to 1.7x. When you stack an Excellent throw with a Curveball (1.7x multiplier) and a Golden Razz Berry (2.5x multiplier), you’re suddenly turning a 2% base catch rate for a Legendary into something much more manageable.
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It’s the difference between walking away with a hundo Kyogre and watching it puff into a cloud of smoke after eighteen agonizing Premier Balls.
Forget "Throwing" and Start "Setting"
If you're just chucking balls at a moving target and hoping for the best, you're playing a losing game. You've probably heard of the "Circle Lock" technique. If you haven't, this is going to change your life.
Basically, you don't touch the ball while the Pokemon is just standing there. You hold the ball until the circle shrinks down to that tiny Excellent size, and then—this is the key—you let go of the screen without throwing. Now the circle size is "locked." It won't change as long as you don't touch the ball again.
Wait for the Pokemon to attack. Not a jump, not a side-to-side shimmy, but an actual attack animation.
As soon as that animation is about halfway through, start your curve. If you time it right, the ball will land the millisecond the attack ends. The circle reappears exactly where you locked it. Boom. Pokemon Go excellent throw.
It takes practice. You'll mess it up. You'll throw too early and the ball will bounce off their face while they're still in the attack frame. Or you'll throw too late and the circle will have started shrinking again. But once you find the rhythm for specific species? You won't miss.
The Muscle Memory Problem
Different Pokemon have different "hitboxes." Throwing at a Zubat is a nightmare because it's tiny and moves like it’s had ten espressos. Throwing at a Wailmer is like throwing a basketball at a garage door.
I’ve found that players usually struggle because they use their whole arm. Don't do that. Use your thumb or your index finger, whichever feels more natural, but keep the motion consistent.
- The "J" Flick: Some people swear by drawing a small "J" on the screen.
- The Circular Crank: Most pros spin the ball in tight circles in the bottom corner before a diagonal flick.
- The Bottom-Center Release: Try releasing the ball lower on the screen for distant targets.
You've got to adapt. For something like a Sawk or a Throh, which stand quite far back, you need a long, fast swipe. For a Weedle that’s practically sitting on your toes, it’s a tiny, gentle flick.
Why the Excellent Throw is Non-Negotiable in 2026
We aren't in 2016 anymore. The game has evolved. With the introduction of Level 50 and the massive XP requirements to get there, the Pokemon Go excellent throw has transitioned from a "nice to have" to a core mechanic for progression.
Did you know an Excellent throw gives you 1,000 XP? During a 3x XP event, with a Lucky Egg active, a single catch can net you 6,000 XP. I’ve seen players grind out two million XP in a single Community Day just by mastering this one physical motion. That is insane. You cannot hit Level 50 in any reasonable timeframe without mastering this.
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Common Mistakes That Kill Your Accuracy
People get frustrated because they think they're doing it right but the game says otherwise. Often, it's a hardware issue or a simple physics mistake.
- Dry Fingers: If your screen is sticky or your fingers are too dry, the friction ruins your release. A little bit of moisture (or a screen protector with a matte finish) helps.
- The "Dead Zone": Many phones have cases that interfere with the edges of the screen. If you're trying to curve from the very corner, your case might be ghosting your touch.
- Frame Rate Drops: If your phone is overheating or your battery is low, the game might drop frames. This messes with the visual timing of the circle. Turn on "Native Refresh Rate" in the Advanced Settings if your phone can handle it. It makes the animation much smoother, making the circle easier to track.
The Psychological Game
Let's talk about the nerves. When a Shiny Legendary is on the screen, your hands shake. It's normal.
The secret is to treat every single Pidgey, Bidoof, and Lechonk like it's a Mewtwo. Practice the Pokemon Go excellent throw on the boring stuff. If you only try to hit Excellents when the stakes are high, you’re going to choke.
If you're out for a walk and a wild spawn appears, don't just "lazy throw." Take the three seconds to lock the circle. Aim for the eye. Aim for the nose. Make it a game within the game.
Advanced Tactics: AR Mode
This is controversial. Some people hate AR mode. But for certain Pokemon that are positioned awkwardly—like those that fly up or sit too far back—toggling AR mode can actually help.
When you use AR (not necessarily AR+), you can physically tilt your phone to reposition the Pokemon on your screen. This can make the "Excellent" zone a much more comfortable target for your natural flick angle. It’s particularly useful for those stubborn legendary birds that refuse to stay in the center of the frame.
Real World Results
Look at trainers like BrandonTan91 or other top-tier XP grinders. Their gameplay isn't about luck. It's about consistency. They aren't "getting lucky" with catches; they are forcing the math in their favor.
I've talked to players who played for years without ever hitting more than one Excellent throw a week. Once they switched to the circle-locking method, they were hitting them 70% of the time. That changes the entire experience of the game. It turns a frustrating "Why won't this stay in the ball?" moment into a "I did my part, now it's up to the numbers" moment.
Actionable Steps to Master the Excellent Throw
Stop hoping for a lucky landing. Start being intentional.
Start by going into your settings and enabling Native Refresh Rate. It’s the single biggest "cheat code" for timing. The animations become fluid, and you can actually see the circle's size more clearly.
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Next, pick a "target" Pokemon for the week. Usually, something with a large hitbox like Slowpoke, Ponyta, or Makuhita. These are your training dummies. Do not catch them with anything less than an Excellent throw. If you miss the circle, let them break out and try again.
Learn the "Set Circle" trick until it's second nature. Hold the ball, wait for the circle to hit that tiny 15-20% size, and let go. Don't touch it again until the Pokemon lunges at you.
Watch the animation closely. Every Pokemon has a specific moment in their attack where they are vulnerable. For most, it's right as they are returning to their neutral stance. Throw then.
Lastly, don't get tilted. You'll have days where you can't hit a Wailord from five feet away. It happens. Just reset, clean your screen, and focus on the flick. The XP and the catch rate rewards are too high to ignore. You've got this.