The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Excellent Throws | Excellent Throw Guide for Pokemon Go

This video covers the what, why, and how of curveball Excellent throws in Pokemon Go, in more technical detail than you need.
If you appreciate attention to detail, and enjoy word games, check out my word game Tauggle for iOS and Android, at tauggle.com.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:39 - Part 1: What are Excellent throws?
04:55 - Part 2: Why make Excellent throws?
11:34 - Part 3: How to get good at Excellent throws
14:18 - Excellent throw technique
17:05 - Adjusting throws
18:25 - Throw archetypes
19:14 - Using the Excellent Pokedex
20:25 - Outro
References:
- Technical information on catch rate: gamepress.gg/pokemongo/guct-b..., gamepress.gg/pokemongo/guct-c..., bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wi...)
- Current and old values for XP bonuses: pokemongo.fandom.com/wiki/Lis...
- Catch rate calculator: gamepress.gg/pokemongo/catchc...
- Raid catch calculator: gamepress.gg/pokemongo/raidca...
- Level XP requirements: pokemongohub.net/post/guide/p...

[@EpicPredator01]

I dont know what this video game is but I'll do it for Bidoof

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Correct.

[@giveittomebaybe5112]

I logged on halfway thru this video and got a shiny shadow bagon. I will watch all your videos now.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I'll take the credit.

[@stupidw33b52]

damn this channel finna become a huge resource for go players

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

That's the dream!

[@marcushanlin]

you doing the professors work good man, searched dozens of videos looking for one like this

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Thank you! Back when I was trying to learn Excellent throws I was frustrated with the number of guides that didn't provide concrete, actionable advice, so I decided to make it myself.

[@kr_l]

This is exactly the type of channel I've been looking for. I am obsessed with landing excellent curveballs as well! Great video, please keep making more of them.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Got any particular requests of topics or particular pokemon to cover? I have a ton of footage but not enough time to edit everything!

[@kr_l]

@@TheExcellentPokedex Is there a video concerning mew? If there is I can't seem to find it. It would be really cool to see since it's my favorite pokemon :P

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

​@@kr_l Mew is obviously very hard to make a comprehensive guide on since you get one chance at a catch (and I believe the catch circle is not visible), but I did actually make a video about huge Mew a while ago (since that's the size you get if Zorua impersonates Mew): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKbYoX56ebZgrNk

[@overthetip]

This is exactly what made me level up to lvl 50 so fast.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Yeah, it's wild what a difference it makes.

[@Temposfera]

I highly support these excellent throw videos, keep it up!

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Thanks for the wonderful comment. I will try. :)

[@colinhillson]

I figured this excellent poem deserved being typed out 👌 An Ode to Excellence - by the Excellent Pokedex With a flick of the wrist, it takes to the sky. A Sphere of dreams soaring, aiming high. Gliding through air, with grace it flies. Destined for greatness, where victory lies. In the heart of the circle, it finds its place. A testament to perseverance, more than just grace. In that moment, hope and skill entwine. A perfect throw, where dreams align. More than perfect perhaps, but excellent.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I appreciate you. :)

[@nemanjarakic6815]

Great video! Continue like this and you will most definitely make it!

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Thank you for your kind words. :)

[@Anomalous1436]

This was simply incredible. Felt like a documentary on a mystery revealed. I appreciate all the time and work you're putting into these and all the future vids, especially for the raid bosses!

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I appreciate it. :) It was fun to put together the intro and outro bits.

[@GracideaC]

I consider myself pretty good at the game, but you caught this Veevee with an excellent throw!

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Always room for improvement. :)

[@RelayFFA]

what a great video, editing and writing are right on !

[@Mikegarciab]

Just wow!! What a perfect video!! Thank you and congratulations for such an EXCELLENT explanation!

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Thank you for such an excellent comment.

[@taco1957]

great vid! my one critique is that the use of ai art is simply distracting. I get too caught up on how I just noticed the ai instead of what you're saying. wonderful otherwise

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

That's a fair critique! :)

[@joshuachan5700]

It really is incredibly satisfying to hit excellent throws. It’s also easier to hit them on raid bosses or to say larger Pokémon because there’s more distance and the circle feels larger (somewhat). I also hit two crit throws in a row from the tiny catch circle on Amoura.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Yeah, most raid bosses aren't too challenging, although they are made artificially difficult by just not being able to practice that much. I love Amoura, it's definitely the easiest one spawning right now.

[@brandonhood99]

Incredibly well made video! Very informative and fun to watch, even as someone who has played the game since release.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I appreciate the kind words. :)

[@derekbaker8367]

Great breakdown, Amazing work and very helpful. Thanks for the tips

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

You're welcome!

[@Frederatormusic]

I've NEVER gotten an Excellent on Scatterbug and was convinced it's impossible. This is blowing my mind

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I have a video specifically on Scatterbug technique, but it only has one throw. I kind of need to remake it since I now have 10 recorded Excellent throws. Much deeper analysis could be done!

[@cel0837]

Great content man. I did not know about the throw archetypes. That would be the easiest method to group pokemons in the same throw archetype. I think you're the only one I know who ever talked about this.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Throw archetypes aren't really a "real" thing, in that all of those Pokemon are subtly different, they're not just reskins of the exact same throw. But they are definitely an important part of the mental model that allows you to be decent immediately on unfamiliar Pokemon.

[@andrewkain7518]

I am commenting because I would love to see an in depth pokemon archetypes video categorizing the different throws. Awesome video by the way.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I hoped someone would say that! It will come... eventually. :)

[@andrewkain7518]

No rush! I appreciate you putting out quality content!

[@PrinzessinMaki]

Exactly what I was looking for, looks like I’m throwing more to the middle which hits consistency for medium to small circles

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I'm glad it was useful! I found general advice hard to give, which is why most of the videos on this channel are for specific Pokemon.

[@09Jason11]

This.. I thank you for your contribution. I was constantly looking for exactly this explanation. U went through the same but actually did it. U made the vid. Thank you

[@seejoshrun1761]

Love this! I might still continue to improve my through technique by intuition more than precise planning (of release point and such), but you've encouraged me to keep working on my excellent throws.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Intuition can take you a long way. That's entirely how I played until I started this channel. Now I find that having done the analyses makes me way more consistent on certain throws.

[@cyquet]

Really nice explanation, hope will be more ,appreciate the help

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

There will be more. Lots of topics to cover still.

[@satrickptar6265]

Don’t forget that an excellent throw can activate critical catches (100% catch rate). It only happens when you hit the center when the circle is about to reset back to nice. It doesn’t work on Galarian birds, so beware.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Yeah, that is mentioned in this video, and in MUCH more depth in my other video about perfect throws: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZDElWqihaeeh9k

[@JellyLancelot]

Nice! Thank you!

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Thank you for the lovely comment.

[@QuantumOverlord]

Currently starting this process again for perfects. Have mastered some of the larger ones like Amura.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Yeah, it's fun to try with Amoura. I find perfects are sort of pointless in terms of benefit so I don't try except as a curiosity most of the time. I'm still working on getting consistent excellents on everything.

[@MrGollysnake]

Great advice, I think it just comes with practice and muscle memory.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Yeah for sure. I struggled with what exactly to do in this video because so much of it is just feel and practice. But there are certain fundamentals that can be taught.

[@QuantumOverlord]

For me the absolute worst ones that I only have about a 25% success rate on are magnemite and exegucute; the later in particular being a bit of a nightmare.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I have had some success on Magnemite but really inconsistent. Exeggcute I don't have yet. Need a spotlight hour or something to just spam attempts.

[@upgr3eyedd933]

Please make a throw archetypes video. Im quite new at the game and your videos explained these mechanics best. Love your work The AI backgrounds needs some adjustments though😅

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I've stopped using the AI filler graphics. 😅 Thanks for your feedback!

[@upgr3eyedd933]

You’re welcome. Hey good luck completing the pokedex im looking forward to it

[@silverhetch3383]

oooh baby a triple

[@domdomdomme1203]

Great video! I’m a 2016 player and once I hit level 40, I stopped caring for XP totally as i didn’t think they would ever increase the level cap. When level 50 released, I was lacking a good 130 million XP, so I started getting into excellent throws and managed to easily grind out 1 million XP per day with only excellent throws (there also was an increased XP event at that time though). Also, am I the only one that feels like excitements are harder on the newer iPhones that have a narrower screen size than the old non-notch ones?

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Narrower screens are definitely harder for farther away Pokemon. You need that horizontal space to get the distance while still hitting the center. There could be other factors there that I'm not aware of as well. I need to test the impact of aspect ratios more directly at some point.

[@Schniebel89]

Would love to see a video on buddy assists. They remain a mystery to me😅. Most ppl are just too lazy to learn excellent throws ar straight up tell themselves that they just can't do them. I gave up on trying to convince them. You forgot to mention how unlocked framerate can change the difficulty of the throws. I can't hit a barn with 30fps, but as soon as we hit 60 to 90 smooth fps, I can hit all the excellents.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Definitely will make a buddy assist video at some point. It's such a weird mechanic. I agree that framerate (native refresh rate vs not) makes a difference to the feel of the throw. I actually resisted switching to native refresh rate because I was used to throwing without it, and it was *too* smooth. But I eventually switched because the jank was too annoying, and I quickly got used to it.

[@Luke-wz4em]

Can you do a galarian bird video? Is the best way to practice on a Zorua?

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I'd love to do a Galarian bird video, but I basically never see them so I don't have footage yet! I may need to crowdsource the videos for those. :)

[@justsaiyan9657]

When I try quick catching excellent throws seem even harder but I wonder if it’s still better to go for the slow excellent catch assuming there’s plenty of Pokémon around

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

IMO just quick catch all the time and you'll get better. Regular catch is so painfully slow.

[@gnome2323]

As someone who went from never hitting excllents to hitting 40-50% it is a game changer and i am hoping to get get close to 70-80%

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Heck yeah, that's awesome. I managed around 65-70% excellent catch rate on Litten community day and was very pleased, but always trying to get better!

[@gnome2323]

@@TheExcellentPokedex yeah when throwing at the same pokemon over and over like litten i can usally get up to around 65-70% like you said

[@erikperez335]

Please do a guide for bagon! Master excellent throws for bagon community day

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I will! It will come out a day or two before the community day. :)

[@king_kiff3969]

kangaskhan is a super easy mon to learn on

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Oh yeah, it is great. I don't see them much because I'm not in Australia so they're not top of mind.

[@king_kiff3969]

I get the old 5 excellent throws in a row and I go hunting for them@@TheExcellentPokedex

[@LadyTea]

my big trouble is zeroing in on the crosshairs

[@Lucassaur0]

Really good video but the ai generated images take me out of it 😭😭

[@franciscoconchas5686]

What app are you using to show your finger movement?

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I use the finger tracking built into Android. You can activate it by activating developer options, and then turning "Show taps" and "Pointer location" settings on. It will then show up in screen recordings.

[@dyanamendez6621]

Archetypes please!!! 🙏🤓📝

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I will be working on it soon!

[@suguaakini4478]

One thing you didn't mention and I never find info about online is: Why do sometimes I get neither a nice, great or excellent throw, despite curving at hitting the circle in a radius that should grant one? Even in the XP gained it doesn't show, read somewhere it had to do with the colour like it only grants it on green circle but that's not even true so huh?? What am I doing wrong then, I don't get it

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I've anecdotally experienced that but it's usually a kind of borderline case, and sometimes it's gone the other way, where I think I *haven't* hit the circle but I'm still credited with the Excellent. That said, when I check the video for these throws it's usually just right on the line and it's probably just slightly out or in. It's hard to tell in the moment, need instant replay.

[@suguaakini4478]

Ooh ok yeah I see. I'll try to pay closer attention and adapt my throws@@TheExcellentPokedex

[@chingi420]

I find it funny that there are guides about excellent throws but in my gameplay of Go, they immediately break out upon capture every time. Very, very rarely does it actually work. While after failed attempts like that of a 3+ excellents in a row, the Pokémon instead stays in the ball when the last throw ends as a Nice or Great by accident or on purpose. Excellent throws are worthless in my Go game RNG regardless of Pokémon on field.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

There's a lot of RNG but ultimately Excellents do improve your odds a bit. There's just a lot of luck so those annoying times where you hit 3 Excellents in a row and then catch with a Nice really stick out in your mind.

[@uniknot]

When do you throw for those pokemon that never attack?

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Just throw whenever you want. :)

[@alexanderwalter3335]

Today for litten cday I managed to gain around 2 million XP

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

That's awesome! 3x XP bonus was amazing.

[@gnome2323]

I gained about 1.5M and only had a lucky egg for half the time

[@Innautico]

Dude, who is the source for the art at 3:29? :o

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

The random background art is mostly made by ChatGPT/Dall-E. Just trying to throw in some fun images to fill the space.

[@Innautico]

Gross lmao, there's so much official art/ anime screenshots you could use if you didnt wanna/couldnt comission an artist@@TheExcellentPokedex

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I decided not to use AI art for future videos - if nothing else it's very distracting from the actual point. Just for some context, I don't make much money from these videos so paying for original art isn't really feasible economically, and I didn't want to just take random fan art with ambiguous licensing (and yes, I know AI art has somewhat ambiguous licensing as well lol). Anyway, thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it. :)

[@papelurs]

Please do meltan!

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

I will soon!

[@papelurs]

I asked bc meltan has a 0% flee rate so I always throw regular pokebals, but the catch rate is not great so being able to throw excellents would help a ton. Thanks in advance@@TheExcellentPokedex !

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Just published the Meltan video (technically a Short): kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6bUcnasrr6aZ6c

[@meta4knight]

Old eggsecute excellent throws were impossible

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

They're pretty hard now tbh. I need a spotlight hour or something to really grind it and figure it out.

[@dyanamendez6621]

I have a shiny Bidoof ✨🤐

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Jealous.

[@SnoFitzroy]

"do it for bidoof" is the fastest way to make me not do something

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Yeah he's kinda a jerk tbh. Not sure why he's such a big deal.

[@lindango3515]

Bidoof is love, bidoof is life

[@user-Camjja]

@@TheExcellentPokedexWDYM Bidoof is god, Bidoof is love, Bidoof is life!!!! (Insert demonic chanting here)

[@waterproof4]

EXUSE ME

[@deviousj5868]

Nah, they don't work for Legends.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Perfects don't (guaranteed critical catch doesn't work on Legendaries). Excellents work fine!

[@googleruinedyoutube]

Very informative but the AI art is taking me out. Maybe just using official promotional art would be better.

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll take that into account in the future. I'm glad that you enjoyed it otherwise. :)

[@GeorgieCR]

Ai channels are taking over KZbin:) make that money !!!

[@insolubleCorrosion]

The video is good except for the AI generated pictures... a blank screen (or even better, art that someone has actually drawn) would be better imo

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll take that into account in the future. I'm glad that you enjoyed it otherwise. :)

[@blitheringape5321]

before I watch, why the fuck is this 21 minutes long

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Lmao. Was it worth it? 😅

[@wdarkfenix]

great video but maybe skip the AI poetry

[@TheExcellentPokedex]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll take that into account in the future. Just having a little fun at the end. I'm glad that you enjoyed it otherwise. :)

[@wdarkfenix]

@@TheExcellentPokedex I did really enjoy the video and it shows how much work you put into it keep at it!