Why won't my boomerang come back?

[TheSprocket]

Well?

[Ed Ancona]

Probably because you're not throwing it correctly. Don't throw it horizontally -- hold it vertically, holding it at one end with the curved curface to your left (if you're throwing right handed) and throw it strongly forward from that vertical hold. It will fly forward, a little downward, and then slowly turn to a horizontal position, fly in a wide circle and come back and hit you if you don't dodge.

[Ed Ancona]

Possibly , also, it won't come back because you offended it. They are quite sensitive for just a piece of wood.

[SqLdr]

In order for your boomerang to come back, you need to provide enough path-changing energy to override the direction of motion. It is the spinning of the boomerang that causes it to change direction, so in order for it to come back, you must provide enough turning force to reverse the direction of the boomerang, ie. twice as much energy as the forward momentum. Also, you must take drag and air resistance into account, so you probably want to make sure the boomerang is spinning really fast, but not flying too fast. Finally, you might just have a crap boomerang. Check that the wings have been made properly.

[anneduncan]

Not all boomerangs are designed to return, some are used instead of spears when the animal that is being hunted is beyond the reach of a spear cast. These are T shaped with one side of the horizontal longer than the other.

[Prof1963]

Of course, there is the other possibility that it is, in fact, just a stick ;-)

[MrNutz]

I've heard 'it's all in the wrist'. Or was that something else...