New analyses on Pokémon GO show that the catch chance of Pokémon increases when you throw a curveball.
Previously, it was believed that throwing a curveball only gave you additional experience points when catching a Pokémon. Whether there was a higher catch chance was unclear. According to a new analysis on TheSilphRoad website, the catch chance of a wild Pokémon increases when you throw a curveball. And these increases can really pay off.
Curveball bonuses in Pokémon GO
The extent to which the catch chance increases with a curveball depends on the throw you make. If you make a Great Throw, Ultra Throw, or even an Excellent Throw, the chance is significantly higher than with a “normal” curveball. The graphic illustrates how significant the differences between the various throws are.
With a Normal Throw, you have a 5.33% higher chance of catching a Pokémon when you throw a curveball instead of a straight ball. With a Great Throw, your catch chance with a curveball is even 11.65% higher than with a straight ball. So you have a better chance of catching a wild Pokémon with the curveball throw. But these balls are not easy to throw for every player. We will show you how to hit with curveballs.
How to correctly throw a Curveball in Pokémon GO
Throwing a curveball is not so easy at first. But once you get the hang of it, the throws improve significantly. The curveball throw can be broken down into 3 steps, as the Imgur user LollipopKABOOM has explained with the help of a graphic.
- Rotate the PokéBall counterclockwise until it starts to sparkle. If you want to throw the ball from the right, you need to rotate it clockwise.
- Drag your finger along the red line that touches the outer circle of the bullseye. You need to visualize this on your smartphone. The circle in the middle relates to the distance of the Pokémon. This system will always work, no matter how far the Pokémon is away.
- Release your finger from the display as soon as you are directly under the bullseye.
If you prefer to throw from the right, you just have to mirror the angles. Because fingers differ in width, an Excellent Throw is not always guaranteed. With a bit of practice, you can better gauge your curveballs and catch the Pokémon.
