Axe Throwing Stag Do

Hand a group of lads an axe each and point them at a wooden target. On paper it sounds like the worst idea anyone’s had since the stag proposed. In practice, an axe throwing stag do is one of the most competitive, best-behaved couple of hours you’ll get all weekend, and I’d put it near the top of my list for a city break.

Urban axe throwing venues have popped up in most big UK cities. You throw in lanes a bit like a bowling alley, and a proper coach shows you how to grip, step and release so the axe actually sticks instead of bouncing off the board and clattering back towards your shins. Once everyone’s got the hang of it, it turns into a competition, with points for where you hit the target and usually a knockout final at the end.

Plenty of venues have a bar on site, which tells you exactly who they had in mind when they opened.

Axe throwing is a great leveller. Strength helps a little, but technique matters more, which means the quiet cousin who’s never set foot in a gym can end up thrashing the rugby lads. Watching that happen is worth the booking on its own.

It’s also short and sharp. A session normally fits into an afternoon, so you can throw, grab some food and still be in the bars by early evening with nobody knackered. There’s no mud, no bruises and no need to change into kit, so the lads who’d moan about paintball have nothing left to moan about.

And it gives you a proper champion. Whoever takes the final gets bragging rights for the rest of the weekend. If it’s the stag, fair enough. If it isn’t, he’ll never hear the end of it, which is even better.

• Throw first, drink after. This is the big one. Venues usually refuse anyone who turns up drunk, and they mean it. Sharp objects and a skinful don’t mix, so book the session early and save the bar for when the axes are put away.
• Sensible shoes. Closed-toe footwear is normally required. Flip-flops are out, and the stag’s fancy dress might have to wait until later.
• Group size. Each lane takes a set number of throwers, so bigger groups get spread across a few lanes. That’s no bad thing, it gives you ready-made teams for a lane-against-lane final.
• Age limits. Most venues set a minimum age. If anyone in your group is on the young side, check with the venue before you book.
• What’s included. Some packages add food or a drink afterwards, some are just the throwing. Read the details before you promise everyone a free pint.

Axe throwing is a city activity, so build the weekend around a good night out. Most big cities have a venue, which means it slots neatly into a weekend in Manchester or Leeds. Throw in the afternoon, eat, then head out.

If the group fancies more target practice, archery scratches the same itch with a bit more distance between you and the target, and clay pigeon shooting is the countryside version with a pub lunch on the end. For the evening, a pub crawl does the job nicely.

My one rule is that the axes come before the drinking, never after. Trust me, the venue will enforce it even if you don’t.