Pokemon GO Throws: How Curve Ball + Excellent Gives You a 2× Catch Multiplier (And Why Medals Matter)

Most players understand that Excellent throws are better than Nice throws. Fewer know that a curveball Nice throw beats a straight Excellent throw in catch rate — and almost no one knows that the Excellent throw multiplier isn’t a fixed 1.7×, but a continuous scale that peaks at 2.0× for a pixel-perfect hit.

This guide covers every throw mechanic in Pokémon GO from the ground up: what Nice, Great, and Excellent mean, how the multipliers actually work, how medals stack on top, and the throw sequence that maximises your catch rate on legendaries. If you’re new to the game, start with our Pokémon GO complete guide for the broader picture.

Verified on Pokémon GO, April 2026. Multiplier values sourced from Bulbapedia’s catch mechanics documentation [1][2]. May change with future updates.

Quick Start: The Throw Priority Order

Before the deep dive, here are the seven things that move your catch rate — in order of impact:

1. Throw a curveball every time — 1.7× catch multiplier; single biggest improvement available
2. Aim inside the colored ring — any hit beats a miss; Nice beats nothing
3. Wait for a smaller ring — Great and Excellent multipliers are worth the patience
4. Use the right berry — Golden Razz for legendaries; Razz Berry for anything frustrating you
5. Use the right ball — Ultra Ball gives 2× the base catch power of a Pokéball
6. Build your type medals — Platinum adds 1.4× on top of everything else, passively
7. Combine all bonuses for raid catches — multipliers stack multiplicatively, not additively

What Are Throw Types in Pokémon GO?

When you throw a Pokéball, a colored ring appears around the Pokémon and shrinks continuously. If your ball lands inside that ring before it closes, you get a throw bonus. The size of the ring at the moment of contact determines which throw type is registered — not where on the Pokémon the ball lands.

• Nice throw: Ball hits inside the ring while it’s still large — roughly the outer 70% of its full travel range
• Great throw: The ring has shrunk to its middle range — approximately 30–70% of maximum size
• Excellent throw: The ring is very small — 30% or less of its maximum size

You don’t need to hit the dead center of the Pokémon. You need to hit anywhere inside the ring at the right moment of its shrink cycle. This is a timing mechanic as much as an accuracy mechanic.

XP Bonuses by Throw Type

The XP bonuses stack: a curveball Excellent gives +110 XP on top of your base catch XP. During double XP events, these bonuses are also doubled. Our Pokémon GO XP guide covers the full levelling picture, but throw bonuses are among the most consistent XP sources in the game.

What Is a Curveball?

A curveball is thrown by spinning the Pokéball in circles before releasing it. Spin clockwise or counter-clockwise until the ball sparks, then flick diagonally toward the Pokémon. The ball arcs rather than flying straight. The curveball gives a separate +10 XP, but its real value is the 1.7× catch rate multiplier — which we’ll cover in full below.

How Throw Mechanics Actually Work

The catch rate formula in Pokémon GO determines the probability of a successful capture each time a ball hits:

P = 1 − (1 − BCR / (2 × CPM))^modifier

Where BCR is the base catch rate assigned to that species (a Pidgey is far easier than a Mewtwo), CPM is the CP multiplier scaling with the Pokémon’s level, and the modifier is the product of every bonus you apply [1]:

modifier = Ball × Berry × Throw × Curveball × Medal × Encounter

Every multiplier in that chain matters because they compound. A 1.4× medal bonus combined with a 1.7× curveball and a 2.0× perfect Excellent doesn’t give you 1.4 + 1.7 + 2.0 = 5.1×. It gives you 1.4 × 1.7 × 2.0 = 4.76×. The distinction matters enormously for rare catches.

The Throw Multiplier Is a Continuous Range, Not a Fixed Number

This is the mechanic most guides get wrong. Nice, Great, and Excellent throws don’t have single fixed multipliers. The throw bonus is calculated using the formula 2 − r, where r is the current radius ratio of the ring (1.0 at maximum size, 0 at pixel-sized). The catch ring’s size continuously determines your bonus [1]:

A pixel-perfect Excellent thrown when the ring is at its absolute minimum gives a 2.0× throw multiplier — double the base catch probability from throws alone. A barely-qualifying Nice throw (the ring just starting to shrink) gives almost no bonus at all. The commonly cited fixed values of “Nice=1.3×, Great=1.5×, Excellent=1.7×” are the maximum values for each tier, not the standard ones.

The Curveball Bonus and Why It Beats Throw Quality

A curveball adds a flat 1.7× multiplier applied independently of throw quality. To understand why this should be your first priority, compare the math:

• Straight Excellent: throw bonus 1.7× to 2.0×, curveball 1.0× = 1.7× to 2.0× total
• Curveball Nice: throw bonus ~1.15× (mid-Nice estimate) × curveball 1.7× = ~1.96× total
• Curveball Great: throw bonus ~1.5× (mid-Great) × curveball 1.7× = ~2.55× total

A curveball Great outperforms even a perfect straight Excellent. Curveball Nice and straight Excellent are roughly equivalent. This is why beginners should learn curveball technique first and worry about throw quality second — the 1.7× bonus applies to every throw immediately, regardless of how well you’re placing the ball.

Ball Type and Berry Multipliers

Use the Nanab Berry when a Pokémon is jumping or spinning and you can’t aim the ring reliably. Feed one to calm the movement, then switch to a catch-boosting berry on the next throw [3].

The Medal System: A Free Permanent Bonus

Every type in Pokémon GO has a Trainer Medal tied to it. Catch enough Pokémon of that type and your medal tier increases — and so does your catch rate multiplier against that type. The bonus is passive: once you’ve earned it, it applies automatically to every catch [2].

Medal Tiers and Multipliers

The 18 Type Medals

Dual-Type Pokémon and Medal Averaging

Pokémon with two types use the average of your medals for both types. If you hold a Platinum Water medal (1.4×) and a Bronze Flying medal (1.1×), your multiplier when catching Gyarados (Water/Flying) is (1.4 + 1.1) / 2 = 1.25×, not the full 1.4×. This means high-value catch targets — especially dual-type legendaries — benefit from working toward Platinum on both their types [2].

Which Medals to Prioritise

The fastest medals to reach Platinum are the types you encounter most: Normal, Water, Flying, and Poison are the typical leaders for most players. Grinding these first gives you the 1.4× bonus on the majority of wild Pokémon you’ll encounter daily. Dragon and Ice type medals take far longer due to spawn rarity — reach Gold if you can, but don’t prioritise them over common types.

Practical Tips: Landing Better Throws

The Hold-to-Freeze Technique

The catch ring shrinks at a fixed rate, but you can pause it by touching and holding the Pokéball. The moment you hold the ball, the ring stops shrinking. Release the hold when the ring reaches the size you want, then begin your throw motion.

Full sequence for a consistent Excellent curveball:

1. Touch and hold the Pokéball — ring freezes at its current size
2. Spin the ball in tight circles with your finger until it sparkles (this is the curveball wind-up)
3. Wait for the ring to shrink to Excellent size — roughly the size of the Pokémon’s face or smaller
4. Watch the attack animation — most Pokémon have a brief attack or idle animation
5. Release just after the attack peaks (during the recovery phase) — the Pokémon can’t dodge mid-animation
6. Flick diagonally toward center to deliver the curveball

This technique removes the need to time the shrinking ring while also aiming. You control both variables separately instead of simultaneously.

Player Strategy by Type

Pokémon Size and Position Tips

• Small Pokémon low on screen (Rattata, Caterpie, Joltik): the ring is already small at full size — Excellent is easier to land than on larger Pokémon. Aim slightly below center.
• Large Pokémon (Snorlax, Wailord, Dragonite): the ring starts large and takes longer to shrink. Use the hold technique; patience pays off more here than on small Pokémon.
• Moving or jumping Pokémon: feed a Nanab Berry before anything else. Once calmed, the ring position is predictable and your timing improves.
• AR mode: turn it off. Camera movement shifts the Pokémon position relative to your aim and breaks ring timing. Go to Settings and disable AR mode for catches.

The Full Multiplier Stack in Practice

For a legendary raid boss — the highest-stakes catches in the game — combining all bonuses shows why each element matters. Our Pokémon GO raid guide has more on raid mechanics, but the catch sequence is:

Ultra Ball (2.0×) × Golden Razz (2.5×) × Curveball (1.7×) × Perfect Excellent (2.0×) × Platinum Medal (1.4×) = 23.8× modifier

For a legendary with a 2% base catch rate, that 23.8× raises your per-throw catch chance from roughly 1% to around 22%. You’ll generally catch it within 5–6 throws.

Drop the curveball and use only a standard Razz Berry and a Great throw instead, and your modifier falls to roughly 6× — giving about 6% per throw, three to four times as many balls for the same expected result.

Common Mistakes

1. Throwing Straight Because Curveballs Miss

A curveball that misses the Pokémon entirely does nothing. But the right response is to practice the curveball until your aim improves — not to abandon the 1.7× bonus permanently. Most players reach consistent curveball accuracy within a few days of deliberate practice. The hold-freeze technique above lets you spin the ball and set up the curveball before the ring reaches the right size, so aim and timing are separated.

2. Waiting for Excellent on Every Catch

On a common Pokémon with a 50–65% base catch rate, the difference between a Nice and an Excellent throw is small in absolute terms — you were likely to catch it regardless. Time spent waiting for the ring to shrink on a Rattata is time wasted. Save your patience and Golden Razz Berries for legendary encounters and high-priority targets.

3. Using Razz Berry on Everything and Pinap Berry on Nothing

Many players default to Razz Berry without thinking. The better approach:

• Common Pokémon you need candy from: Silver Pinap Berry (1.8× catch + double candy)
• Shiny hunting: Razz Berry (you want to catch, not candy)
• Legendaries and raids: Golden Razz Berry every single throw — don’t save them
• Moving/jumping Pokémon: Nanab Berry first, then switch to a catch-boosting berry

4. Ignoring Type Medals Until They’re Needed

Medal progress happens passively as you catch Pokémon — but players who focus on common types early reach Platinum faster. A Platinum Normal medal (2,500 Normal-type catches) sounds like a lot, but Normal types are among the most frequently spawning in the game. If you’ve been playing for a year and don’t have Platinum on Normal and Water, you’re likely missing free bonus that’s been sitting there uncollected.

5. Throwing Immediately After the Berry Without Waiting

Feeding a berry calms some Pokémon animations briefly. If you throw the instant after using a berry, you may catch the Pokémon mid-movement before the calming effect fully takes hold. Wait for the Pokémon to settle into its standard idle animation, then begin your throw sequence.

FAQ

Is a curveball always worth doing, even if my aim is bad?

Yes, with one caveat: your throw still needs to land on the Pokémon to trigger any catch attempt. A curveball that sails past the Pokémon entirely does nothing. But a curveball that lands anywhere on the Pokémon — even outside the ring, even without a Nice throw bonus — still gives the 1.7× catch multiplier. The time investment to reliably land curveballs (typically a few days of practice for most players) pays off permanently for every catch afterward. It’s the single highest-return skill improvement available in the catching system.

Does landing an Excellent throw guarantee a catch?

No. The Excellent throw raises your catch probability but doesn’t guarantee it. The up-to-2.0× multiplier is one factor inside the catch formula — it compounds with your ball, berry, and medal bonuses. Against a legendary with a 2% base catch rate, even a perfect Excellent throw with no other bonuses only gives you roughly 4% per throw. The throw bonus matters most when combined with the full stack. An Excellent throw on its own, with a Pokéball and no berry, is far less effective than a curveball Great with an Ultra Ball and Golden Razz Berry.

Do type medals apply during raid boss catches?

Yes — and this is one of the highest-leverage situations where medal level matters. After defeating a raid boss, you throw Premier Balls during the catch window. Your type medal bonus applies to every Premier Ball thrown, stacking with your throw quality, berry, and — for legendary raids — the lower base catch rate that makes each percentage point count more. If you’re regularly raiding a specific legendary type, prioritising that type’s medal to Platinum is a direct investment in your catch rate. Check the target ring system guide for more on how the ring mechanics interact with the Premier Ball catch window.

Sources

1. Catch rate (GO) — Bulbapedia. Catch formula (P = 1 − (1 − BCR / (2 × CPM))^modifier), throw bonus formula (2−r), multiplier ranges by throw type, curveball multiplier (1.7×), medal tier multipliers, berry multipliers.
2. Medal (GO) — Bulbapedia. Medal tier thresholds (Bronze 10 / Silver 50 / Gold 200 / Platinum 2,500), catch bonus values per tier, all 18 type medals, dual-type averaging formula.
3. Pokemon Go catch mechanics — multipliers, bonus and percentages — Dexerto. Ball type multipliers, berry multipliers, combined stack examples.