How to throw items backwards in Mario Kart World

In Mario Kart World, knowing how to throw items backwards is more than just a cool trick — it's an actual game-changer. If someone’s riding too close behind you or if you want to mess up someone tailing you, this feature is how you deal with it. The mechanic returns from earlier Mario Kart games, and it works exactly how experienced players would expect, just with new controls on the Switch 2.

Let's explore how to throw items backwards in the game.

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Methods to throw items backwards in Mario Kart World

Ice Flower freezes nearby rivals (Image via Nintendo)

To throw an item backwards, like a Shell or Fire Flower (which normally shoots forward), you must tilt the left analog stick down while pressing L. That’s the move. Your character will turn briefly and launch the item behind your kart. This is perfect when someone’s chasing you and you don’t want to waste your item shooting it forward into space.

You don’t need to be looking behind for this to work — just tilt the stick and press L simultaneously.

What about forward-throwing rear items?

Some items, like Bananas, usually drop behind you without doing anything fancy. But you can flip that, too. If you want to throw a Banana forward, tilt the left analog stick up while pressing L. Instead of just leaving it behind your kart, your character will toss it forward, letting you use it as a surprise attack or block something in the road ahead.

Hammers work well for controlling space, too. Aim them in an arc and throw —they’re great for blocking off paths for a few seconds. Ice Flowers are another solid pick. They can freeze nearby rivals and send them spinning, giving you a quick edge in tight situations.

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How to look behind in Mario Kart World

The other mechanic tied to this is checking behind you mid-race. To look backwards in Mario Kart World, hold the X button, which is the top button on the right Joy-Con. You must keep holding A to keep moving while doing this, so shift your thumb slightly to reach both at once.

While X is held, the camera shifts behind your kart. The second you let go, it snaps back to the front. It’s useful for checking if someone’s on your tail or if an item is incoming, especially on turns where you’re vulnerable. You can use this while driving forward without slowing down.

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