Achieving the "graceful arc" of a boomerang is definitely the hardest part. But, the catch and correct also takes practice. When I was first learning to boomerang, I felt like the top should be perfectly upright when it came back to my hand. Eventually, you learn how to save a less than perfect throw by correcting the top in you hand. But, you have the get the spinning top to your hand in order to practice that. I started throwing tops as an activity while recovering from knee surgery, so a big scoop from the floor was out for me, which is why the skyrocket was the first trick I learned. It was a way to get the top to my hand without bending. Dale had also suggested using one of the launchers to start a top on a table or counter to practice the scoop without having to bend to the floor. Any method that works for you to get the spinning top into your hand is good practice that will help later with the boomerang. And, practice correcting the top with both hands. The non-throwing hand will come into play with later tricks like wire walker.
