Grenades can be thrown in one of two ways by clicking on either the left or right mouse buttons. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players will find these throwing modes familiar.

• Left-click throws the grenade in an arc. The grenade is tossed far enough that it's best used for long and medium range. It is also handy for reaching foes above you or those hiding behind cover.
  
  
• Right-click rolls the grenade on the ground. This is best used for short range work, though it can also be used at medium range as well.

How far a grenade goes depends on the direction you are moving when you throw the grenade, though not as much as it did in the original Half-Life.

• Not moving: Standard distance.
  
  
• Moving forward: The grenade will go further.
  
  
• Moving backwards: The grenade will fly noticeably shorter.
  
  
• Moving left or right: The grenade will fly far to the left or right. An example of this can be seen below:

The green circle shows where I want the grenade to hit, while the red circle shows where the grenade is.

Without moving left or right:


Moving left or right:

When tossing grenades with left-click, the angle your view is at only affects the grenade's distance when looking down. However, it does have a noticeable effect on grenades tossed with right-click.

• Looking at the center of the screen while tossing with right-click:
  
  
  
• Looking up while tossing with right-click:
  
  
  
• Looking down while tossing with right-click:
  
  

To get grenades to kill enemies, you'll have to cook grenades. If you don't, enemies will run away from the grenade long before it explodes.

To cook grenades, hold down whatever fire key you're using. As soon as you do so, you will start a hidden timer that goes from zero to three seconds. Release the fire key you are using when you are ready to throw the grenade.

The grenade has a fuse of three seconds; if you hold it past that, it will automatically be thrown and blow up in your face.

These timings are assuming that you're throwing the grenade at medium range.

• 0 seconds. The grenade will explode a bit after it hits the floor.
  
• 1 second: The grenade will explode somewhat soon after hitting the floor.
  
• 2 seconds: The grenade will explode very soon after it hits the floor.
  
• 3 seconds: The grenade will explode while in the air, usually between when it reaches the apex of it's throwing arc and the floor.

These timings are assuming that you're throwing the grenade at medium range.

• 0 seconds: The grenade will explode a few seconds after being thrown.
  
  
• 1 second: The grenade will explode a little bit after hitting the ground.
  
  
• 2 seconds: The grenade will explode very soon after it hits the ground
  
  
• 3 seconds: The grenade will explode when it hits the ground.

Now that you know how long to cook grenades and how to effectively throw them, here are my preferred cooking plus firing mode combos for using grenades at certain ranges. Of course, you're free to experiment on your own.

• Long range: Use the left-click firing mode and cook the grenade for a second, then throw while running forward.
  
  
• Medium range: Use the left-click firing mode and cook grenade for two seconds, possibly while running forward if you feel you need the extra distance.
  
  
• Short range: use the right-click firing mode and cook grenade for two or three seconds.

If you pick up a grenade tossed by an enemy, the timer on the grenade will reset. Use the same timing effects for left-click throws do make tossed enemy grenades kill enemies. Assume the timer starts as soon as you pick the grenade up.

If you kill a soldier that has a grenade before he is able to throw it, he will drop the grenade, letting you pick it up.