Throwing off the mound (or throwing off the hump as it is sometimes called) allows potters to make quantities of small pots or bowls very quickly. It is a technique that many production potters master and use as a matter of course.
When getting ready to throw off the mound, make sure to include placing a ware board next to the wheel so you can easily place the pots on it as they are completed.
You will want a fairly large quantity of clay. Wedge the clay into one lump, usually using between ten and twenty pounds. Once ready, the clay is smacked onto the wheelhead and slapped into an approximation of centered while the wheel slowly rotates.
The entire mound is not centered all at once. There is no need, as each section will be centered separately, and centering the entire mass is an unnecessary strain on the wrists and arms.
Only the upper portion of the mound will be worked at one time. After lubricating the clay, the upper area is shaped into a tallish cone and roughly centered. The very top of the cone needs to be completely centered.