The warp catapult effect was a method of throwing a starship through space for several light years at warp speeds. The effect was achieved while using full impulse thrust to move forward, but countering the thrust by using the tractor beam to hold the ship stationary. When warp drive was engaged for a burst of full warp power, the ship was thrown several light years forward.
In 2270, the USS Enterprise was trapped by Kukulkan inside an elastic force globe flexible enough to absorb any energy the ship used. Commander Spock used the warp catapult effect to escape the field. Simultaneously pushing and pulling on the elastic field forced it to remain frigid. When the ship broke the field it was thrown 5.698 light years away. (TAS: "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth")