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How long is "too long"? (Read 6063 times)
Ezra Smack
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How long is "too long"?
May 1st, 2008 at 2:42am
 
I have been playing around with string length in order to make long distiance casts. What is the longest sling you have been able to make work within realistic limits?
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Dale
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #1 - May 1st, 2008 at 3:41am
 
The two slings I use most often run from my left hand to my left shoulder, and to the center of my chest.  The shorter sling doesn't quite reach the ground when it hangs from my right hand, and is mostly used with the Apache and Greek styles.  The longer is used with Greek, figure-8, overhead and other styles.

The longest sling I have used with any success, reaches from the ground to my eyes.  With this sling, I load the pouch and then let it slide until my left hand is about half-way up the cords.  Then with my left hand I swing the pouch up and to the left, releasing it when the strings are taut.  From there I swing the whole sling with my right hand over my head a couple of times, then pull hard and twist my body around for the release snap.  Of course, with a long sling like that one it is not very "snappy."  I have slung baseballs and lacrosse balls (about the same weight) almost a hundred yards, which is farther than I can sling them with a shorter sling, but not quite as far as I can sling a golf ball with a shorter sling.  I have not tried golf balls with the long sling.
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Curious Aardvark
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #2 - May 1st, 2008 at 5:30am
 
I've managed a decent throw with a 48' sling, but it was with a tilted helicopter style (bit like yureks, but not as smooth lol) which I really don't like much. I've thrown the same distance with a 30' sling and my normal sidearm style (240 metres) and tnhat I much prefer.
So realistically for me I would say the longest practical sling would be (when I'm standing up with my arm hanging down) from the crook of my elbow to the ground. That way I can use my usual style of distance slinging, just bending my arm at the elbow to accomodate the longer sling.

In a way it really depends how tall you are - and in another way it doesn't.

In tint's first video he uses a 9 foot sling. Okay it's a bit of a gimmick - but does show it can be done :-)

So the only sensible answer is: if you can sling reasonably well with it - it's not too long. :-)
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #3 - May 1st, 2008 at 3:44pm
 
And I am shorty, only 5'4"!

Ezra Smack,What technique do you sling with?
How long you like your slings very much depends on the style you use.  Mathematically it should be longer the more powerful.  But then the cords gets heavier and the air resistance increases.  Also increased is the wind up period (very important for hunting or combat!)
Even if you have a sling made of very thin, light strings.  Chances are the cords will get tangled up during the swing.  I'll say 7 feet is my limit.  Anything longer will be hard to handle and does not add much more power to the shot.
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Dave M
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #4 - May 2nd, 2008 at 9:46am
 
Just a quick question to clarify a point how do you measure a slings length is it the full open length or the folded length
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Dale
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #5 - May 2nd, 2008 at 1:01pm
 
A sling's length is always measured from the folded pouch to the release knot.  As an example, my favorite sling reaches from my hand to a few inches from the ground, when my hand hangs at my side.  This is a twenty-four inch (sixty-one centimeter) sling; the (folded) pouch accounts for an inch and a half and the cords are each twenty four and a half inches.  Personally, I do not include the finger loop or any excess cord past the release knot in the cord length.
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« Last Edit: May 2nd, 2008 at 9:52pm by Dale »  

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Ethan
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #6 - May 2nd, 2008 at 2:11pm
 
My longest sling was 4 feet long, and worked quite well with a Helicopter/Overhand style.

C_A, I sure hope you mean 48" sling, because otherwise... I don't know what I'd think. That's got to be pretty much impossible, for a regular-sized person to use an (almost) 50' sling...
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #7 - May 2nd, 2008 at 10:04pm
 
Don't worry Ethan,just a typo.48' could be possible,if you had a cyclist to start your rotation for you Grin

Thomas made me a few around 64",and the ones we're using now are right around 57".These slings are too long for things lighter than baseballs.The air drag is too great and all efficiency is lost.For golf balls try 40" for now,and increase or decrease length depending on field results.My Aardvark six hole leather pouch w/37" string is throwing golfballs the farthest I have ever...over 200 yards!!!
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Dale
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #8 - May 2nd, 2008 at 11:17pm
 
What is an Aardvark six-hole pouch?  Is that a miniature copy of the trebuchet pouch that somebody published a while back?

Ten minutes later -- Nevermind, I found it.  That's exactly what it is.
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #9 - May 3rd, 2008 at 7:54am
 
trebuchet pouch ?
did not know that :-)

and I never could work out which squiggle was feet and which inches - I think in future I'll go metric (think about it) and put 48in.
:-)
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #10 - May 3rd, 2008 at 8:21am
 
inch = "

feet = '

Dale,a six hole pouch as diagrammed on this forum.Aardvark built it and mailed it to me for the spring sling exchange.
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Ethan
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #11 - May 3rd, 2008 at 9:06am
 
Is this the same one as the pattern I received with my leather?
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"Young men go to war. Sometimes because they have to, sometimes because they want to. Always, they feel they are supposed to. This comes from the sad, layered stories of life, which over the centuries have seen courage confused with picking up arms, and cowardice confused with putting them down."&&--Mitch Albom, The Five People you meet in Heaven
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #12 - May 3rd, 2008 at 12:57pm
 
as an answer to your question ethan; sure is
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #13 - May 3rd, 2008 at 1:45pm
 
i have used a sling as long as i am tall, but it was inconvenient and akward to load and begin casting.

my average sling length is about (with arm held out to the side) from fingertips to my opposite shoulder.

i have been using a shorter one though, i guess from fingertips to the same shoulder.
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Gronk
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Re: How long is "too long"?
Reply #14 - May 4th, 2008 at 12:13am
 
If you can't remember the last time....it's been too long....

wait..that's a different thread.

I think if you can't lift it off the ground under your own power, then it's too long.
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