Well my neighbor's son is about 12 years old and he's been watching me sling in the back yard through the chain link fence the last couple afternoons. (We have a large vacant field directly behind our fence which gives us a little breathing room to sling.) This evening he wanted to know if he could come over and sling. I said "Do you know how?" And he responded "Yea, you just swing it around a few times." Well from those humble beginning's a new slinger is born.  I taught him the figure-8 style because it is what I use and I feel like an overhand throw is slightly safer then swinging it around helicopter style.

I made him ask his parents but part of me wonders if it's such a good idea at all. I had one when I was his age but these are dangerous weapons.  I plan on going over to his house tomorrow and make sure they understand what a sling is and how dangerous they can be if used improperly.

What do you guys think?

I think it's wonderful that a youngster has been inspired to take up the sport by your good example. Sure slings CAN be dangerous if misused but so are guns, knives, cars and even bikes and roller skates if misused. How much better to learn not only the skill of slinging but also its correct and responsible use. So if this kid's parents are in favour and he's a good kid go for it. With tennis balls slinging is no more dangerous than many sports kids routinely play anyway.

I say give the boy the sling. As long as you just make sure to drill it into his head that with the right ammo the thing can be very dangerous.

As Aussie said with tennis balls the thing is no more dangerous then most sports.

I was 12 when I started, and I hadn't a clue about anything.  I had never seen it done and didn't have a teacher.  I also came close to taking out a neighbor’s front window... but that's not the point!  Give the kid a sling!  He has a good teacher to help him out, and what’s childhood without a little danger to nearby windows, eh?  Just make sure he knows that it can be dangerous, if done incorrectly.

Thanks for the advice guys. Just to add a little bit from what I've read in your responses...

The kid doesn't seem mischievous at all. He seems like a 12 year old boy that likes digging and playing ball and all the stuff we used to do before video games replaced a lot of it.

He also seems determined to use rocks. I don't think there is any chance of me getting him to use tennis balls.  Last night I tried to get him to throw one and he kind of looked at me like I was nuts.  I drilled him a lot about the fact that this is a dangerous weapon and he could kill someone or break a window but who knows if he will take it to heart. I know I didn't when I was his age and I wasn't capable of understanding what "It could kill someone if used improperly" really meant. But I guess not many 12 year olds are.  I mean I didn't go on a slinging spree or anything but I was pretty innocent. Here's to hoping he's more wise then I was.

I think I will go over there but mostly to make sure they know he has it and are ok with it. I don't want to scare anyone away from slinging. A slingshot could kill someone after all and those are considered kids toys. So I will let them know it's like a slingshot in that it can cause serious injury if misused but can also be used for fun.

America has become so sue happy, like Ishi said; it's ridiculous. I just want to cover all my bases and make sure he actually explained to them what it is he was doing. But I won't be trying to scare them about it.

Again thanks for the advice. Every response was  helpful.

When I work with new slingers I usually show them an impresive demonstration of the sling oblertating the target and then they usually have a good amount of respect for the sling  .

Hi, Morphy;
   I think it's great that you're making new disciples.  You've found my key to success. The best way to get people interested in slinging is to just sling.  They watch you and ask about it.  It's that simple.  If I were in your shoes I would get the kids parents permission in person just to make sure that you're covered.  I would answer their questions honestly, but I wouldn't try to scare them.  It would be a good idea to impress on your young student just how deadly the sling can be.  That's my two cents.

xxkid123 wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2010 at 1:08am:



You sound very mature for your age kid, I can hardly believe sometimes your barely a teen.  Anyways I ended up going over there just to double check. They are very laid back and seem cool with it. He has made huge progress in just this small amount of time. Today he came over and said, "I've been practicing, watch this." And slung that stone perfectly out in front of him. I couldn't believe it! 

All I do for the most part is sit there and offer suggestions and occasionally sling a bit myself. My mantra has become , "Slow wind-up, fast pitch." ( He has a problem with a really overly fast wind up and sometimes his sling gets away from him.)    Even so he's a really fast learner. I have no doubt he will be a great slinger some day.