In the conversation about long slings vs short, Jaegoor made the point that timing with a long sling can be off because it takes a longer time for the pouch to open... so I’m trying an experiment!  This sling is a 12-strand woven jute (2 are actually hemp) with a two-inch steel ring right above the pouch for ammo to pass through as soon as the release cord has a little slack. I put a small strip of leather over the ring to keep the cords from getting too chewed up. The ring is big enough for a golf ball. Still needs to be tested at speed, but a golf ball or 1-inch wooden ball will roll out through the ring when I do a slow speed test indoors. The weight of the ring is a little awkward too, but it’s just a proof of concept. If it works, I’ll try to optimize later

Update: rather than hoping the ammo will roll across the pouch and into the ring, the second method below is much more reliable. Stuff the pouch and ammo through the ring, and it works better.

Interesting concept would love to see slow Mo video of it if it works.

Ich verstehe nicht so ganz die Funktionsweise.

Ok I’ll post a video and it will become clear. Until then, maybe these photos will make more sense:
First:The release cord holds all the weight. The retention cord has slack, and the golf ball rests inside the pouch behind the ring.
Second: when you let go, the slack pulls out of the pouch and starts to push the ball through the ring.
Third: the pouch pulls  completely through the ring and the golf ball is free!

Ok, here’s a short video showing how it works. You can see that the release should be pretty fast, because the release cord isn’t in the way.  I will need to practice with it more to know if the ring release mechanism  helps with accuracy.  I will try to shoot video of the sling in action if I get a chance tomorrow, but it’s too dark tonight.

Hello NOOC!

Intresting model! i would definely try it someday!
Just wondering: Since the inital problem was with the timing of pouch opening in long slings, doesn't a Y-pouch, captured release also correct the problem?

I'm pretty sure the added mass of the ring will prove useful under certain circumstances - I'm still not clear with the dissymetric pouches like balearics... And then again, adding some mass in the pouch is a good way to throw light stones without hurting the elbow...

@Frondeur: you are correct. The captive Y sling is meant to solve the same problem. The difference is that the ring sling cords are completely out of the way after the ammo passes through the ring. You can reduce the ring weight with a plastic or carbon fiber ring to make it more energy efficient, and it wouldn’t weigh much more than any other sling if you optimize it, but the steel ring is actually really nice for lightweight ammo. I might even try it with ping pong balls!

First impression after about 20 golf ball throws: I could see this being a useful putter in sling golf where you aren’t going for maximum range and want good consistency and accuracy. It would need a little more tuning to get the pouch to release just right every time, but I really like it so far.

It would be a good candidate for a captive sling too!  The retention cord only needs a few inches of slack to hold the ammo in the ring.

@Jaegoor: I am also curious to see how well this works. It might not be any better than a normal sling.  I will put more practice into it and report back.