Wow I've been reading about FUNDABALL and it sounds really fun! I've also read the fundaball ammo thread and understand the sport may be having a hard time finding the perfect ammo.
Basically, fundaball needs a single ball that excels in short and long range missile attacks. Bicones excel over spheres for long range due to less drag and spin stabilization. But it also needs a ball rigid enough to survive launching for stable flight and soft enough not to injure other players upon impact. Spheres excel over bicones in this matter, due to its inherent structural strength and the safety of its larger radius of curvature.
That would be really
if the current iteration of the Crochet Rigid Bicone overcomes these challenges! It needs to be tested. But if it doesn't, I can see lots of ways that the ammo can be refined even more
For instance, suppose upon testing you find that the ammo hurts too much upon impact when travelling really fast. I could easily increase the radius of curvature at the tips, making it more egg shaped. We could then retest. This would be the easiest fix.
But there is another solution. I could design each section of the bicone for its essential task. The tips don't need alot of of strength, since its smaller radius of curvature inherently gives it more strength and it's not under any loads in the pouch. I could drop a yarn while crocheting the tips and create a separate internal chamber specifically designed for shock absorption. Thus, I could make the tips a Crochet Squishy Bicone, while making the main body a Crochet Rigid Bicone. I can see alot of different permutations using different combinations of construction.
Or say, for example, you find that the main body of the current iteration is not rigid enough for power throws, which deform the body and cause wobbly flights. I could beef up the main body with a harder filler or embroider additional yarn onto the surface.
Anyways, this is all very fun to think about
I like making ammo as much as I enjoy making slings.
I also thought about something really crazy: Tear-drop shaped ammo, a cone sitting on a sphere. Could this fly point first or sphere first depending upon how its constructed and/or loaded in the pouch?
I was also daydreaming about games earlier and that was fun too.
I want to make a thread of all the fun games I can think of. I thought of one earlier that made me laugh. Okay say there is a group that has alot of people who don't know how to sling. They could be the zombies that chaotically try to reach a fort defended by slingers. Some could be hungry berserkers and others like slow moving slugs haha. If they get hit they have to act like they die and lie on the ground dead until the game is over. Maybe they could wiggle around a little, moan, and crawl toward the fort for drama. 2 shots would permanently kill them.
When they are far away, the shot would be considered mortar--if the ball lands within 10ft of them it explodes and they fall down. If they are close, the shots must hit them. If ANY zombie reaches the fort, the zombie team wins. If ALL the zombies are killed, the slingers win. After the game is over, the slingers can teach the zombies how to sling. OMG that sounds like sooo much fun.