A sports sling, which is convenient to throw only balls, not stones. Why make the sling heavier?
The video used a universal sling petal in the color "Hornet" (orange + black paracord)"+ inner layer with metal balls to increase the weight of the sling. The total weight of the balls turned out to be 20 grams. +sling weight of 30 grams = 50 grams total sling weight. I make standard braided slings from paracord weighing 25-30 grams. Weaving and additional stitching of the sling in critical places creates rigidity and adds better control over the ball when throwing, and an additional mechanism with the insertion of a string with balls helps to accelerate the light ball faster and more accurately bring it to the long swing and the starting point of acceleration / acceleration of the projectile. This is the first trial version, I just started experimenting with reducing the weight of the sling without increasing its sail capacity. In the process, it will become clear in which areas the weighting helps, and in which areas it will interfere with the work of the sling. One thing is clear, such a sling is suitable exclusively for throwing tennis balls and light protective projectiles, and therefore is not suitable for throwing stones.

https://rutube.ru/video/2b832ef82da295c2a7336bd97facbff2/

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I tried to make an easier (for me) to build sling and accidentally created a “weighted pouch” in my Twin Loop sling.

https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1781562326

Here is what I found:

The weighted pouch increases the tension in the release cord (that is, more weight pulls harder). The increased tension causes the pouch to open faster and cleaner. This, along with the heavier feel added to tennis balls, made tennis balls “nicer feeling” to throw and created a temporary increase in accuracy. I found the accuracy increase only lasted the first dozen throws only and then my body adjusts and all slings became the same accuracy.

The extra sling weight did reduce distance however. This is consistent with other users experience that lighter slings can get longer distance. In my case, surprisingly, I did not lose distance for the Figure 8 style throw. My thought is the Figure 8 has less acceleration time (or sling spinning distance), so the heavier sling did not have as much of a negative effect.


Note: my “extra weight” was in the exact center of the pouch.   You can place the weight in different locations. So please report how your sling performs. I was disappointed my “accuracy improvement” was temporary. Maybe as you move the weight around, the accuracy improvement can become permanent?

To increase the accuracy of the throw, I would advise you to try throwing from a braided sling in a geometry similar to Balearic. Smooth expansion at the basket and gradual narrowing to the tail and finger loops. This geometry of the sling does not overwhelm itself when the ball is dropped, and it is much easier to shoot at a target with such a sling. But of course everything is individual, you need to fully customize the sling for yourself. To make the loop comfortable, the most important thing is the dropping knot by which we hold the sling. The more we try different versions of slings, the more details we discover that can be improved and make our throwing better.

I was lucky to work in a shooting range with very good archery athletes. The guys are members of the national team, participants of the world Championships and the Olympic Games. Professional athletes-they explained how to build their workouts, keep a diary of training records and their results. In this way, it is possible to monitor and gradually improve shooting techniques and the constant adjustment of shooting equipment. I think it works the same way with a sling. For accuracy, in my opinion, you need to keep your own statistics. Not single shots, but full-fledged series of a large number of shots for the result. Record them and analyze both the equipment and the equipment we use.

To identify errors and work on them, we need the most identical shells. Tennis balls are great for this. You can practice with them every day at almost any venue.Throwing stones is certainly very exciting, but not everyone has the opportunity to find the same ones and have the opportunity to train with them regularly.

Unfortunately, due to the speed limit, I can't upload large videos to YouTube. This video is just a sample of the throws from the last episode, when I got a little used to the weight of the sling and the throws became more stable. I'm experiencing an interesting effect..it's like I have a stone in my sling bag, but in the end a light ball flies out, but it feels like a stone due to the weight of the sling)). I recommend trying to make such a sling, for everyone who throws balls, this type of sling is not suitable for stones.

https://youtu.be/nwQvj8WlQnw

Snow Serg wrote on Aug 5^th, 2026 at 2:42am:

https://youtu.be/nwQvj8WlQnw

Good accuracy!
As far as I remember, Andrew from this forum also uses or has used weights for his leather pouch. But it seems he only has these materials on Instagram; I couldn't find them on YouTube.

I constantly compare my results and change and make different slings.  Thin rope ones bring much fewer hits than woven slings and similar in geometry to the Balearic. I also made slow-motion videos and watched how a thin sling and a wicker one with a ball worked. Very often, a thin sling makes a sweep and knocks the ball off a straight trajectory. The braided "Balearic" makes the ball drop more stable and smoother. The result is always higher when throwing 15 meters than with a thin sling. My standard braided paracord sling is usually 25-30 grams.If I add 15-20 grams of steel balls to it, it gives a total weight of 45-50 grams.It became even easier for me to control the ball with the weight of such a sling. But so far, I haven't done any statistics on such slings. The main thing for me is that it became more convenient to feel the heavy ball, although in fact it remained the same weight))

[a thin sling makes a sweep and knocks the ball off a straight trajectory..]

I have seen the same thing when throwing really slow with very light whiffle balls.

Need tension on the release cord to make it whip open and out of the way. Tension comes from a hard throw (centripedal acceleration) or a heavy projectile.

Also helps to have a smooth pouch/release cord transition I think…just in case there is contact.

Cool video!  I totally agree with the heavier pouch feels much nicer to throw tennis balls. That has been my experience too.

Snow Serg wrote on Aug 5^th, 2026 at 7:49am:

Very often, a thin sling makes a sweep and knocks the ball off a straight trajectory.

I won't argue, as there's probably some truth to this.
But I'll add something from my own experience. I've used various types of slings, both in weight and material, and I remain a fan of the simplest single-strand paracord design. I've had quite a few of them, and here's what I've noticed:
The design is similar, but the cords wear very differently. The wear marks indicate where the projectile touches the cord when the pouch opens, as you say, throwing it off course. And it's primarily not the sling itself, I think, but rather technique. The angle and position of the hand, supination, pronation. And the release point.
The second factor, I think, is the size of the pouch, or rather its length. If it's too short, wear is more likely to occur immediately after it ends.

As for the rest, I think I can understand the feeling of the weight, since only with a single-row sling like this do I feel the projectile, not the sling itself, when swinging and throwing. The projectile, no matter what its weight, even if it's 30 grams.

All my descriptions in this topic are only about throwing a tennis ball. I do not consider stones and other compact and heavy projectiles in any way for throwing slings with additional weights. This will not only not give accuracy, but will also interfere with the acceleration of the stone.

Analyzing the behavior of a thin light sling and a balearic..I do it with the same technique and throwing style. And with the same errors, my performance is 2-3 times higher for Balearics and other slings that have a woven body with a smooth extension to the basket. They also allow you to make a very smooth and controlled grip/knot. If you make a knot on a thin sling, it will either be very small or very large and rough relative to the body of the sling itself. And it is the release, the purity of the nodule from the fingers, that suffers very much. But again, I'm only describing my feelings and throwing technique. Another slingerist may have a different anatomy, hand size, and finger thickness, which allows them to throw thinner slings. And that's okay. We're all very different.

Quote:

my performance is 2-3 times higher for Balearics and other slings that have a woven body with a smooth extension to the basket

I just started using a braided rope sling after single strand paracord and this matches my experience. After some rough throws adjusting to it, my accuracy has easily doubled. I feel like my range has increased too, but I haven't tested it. I am kind of blown away by the difference.

I'm probably lucky. When I first started slingshot throwing, I was engaged in reconstruction. And it so happened that my first sling was woven from nettle plant fibers. Subsequent slings were also woven.  And I quickly managed to learn how to hit large targets relatively well. When I tried, out of curiosity, to make thin slings out of paracord and thin threads, I was surprised at how wide the projectiles spread, and how difficult it was to hit the target. Of course, it's easy to make them, but this is their only advantage. And when I see how the guys despair that they will not hit the target, but continue to stubbornly throw balls from thin paracord cords, I am surprised at such persistence. All you need to do is make a pair of braided slings and compare them. This creative search will allow you to understand the difference between the work of different slings and, as a result, will give you new knowledge and skills and the pleasure of throwing from the thicket.

Places where, in my opinion, it is desirable to change the design of a thin sling for throwing a tennis ball!

1- I would remove the massive release and whip nodes. 2- increase the stiffness in the basket area. 3- Add the weight of the sling in the basket-this will give the ball good speed and make it easier to feel when throwing.

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Snow Serg wrote on Aug 6^th, 2026 at 11:50pm:

Of course, it's easy to make them, but this is their only advantage.

It seems your statements are becoming too categorical. I can agree that single-strand lines are HARDER to throw, but I don't agree that they are generally WORSE in terms of performance.Furthermore, thin webbing can also be flattened like a noodle, which will reduce its deflection due to the stiffening rib. For example, by using dyneema and rolling it out, or by sewing two cords together, as Sarosh did.

To keep the discussions constructive and not based on feelings, I suggest moving on to clear metrics.
For example, here are measurements from a typical workout at a relaxed pace with a thin strap and a ball. It shows the average speed, and below is a stability graph.

Speaking of accuracy, you can check out my Instagram (the button is under the post) and watch a few relatively recent videos. And don't get me wrong, I'm not boasting about excellent accuracy, my experience is only about two years. Another example is the Pansling. It has good accuracy and power with a single-strand sling (balls and stones).
What I mean is that if you compare the overall accuracy and grouping of a sling, I don't see a HUGE difference in performance, considering the design alone.

The slinger's experience has a greater influence.

p.s. Oh, and here's another one, for example, Primal Slinging. (mostly stones)
p.p.s. Ah, I just remembered another example! @Andrew_slings (balls)
p.p.s. And yes, how could I forget! Mersa (balls)

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I apologize if my comments didn't seem correct to you. As I wrote earlier, all this is just my opinion and only about my throwing and my experience of throwing exclusively tennis balls and has nothing to do with throwing stones and bullets. And making the sling heavier for me has brought a significant improvement in throwing accuracy, nothing more. Just counting the results and statistics.  In the case of a ball, I'm not at all interested in the speed of the ball's flight. There is a distance of 15 meters, a 120x120 sports target, and everything I wanted to show with this topic is that you can try to improve your accuracy in this sports discipline. I am in no way discussing stone throwing in this topic. And once again, I ask you to forgive me if I misled anyone. This is most likely a problem with automatic translation into English.

I'm also talking about throwing balls, not stones. The results are completely different with stones.
Just take a look at the Instagram of the four guys I mentioned above.

Are you trying to convince me that I'm wrong about something? But, I'm just sharing my observations that I discovered not so long ago, and nothing more. If you want to check, try it, no, I'm not imposing my opinion. We understand that when throwing a sling, everything is individual. I've worked with wood and iron all my life, I've woven a lot of vines and coarse ropes, and by the age of 63 my hands have become quite rough and no longer feel the small details of the sling. And this version of the weight in the form of steel balls in the baskets of the sling helps me a lot: I throw light balls and feel that they fly like stones. In no case do I impose my opinion, but if my experience and observations help someone to throw more accurately, I will be only glad.

...Yes, of course, I've seen all these videos with precision throws.... and yes, of course I know everyone you've listed. But it's only at sports tournaments that we see real results, not staged videos. It is better to test your accuracy on standard targets and distances, or even better, in competitions where everyone is at equal odds.

I started out exclusively with single-strand(floppy) slings, and stayed that way for almost two years before making any significant attempt to use braided(stiff) slings instead. My accuracy was plenty good with single-strand, but I did run into some issues with tangling cords occasionally, mostly in the beginning when my technique was bad.

After switching for almost a year now, I feel I do prefer braided/stiff slings and that they do give a slightly better level of control and consistency. However, I don't believe that difference would make a large difference in final accuracy, and that it's mostly just preference and what you are most familiar with.

The main thing I found is that your technique has to be quite different with single-strand slings than with stiff slings becauase single-strand slings lag so far behind your arm/hand motions compared to stiff slings. Stiff slings will follow your rotations almost exactly, whereas single-strand slings will take some time to "catch up". Acroballistics has a great demonstration on this in his torsion video here(the whole video is worth watching): https://youtu.be/vOuRwrfA7GQ?t=133

I think the main reason that most people who are used to stiff slings get inconsistent release with single-strand slings is simply due to this difference in technique, and they haven't learned to compensate yet. You have to apply the force in different places during your powerstroke or you will "overtake" the single-strand sling and it will tangle, reduce the final release speed, or release at an unexpected angle. In my own experience after a few tens of thousands of throws, my accuracy with stiff slings is just about the same as it was with single-strand slings. But for the first few thousand throws, it took quite a bit of adjustment. And now if I switch back to a single-strand sling, I struggle for a while before I am able to properly adjust.

This applies both with balls and with stones, but depends a lot on weight distribution of the projectile - the problem gets worse as the weight increases and/or gets further from the center of torsional rotation of the pouch. Again, the Acroballistics video has great information on this.

Separate from the stiffness of the sling, I am curious if maybe the increased weight of the pouch gives better proprioception since you have more feedback from the pouch during your throw. I'll have to give that a try.

Side-note here - while both Primal and Pan slings look like single-strand slings, their stiffness is much greater than it appears and is closer to a braided sling than a single-strand. They both pride themselves on their cords having a long internal splice into itself which doubles up the cord density/stiffness quite a bit. If you compare either one to a standard single-strand sling of paracord or dyneema, you will feel the difference immediately. Additionally, Primal waxes his slings aggressively, and Pan recommends doing the same(although isn't waxed out of the box), which also great increases stiffness even after breaking in. These two factors give them much better torsional control, which both of them actually include prominently in their "sling features" on their websites and various videos on their channels. I've made and used a lot of plain 2mm dyneema slings, and believe me when I say they behave nothing like a Primal sling with that doubled-up internal splice.

Mersa I've got no explanation for ;D dude is just a beast with a single-strand sling - back to what I said earlier about it mostly coming down to preference and familiarity.

@erricrice What a meaningful answer and I completely agree with the opinion here.

My thin webbing is also waxed. Recently, when it wore out, I decided to try a "repair" instead of switching to a new one—wrapping the inner strands from the old webbing over the cord. This probably added a bit of weight to the bag area.

But the main reason I choose single-strand lines is the pure feel of the implement at the end (whether it's a rock, a ball, or something else), without the feeling of the webbing.
I haven't experienced this with any braided lines. I haven't noticed this with braided lines. I suspect it's because the weight and flexibility of the line itself varies significantly.

Pocket rock.et wrote on Aug 8^th, 2026 at 1:08pm:

I haven't noticed this with braided lines. I suspect it's because the weight and flexibility of the line itself varies significantly.

Yes, you are absolutely correct here. I have braided slings out of many different materials, and it does really depend on the base material. Most natural fibers make for quite a sitff sling, but synthetic fibers vary quite a bit. Using raw dyneema fibers(from individual strands pulled from dyneema rope) or nylon results in a sling with only marginally better stiffness than single-strand slings of those materials. Stiffer starting fibers like polypropylene baling twine or polysteel make for an incredibly stiff sling, almost to a fault if you use too much material. It starts to feel like a hunk of wood and you can't feel the projectile at all.

erricrice, That's right, you almost completely understood me.  The point of the post is not to convince you to throw a tennis ball with thick slings. My braided slings are quite thin and the extension is only at the basket of the sling. The point is to weight the basket with steel balls, which allow the basket to be flexible. Weighing the sling by 15-20 grams will allow you to feel the weight of the ball better. Of course, this is not necessary for a stone, and it will not help, since the stone itself has sufficient weight. Additionally, it will help if you increase the stiffness at the point of attachment and transition of the edge of the basket and the beginning of the transition to the body of the sling-this will give a more predictable descent of the ball-due to the right opening of the sling. We can see this on all the slings from the authors who sell them on the Internet.Increased torsional stiffness and stiffness in critical areas.

The task is to increase the weight in the ball area and at the same time keep the sling as thin and rigid as possible without loss of flexibility.

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Yes, sorry I went a bit off topic there - the stiffness I referred to is a related subject to weight, but not the same as your original topic here. The extra weight you're suggesting seems like it would probably help a lot with feel when using stiffer slings with a light tennis ball.

There is no difference between a hard sling or a soft one made of a single rope or a braided one made of a paracord or a dainima. Just stuff a piece of paracord with balls so that the weight of this piece of balls is 15-20 grams and sew it in the center of the sling basket and that's it. When you throw your ball, it will no longer feel like 55 grams, but much more. Just make one such sling and compare it, I am very interested in your practical opinion after using such a sling.

The only drawback that I found when using a weighted sling with balls is that it accelerates a lot and clicks louder. A brush with a whip cannot stop like an ordinary light sling, because of this it hits the hand quite noticeably after being thrown. But if you use a long-sleeved shirt, it protects your hand from bumps. In hot weather, it will probably help to use a leather wristband))

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