Okay, I'm new... but how do we know the Apache, helicopter, figure eight, overhand, etc., etc., have any historical foundation?   True we have antique figures of slingers in starting positions (walls, coins, etc.) but where does all the conclusive interpretation between start and release come from?  My throw variant also uses the start pictured in antiquity but is not any of those described on the site and who's to say my variant isn't or wasn't an original used in antiquity.  Show me the data, don't give me the conclusions and if the data is sound, I'll make my own conclusions... which should be the same as your's if both are based on the same data... hopefully more than "one data point in a row".

GN

Vegetius mentions the type of launch to use for Greek slingers. Underhand. When looking at the situation, it makes sense. The slingers were in formation, and had to act as one. If everyone used their own technique, well, you can imagine the chaos..

If that foramtion was "close" formation then some unification would be required to keep from "friendly fire" casualties within their own ranks.  Makes a lot of sense.  Thanks

Any others?

GN

I've been trying to discover the egyptian style. I tried standing and holding the short sling as in the drawing. Then I swing the loaded sling against my back and when it touches my back, I give it an overhand throw. When done correctly, the ammo flew out quite swiftly...

I've no idea, what if I use a hard projectile and that hits my back??! ;D :-? ::)

Probably switch to the smiley on the far right... the one with the frown and tear in its eye.

Sling ammo (or what we think is sling ammo) abounds at various sites, but slings are much more perishable, and slinging techniques were basically passed on by demonstration and (apparently) never written down.  So we have no evidence besides the starting positions (from drawings and carvings) and our own reconstructions of what techniques might have followed from those positions.

The oldest technique for which we have positive historical evidence, is the Apache style.  That goes back to the 1960's, when Larry Forsyth learned it from Grandfather, and (by Grandfather's own testimony) back another 65 years or so (assuming he started learning the sling at around age 5).  That makes the Apache style a verified 100 years old, roughly.  You might be justified in taking it back another 20 to 30 years, assuming that Grandfather's own father taught him the style that he himself learned as a child.  That's all the farther I think anyone would be justified in aging that technique.

The style I'm experimenting looks like it will work. I'm quite comfortable with it. This time, the sling is swung back diagonally so that the pouch only touches my left arm and I can throw with more power diagonally.

There is a crack sound when done correctly and quite accurate. ::) The sling I use is shorter than the apache style. I use Aussie's pouch. :)

If you can get some video E-mail it to curious_aardvark so it may be included in the throwing technique compendium... Please?

If we get enough different techniques in the compendium it will probably have to have a few that were successful ones from antiquity.  ..."if you can't hit the eye of the snake, then use the shotgun"...

I can't always do it right... I still have no confidence with it though. But, that's the only style I can think of when looking at the egyptian drawing. :-/

So, I'm shy to make one.

Whatever any of us does will be wrong in light of tomorrow's knowledge... the only really wrong thing is to do nothing... then tomorrow's knowledge will be no different than today's.  And yes the hardest thing to do is to offer up the "straw horse" (the original of any idea) which everyone else is going to try and burn down.  But... that is what must be done if we are ever to start or progress on that start.
Just do it and thanks in advance....
...besides, run the camera through several throws and only send the "footage" of the good one or ask C_A to only use the one you want him to.