I know Mr Morningstar had a very good thread on this, but here goes: I took a teenager up slinging recently, showed him how it works, and STUPIDLY just have him a sling, loaded it with a stone and said "Have a go !" He rotated it VERY fast around his head, then stopped and changed the direction of the sling for his release. Of course, the sudden stop sent the stone flying-- backwards. It zoomed past me at with great speed and power. I simply could not have imagined this-- will never do this again. Morningstar I think starts with tennis balls.

I have dome the same thing. Taught someome with river ricks, and almost got hit in the head with a 1/2 pound rick,

Always start with tennis balls or something other, my favourite are pine cones as they fly good and are very abundant here, more than stones! and easy to comprehend technique like the underhand, most people seem to get that one fast and then after they understand what to do and what not to do let them try(still not with stones) another technique like helicopter, balearic, byzantine, "greek"

(notice how I didn't mention figure eight, well most beginners don't really understand how they should do it as it looks confusing to them when more proficient slingers do it and try to explain it. It usually ends with them whacking themselves with the pouch with pine cone)

This is my experience and how I do it.

Or try giving them a staff sling, much easier to use and about as addictive as a sling :D

I have done the same. It's funny how some people get it just by watching and others mess everything up even after explaining them what to do.

Aftewards I reflected if the stone had hit me it would probably have knocked me out.

Once while showing a friend how to sling, (with stones) he tried to give it a whirl himself...
We were extremely fortunate neither of us were seriously injured, as he immediately went full force and forgot he was supposed to let go of the knot! :o The stone somehow stayed in the pouch and somehow didn't whip around and knock him out, or worse.
It's just one more of those cliché tales as to why beginners shouldn't use 'dangerous ammo'.  ::)

Yeah I always make beginners start with something softer, rocks aren’t friendly to beginners in most cases.

This is one of the reasons I don’t really consider a sling a weapon Because it’s more likely to harm the user if your not proficient

I love in David's (Morningstar) video on learning how to sling Balearic style, he referred to a stone in a sling as "live ammunition".  In a sense it's more dangerous that a loaded gun or a drawn bow.  The unexpected can always happen, but with a gun or a bow you have a pretty good idea which direction your projectile is going.  With a rotating sling that's not really the case.

I'm definitely not for beginners using stones.  Unless there's really nothing else around, include people to hit.  Another thing I usually do with beginners is start them with underhand or overhand (whichever is more comfortable for them).  This limits the danger zone to in front of them and behind them (more or less), making the sides pretty safe.  With a rotor and throw in a horizontal plane, there's much more chance of something going wrong.

Start them out with a short sling, easier to use and if things do go bad the damage will be less.

Lol, yeah having seen People smack themselves in the back of the head.
Always start with a tennis ball or better still, A sockball.

It's incredible how often people don't realise you're supposed to let go of one of the cords. My father-in-law had been watching me sling at the summer cottage for hours upon hours over a number of YEARS and then asked if he could have a go. Beaned himself in the arm because he didn't let go. He had seen me slinging for YEARS. I was kind of dumbfounded.

Speaking to this I'm one of those self taught slingers. My martial arts background has taught me the importance of the training weapon (ie. wooden swords, plastic weights, rubber projectiles) when it comes to safety and learning. Oh and countless online videos help!

Started of inside the house with crumpled and taped together balls of paper learning releases and forms. Then used tennis balls outside. And finally rocks bought at hardware store.

I wonder how many here are self-taught, as opposed to those who grew up in a traditional slinging culture (Tibet, Baleares, Peru). I certainly taught myself.

Oh. Now there's a poll if it doesn't already exist.

Since it's your post Thearos, maybe add a poll for something like.

-Self Taught Slinger (Online trained and not just cat videos)
-Instructed on how to sling (Certified Slinger)
-Cultural background of slinging (Used a sling before learning to walk)

I second CezchSlinger1.0 on teaching underhand with pinecones or something similar. It's a good way to avoid a concussion.

I learned with stress balls and snowballs.  They're a bit light, but I still threw them farther than by hand.

I have tought slinging to over three thousand people so far in Museums and other events. My technique of teaching evolved over time and is now pretty ok I guess.
I fully agree with Safety first. Thus I go for greek underhand mostly. Also it allows me to teach five people at a time.
Generally I try to teach with talking and showing  in parallel
with pazses between sentences to allow people to perform the elements.

The setup is any rather large target 7-10m away., and a line for shooting.
Also I break it down in small bits.

-explain and show Functional elements of the sling + find the fingerloop* (really, there IS a loop)
-Showing the handgrip and have them do it
-Explain the release mechanism and have them release the thumb
- Have them stand 2 m stand apart on a line so that everyone is safe, show the slow rotation with the sling without projectile.
Detailed show and describe one after the other- stand sideways, only rotate with the wrist, rotate in clockwise direction, release just after the lowest point. Outline slow rotation again :)
The ones who manage to release at the bottom get a tennis ball.
More than 95% get the fist shot forward, and so far no one got hurt
Sometimes I feel a bit like a stewardess while explaining and showing, but this improves understanding tremendously.
Perhaps its time to make a video one day...

Here is in a Museum

---

Oh man that is so cool.

All together now

Music strikes up.....


Here we are
Slinging on the ceiling


Woo hoo, yay   Lionel Ritchie

Must be a very cool job Funditor.  :D

Morpy actually I am a Biotechnologist in the Biopharmaceutical industry.
This is only what I do at the weekends for fun to please my archaic drive ;)

Would be a cool job fulltime though...
There are options, but only rather far away and rathe low paid...

Funditor you should definitely do a video.

I always start with tennis balls but I have also graduated people to stones if they were good enough. One man had been a javelin thrower for his school so I gave him a long sling and a good stone and I swear he went beyond 200 metres on his first throw, I was amazed.

   Though I haven't taught over 3000 people to sling like funditor has, I have taught more than a few.  Most were kids and young teenagers but some were adults.  I agree wholeheartedly that non-lethal ammo should be used by beginners. 
    Almost everyone I taught started out by twirling their sling like mad as if they were a helicopter trying to lift off.  The first thing I teach people is to relax.  Don't worry about how far your first few shots go. Just try to get them to go forward a few feet.  Once you get them to relax the rest comes easy.  Most of the time anyway.