Hey All!

We write here a lot about a sling design, making projectiles and other interesting things. I love it, thanks all for sharing. I got to know many innovations here. Chris' website has become the greatest innternet source of information about a sling, I suppose.

I know no other slingers personally and I'm curious how they look in action. My sling and technique arose naturally before finding by myself this website. I would be happy if I can see your slinging here, spots and get to know your achievements. Not only me, I think.

I would like to show you my slinging and some my spots. These can tell more than my English description:)

I took following photos in the last weekend.



This is my start pose to accuracy shot.  




The start to the range shot. The body is very twisted and leant rearwards because a spacious turn is a base of shot.




The moment about the release, I think




And a jiffy after.




It is my secure "measure spot" and main ammo supply. The stones are different quality but sometimes there occur true whimwhams The viaduct is 250 m (~274 yd.) far. About week ago I throwed 10 m under it! On the left you can see the white ruin, this is shelter for a observer. He has a good view of me and and stones landing.
I know I know, It's no proof but I'm not going to prove anything I just share my personal success with other slingers I have no comparison.




The ruin is my favourite target. As you can see my sling is a powerfull weapon I shot from different distances. The distace on picture is about 20 yd. I shot to the plastic botle and two bricks placed ond the each side of the botle in the bigger window hole. I hit the bottle or bricks rather seldom but something about 50% of stones flies thru the big hole. Almost all stones hit the ruin. Effect is great I love it!

Not all pictures are good, anyway they give a bit image of my slinging.

Jurek

Great Pictures! 

It's always great to put a name to a face and to see the places people talk about.  It looks like you are doing an overhead twirl cast.  Are you getting ranges of 270+ meters with that style?

Chris

P.S. Poland right?

I think this technique is good for relatively long sling. When I'm using a shorter sling I dont involve all body so very, a arm twirl or stroke is sufficient for a good acceleration. It is working for a long sling too but doesn't let to use a full potential of that. It's something like a lashing with a long weighted cord on a short stick. For a longer cord you need a longer stick. This is a truism, but just the last lash is most iportant in my shots. All body in rotation is like a longer stick.

Therefore I start 2-4 rather gentle (like Luke) and spacious twirls by forearm, When I... feel the proper moment I start hips rotation by push of the rigt leg (exactly, this leg initiates my range cast:)). The hips "pull" the shoulders, these "pull" the arms, but the left hand additionaly accelerate rotation by a quick blow of the bented elbow. The right hand should't hurry with cast, it should wait a bit for signal from the right shoulder, then the elbow attacks close (it bents the arm and as result gives additional body and sling acceleration). The forearm and whrist finish off the shot.

It's important to feel that you pull the stone. A good shot is pleasant, not requires a great effort and doesn't overload arm. But if you make a mistake or lose a stone it would be able to contuse your body. I know it from my esperience

Therefore It should be better to practice slowly, and use not too light projectile just for better feeling. It's possible to reach over 150 m quite easy, with a good stone of course.

Chris,

I haven't time and strenght for overhead twirl cast, a body rotation is too quick and a centrifugal force to big during a range shot. It's rather side one. I must squeeze a release knot strongly, this galls my index finger.
Sometimes when I practice an accuracy throws I use an overhead twirl cast, indeed. But on the pictures my forearm seems raised because of there is a such phase of its initial rotation and my sling is rather long, I think

On ranges, I don't know Chris, because I don't measure evry time and the stones are different. Sometimes there happens the super shots and I think they are better, but maybe it's only my wishful thinking Anyway 260 m is my best measured range. I dream about 300 I will keep trying.

Leon,

Thanks, just you inspired me to sharing pictures You have been first.

Chris,

Sure You are right about my technique. I have a problem with classification yet.

I would be honour for me to be in gallery

I forgot... yes, I'm from Poland.

--

Today I checked my description practically and I would like to emphasize two things:

- the hand should lash with a percetible delay relative to starting body rotation
- no rash, If you do all throw slowly but corectly the projectiles should start quickly anyway.

But if projectile will be poor or will catch some resistance in the pouch, then don't figure on a long fly of it, instead you will get probably the nice music of the stone and beautiful demonstration of the Mangus' Effect



Jurek,  who never before didn't write in "English" so much like on the Chris' forum

David,

For the range shots I use rather lighter stones. I just weighted nice one what I have in my home (real jewel for specjal occasion, so I pitty throw aut this ) It weight 150 g. I think that about 100-150 g is the optlimal weight for me for good ranges. More massive and stronger man could use more heavy projectiles of course. I also tried smaller stones (maybe 60-80 g), they can go very far too if they are good shaped and dense. As well over 200 g stones fly quite good, but then I feel a power shortage of my arm for full speed whip, so they are not good for "records".

I can't tell you exactly about a weigh of the strones in my best shots because I took them just straight from the ground. Anyway you will feel the best weight of your projectiles, I'm sure. At my guess your concrete balls weight just is about 150 g maybe a bit more. Isn't it? Even though they are not dense like a good stone, but their shape is perfect. I think I'm able to send them to far travell You too of course.

David, your projectiles are too precious then first try with crushed concrete or common stones maybe.

On lenght, I'm not sure whether I can throw farer with a longer sling than my one presen, I did't try then maybe. I think there is a limit for this technique dependent of body construction.

The change of angle +/- 10 deg from 30 deg don't very change a range. A lot od my best shots are more flat than 30 deg. The most important is a release velocity.

I came back to slinging after many years. I practiced all summer if I got occasion, so my arm had hardened a litlle. But I'm not athlete. If I can reach 320 m (yes, just today ), even weak man should reach at least 150 m with not too heavy but good projectile, I'm sure. As I said once the Physics working for me, I must only help her

For me initial rotations are necessary because they give the proper initial position and velocity of the pouch for whip. For accuracy I use the same lenght sling. I'm too lazy to make a special sling or even to shorten one. So I use the rotations too, usually 3 for a permanent rhythm. But my accuracy is not so good.

Anyway if Balearic slinger is able to reach 600 yd., why not we? Though a half.

David, I heartily wish succes for you and everyone who want to try this style. I will be grateful for the feedback.


Jurek, who realy is not mythomaniac

I also went to the open dirt field behind my house and threw my concrete ball which is about 156grams. I could thow it just a liile farther with the 46" sling with rotations than with the 36" and no rotations. I will try again tomorrow.

David,

Just me and my friend dictionary are starting job about the answer to you So be patient, please. It is difficult to description for me.

Jurek

David, sorry for the lag.

No matter how you start the frist rotation of sling, you can do it as you like. The most important is position of your body just before the whip. It must be comfortable and stable for making the body turn. On the second picture you can see that my right leg is turned digonally to back too, while the left leg is rested lightly on the ground. The middle of the pound is a direction of my throw.

You may make more the initial sling rotations for concentration and before you will get similar position of the body, you should have a space for the body rotation, no rash as I said. Now there is the important moment: before the pouch will reach the lowest point you strart the hips rotation from the right leg (not too quickly in your first tests). It should smoothly !pull! the pouch from the last rotation around your knee.
The body rotation will tesnse your arm (first try without the sling with the loose arm), like a bowstring. Just then throw your elbow energeticaly forward, your hand should lag a moment. Then finish the whip off by the forearm and next by the wrist. Something like during a common throw by hand, but more horizontally. Remember the hand should throw as final, first the body.

If the initial rotations are too quick then your body may lose.

The most dificult is to feel the proper moment of start body rotation and to restrain a hurry of the hand. Your body should be like a bar spring. Help your body rotation by the pulling the left hand back. I don't make any specjal steps, only I carry a weight of my body to the left leg durring rotation. The impetus of the body rotation detaches the right leg off the ground and I must cath a balans on finish.


Good luck, David.

PS. Your last sentence I took favourably. It's ok