Pretty much redid the first post entirely. Been meaning to for months now. Lot's of new stuff. Even though it's still really long, I got rid of a lot of the superfluous nonsense.   Peace.

This is a thread dedicated to accuracy with the sling. It's first iteration was posted on July 11th, 2010 and it is due for an update as far as I am concerned... I will be going through and getting rid of the fluff and focusing solely on those things which are most important in an attempt to cover as much as possible in the relatively small scope that a single post can convey. Please understand that the things mentioned in this first post are universal to accuracy with any style. While other tips not covered in this first post may be specific only to a certain style. -Morphy,  March 6th, 2012

I. Ammo

A common misconception among new slingers is the idea that with enough practice any ammo will allow you to be accurate. The thought process often goes something like this: "Since a sling's natural ammo is stones, I should be able to use any stones and be accurate as long as I practice enough."

This thought process generally leads to frustration more than anything else.  For the highest degree of accuracy you must use the best ammo. So what is good ammo?

1. Shape: it should be smooth and round. No jagged edges and no flat areas. The most common shapes for a suitable stone ammo is egg shaped, football shaped or spherical/ball shaped. Any ammo with these shapes will fly as straight as you are able to sling them. You can always use less than perfect ammo when you feel like it, but remember not to expect too much accuracy if your stones are very irregular. If you sling a stone and find it makes noise in flight, that is a good indication your ammo is not ideal.

2. Weight: To be as accurate as possible ammo weight is very important. The first aspect about weight to consider is that all of your ammo should be as close to each other in weight as possible. This will help your mind correct mistakes from one shot to the next easier.  Ammo weight affects rotational speed of the sling; lighter ammo rotates faster and heavier, slower. Too great a difference from shot to shot will cause your shots to be difficult to control, and nearly impossible to really fine tune shots on small targets at longer distances. Try and have no more than a 2 ounce spread at maximum to maintain relatively good accuracy. For example: 4 ounces (115 grams) minimum weight and 6 ounces (170 grams) maximum weight or a 2 ounce (55 gram) possible variance. This is just an example, your preferred minimum/maximum weights may vary. A 2 ounce/55 gram spread is acceptable for accuracy practice. Though the smaller the target and longer the range, the more you will want to get as close to identical weights as possible. All slingers that want to achieve the best accuracy possible can benefit from attaining a cheap scale for measuring ounces/grams. Weigh your stones and either discard those that do not fall within the correct spread or save them for non-accuracy throwing.

The second important aspect of weight is that a stone that is too light does not give the feedback necessary for the proper control needed to hit small targets at longer ranges. How do you get the proper amount of feedback to be accurate? You have to have the proper amount of tension on your sling cords. Lower weights do not generate enough tension and therefore become very difficult to fine tune the control of a shot. In my experience my best accuracy comes with stones in the 5-6 ounce range. With an absolute minimum of about 4 and an absolute maximum of about 10 ounces. As you can see by that spread, ammo that is too light is much more detrimental to accuracy than ammo that is too heavy to comfortably use. You will still be surprisingly accurate even with ammo that is too heavy to sling far. You just won't have the velocity to do much with them. The best combination of both power and accuracy can often be found at about an ounce or two above what is considered at the edge of too light. Experimentation is necessary to find what works for you. I would suggest starting with 4 ounces and increasing weight while doing a lot of practice at smaller targets.

Another option is making either clay or cement ammo. All the same rules on shape and weight apply but for those of us in areas where stone does not occur naturally, this is a good option. No matter what you use, a large piece of carpet hung from a taut rope will serve well as a backstop and let you reuse your ammo almost indefinitely.


The Wind-up/Pitch

A sling throw has essentially two aspects to it. The wind-up and the pitch. The wind-up is the portion of the throw where the sling is not yet accelerating to throwing speed but is rotating fast enough to stretch the cords taut due to centrifugal force. During the wind-up your sling may not be moving all that fast. During the pitch you quickly accelerate from the slower speed of the wind-up and increase the speed enough to powerfully throw the stone.  

II. Form


Both the wind-up and pitch flow smoothly together and when taken as a whole they become your form. Your form is whatever way in which you choose to throw with your sling.  Knowing your form inside and out can mean you do not fluctuate nearly as much in your accuracy from day to day as someone who has no idea what works and what doesn't. You are looking for 2 things in proper form.

1. Control: The first aspect of proper form is control. You should feel in absolute control of how the sling moves from the beginning of the wind-up to the end of the pitch. If your sling does not feel like a perfect extension of your arm, some aspect of your slinging needs to be worked on. One example might be balance. You must have proper balance. Some prefer to keep both feet on the ground, never moving. Others prefer to step into the shot much like a baseball pitcher. Both can work, you will need to experiment to find what works for you best.

Another example: You will want to find which release angle works best for you. Some people try to release at a perfectly horizontal side-arm, some try to release in more of a vertical throwing motion while still others prefer a diagonal slashing motion. What works best for you will depend largely on your own specific style. These are just two examples. You will find many other things that can make your throw feel more or less controlled and repeatable.

Now we have talked about control, let's talk about consistency and repeatability. Consistency is the second aspect of proper form.

2. Consistency: Here's an example of the concept of consistency: Are you standing at the same angle in relation to the target every time? If not that can affect your throw. Try keeping your lead foot pointed directly at the target and use that as an anchor to get the rest of your body in the right direction. No matter where the target is, the direction of you body should always be at a consistent angle in relation to your target. This is just one example of doing your form the same way every time.

Again, practice with good ammo on smaller targets will help you understand what works best. Just keep in mind that what works for one slinger and their particular style may not always be what works best for you and your style. Remember, above all else having every shot feel controlled and consistently the same as the one before is what you are going for!

III. Your Sling

Each slinger will find certain types of slings that work well for them. For many years I swore by braided yarn slings. It was only when I put sentiment aside and forced myself to give paracord sling cords a try that I realized how much more I liked paracord instead of wool. One big reason is that wool stretches, which can add unwanted variables within your form and throw. You may like wool, or not. The point is, try all different types of slings to see what works for you. Approach new types of slings with an open mind.

I also find that heavier, stiffer cords and pouches do not work well for me. This is something to keep in mind as well. Some slings will immediately feel better to use than others. Take a good look at them and decide what exactly it is that is making it feel better. And then just as importantly, ask yourself why that particular aspect of the sling being that way helps. This can teach you more about your throwing and give you other ideas of possible improvments to try later. The difference between your control with a well made sling and a poorly made sling is quite large.

IV. Stretching

Not much to say here except that stretching is beneficial to the slinger. Keep your muscles and tendons limber and you will find you're faster, have more control and are less likely to injure yourself. Look up baseball pitching stretches if you are curious about where to start. Also keep in mind that whenever trying out new throwing styles/stone weights/slings or any combination of the above that you take it slow. If you do hurt yourself, obviously give yourself enough time to heal completely.

I threw out my elbow trying a style that was new to me and instead of letting it heal all the way I kept slinging. My elbow has not been quite the same since. Better to stop slinging a few weeks then to permanently hurt yourself.



Well, that's about it for the most general concepts in slinging. Each style has it's own peculiarities and each person will find, with enough practice, a way that works best for them. This post and thread is not an attempt to cover them all. But it should offer a good foundation for people to build up their own accuracy using techniques and tips that almost all veteran slingers find helpful.

Lastly, if you have your own tips by all means please post them below and add to the thread. -Morphy