when i started slinging i like to use rocks about half the size of my fist, maybe a little larger than an egg.i have been slinging for about 5,6 months, and i have noticed that i have slowing been shifting to shorter slings (4-5 ft slings to about 32 inches. I can't even think of using anything but a Balearic sling  ) , and not only that , but also to smaller stones.

i find that now i actually prefer to throw stones a little smaller than a golf ball, a bit less than half the size if i am really going for distance. I really like that extra velocity and power that I am able to pack into the smaller stones.

have you noticed your preferences changing as you have improved at slinging, especially after you started actually "getting the hang of it" ?

  I actually am finding that larger stones about golf ball size to tennis ball size are more accurate, but golf ball to shooter marble size are great for distance.  I think it has a lot to do with the pouch size and the width of the braid, if the braided cords are narrow and not really long it releases a smaller rock smoothly and the weight of the smaller rock can bring the cords taught when rotating easily.  If the braid is thicker and stiffer you need a larger rock to bring the cords taught and the rock won't tug free as easily if it doesn't have the weight.  I use a 6 strand flat braid now, I find the 6 strand round releases to quick and the 3 strand flat is just right, I use a woven split pouch and braid it out of jute.  My slings for accuracy are 24in. and I made a 36in. one recently for distance throwing, it gets about a 1/5th. or so more distance but I have to go around at least 3 times to get it up to full speed, more if I use a rock smaller than a golf ball.'
  I think the reason you have switched to smaller stones is shorter slings.

LukeWebb wrote on Sep 20^th, 2010 at 1:20am:


Yea, I would agree. For me with a 30 inch sling I find smaller stones are nice but larger ones are almost impossible. With 35-37 inch sling larger stones are not a problem at all. For pure accuracy I would take a fairly spherical river stone slightly larger then a golf ball.

i've gone from large and dense, to small and light. to me it depends on the type of rock. back in PA there are these smoothed river rock- i think maybe shale, and some granite or chert once in a while, that i like to throw if they are egg sized or small like quail eggs. with the stones in CA i go with medium sized rocks. nto sure what they are, but its abundant. it's just not dense enough to go anywhere though.

If anything I probably throw slightly heavier missiles now than I started with, but these are all on the light side. 50-60g is the top end of what I prefer to sling.