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Slinging with bad shoulder (Read 1580 times)
Thearos
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Slinging with bad shoulder
Jul 9th, 2022 at 1:02am
 
Somehow, my shoulder is knackered: there is a calcium deposit on a tendon which makes movement (esp above shoulder level) painful. So I can't sling my usual style (three rotations above head and far back, then slashing release-- with lots of problems of slack). I now sling sidearm and "short-arm", i.e. pulling the arm close to the chest and letting the sling do the work. Oddly this has resulted in better shooting and good accuracy; but no power shots, only carefully placed, often lobbed ones. Distance shooting out of the question.
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slingostarr
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #1 - Jul 9th, 2022 at 1:09am
 
Sorry to about the shoulder. Tried slinging with your other arm?
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Lacumo
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #2 - Jul 9th, 2022 at 6:40am
 
It sounds like you've already seen a doc, so I won't tell you that you should see a doc.   I've been through decades of shoulder problems (including both arthroscopic and open surgeries), so you have my sympathies.   If I was in your situation, I suspect I'd be seriously considering having that calcium deposit removed.   I doubt it'll go away or get better by itself and I suspect your level of slinging ability will continue to decrease.   Good luck with however you handle this!   
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I used to think this was going to be simple.
 
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Rat Man
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #3 - Jul 9th, 2022 at 8:54am
 
  I went through a period for years where I could only throw underarm due to shoulder pain, from arthritis I suppose.  After several years I had resigned myself to the fact that this was the way it was going to be for the duration.  Then it mysteriously healed itself.  Hopefully something like that will happen to you.
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Thearos
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #4 - Jul 9th, 2022 at 10:14am
 
Thank you, all. The doc said to start with physiotherapy and see; the PT thinks the calcium might get absorbed by the body.

Slinging with the other arm: my brain can't figure out in which direction to spin, when to release, etc, without stopping to think about it.
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Lacumo
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #5 - Jul 9th, 2022 at 6:02pm
 
Thearos wrote on Jul 9th, 2022 at 10:14am:
Thank you, all. The doc said to start with physiotherapy and see; the PT thinks the calcium might get absorbed by the body.

Slinging with the other arm: my brain can't figure out in which direction to spin, when to release, etc, without stopping to think about it.

Your last sentence gave me a flashback.   I had to stop shooting darts with my right arm years ago because of shoulder problems, so I got into shooting left-handed.   It was difficult and I never did get anywhere near as good with my left arm as I was with my right.   
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Rat Man
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #6 - Jul 11th, 2022 at 8:27am
 
   I tried slinging with my left arm.  It was scary.
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Curious Aardvark
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #7 - Jul 11th, 2022 at 11:34am
 
There's actually quite a lot you can do with your arm kept fairly low.
A waist level wind up with sidearm release just using wrist and elbow works well.

Likewise pure underhand is good for distance.

Shanie you're not nearer it I could sort you out with a few different styles to try.

You can also use your legs and waist to put back some of the power you lose from the shoulder.

I suspect I've probably got this coming at some point as both parents and my sister have a had similar shoulder issues.
My mum and sister had tendon tears repaired and both had bony deposits chiselled off somewhere.
Somewhat disconcerting as they only use local anesthetics.

I take similar joint supplements to the ones we give the dogs.

Just started one with turmeric and green mussle extract (chrondrotin ?) as well as glucosamine.
I think my knees have improved, but only been on it a few weeks.

Touch wood, never had any right arm issues.
Left arm has dodgy shoulder from when I popped the joint some years bach, and I detached the left bicep a while back as well.
Rehabilated myself without surgery, got it back to full strength in about 4 months.

Both currently work fine, but definitely going to have issues at some future point in time.

Good luck and keep taking the tablets Smiley
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Do All things with Honour and Generosity: Regret Nothing, Envy None, Apologise Seldom and Bow your head to No One  - works for me Smiley
 
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hubert
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #8 - Jul 11th, 2022 at 12:42pm
 
Find a very good physiotherapist, preferably someone who also treats athletes. Let us show you exercises that you can and should do at home. Shoulder problems can take a long time to heal.
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IronGoober
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #9 - Jul 11th, 2022 at 4:49pm
 
hubert wrote on Jul 11th, 2022 at 12:42pm:
Find a very good physiotherapist, preferably someone who also treats athletes.

I agree with this.  That is the best way to heal as quickly as possible. They help athletes get back to competing quickly and this has been the case for me in my own experience.
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Thearos
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #10 - Jul 11th, 2022 at 5:35pm
 
ty

But I will NEVER sling underhand. NEVER !
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Curious Aardvark
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #11 - Jul 14th, 2022 at 7:15am
 
Any particular reason ?

It's a very versatile style and would have been extensively used to drop rocks behind walls and barricades in the past.

It's also pretty good for target slinging
Nice straight vertical release with a missile rising.

If it's because of some weird American machismo thing.
Watch some 'softball' pitchers.
Buggered if I'd stand in front of them !

Obviously a softball pitch uses the shoulder extensively .
With a sling you can get away with just using the wrist and elbow, for much the same effect.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LaV1eep_VlM

You know what they say: there are no bad slinging styles, just bad slingers  Wink

Personally I don't like helicopter style, but it's effectively used by a lot of people despite its many drawbacks Smiley

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Rat Man
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #12 - Jul 15th, 2022 at 12:13pm
 
   Though I don't get quite the distance throwing Underarm as I do with other styles it is my most accurate.  I find it very effective for certain circumstances.  I don't understand your dislike  of it but to each his own.
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Thearos
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #13 - Jul 16th, 2022 at 4:20am
 
It always seemed to me mechanically inefficient. This was striklngly illustrated by an archaeological article on slinging and hillforts, where a series of drawings broke down the movement (the drawings showed a bearded man, presumably the author, in a sort of tunic). The end movement and release, with a sort of raised shoulder and hopeful upwards movement of the whole body on tiptoes, were familiar to me from experimentation, and particularly reminded me of how weak the form is at converting body movement into forward release and speed. I seem to remember the underarm form used by other specialists (Thom Richardson), with bad results. The idea that this would have been used historically struck me as unlikely. In contrast, helicopter, sidearm, and fig-8 all converge into effective release in the final stage. They are all attested historically and ethnographically. Is there any evidence at all for underarm being used in such contexts ?

I also find timing of release more problematic with underarm often resulting in ridiculous upwards shots, difficult to adjust. And I speak as someone whose shots aways drag left and high.

These two reasons (mechanical weakness; problematic release times) are why I don't sling underarm, preferring helo (before shoulder issues and in spite of slack issues), "Makron" (one rotation from body facing away), and now sidearm (vertical rotation(s) and side-release).
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Thearos
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Re: Slinging with bad shoulder
Reply #14 - Jul 16th, 2022 at 4:28am
 
Here is an extract from an Italian movie on Caesar (itself used in an old French documentary on Alesia-- for you, TOMBDELAINE). You can see slingers. Their form is not bad. But I think that e.g. helo would be mechanically more efficient (wrist rather than arm) and allow for better energy transfer.

https://youtu.be/GUQp7PB3XE0?t=3395
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