5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Slinging

If I knew these 5 tips when I started throwing back in 2001, I would be a way better slinger today. I want to make sure that you get to start your slinging journey off on the right foot. Or if you were like me and learned all the wrong things first. You get to learn why you may have some issues and what to do about them.

Starting off throwing for distance!

I started with this because it’s the worst thing you can do. Throwing for distance destroys your accuracy and makes it way harder to learn it later. Each form has a body mechanic for throwing accurately and for throwing far. If you start with the distance version of the throw you will find that you are off by feet or yards when you actually try to hit something. Now I know that throwing far looks really cool and impresses a lot of people. But if you take the first 6 months of practice and devote that to just working on your accuracy it will pay off later. Like when you want to hit something or try to actually hunt with it.

Using a bad sling

This is where we all start. We find some leather and some old boot laces. Or in my case some felt and some cotton string and make a sling. If your sling is too small, it will drop most of the rocks. If your cords are slightly off, then the pocket will not want to hold rocks. This is even if they are the right size. So really zero in on your first sling. You could buy one on Etsy (Mine are my favorite… I might be a little bias) you can also find a good tutorial online to make a simple sling. Just make sure you are using something of high quality. If not then the learning curve of this already steep skill will feel even steeper.

Not all rocks are created equal

If you go out to your local beach, or park, or pond and pick up a handful of stones you will most likely notice a big difference between them. This will change how they fly through the air and how accurate they can be. Flat stones sound the coolest but also curve in flight, round stones fly the straightest, and dense stones go the farthest. So, it is really important to notice what you are throwing and fit that to what you want to do.

Switching your form every time you go out

Don’t get me wrong, it is important to try out some different throwing styles to see what fits you best. But once you find one that works, stick with it for a while. I would suggest at least a year if you are throwing with regularity. This will help you learn the sling and the rocks. The less variables you have the better it is to fix the kinks. The style I would suggest is the Balearic throw. The 3 turn windup to the overhead almost side arm release is a very versatile throw. But if you are just starting out, I would even say the Shepard throw is even better because there are even fewer areas to make mistakes. For that throw you just hold the rock in the sling out in front of you, give it a one rotation around your head and release. This is my most accurate throw at this point. You will lose some distance in the future but for now that isn’t an issue.

You think your new sling is supposed to work perfectly

Slings are like any other flexible tool or piece of equipment. It needs time to break in and get used to being used. What is the first thing someone is told to do with a baseball glove? Go throw a ball into it for a while, “Break It In”. Slings need the same kind of attention. I use primarily woven hemp slings. And they are very rigid after they are made. And it will take a few weeks of throwing until it will start to relax. I used to run my new sling through the wash once to break them in faster. However, this ends up making the cords have a few awkward waves in making it a little unruly to use right away. So now I just put it in a pocket or backpack for a while as I just live my life and let it slowly soften. But one more important thing to note. If you break the sling in with only throwing, it will mold to fit your hand and your throwing style the best. This can take some time but the difference between a new and broken in sling is amazing, totally worth the time put in.

To recap what I wish I knew when I started. Start with accuracy! Get a good sling first. Not all rocks will fly the same. Stick with one throwing style when you start. And let your sling break in!

I hope this helped and I’ll see you in the next one.

Sling on.