beginner mistakes – The Hilltop Hurler

Slinging is an ancient and powerful skill—one that has been used for hunting, warfare, and sport for thousands of years. But let’s be real: if you’re not careful, it can also be a great way to give yourself a black eye or a sore shoulder. In this article, we’ll go over how to sling safely, how to make sure your body is ready for it, and how to avoid the painful mistakes I (and many others) have made over the years.

Slinging can be risky if done recklessly. After all, you’re swinging a rock around your head and releasing it with the force of a handgun. So let’s talk about how to do it safely and keep your body in good shape while doing so.

How Not to Hit Yourself in the Head While Winding Up

First, let’s start with the sling itself. Having the right-sized sling makes all the difference. I always recommend that beginners start with a sling that measures from their thumb to their shoulder. This length provides enough power without sacrificing accuracy or making the sling too unwieldy.

A properly sized sling also makes it nearly impossible to hit yourself during the windup. If your arm is extended behind you, the sling should be clear of your body.

Now, let’s talk about form. If your elbow is bent and your arm is close to your body, there’s a chance that a bad angle could send the sling flying into your head or torso. If you use a bent-arm windup, be sure to keep your swing vertical to avoid accidents.

How to Keep the Rock in the Pouch

Keeping your projectile in the pouch is another key aspect of safe slinging. Losing ammo mid-windup can send it flying unpredictably, which is bad news for you and anyone nearby.

The best way to keep the rock in place is to maintain a consistent speed during the windup. Speed fluctuations cause the retention and release cords to bend or flex, creating jerky movements that can knock the projectile loose.

You’ll also want to keep your sling on a consistent plane of rotation. If your windup is all over the place, not only does it increase the risk of losing the rock, but it also makes accuracy much harder to achieve. Keeping your sling on the same path every time ensures consistency in your throws.

What Happens When the Retention and Release Cords Twist?

Twisted cords are a common issue, and they can cause two major problems:

The ammo won’t stay in the pouch when at rest. If the pouch can’t lie flat because of a twist, your rock may not stay secure.
The ammo may not release properly. If the release cord wraps around the retention cord, it can prevent the sling from opening fully. This means the projectile won’t fly out cleanly—and in some cases, may not leave the sling at all.

A simple way to prevent this is to let your sling untwist before placing ammo in the pouch. This small habit can save you a lot of frustration (and possible injuries).

What Can Happen with a Worn-Out or Broken Pouch?

Through my years of testing different sling designs, I’ve had my fair share of slings that just didn’t work right. Some of my early netted pouch designs, for example, would trap rocks instead of releasing them. This led to some… interesting experiences.

The worst incident was back in 2005 or 2006 when I was about 14 or 15. I was at summer camp, standing by a lake, enjoying a quiet moment after helping make a fire. I had just finished making a new sling and wanted to test its range. Now, testing a brand-new sling by immediately going for maximum distance is generally not a great idea. A new sling needs to be broken in and understood before pushing its limits.

But I was young and overconfident.

I wound up and released with as much power as I could muster. Unfortunately, the rock got caught in the sling’s netting and didn’t come loose. Instead, it whipped around and came right back at me. I was using an overhand throw, and my follow-through dropped the trajectory of the rock… straight into my groin.

I was on the ground for a solid 15 minutes, convinced I’d be peeing blood. Thankfully, it was just a painful lesson in sling design. But let’s just say I’m now very aware of how big the netting needs to be on a sling pouch.

How to Keep Your Arms Safe While Slinging

I’ve been throwing things for as long as I can remember—sticks, stones, frisbees, you name it. In high school and college, I played ultimate frisbee nearly every day, and now I play disc golf regularly. One thing I’ve learned across all of these sports is that warming up matters.

For years, I didn’t bother warming up before slinging. I thought soreness was just part of the game, a badge of honor for throwing hard. But now, in my 30s, I appreciate not being sore the next day. A little stretching and warmup can go a long way.

Slinging puts a lot of strain on your muscles and joints, particularly your elbow. When you warm up, you want to engage your whole body since slinging uses everything from your legs to your core to your arms.

My Slinging Warm-Up Routine

I like to start with some dynamic stretches to get the blood flowing:

Jogging in place (20-30 seconds)
Jumping jacks (20-30 seconds)
Arm circles and arm swings
Boxer’s bounce (light hopping to loosen up the body)
Stepovers/hip openers (to engage hip rotation, which helps with power transfer)

When I start slinging, I begin with low-power throws before working my way up to full strength. This is the same concept weightlifters use with warmup sets before hitting their working weights. It helps your body ease into the movement and prevents injuries.

Post-Slinging Stretches

After slinging, I do static stretches to help with recovery and prevent soreness:

Chest stretch: Clasp your hands behind your back and push downward.
Shoulder stretch: Cross one arm in front of you and pull it in with the other.
Forearm stretch: Extend one arm forward, turn your palm outward, and gently pull back on your fingers.

That last stretch is crucial after distance-throwing sessions, as it helps prevent elbow pain.

Final Thoughts

Slinging is an incredible skill, but like any physical activity, it requires proper technique and preparation to avoid injury. Making sure your sling is the right length, maintaining a steady windup, keeping cords untwisted, and taking care of your body will help you sling safely and effectively for years to come.

I should add a small disclaimer—I’m not a doctor or a certified athletic trainer. This advice comes purely from my own experience. If something feels off, it’s always a good idea to check in with a professional.

Hopefully, this article helps you sling smarter and safer. If nothing else, maybe it gave you a laugh at my past mistakes.

Sling on!
Glenn

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.

Tag: beginner mistakes

How Not to Injure Yourself While Slinging