2010/08/24

Slinging: Simple Rotational Dynamics Applied

About slinging.  It's basic rotational dynamics.  Need I say more?  The sling has three parts.  The pocket, the stay, and the trigger.  The stay and the trigger are the two ropes attached to the pocket, and as you would imagine from the names, the stay is the rope you hold on to, and the trigger is the one that you release.  Now WHEN you release it is the MAIN issue.  To make things simple, imagine yourself throwing a baseball, and for this example, picture yourself watching yourself throw from the side.  You wind up, your arm goes traces a circle over your head and your wrist snaps and releases at the top of your swing, at the top of the arc.  But the ball doesn't go up, it goes forward... roughly 90 degrees from the place your released it.  Now imagine that that same ball is on a tether.  As you are swinging the ball in a circle, each moment of the ball's circular travel, it yearns to travel in a straight line... but at there is a competing force.  At the same time the tether overpowers the ball's yearning and keeps the ball consistently turning around the circle.  The tether pulls the ball towards the center of this circle where you are holding the tether.  So when you release the tether, it loses all ability to overpower the ball's yearning to go forward.  So at the moment you release the tether, the ball will get it's wish and travel in a straight line that is perpendicular (90 degrees) to the line formed by the tether at that moment.   Slinging is the same way, when you release the trigger, the pocket opens and the ball will travel in a straight line from that moment on.  See... simple rotational  dynamics.

Load it, Swing it, Release it.
Slingmoore

2010/08/22

Slingmoore back in Business

After a summer spent in the best slinging place on earth known to some as a "Canada" and over three thousand miles on the return trip alone. Slingmoore is back in business.  I'm going to be building like mad the next couple of weeks so email me your sling orders.

2010/08/13

Slinggames: Target Camera

I don't think this needs any commentary. I laughed so hard watching this thing that I think I have inadvertently created a new genre of sling games for myself.  Next stop: Finding someone to hold the camera...

2010/08/10

Sling Games: Gallons of Gath


I challenge thee to a contest of skill. Two consecutive hits on a gallon jug at fifteen paces. Impossible? Maybe. Here is a tip. Slinging involves both the vertical and horizontal dimensions. Trying to time your sling release in both dimensions at the same time IS nearly impossible. Instead, limit your dimensions. Tip the sling arc so that it is aimed at the target edge-on. Picture your sling arc like a circular saw, and line it up as if to cut the target in two. Then you are only dealing with one dimension. One more tip, don't start at fifteen paces, start at 5. Increase to 8, then 10 etc. Making this one change to my form shot my percentages up twenty percent. One more tip, begin with a standard size projectile. I recommend tennis balls, they are light, cheap, and are unlikely to damage anything or anyone inadvertently. And...they show up very well on video. The only prize this round is bragging rights, when we get to twenty paces then we'll talk prizes. Send your video links to slingmoore@gmail.com