How to use a Balearic Sling

In this video I demonstrate how I use a Balearic sling, the basics of the slinging technique and its variations, as well as a few considerations and methods that I use in the pursuit of combining power and accuracy.

[@balaam_7087]

Goliath downvoted this.

[@hnfiiinc5993]

David has entered the chat…

[@jdailey01230]

Looked for this comment. Saw it immediately. Good on you.

[@nixland]

And the philistine throw laughing emoji

[@CHRIS3PHX]

😂

[@Jeff-lf4hy]

you did what we should have

[@AwkwardDuck88]

For anyone that doesn't know, in ancient times when slingers were very common, different cultures would cast uniform lead shot to be used by slingers rather than relying on collecting similar stones. A cache of stockpiled lead shot was found in Athens I believe, and inscribed upon some were inscriptions which translated to "Take this!" or "Catch". Never doubt the wit of a Greek!

[@prst99]

Lol! Catch is epic.

[@jh5131]

That is very very interesting I had no idea

[@bradeyherrera-manzano9304]

Too bad they were Homosexual and Pedophile for little boys, and Ptolemy the First, Soter, was Alexander the Great Bodyguard Captain and His sons named was Ptolemy Philadelphus which means Lover of Siblings

[@RonnieStanley-tc6vi]

That's like the way the military paints stuff on bombs and tank barrels. Interesting historical bit though.

[@gangrenousgandalf2102]

@RonnieStanley-tc6vi Romans drew penises and wrote things like "Suck this Octavius!" Or "For: Pompey's Ass"

[@gabrielcastillo9745]

I never understood how Hannibal trusted the Balearic slingers to be his trusted skirmishers, engaging first in any combat against the Roman legions who were equiped with broad shields and heavy armor. Now I see that there is much more force behind those shots, and firing at a slow moving wall of shields certainly makes it easier to not miss.

[@AnimatedStoriesWorldwide]

If you aim for a steel shield/helmet, you'll hit but do no damage. The goal of a mass of slinger firing together, is that if 600 stones/pellets fall on 100 soldiers, the odds of those stones hitting the spaces in the helmet, or on the legs, is high. The goal is not to "hit" the armor, but hop that some shot will hit in between, through sheer number.

[@SleepyFen]

@@AnimatedStoriesWorldwide It's worth noting that a sling projectile doesn't have to be limited to a tiny pebble. Depending on the size and weight, they'll absolutely still give you a concussion when hitting a helmet, even if they don't fracture your skull outright.

[@SkyForceOne2]

​@@AnimatedStoriesWorldwide "but do no damage". yeah, no. If it hits you in the head, it will still fuck you up.

[@IAmCaligvla]

There's a reason why sling projectiles are called "bullets", those things can and will penetrate armor, a shield pelted by these can eventually be punctured.

[@Jauhl1]

Virtually the entirety of Hannibal's army were a very diverse group of foreign mercenaries. Which is made his accomplishments even more amazing because his men fought for money while the Roman nationals s fought for out of patriotism. Somehow Hannibal sold his men the war with the Roman Juggernaut as a good way to turn a profit and managed to do so for quite a while.

[@adibemaxwell6111]

There is a reason that SLINGS were used for hunting for a very, very long time. They can be accurate. They are also versatile (variety of ammo) and cheap to manufacture (tree fibers, etc).

[@homelessrobot]

I think a large part of why they can be so accurate is because they are an extension of our throwing instinct. Our brains are hard wired to figuring out the mechanics of levers attached to our shoulder for putting thrown objects in precise places. This latent knowledge isn't specific to arm geometry, so tools get to benefit.

[@partylikeits1066]

​@@homelessrobotgood explanation

[@PRC533]

@@homelessrobot Very much so. The atlatl is another good example of people using a tool to essentially extend their own limbs for more speed on thrown objects.

[@Cukito4]

And quiet!

[@KanadMondal]

@@PRC533 They even put the sling on a stick by the same logic.

[@JavierBonillaC]

I once visited a ranch where the local kids used slings that they weaves themselves a couple of hours from Mexico City. I learned to use it in about one weekend, meaning I could throw them at quite a distance somewhere in front of me. No accuracy whatsoever. Your skill is amazing. No, your skill is out of this world. They should have this at the Olympics. Instant subscriber!

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you sir!

[@dirkthewrench]

Slings at the Olympics honestly sounds dope as hell, I'd watch

[@JavierBonillaC]

@dirkthewrench Mate, there is something called "the triple jump". You know how that started? Huh? Well it started with Johnny in London jumping some puddles not to get wet. Then his mother said, "Awesome me boy, we are going to start an olympic sport where you do as if you were jumping puddles"!

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

make a video with a local beginner and show how you teach sling and train your off hand to hit targets

[@thelonelystankmuncher8879]

I dont think it would be a good idea though considering what would happen with a missed target

[@profesercreeper]

Slings were just such a good basic weapon. Easy to get ammo, pretty deadly. One of the main reasons greaves were wrong was because slings would just shatter legs bones on people.

[@homelessrobot]

And probably the most important feature of a subsistence weapon; no special tools are required to manufacture it. Just a bunch of scrap fiber and nimble hands.

[@AC-hj9tv]

That's a lot of damage

[@tanksouth]

Fun.

[@TonyM540]

Also cheap to make and easy to carry along with your regular equipment.

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

I have absolutely no doubt that a skilled professional medieval slinger could penetrate, and possibly even perforate a human skull. Ive not looked into this point in any great detail, but I've seen enough videos about it now to have seen a guy punch a hole straight through a fresh coconut at 75 yards. Imagine a ball bearing shaped metal projectile at hundreds of gps smashing straight into a human skull from 15 yards... yeah, I'm sure they could blow someone's brains out with a sling, as gruesome a thought as that is.

[@larsporsena9529]

I’m an archaeologist, and I’ve found lead Roman sling bullets in Portugal. They are small versions of the the elongated shape you use here. So heavy for their size, they must have been deadly!

[@alexanderbergbacka6825]

Recent testing concluded that a 50 gram lead slingstone (likely something resembling those that you've found) can have about as much kinetic energy on impact as a pistol bullet inside the effective range of the sling, so yes, they are absolutely terrifying, actually.

[@redlizerad8268]

@@alexanderbergbacka6825no wonder David took out Goliath with it

[@XSR_RUGGER]

@@redlizerad8268it makes it much less impressive lol. Goliath brought a knife to a powderless gun fight😂.

[@user-it3nx4rz6r]

​​@@alexanderbergbacka6825шарик весом в одну унцию,брошенный с высоты 40 метров,дробит самый крепкий биологический череп- лошадиный.Таким образом,пораженный пращой всадник даже если и не погибал на поле боя,но как боевая еденица выбывал из строя.А что мог сделать целый отряд или даже целая армия,вооруженная пращами( в византийской армии уже в эпоху раннего средневековья пращой должен был владеть любой воин- как конный так и пеший),создав над врагом целый "дождь" из падающих камней и металлических шаров!!💥

[@ghostsmoke11]

@@alexanderbergbacka6825 50 gram object moving 243 fps (the same fps in the video) has 137 joules of energy. A common 9mm has around 418. So no that's bullshit.

[@Phosypha]

Honestly the balearic sling doesn't get enough credit as such an ingenious way to take advantage of leverage and momentum to propel a missile with much more force than you can with just your arm.

[@damonedrington3453]

Slings: Playing with physics since 5000 BC

[@sh4rdzy]

something that has always amazed me is the ability us humans have to be able to see an object a distance (sometimes fairly extreme ones) and just be able to tell exactly how we need to angle and move our arms in order to hit said object with a projectile. it's completely natural and require 0 thinking. you just grab a thing, look at target, and let your body and brain do their thing. it's wonderful to me how your brain just somehow knows exactly how much force is needed, what angle, what speed of rotation for your joints, how to position your body, and even where to aim in order to lead a shot. our bodies and minds are wonderful things

[@isaac_marcus]

When I first started playing tennis with my dad (not well, mind you) at around 12 or 13, I think we were talking about how I was having a hard time getting to the ball to hit it back, and as he was telling me I'd get better at it he told me something like "Think about how difficult this would be to get a robot to do" We see a little ball coming at us, measure its speed and rotation. We probably then predict where that speed and rotation will cause the ball to go after it hits the ground and bounces off. We then figure out where we're going to stand, at what angle to hold this weird extension at the end of our arm, and twist our bodies to hit that ball back at a desired speed to a certain location and with a desired amount of spin And we do that all in a couple seconds or less. And then we get even better at it. Now that I'm older and more experienced, I don't really need to see the spin on the ball at all because I can tell what it will do based on how the other person swung. And sometimes I even have enough of an instinct for it to know a type of shot is coming because of the angle they're standing, where on the court they are, etc All this to say, yeah I agree, we're actually pretty nuts if you break down a lot of the things we're doing and look at them all

[@terkmc8991]

Throwing things are human super power. We throw extremely hard and accurately relative to our weight class, instinctually. Other, much stronger primate, can not do this at all. Some don’t even have the biological structure to throw over hand. They may lob a heavy rock a meter or 2 but they can not throw a rock or a spear 50 meters with enough force to kill and enough accuracy to nail a small or moving target

[@paurullan]

As a Balearic that meddled with slings in their youth, I salute you and say thank you ❤

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you sir!

[@Become-Eggplant]

The Sling is so strong, Its basically as if David brought a Gun to fight Goliath.

[@CaspianT]

Indeed, he effectively had the concealed carry handgun of his era! Except, following the comparison, said concealed carry happened to be chambered in their equivalent of .357 Magnum. Lead sling bullets being analogous to .500 S&W of course. Granted the analogy falls apart when a sling can shoot both stones and lead sling bullets alike, among myriad other projectiles. (possibly including projectiles with Greek fire, sort of an archaic incendiary round, hehe)

[@knightforlorn6731]

David didnt carry lead pre-fabs, he collected river stones from the Jordan, and not just 1 but enough for Goliaths whole set of brothers. A stone is more than sufficient ammo for a skull, albeit a big thick finklestein skull. You saw how this fella sent a long narrow stone through the air like a modern bullet and now put it in the hands of a master like David who apparently regularly took on lions and bears. God is our Rock. The Rock is sufficient.@@CaspianT

[@CaspianT]

@@knightforlorn6731 Oh yeah absolutely haha. Stones can be nasty, and I expect David chose _very_ carefully considering he only took five from a brook, stones which were probably somewhat pointed! Christ is indeed our rock. And hey, God is a slinger, too! (1 Sam. 25;29, Jer. 10;18, and maybe Isa. 22;18, that word for toss or hurl in Isaiah 22;18 is a little vague in Hebrew; could be about slings or it could be by hand!)

[@Echo-of-the-MessiYAH-316]

@@knightforlorn6731. Beautiful !!

[@benlanguages5414]

As someone who used to throw the javelin competitively, I can see that your throwing mechanics at 2:06 are seriously impressive.

[@steirqwe7956]

I would totally pay this guy 6 denarius and 2 chickens per week to fight my wars. What a unit.

[@Xyos212]

They should put this into the Olympics. Really fun to watch. Seems really rewarding to hit those long range small targets at such speeds too. Maybe they could score on speed+accuracy to encourage maximum force. Your skills are amazing.

[@PropaneWP]

The trajectory of the elongated projectile was very impressive.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Cheers! It makes a very big difference to range. Thanks for watching!

[@Acroballistics]

3:30 Man I'm so jealous of your ammo supply! Nice shots!

[@davidm4566]

I'm a bit jealous of his skill!

[@meadmaker4525]

Amazing to hear the crack of the sling, like a whip, on release of the stone. And those elongated stones looked absolutely wicked in flight. I had no idea they existed. I can only imagine how devastating it would have been to be hit by one, armor or not. Like a sort of medieval gun, wielded by the gunslingers of their time. Gives a whole new perspective to the "David vs Goliath" story. Amazing. Thanks for sharing this!

[@Tomgoldgamer018]

Its amazing how extremely similar the technique (for these slings at least) is to a baseball pitch. The stride, hip and shoulder rotation, the timing, the elbow angles.

[@moos5221]

This is amazing, I've always wondered how these slings work. I also couldn't help but laugh when you were standing at that rocky beach which resembles a ground covered with suitable projectiles and I thought about what it would look like if it was ammunition for archers or gunmen instead of rocks. Makes sense that this was such a powerful and versatile weapon, when you can basically pick up your ammo left and right while on the run or chase.

[@Archaic-Arms]

I've had the same thought! Another thing is that you can carry a sling at all times because it's compact and light. There is a downside though...once you've used a sling, you will never see stones the same way again.

[@jorgeresendiz072]

man sees rock, man throws rock, man is happy

[@paynezerfaust4282]

The only other sling comparison footage I've ever watched was years ago on a show called "Deadliest warrior". The stone they used was specifically tapered by hand into a rough football shape but was much smaller that what you're throwing. They dismissed it as not doing a fatal amount of damage but I'd be curious to see what one of these larger stones does to a skull (simulated of course). You're accuracy and velocity is very impressive. I was particularly impressed at 3:50 regarding you spinning the shot like a football for extra range and stability in flight.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thanks! The sling is an incredibly powerful and capable device, and what top athletes could have achieved with it in the past is far beyond what I'll ever manage. That said, there are still many tests I like to do with it, which could provide at least some insight.

[@yazmeliayzol624]

The problems in Palestine illustrates how effective ancient technology can still be... there is a reason the Israelis will use lethal force when attacked with such primitive technology... and people ignorantly say 'oh it just kids throwing stones, Isreal is evil...' when they have no idea just how lethal stones can be... I keep asking these type of people if they think that way will they let me throw stones at them if stones can't hurt people but so far nobody has put their money where their mouth is... which is probably good cuz they'd likely end up with a broken jaw at the very least...

[@AwkwardDuck88]

@@yazmeliayzol624 Jew apologist justifying killing kids, what's new...

[@everythingsalright1121]

Deadliest warrior is the definition of unfair testing lol

[@GodActio]

They actually are pure evil

[@KCDicha]

This channel is the best sling content on youtube. Thanks for the video! I would be interested in seeing a practice curriculum, starting from absolute beginner. For example, beginner projectile recommendations, distance, types of throws to practice from easier to harder, etc., if that's something you would be willing to put up.

[@testtest-xg8jk]

Stumbled here by mistake. I didn't know I was a slinger!

[@brucewayne7930]

Absolutely agree.

[@ineedabetterusername7424]

I once read that when David fought Goliath with a sling, he essentially brought a .44 Magnum to a sword-fight. I mean, that kid was a shepherd throwing rocks at stuff his whole life before he entered ranged single-combat with a slow-moving heavy infantryman. The biggest miracle of David vs. Goliath is that Goliath agreed to the fight at all. Dude didn't stand a chance against a faster opponent who could lob well-aimed rocks well outside of his range...

[@JeremyWinkels]

I mean God gave him lots of alone time to practice hitting snakes and such when he was a boy watching over his flock and a lion and a bear to fight no doubt he was confident in his abilities, but most importantly God was with him

[@Undercoverbrother1]

⁠@@JeremyWinkels no most importantly was the work he put into improving his accuracy. Giving all the credit for his work to god is just a bit disingenuous.

[@cypherusuh]

Tbf, if you're one of the strongest man at that era, you might understandably underestimated a lanky kid with pebbles

[@We_never_die_we_just_respawn]

Ancient but still deadly weapon. David was a master with it using it to protect his sheep from predators. Just ask Goliath he'll tell you such a thing had never entered his head before that day.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Ha, literally!

[@neiltristanyabut]

judeo-christianity is #fakenews l

[@1thess523]

He also had a few more stones in waiting just incase Goliaths brother's wanted a piece of the action 👍

[@CharinVZain]

You know, that is shown as the little vs the big, when it's actually more akin to someone using a gun vs someone without

[@owenthomas9863]

How do you know he was a master? Maybe he just got lucky

[@Carrot421911]

I've always assumed an oblong projectile from a sling would tumble. I thought the reason for using oblong shot/rocks was that they're less likely to accidentally roll out of the sling before release. It's SO cool that you showed that they're spin stabilized when thrown correctly.

[@megalonoobiacinc4863]

yeah that was a real shocker... and undoubtedly utilized by the ancient mercenary slingers

[@Archaic-Arms]

It is a crucial element for the sling's long range capabilities.

[@jerkov420]

No wonder Goliath didn't stand a chance. A headshot with one of those smooth rocks would have obliterated his face, and mastery in accuracy doesn't seem impossible to attain

[@joldidjeridoos6026]

Power sacrifices accuracy without sufficient training, which you've got plenty of. Great tutorial, thanks!

[@CaspianT]

Goodness gracious, already I can tell that I will be coming back to this video time and time again. There's so much to learn in such a short video! Thank you very much for such an excellent guide!

[@miketesla8550]

Now I know how young David was able to defeat giant Goliath, although young David was no average Joe as he was of exceptional ability and strength. I had no idea a sling could be both so precise and powerful. Amazing.

[@chrisl4762]

I could imagine him watching sheep all day that he would have plenty of time to practice with it. And even though he hit him with the first stone he still picked up a few. I'm sure he had no intention of getting within arm's length until he was down for good.

[@jinhong91]

and I think he hit Goliath in the head, giant he may be, Goliath's head is still of flesh and bone David then beheaded Goliath with Goliath's own sword

[@highloughsdrifter1629]

Goliath said "Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks" from which I've always assumed David was armed with a staff sling. After watching this, though, I'm reevaluating the "ordinary" sling and wonder if David had a staff (his secondary weapon?) in his off hand. How would that affect his slinging? Balance? Extra support? Anyone tried it?

[@itsDeej.]

he brought a gun to a knife fight

[@gsquat]

God almighty was with David. He had won before he threw the stone.

[@NavySturmGewehr]

I made a sling based off your previous video, but used jute. I needed a knot at the end though, so I was a bad boy! Thank you for this video!

[@isaaco5679]

I want to try it myself, only with the obscene amount stinging nettles in my back yard.

[@stevena105]

After watching this video a couple months ago and fumbling around with a few slings in my spare time, I had an epiphany yesterday, and now can reliably sling this way. Solid crack, solid distance, now to work on accuracy.

[@N-Lee]

When I was a kid, a Sunday School teacher told us how to make and use one of these. So I tried it. I couldn't hit nothing but the back of my head.

[@PopeSlayer69]

Awesome! I have been loving slinging so far and your channel definitely helps. Your demonstrations are excellent and I appreciate that!

[@bentuffin6357]

Nice video. I used to play with slings when I was a kid, never thought of if a professional adult had one. Cheered me up watching that, thanks, liked and subscribed

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you!

[@steveweatherford1]

You are absolutely an expert in this field! Very good!

[@thomasrussell4674]

I was always amazed as a kid when I saw depictions of these in documentaries about ancient times. I almost could not believe that it could be a weapon of war. But this video shows it without doubt.

[@xzardas541]

People realy tend to underestimate how accurate and powerfull sling can be. There are reasons why slingers were most feared troops of ancient era.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Absolutely. Very versatile and effective.

[@brunsheimmasterbaitwilfrie2811]

I have medled myself with slings quiet a lot like 20 yrs ago, having done archery and some fencing, later HEMA, with interest in history. I came across them while living in Spain, where I met galician (Galicia is the northwestern tip of Spain, right above Portugal) shepherds who keep them in use, mostly for hunting rabbits, though originally also to shy away predators. And as a pasttime, since herding sheep obviously can have its dull moments. They usually used the overhead shot, which I have found to be the most accurate one myself, since while you move your arm in a straight vertical line down you have mostly to bother with distance, not sideway trajectory. For the shepherds that had also to see a lot with their prey sitting low on the ground. But I have only met 2 of them, so that doesn't make for good statistics. The upward shot I found more usefull if you want range and a higher ballistic arc, the hipshot I never really found very usefull. Historical sidenote: I have read once that roman legionaries tended to carry around one or two of them too. Which I consider believable, because they are very light, cost next to nothing, ammunition for them comes for free, if you are happy with a simple stone and can provide for a good meal while on a field trip. But also you find in Ceasar's 'Bellum Galicum' a lot of reference to Legionaries exchanging missile shots with their foes while standing on the ramparts of their fortified camps. I consider it highly unlikely they used their pilum or other spears a lot for this, because those were expensive and limited in number, while apparently a lot of taunting used to happen before a real fight broke out. You would want the things with pointy ends still available once it did. It would make a lot more sense for the legionaries to just pick up some stones and shoot them with slings during preleminary stages of a battle or a prolonged siege, if only to intimidate with the chance to hurt someone badly enough to put him out of the fight.

[@tiplearl]

This was incredibly informative. You're a natural teacher.

[@Snuredrams]

The algorithm blessed me with this video. I’ve always wondered how a sling works and seeing it in such detailed motion and explanation really uncovers how incredible this historic weapon and tool this was.

[@edpistemic]

Same!

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@VampireNewl]

Really enjoying this series, it's nice too see the history that doesn't really make it into Hollywood movies. I can't wait to try this out.

[@johanjonasson4188]

So cool. I love ancient technology. Even though it is seen as primitive they had more understanding about stuff that we may have lost today. The bronze age is a really interesting time period.

[@IronGoober]

Excellent video, AA. I like the way you describe things. Very simple to understand.

[@steevemartial4084]

I'm loving this series. I'm excited to try it out on my own

[@a.lollipop]

I will probably never use a sling in my life, yet i watched this whole series. This was incredibly interesting!

[@CaspianT]

If you don't mind my asking, why won't you ever use a sling? They don't make much effort or cost to make, aren't very strenuous to use, and really aren't that difficult to get _vaguely_ accurate with! (it just takes a lot of time and practice for the fine accuracy and power that some, like our beloved Archaic Arms, have developed)

[@a.lollipop]

@@CaspianT well I just don't have much interest in it, that's why I found it impressive that a three part series about slings managed to keep me interested the whole way through hahaha

[@CaspianT]

@@a.lollipop Ah, that's fair. I didn't even consider a lack of interest in the hobby, haha! I guess that shows how biased I am towards slings; thinking they're irresistible, hehe

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you! Very glad you found it worthwhile.

[@kurtoogle4576]

I would love for the sling to be used in the olympics.

[@mzza]

I recon we could see velocities go well past 100m/s if thousands of people became full time slingers solely focused on speed.

[@remo1366]

Thanks for teaching me that far before we starting firing projectiles from firearms we were utilizing the concept of what would become rifling to extend range and improve accuracy.

[@gordonbgraham]

Brilliant skills. Very impressive. Clear, accurate descriptions, too. This is what is good about the Internet. Thanks

[@VIISkies]

I'm always excited and happy to see people like you keeping ancient means of combat alive. While these sort of weapons have no place in a modern battlefield, something like a sling can be useful in self-defense.

[@dragonslayer3552]

Absolutely useful for self defense if a guy tries to attack you and you pull out this and start spinning he will run away since everyone knows the punch those slings have

[@Roderik95]

There is no scenario outside of ridiculous fantasy ones where you could possibly get a sling out, seat the stone, wind up, and have time to release on target.

[@ClarkKentai]

I could see it potentially being useful for modern guerrilla warfare; indirect fire of molotovs, or EMP emitters.

[@ericarnold1096]

Sling a grenade @ foes behind cover. It'll increase the effective range versus throwing it because of how far it travels before exploding.

[@ClarkKentai]

@@ericarnold1096 Gotta be skilled enough not to whiff the throw, though. I'd rather use an elastic slingshot for grenades.

[@trikkinikki970]

Just started my slinging journey yesterday. Dude your stance and form is absolutely phenomenal. You begin the strike like a rotation and half away from the release. Gonna have to study your form because you manage to get some serious power. I almost hit a bird by mistake that perched on the tennis wall, the bird's fault for attracting my brain mid spin up.

[@vetee8098]

Ive never seen a balearic sling before but you look like the type of person who would learn to use one and I respect that

[@kirkendauhl6990]

The wait between videos is worth every second, I hope you know that what you've posted about these slings will be a timeless classic instructional video that I'll be digging up for years.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you very much! I really appreciate to hear it's had a positive impact.

[@OleOlson]

This is brilliant. So expertly explained in the most simple way. Well done good sir!

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you sir!

[@alekseykuleshov111]

Had an entire army of green man like him in first Rome Total War. Quite formidable power it was

[@VIRALMESSAGE.]

Wow watching this guy made my blood run cold for Goliath yet my heart felt full for David and the protection he wielded ❤

[@SecondaryHomunculus]

This is the kind of tutorial video I need. ❤ As soon as I heard you mention letting the rope go "on its own" rather than making it happen, I knew you were good.

[@platypusbuk]

Love the video. I 100% agree that power does not necessarily mean a decrease in accuracy. Look at professional baseball pitchers for example. The technique developed through practice and familiarity allows them to hurl a baseball at ludicrous speeds. Now, if an individual were to dedicate time and training to a sling in a similar manner; they would be able to perform amazingly with both power and accuracy. It makes me wonder what sort of speeds someone of "that caliber" could achieve.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you! One day I hope we shall find out. I recon at least 100m/s with bullets, and frightening accuracy.

[@teddyapproved]

When I was about 12 I handmade one of these with leather scraps from a drawing I had seen of David and Goliath. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but still got quite good with the absolutely horrid softball style underhand spin that I was doing. 😂 completely not realizing how ridiculously powerful that thing was I accidentally put a hole in the barn wall with just a regular piece of granite gravel from the driveway and that wasn’t thin wood either. That was when my mom told me I should probably switch to something a little safer like a bow and arrow. 😂 It was a lot of fun though, I think I’m gonna have to make one of these and have some fun with my son. I was planning on making a small shooting range on my new property might as well play around with this too.

[@samuelburton302]

I think I could get real good at this. Played baseball my whole life and the way you talk about the technique would translate really well.

[@Chirpy_Ceilingbird]

Greetings from Baltimore Maryland! I just wanted to say that I have now made 11 slings since watching your video on how to make a sling. I have used hemp, jute twine, Kevlar cord and paracord. My latest one is by far my best yet and I used some thin paracord to make it. I altered some things from your tutorial such as the pouch size and how I terminate the end of the sling. I was using a fall hitch like on a bullwhip but now I’m using a series of overhand knots wrapped around the tail of the sling which results on a cool spiral knot at the end. I take my sling with me on my weekend bike ride that has a trail that runs alongside a big river. There are some nice clearings where there are plenty of rocks to throw and I’m very careful to make sure nobody is around and don’t throw blindly into the woods and around bends where I can’t see. I’m really starting to get proficient at throwing and I’ve even had some people become curious about the sling and ask questions. A few of my friends have asked me to make them one! It’s a hobby that I stumbled on by accident when KZbin suggested your video about the history of slings after which, I found your video on how to make one. I’m very grateful that you have shared your videos because I get a lot of enjoyment from my new hobby! Thanks!!

[@tray22]

Wait until there is sling control legislation passed, and they make you get a background check for rope and rocks.😂😂

[@Chirpy_Ceilingbird]

@@tray22 yep. No sawed off slings, automatic slings, slings with bump stocks etc. lol

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thanks for taking the time to share your story. It's made my day to hear the videos have had a positive influence!

[@IronGoober]

Dude that's awesome! Glad you found slinging, it's my favorite activity.

[@Chirpy_Ceilingbird]

@@IronGoober I’m so glad I stumbled across videos about slinging (including yours!). I’m practicing every day and getting exponentially better at it pretty quickly. It’s so satisfying and fun. Thank you also for putting out your videos, I learned a lot from your advice as well!

[@lelikbolek1362]

Awesome video-very detailed information and very rare topic- never have seen nothing like that, besides I knew about Balear slings from historic books, they was pretty feared in their times. Congratulations!

[@Archaic-Arms]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!

[@Not_The_FBI_1992]

I made a leather sling in BSA when I was just a teenager. I lost it many years ago, but a new one out some old leather scraps I found at antique store. I haven't launched anything from it in years, but still know how to. I was taught a slightly different technique, but im sure I could pick it up fairly quickly. What I really want to do is make one like yours!

[@user-sf6su1pq8u]

Brilliant! We may be needing this talentagain some day... You're either a gifted savant athlete, or a person who has amazing practice skills and patience in the face of hours of exponential failure. I believe the term, " one can't hit the broadside of a barn" originated with this weapon. Beware, beginners are capable of mass distruction, harm to others, and personal injury.

[@wupperstein4302]

i have been waiting for this. i have made a sling and am making another following your guide. good content 👍.

[@johnvelas70]

Growing up in the early 1980's we played war with these. To be allowed to join in the game you needed to kill a groundhog at 50m (we were told america would convert to metric at the time). That way we knew you could control the lead ball. You were only allowed to hit someone from shoulder to hip in the back.

[@louisazraels7072]

Wouldnt a direct hit to the spine be extremely dangerous?

[@johnvelas70]

@@louisazraels7072 No because we didn't aim for it.

[@ShadowMk3]

This just gave me an incredible perspective on slingers and their potential, thank you youtube for randomly popping this gem into my feed

[@Archaic-Arms]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kanonierable]

I've watched quite a number of videos about slings over the years, but yours are the best.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Glad you like them!

[@bustavonnutz]

Moving to Hawaii next week; I've decided to pick up slinging as a hobby so this series you've made has definitely sparked my interest. By the way, I used a momentum calculator & determined that you'd have to throw a cricketball over 200 mph to match the energy of throwing a 200 gram bullet at 70 m/s.

[@guiseppeperceval4930]

So it's impossible to reach that speed with a cricket ball and a human throwing it, then, is what you're saying.

[@bustavonnutz]

@@guiseppeperceval4930 Yep, a teenager with a sling could out-throw/pitch even the best athletes if he practiced enough.

[@cdwg273]

That bit about slinging ovals like a bullet is wild. I didnt even think that was possible so I never tried. I am now going to tey

[@Archaic-Arms]

Turns the sling from a musket into a rifle!

[@HipposHateWater]

Right? The trick is twisting your forearm into a pronated position as you go about your release. Basically the same idea as curving a bowling ball. Takes a bit of playing around to where it just happens effortlessly and naturally, but it's definitely worth it for the added predictability and consistency :)

[@scopirho]

Thank you for allowing me to live vicariously through your videos. Inspiring they are!

[@Archaic-Arms]

Glad your enjoying them!

[@Sp1der44]

The insight you give in this video is amazing. Makes me want to try it again.

[@LoreTunderin]

I think a good way to conceptualize the power and accuracy potential of the sling would be to throw baseballs with it at the same distance a pitcher would. Most North and Central Americans can likely appreciate a fastball from a baseball pitcher, so I think it could be a good illustration to test throwing a baseball as far or as fast as you can with a radar gun compared to the sling. Another test to contrast the efficiency could be to see how many projectiles of similar weights you can launch a given distance in a set amount of time while tracking your effort levels, maximum heart rate, recovery time, etc..

[@Archaic-Arms]

I could do an energy comparison of barehand throw vs sling, as that would give a rough idea of the increase in power from the mechanical advantage.

[@LoreTunderin]

@@Archaic-Arms that's basically what I'm thinking of, just trying to figure out a way to relate it to something the general public could recognize and appreciate easier.

[@joe_meadmaker]

Amazing video as always! You definitely bring up some great insights about slinging. 👍

[@nothinghere1996]

I feel i have mastered this weapon before in a past life. It seems extraordinarily familiar. Perhaps something forgotten from my childhood. ❤

[@carl8399]

Thank you for sharing, such a fascinating topic. I learned a lot from the info you provided. I just started out today with a paracord sling and pieces of pottery in my backyard, but training is surely easier with tennis balls in a court, brilliant idea!

[@isaaco5679]

I swore so loud when you sent that elongated stone flying that I startled my wife on the other side of the house!

[@Futureshucks]

This video is excellent! Everything about it relaxed yet perfectly measured and precise. 7am on a Saturday morning the my algorithm butler says "...perhaps this sir". And by jove, a perfect start to the day!

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[@jomess7879]

I love the sound that sling makes on release.

[@athleticgeek1]

Facinating. I was wondering what a MLB power pitcher can do with this thing... He's close as he "back loads" his lower half like a pitcher at 5:38. 74m/sec is no joke.

[@Archaic-Arms]

I recon professional slingers would have accurately slung bullets at a least 100m/s.

[@EJMunoz-ec9gz]

You have revealed our most hidden secrets. For much less some have practiced balconing... Just kidding, congratulations on this fantastic trilogy, greetings from Mallorca.

[@spook75a28]

Definitely loved one of the last shots where you sling towards the camera, you could actually see the rock spinning like you said. That was cool. I knew slings were no joke, but damn...

[@smirkinatu5512]

Thank you for recording and posting this educational video.

[@kompost1perse]

Meanwhile playing Baldur's Gate 2 I have been wondering does those slings really do anything in real life. You have proven me wrong and I believe those sling shots can really crack some skulls. You made me want to craft my own sling and start practising.

[@sethnaffziger1402]

in the case of the Roman legions, many of the Legionaries would carry slings with lead shot. given that these were easily over an ounce each it was essentially like bullet fire, and catching one to the head would prove fatal unless you had a GOOD helmet even then, it would ring your bell and possibly knock you unconcious

[@jadetuin9086]

Bravo! I've watched this without seeing the other two parts of the series, but seeing this has made me want to watch the rest.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@OneInTheMosh]

This is probably the best instructional video I've ever seen for anything

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you! Much appreciated.

[@Nobodyspecial5150]

This is really cool bums me out that I'm missing my thumb on my dominant hand🤦🏻‍♂️ Don't play with rattlesnake's kids...

[@Archaic-Arms]

There are still ways you can use a sling! A sling with a release knot can be held between the index and middle finger, without the need for the thumb.

[@-Zevin-]

Brilliant video, liked a subbed. I have a sling already, sitting up on a shelf that I keep telling myself I'll learn to use but never have. This is the most clear and instructional video I have seen on the topic and I can't wait to actually get out there and try.

[@kevenbeene4585]

Awsome content. You made me build another sling. I'll be acting like i did when i was younger. Thanks. Look forward to more

[@AJKecsk]

The single best slinging video I have ever seen.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Thank you sir!

[@timothyandrewausten]

Best explanation of technique and form I've seen. I'd like to see more on the topic of rifling.

[@Archaic-Arms]

Cheers! Yes, rifling is indeed a crucial aspect of slinging, and not often mentioned/known about.

[@-__-_-.-]

I grew up on the island of mallorca in the balearics and we were taught how to make these and use them. Was one of the more memorable days

[@benjaminyoung9694]

This is the best video involving martial arts of all time

[@Jenjak]

I love to hear the cracking sound (like on a whip). So cool !

[@pillznarRy]

i loved every single second of this.

[@BigTrixxx]

Man, your channel is exactly what I needed! The way you present it is so graceful, such a calm demeanor :-)

[@RuijsNL]

Slowmo sound is so satisfying

[@goatsplitter]

I've always thought the sling to be an amazing and underrated ancient weapon. It's legendary and i think for got dangol reason.

[@codyking4848]

Dude you are insanely good with that sling!

[@boogiemcsploogie]

Thanks for the suggestion, Algo!