Simply put, a sling is a device for throwing stones. Now, since humans are capable of throwing stones with nothing more than a bare hand, a sling must possess some added advantage if it is to be considered useful. That advantage is speed. A man with a sling can throw a projectile much faster than a man without a sling. But I am getting ahead of myself, and before explaining how a sling works, I will describe what a sling consists of.

Here the reader would do well to consult the diagram below:

As can be seen in the diagram, the center of the sling is a pouch (C) for holding the projectile, and on either side of the pouch are two lateral cords (A and B). At the end of cord B is the finger loop, labeled “D,” which is used to hold the sling to the slinger’s hand. Since cord B is attached to the slinger by the loop, it is referred to as the retention cord. Cord A is called the release cord. The end of the release cord (E) is held in the slinger’s hand, and many slingers prefer to tie a small knot here to aid in gripping the cord. There are many different styles of slings, but for the most, they all have the basic elements described here.

The way a sling is used is relatively simple. The finger loop is placed around one of the slinger’s fingers (usually the middle finger), and the release cord is gripped between the thumb and index finger. A stone is placed in the pouch, and the sling is ready to use. The stone, held in the pouch, is swung around, and when the slinger is ready to launch it, he lets go of the release cord. This allows the pouch to open, and the stone, now free from retention, flies away in whatever direction it was traveling in at the point of release. There are various manners that the sling can be swung, some have advantages for power, others for accuracy, and every slinger will have different preferences for styles.

The Sling has been in existence for millennia, and its origins are lost in the pages of history. Many ancient cultures made use of the sling, and slings have been found on every inhabited continent except Australia. They were used by civilizations such as the Incas, Romans, Greeks, and Assyrians. Although the use of the sling died out in much of the world, longbows, crossbows, and eventually firearms having replaced it, slinging continued in some of the more remote parts of the globe. In places like Tibet, Peru, and the Pacific Islands, western technology was slow to come, and thus slinging survived there. Even today, slings are still being used by shepherds and the like, in the same way they were thousands of years ago. In most of the modern world, slinging is mostly done for sport or research, and many people still find satisfaction in launching rocks at high speed with little more than a piece of string.

Copyright 2009 by Timothy Potter