No one can be sure when the sling was first invented but evidence seems to indicate it was being used by at least 7100 BCE and it was likely much earlier than that time. To put it in perspective, the sling was around thousands of years before the invention of the wheel.
Sling design is beautifully simple and has remained unchanged for millennia upon millennia. Its endurance is a testament to its effectiveness and its complement to our throwing ability. It is one of the most human tools ever created.
All slings share the same basic design which consists of a pouch, a release cord with a tab or knot for gripping, and a retention cord with a finger loop to keep the sling on the hand.
The Sling Pouch
The sling pouch is the heart of the sling. With a cord on each end of the pouch, it cradles the projectile until the time of release. Upon release, the projectile rolls out of the pouch which imparts spin on the projectile. The pouch can be made of various materials such as leather, man-made, or natural cordage. It can also be of various designs such as split pouch, or solid pouch. We favor the split leather pouch as it reduces surface area which seems to support accuracy. It also has superior gripping and cupping and can open/close to accommodate various sizes of projectiles.
The Release Cord
The release cord is woven into or connected to one side of the pouch and typically ends with a knot or other means to grip onto it. The end of the release cord is gripped between the thumb and forefinger of your throwing hand and is released at the release point of the throw. A leather tab is ideal for a light and secure grip without the need to develop calluses. A light grip is key to accurate slinging.
The Retention Cord
The retention cord is woven into or connected to the opposite side of the pouch from the release cord. It typically ends a loop that sides over a finger and remains connected with your throwing hand throughout the throw. The gripping leather loop of the Pan sling allows for comfortable slinging while still allowing natural open-hand releases.
Gripping and Loading a Sling
We have learned over the years that gripping the sling properly is the first thing that can cause some confusion. The good news is that it is pretty straightforward to understand with a little bit of instruction.
The following video only takes a few minutes and will show you everything you need to know to quickly learn how to grip and load a sling.
The grip featured in this video is a neutral grip style and probably the most common in slinging. Although the Pan sling is featured it can be used across many different slings.