# Band hitting hand



## Bad Company (Aug 12, 2011)

I've shot a few different slingshots now and the recent natural I carved and built is slapping my fingers holding the fork. The other slingshots I've bought and made didn't seem to do that as much. It's slapping my fingers so hard a leather glove barely makes a difference. I was wondering if there's anything I'm doing wrong or if there's anything I can do to fix this. The slingshot shoots great other than my fingers taking a beating. My forefinger is blue as I type this, surely there's a way to correct this problem.


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## SlingGal (Jun 18, 2011)

Are you slapping your fingers *after* the ammo leaves pouch, or is the pouch and ammo hitting your hand (or fork?). If the former, handslap is common...its just the residual energy of the bands or tubes bringing the band and pouch around to slap your fingers. Look up dgui's posts here, as he gives great advice on preventing fork or hand hits, and I think Jeorg Sprave here has a video somewhere of him attaching a thin piece of elastic to the pouch, which in turn is tethered to the pouch holding wrist, and it takes up the residual energy of the bands so it doesn't slap your hand.


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

your pouch may be too heavy. what bands are you using?


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## Bad Company (Aug 12, 2011)

I'm using some bands I purchased from a man named Bill in texas. pretty sure he's on the forum here. They are doubled flat bands like the doctors use for tourniquets. When using the hawk I got with the bands it doesn't slap my fingers nearly as much. BTW it's hitting my hand after the ammo has left the pouch. Thanks for the quick response. I figured it was a common thing, just wondering if there's anything I can do to fix it. Also, I've been using marbles to practice with, not sure if that has anything to do with it.


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## danielh (Jul 28, 2011)

well you could just shoot through the forks instead of over he top, that removes all hand slap


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Shooting heavier ammo often relieves hand slap. If the ammo you are using is too light for the bands, then the bands have a lot of excess energy after the ammo leaves the pouch. Shooting heavier ammo absorbs the excess energy so the bands do not whip around and hit your hand.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

Tex bands are top of the line. The Hawk slingshot may no cause slap because of the great fork design. Try tying the bands as high as possible on the fork you made and it should reduce hand slap.


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## El Topo (Jun 8, 2011)

Charles said:


> Shooting heavier ammo often relieves hand slap. If the ammo you are using is too light for the bands, then the bands have a lot of excess energy after the ammo leaves the pouch. Shooting heavier ammo absorbs the excess energy so the bands do not whip around and hit your hand.
> 
> Cheers ..... Charles


exactly! too much rubber for too small ammo...


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## bullseyeben! (Apr 24, 2011)

As above, try a heavier ammo.. 2 layers of rubber ain't necessary for light ammo, also lengthen your bands slightly, maybe 3/4 of an inch.. the height of the forks to your hand is important as all frames vary in size, your hand will sometimes get the rebound.. that's why some frames will slap, others won't with the same rig.. Also you can try to flip the frame forward as the shot follows through. Alternetively if the length is good to anchor, try a thinner or tapered cut. Hope this helps


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## gamekeeper john (Apr 11, 2011)

has all the other comments say, its either the pouch is to heavy / the ammo is to light for the bands / of the elastic grooves are to low in the fork







you could also flip the fork when you release, this would also stop it


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

I do not get hand slaps, with heavy pouches, or heavy ammo. I do not get hand slaps with light ammo or light pouches. In my case, I think it has to do with your wrist not following the shoot and flipping fast enough.

I used to get nastie hand slaps, they were so bad, that I had to stop using slingshots for days. My holding hand used to be so sore from hand slaps that I could barely make a fist.

I used to wear a glove like the swat team wears to prevent hand slaps. It was useless to preventme from a sore hand.

Now, I do not wear a glove no more, I even forgot where is it. Saludos







.


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