# Am I Doing It Not Right?



## afishhunter (Dec 30, 2014)

Ever since I was a youngling rug rat over 60 years ago, I always held the fork of my slingshot horizontal, on the rare times I used one.

Back then it was a wire frame Daisy or Marksman, with a wrist brace, like as not. When my friends and I shot our slingshots, we used small rocks or pebbles for ammo. None of these newfangled fancy steel or clay balls or marbles that's available today. (My friends held and shot their slingshots the same way I did.)

Obviously, the Internet had not been invented yet, and there was no You Tube back then.

My local city library (and the school library) had exactly zero books and/or magazines regarding slingshots. If slingshots were mentioned at all, it was in passing, such as in Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. (basically it boiled down to a variation of "he had a home made slingshot in his pocket, or stuffed down the waist of his britches.")

Reading the posts here, watching folk shoot their slingshots on You Tube, it seems "virtually everyone" is holding their forks vertical.

Does it matter what orientation you hold your slingshot at when shooting?

Have I been doing it not right all these years?

Thankee for your time.


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## Royleonard (Jun 30, 2017)

Not me been holding horizontally since I started with slingshots at age twelve!


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## dogcatchersito (Jun 6, 2012)

It's all about aiming preference. Horizontal is more instinct shooting, and vertical (Gangsta gripping) is using the top fork to get your aim.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## KawKan (May 11, 2013)

It seems your internet searches have not returned results from Pocket Predator, Simple-Shot or Saunders, or any Chinese vendors

That's a pity.

The horizontal hold they espouse dominates world-wide competitions.

But, if you like shooting with your forks to the sky, carry on.

What works for me, may not work for you.


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## SonoftheRepublic (Jul 3, 2011)

Horizontal works for me.


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## Valery (Jan 2, 2020)

Если это удобно, то правильно!


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## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

Its a funny thing... When I was shown how to use a slingshot - it was held vertically. Also noticed first time shooters also tend to go vertically - and usually hammer grip.

I did loads of experimenting with slingshots when I was younger - and eventually settled on a 45º hold (using a thumb brace). Also long before the days of internet and Youtube - so had to figure things out manually.

I hold exclusively horizontal these days - find aiming down the bands and aligning them allows for more accuracy. Well at least I think it does...


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## tangolima (Mar 2, 2020)

We need to clarify the definitions first. Horizontal / vertical is referring to the tips of the frame or the handle of the frame? I see two different definitions are being used in the posts.

I'm going to refer to the frame handle.

All the kids I learned from or shot with had vertical hold. You were a weirdo if you didn't. It was pretty hard to establish a good sight picture, as there is almost nothing solid to go with. We didn't care as the ammo (rock) was pretty lousy anyway. It was almost assumed you ain't going to hit nothin'. If you did, it would be something to have a celebration for.

The first time I saw horizontal hold was an famous shooter on TV. He explained what he was doing. I tried that, and it surely made a lot of sense. It is much easy to establish a good sight picture for accurate shots. I became horizontal hold from then on.

I'm sure horizontal hold was around way before internet. It is just not being practiced by a lot people for some reasons.

-TL

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## dogcatchersito (Jun 6, 2012)

dogcatchersito said:


> It's all about aiming preference. Horizontal is more instinct shooting, and vertical (Gangsta gripping) is using the top fork to get your aim.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


It's all about aiming preference. Vertical is more Instinct shooting, and horizontal (Gangsta gripping) is using the top fork to get your aim.

I prefer Gangsta grip with a Hybrid hold (thumb brace and pinch grip)

***Said the line planes in reverse***

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## SJAaz (Apr 30, 2019)

Well Fishhunter...

For we special few born and raised in Idaho. Vertical is horizontal and horizontal feels like downhill. What ever peels your spud. :hmm: :iono:


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## ForkLess (Aug 15, 2018)

Never hit anything! Until I went sideways :headbang:

Thanks to Bill Hays.


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## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

I wear a size 7 7/8" hat. I have to shoot gangsta so my head doesn't get in the way.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


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## SLINGDUDE (Aug 15, 2018)

In my opinion, Whatever works best for you is the "right" way, and may not be the right way for someone else.


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## 2020Slingshotaddict (May 29, 2020)

Whatever works for you is the way to go. I had wrist rockets as a teen and we didn't hit much with rocks haha. We felt like studs when we did. 
Since getting into it again I prefer horizontal /gangsta grip. I find OTT bands make it very easy to sight down the band and fork tip as my reference point. I'm playing around with TFF but not picking it up as easy.


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