# Honest appraisal of a beginner



## pmatty77 (Jun 12, 2011)

Hope this can be of help to people just starting,i started using slingshots about 3 months ago,i quickly acquired several slingshots and began practising most days for an hour or so,i found my anchor point and started shooting gangsta,the odd direct hit and i thought that's it i've cracked it,next day i couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo,ok gangsta doesn't suit me i need to cant the slingshot slightly,sorted it...or so i thought,same again next day,right let's try another way,forks straight up,got it this time with longer bands,same scenario,hit and miss,back to gangsta,no back to a slight angle,got it this time,nope back to square one,eventually i re-looked at some of the aiming vids on youtube,i was definitely over thinking it.

So,back to gangsta,make sure i am on my anchor point,make sure the slingshot is straight and not at an angle,make sure the pouch is in line and that was it,all the different styles i was trying i was making the same mistakes,so i would say to anyone just starting, the basics (and i would hazard a guess that it would be one of the points below that is holding you back) are,

1/ Anchor point/reference point

2/ Slingshot angle

3/ Pouch hold

Of course there are more refinements(ammo size and distance being one) but i think the above are the fundamentals when you are starting,don't overthink things,if you are having a bad day have a break and most of all enjoy yourself

Of course if anyone has anything to add i'm all ears


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## tastetickles (Jul 3, 2017)

4. Checking the bands and pouches regularly and thoroughly. I got to a point I was pretty good with my Torque then one day the shots just keep getting way off, on initial checking the tubes and pouches look entirely normal. It was only when I removed it from the slingshot and stretch with from end to end did I notice that one of the tubes stretched longer but looked normal unstretched.

5. When in doubt, start shooting at 10feet and then increase range.

6. Wear those goggles. Can't stressed this enough, had a fork hit when I started full butterfly, ammo went by my eye and hit the frame of my glasses.


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## pmatty77 (Jun 12, 2011)

tastetickles said:


> 4. Checking the bands and pouches regularly and thoroughly. I got to a point I was pretty good with my Torque then one day the shots just keep getting way off, on initial checking the tubes and pouches look entirely normal. It was only when I removed it from the slingshot and stretch with from end to end did I notice that one of the tubes stretched longer but looked normal unstretched.
> 
> 5. When in doubt, start shooting at 10feet and then increase range.
> 
> 6. Wear those goggles. Can't stressed this enough, had a fork hit when I started full butterfly, ammo went by my eye and hit the frame of my glasses.


Yer there's lots more to it,that was just my main problems that i had to do with accuracy


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## VAshooter (Feb 10, 2015)

Shooting slingshots should be an enjoyable hobby. Not something that needs to be practiced. There is no rule that says you are required to hit a certain sized target at a certain range. Should you shoot every day? Sure, if you want to enjoy your hobby, but it's not an "I have to practice to build my skills" kind of shooting. Will you become a great slingshot shooter? You might, if you have the coordination and eyesight and enjoy shooting enough to do it a lot. Over time you develop the muscle memory to have a consistent technique to your shooting and you become more accurate. Will you become a champion shooter who commands awe and respect from others? That kind of result comes from your head, having the concentration, focus, and desire to shoot better than the rest.

Suppose you do get good and win the tournament. What then? A year later no one will remember who won. Will you continue to shoot slingshots or will you quit, having accomplished your goal? Slingshots should be fun. It does make you feel good to shoot well but it can give the same feeling of relaxation and accomplishment if you are not at your best. Become engrossed in the process of shooting the slingshot. The seductive feel of the frame, the resistance of the bands, the release of the pouch and soon everything seems to come together effortlessly and you fire that perfect shot.


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## pmatty77 (Jun 12, 2011)




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## pmatty77 (Jun 12, 2011)

pmatty77 said:


> Of course but also you may have people who strive to do their best and work hard at it even though they will never be a champion but have the need to feel in their own mind that they have done something to the best of their ability,everyone's different i suppose
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## VAshooter (Feb 10, 2015)

pmatty77,

Nothing wrong with doing your best or trying to do your best.


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## Blacksmith (Jul 6, 2017)

VAshooter said:


> Shooting slingshots should be an enjoyable hobby. Not something that needs to be practiced. There is no rule that says you are required to hit a certain sized target at a certain range.


I do feel the need to point out, that there are multiple contests on this site, and ALL of them require a high degree of accuracy to win. Cutting cards, cutting threads, lighting matches etc...
And the ONLY people who win, are the ones who are able to hit a certain sized target at a certain range.
While it's not for everyone, a great deal of emphasis (as well as bragging rights) is given to those who can compete/win.

And yes, I realize that not all of us can or will ever win. Heck, some of us are lucky to hit a target the size of a pop can at 10 yards, but the fact remains that it certainly is a factor here and on similar sites.


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## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

I'm a broken record. The main advice I give everyone is RELEASE, RELEASE, RELEASE.

It's one of the most often overlooked things and it's literally half of consistent accuraccy. If you have fairly decent form and are shooting all over the target or worse, it's almost always poor release.


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## VAshooter (Feb 10, 2015)

Blacksmith,

If you want bragging rights or a trophy then you better practice cause others are in line for the same bragging rights and trophies and they are busting their butts to win that stuff. If that stuff doesn't matter so much then enjoy building and shooting your slingshots. When I was much younger and shot competitively I remember showing up at big matches with hundreds of competitors all wanting to win. They may have wanted to win but there were only four or five competitors there who had a chance of winning first place. One of those select few would win because they worked very hard to perfect their skills and had the mental focus it takes to win and usually were lucky enough to draw relays that had the best conditions for shooting. There were others who possessed the skill but their mind would not let them win. Winning requires conditioning your mind as well as well as your body. A little luck doesn't hurt.


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## VAshooter (Feb 10, 2015)

inconvenience said:


> I'm a broken record. The main advice I give everyone is RELEASE, RELEASE, RELEASE.
> 
> It's one of the most often overlooked things and it's literally half of consistent accuraccy. If you have fairly decent form and are shooting all over the target or worse, it's almost always poor release.


I agree with you and learning perfect release takes lots of perfectly performed practice.


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