My buddy’s sledgehammer advice saved my back at Ren Faire

Last summer at the Texas Renaissance Faire, I was struggling to set up our booth stakes. My friend Kevin, who runs the axe throwing tent, told me to stop swinging from my shoulder. He said use your legs like a squat, let the hammer do the work. First try after his tip, the stake went in one clean shot. Has anyone else gotten game day advice that actually paid off?

4 comments

4 Comments

christopherh794d ago

Kevin's tip about using your legs is solid physics, but did he also show you how to grip the sledgehammer different? I always end up with blisters on my palms after a few swings no matter what I do. What kind of grip or handle trick makes that easier?

gavin4694d ago

Yeah, same here. Blisters every time, no matter how I hold it.

max_hernandez274d ago

Tape never helped me. Just gotta let those calluses build up naturally.

pat_moore4d ago

@christopherh79 get a pair of those mechanics gloves with the rubber grips on the palm, not the cloth ones. I tried a lighter grip too and that helped more than anything. Also wrap some athletic tape around where your fingers meet the handle, it'll save your hands after a long session.

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