Just realized I stopped booming down with the load block leading, and my sway dropped way off
I used to always lead with the block on the descent, basically fighting the swing the whole way down, until a guy on a tower job in Bakersfield had me try keeping the block trailing and just letting the drum do the work. I mean the difference on a 60 foot drop isn't subtle, idk why it took me 9 years to switch. Curious if anybody else was taught the other way or if that was just me.
Man that hits close to home. I spent probably 6 or 7 years doing it the hard way too, just muscling the block around and getting yanked all over the place. Nobody ever told me different, I just picked it up from whoever was running the rig that day and figured the swing was something you fought. First time I let the block trail and just tapped the drum, it felt like cheating. You're right that it's not a small thing either, the load basically walks itself down. Kinda funny how the right trick can hide from you for that long.