The slingshot method is one of the most basic stunt sequences and is probably the one most thought of when talking about cheerleading stunting. In this method, two bases and a back lift a flyer into the sky. Because of the use of two bases and a back, this stunt tends to be the most solid. It can be used on its own or as the base foundation of a pyramid. # Slingshot Method Counts by Position ## Flyer ### Mount Wait 5,6,7,8 1: Arms 2: wait 3: off the ground 4: hang position 5,6: Wait 7: Stand 8: wait 1: high V ### Dismount Wait, 1,2,3,4,5,6 7: Ride up 8: Clean Down, keep wait over center of foot 1: Find shoulders ## Base ### Mount Wait 5,6,7,8,1,2 3: dip under flyer 4: stand, collect flyers feet 5: Dip 6: Dip 7: stand, move hands past face 8: Settle ### Dismount Wait 1,2,3,4 5: Dip 6: Dip 7: Up 8: Feet Together (down) 1: hold the bottom ## Back ### Mount Wait 5,6,7,8 1: Connect with Flyers hips 2: Wait 3: Lift flyers hips up (not in) 4: Switch to ankles 5: Dip 6: Dip 7: Stand and keep flyers in their tube 8: Settle ### Dismount Wait 1,2,3,4 5: Dip 6: Dip 7: Up 8: Down 1: Settle --- # Progressions: It is best to teach the full slingshot method through a list of progressions. Progressions allow us to break down the complicated nature of the full stunt into it's pieces. By drilling and learning the smaller pieces it is easier to put them all together into the complex stunt. The Progressions are: - Load In Drill - Speed Bump - Stand Drill - Pop Tart - Up Down ## Load In Drill In a load in drill, the flyer will load in with two feet at a time from the ground to the load in position on the bases. This drill is a great first step because it starts to talk about the basic principles of the slingshot method. ### Base #### Stance Starting from the ground up. There are two bases in this stunt and they start facing each other. The stance should be about shoulder width apart and no more than 1.5 times the bases shoulder width (see [[#*Why Shoulder Width*]]). Start facing your partner base. Your feet should be your flyers shoulder width apart (see [[#Why Flyers Shoulder Width*]]). ##### *Why Shoulder Width* Many other coaches have taught bases to be wider than this when basing. As my coach once taught me width builds stability, but looses power. Here is a good drill to understand what this means. Stand with your feet right under your shoulders (shoulder width apart) and jump as high as you can. Now move your legs more than double shoulder width apart and try and jump as high as you can. Which one easier? Which one gets more height? The answer should be that with your legs shoulder width apart you can get more height and here is why. Assuming you have the same amount of actual force coming down through your legs when you jump. When your legs are under you, all that work is being used to push you straight up in the air. When your legs are wider, some of the work you are doing is being pushed out the sides, reducing how much work is pushing you up in the air. ##### *Why Flyers Shoulder Width* What if your flyer has really narrow shoulders, why would you want to be so close to your other base? The answer has to do with the final load in position. Once the flyer is in the load in position, they will be holding most of their weight in their locked arms. This will send the flyers weight through bases shoulders, down through the body and to the ground. If the bases, when standing in the load in drill are standing straight up the flyers hands might be outside their shoulders. This is the same problem as above with the shoulder width for the bases feet. If the flyers hands are outside their shoulders when they are in the load in, they will compensate by one of the following ways: - They will transition weight out of their arms and into their feet. This is less than ideal because pushing against the hands causes more stress for the bases. - They will pull their bases in so so the bases are leaning towards the center. This is less than ideal because most powerful movement for the base is straight up and down and not inwards. Also, if there is any height or speed differential in the bases during the stunt this will be amplified by the angle. - They flyers position will be compromised in the hang drill and they will have to use more arm muscle to stay in a load in drill. For these reasons, setting up the flyer width apart makes the most sense. Speed ### Flyer The flyer starts behind the bases with enough space to get their arms up and over the bases shoulders. Start with feet together and hands down by your sides. ### Back spot Stands behind the flyer. Several inches behind. ### Action Counts start 5,6,7,8. Flyers put their hands on the bases shoulders on 1. If you need to bed you can bend on the pause after 2 and you jump up on 3. Jump your hips up and let your feet track into the center of the bases hands. Flyer is supposed to jump so the majority of their weight is in the bases arms and only a marginal amount is contained in the bases hands.