Glossary
Slingshot words, in plain English.
The terms you will meet on this site and on the range, from OTT and TTF to D-loops and 5/16-24 threads.
What do OTT and TTF mean on a slingshot? OTT means over the top: the bands run over the top of the fork tips. TTF means through the forks: the bands run through the gap between the forks. The Hammer XT head shoots both.
- Anchor point
- The spot on your face you draw the pouch to on every shot, such as the corner of the mouth or the cheekbone. Touching the same anchor every time is what makes shots land in the same place. How to shoot a slingshot.
- Archery Accessory Adapter
- A 1-inch insert, machined from 6061 aircraft aluminum, with a standard 5/16-24 thread for archery accessories such as a reel seat, a stabilizer or a camera. It mounts to the Hammer XT through the Rail Adapter. See the part.
- Arrow rest
- The part of a slingbow that holds the arrow in line with the target as you draw and release. On the Hammer it is a circular brush rest on the XT slingbow head.
- Backstop
- Anything behind your target that reliably stops every shot, including misses, without bouncing it back: a hanging blanket, thick straw bales, a target box or a sloped earth bank. Never rock, metal or concrete. Safety and backstops.
- Ball-in-tube
- A way of attaching a single tube with a steel ball. The Hammer XT slingbow tubes use it, with two 3/8 inch steel balls in each set, and it lets you change draw weight by changing the tube length.
- Bandset
- A pair of bands joined to a pouch, ready to attach to a slingshot. Every Hammer kit ships with two: one matched to 3/8 inch steel ammo and one matched to clay.
- Circular brush rest
- An arrow rest made of a ring of soft bristles that surrounds the arrow and holds it centered as it releases. It comes on the Hammer XT slingbow head; the replacement is the Circular Brush and Mount Adapter Plate. The separate DIY brush rest does not fit the Hammer.
- D-loop
- A small loop of bowstring on a slingbow's bands where the arrow's nock sits and a mechanical release clips in, so every shot starts from the same place. The Hammer D-loop is 14-strand B50 bowstring with 0.019 inch serving and a removable leather finger tab. See the part.
- Draw length
- How far you pull the bands back from the slingshot to your anchor point. A longer draw stores more energy in the bands. The Hammer slingbow tube draw weights are measured at a 28 inch draw.
- Draw weight
- How hard the bands pull at full draw. Heavier bands mean a heavier draw. The Hammer slingbow tubes run about 32 lb at full length, 36 lb at 6 inches and 44 lb at 5 inches, at a 28 inch draw.
- Flatband
- A band cut from flat sheet latex. Flatbands are the standard band on the Hammer XT head, which is built to take very wide ones.
- FlipClip X
- The machined aluminum band clip on every Hammer XT head, sold as a pair of identical clips. A large slotted screw clamps the band and turns with a coin or a pocket knife. It handles OTT and TTF, flatbands and looped tubes. Changing bands.
- Fork gap
- The open space between the two forks. On the Hammer XT head it is 59 mm (2-5/16 in).
- Fork tips
- The tops of the forks, where the bands attach. On the Hammer XT head they are 27 mm (1-1/16 in) wide for both OTT and TTF.
- Hammer grip
- Holding the slingshot handle the way you hold a hammer, with the head in line with your forearm. It is the grip the Hammer line is named for.
- Hand slap
- When the pouch comes back on release and stings the hand holding the slingshot. It is a sign the bands are too heavy for the ammo. Matched bands and ammo prevent it.
- Looped tube
- Tubular latex bands formed into loops, an alternative to flatbands. The Hammer XT head takes looped tubes in slingshot or slingbow mode.
- LT
- The Hammer LT handle: a slim, pure hammer grip with no wrist brace and no rail. It ships in the XT Slingshot Lite and the Master Kit, and suits shooters who prefer a sleek slingshot or live where wrist braces are restricted. SimpleShot does not recommend it with the slingbow head. The old LT heads are retired.
- Mechanical release
- A handheld archery release that clips onto the D-loop and lets it go with a trigger, in place of drawing with your fingers. The Hammer D-loop and slingbow tubes work with one or with the included finger tab.
- Ocularis
- A SimpleShot band attachment that holds the band with a plug, so bands swap with no tools. The retired Hammer LT heads used it. Current Hammer heads use FlipClip X instead.
- OTT (over the top)
- A band style where the bands run over the top of the fork tips. The Hammer XT head shoots OTT or TTF.
- Picatinny rail
- A standard accessory rail. The Hammer XT handle has one, ready for the Rail Adapter and the gear that mounts to it: a light, a bowfishing reel and more.
- Pouch
- The small piece at the center of a bandset that holds the ammo while you draw. You pinch the ammo in the pouch between thumb and index finger.
- Rail Adapter
- Mounts any 1-inch accessory, such as a light or a bowfishing reel, to the rail on the Hammer XT handle. Comes with an HDPE shim and installation instructions. See the part.
- Single tube
- One straight strand of tubing per side, rather than a loop. The Hammer XT slingbow tubes are heavy single tubes: 3/16 inch inside diameter, 3/8 inch outside, 9 inches long, attached ball-in-tube.
- Slingbow
- A slingshot set up to shoot arrows, with an arrow rest and a D-loop. On the Hammer, the XT slingbow head makes it a slingbow, and it converts back to a slingshot with two screws. Slingshot or slingbow.
- Spinner target
- A small hanging target built for hit-or-miss shooting: hit it and you know. Every Hammer kit ships with an 80 mm spinner target.
- 5/16-24 thread
- The standard thread size for archery accessories like stabilizers and reel seats. The Archery Accessory Adapter adds it to the Hammer XT.
- TTF (through the forks)
- A band style where the bands run through the gap between the forks. The Hammer XT head shoots TTF or OTT.
- Wrist brace
- A support that locks to the Hammer XT handle with a plate and screw and runs along your forearm. It lets you pull the heaviest bands and puts more of your power into every shot. Heavy bands and the wrist brace.
- XT
- The Hammer XT line. The XT handle takes the wrist brace and has a Picatinny rail. The XT head comes as a slingshot head and a slingbow head, both on FlipClip X, and either one fits the XT handle, one head at a time.
