Where to find gear?!

[Tiny]

Today I was looking over my standings. All in all was a good first season. The Maine games were the focus of my season and I wanted to have a good showing for my first time infront of my friends and family.

My numbers landed me in the middle of my class for nearly all events. All that is except sheaf. Sheaf dragged me down from what would have been the top 5 or 6 to 9 out of 10. With everyone throwing atleast 5 ft more then me and most throwing 7-10 ft more I feel this is one area I need to focus.

where does one find a good fork for throwing? I'm going to hit up the local farm supply for burlap and twine would the forks they have be good enough or is there someplace ellse I should look?

Next after sheaf is hammer for that will be alot of kettlebell winds to get into the right form.

[Detroitpete]

Today I was looking over my standings. All in all was a good first season. The Maine games were the focus of my season and I wanted to have a good showing for my first time infront of my friends and family.

My numbers landed me in the middle of my class for nearly all events. All that is except sheaf. Sheaf dragged me down from what would have been the top 5 or 6 to 9 out of 10. With everyone throwing atleast 5 ft more then me and most throwing 7-10 ft more I feel this is one area I need to focus.

where does one find a good fork for throwing? I'm going to hit up the local farm supply for burlap and twine would the forks they have be good enough or is there someplace ellse I should look?

Next after sheaf is hammer for that will be alot of kettlebell winds to get into the right form.

If you have a local hardware store--see if they can order you a 3-tined fork. I've retrofitted 5 tine forks like a few of us have, but I think the lighter 3 tined forks are better. As far as sheaf bags--year you can make your own--but I'd say try checking/posting at nasgaweb.com. There are a few VERY good sheaf makers on the board. I made one that didn't turn out as well as I wanted--bought 2 , now I just repair them now and then and they work fine. Merl Lawless has the BEST bags EVER--he supplied the bags for the MWC this year in Denver.

[Alan H]

Fork tastes seem to be a regional thing. The guys in the Pacific Northwest and some in So Cal take 5 tine manure forks, and remove the middle, and outer tines. Then they use a grinding wheel, a file and a LOT of emery paper to gradually taper and smooth the tines.

Home Depot and Orchard Supply carry these, they run about $35. This is what I have.

Guys in the south, midwest and Northeast seem to use the 3 tine forks like Mark suggests. The advantage to these is that they're not as much work to prep, and the thinner tines might release the bag just a tiny bit more easily than the thicker-tined manure forks. On the other hand, there are three tines in the bag, rather than two so I suspect that the extra tine makes up for the difference in friction between the thicker and thinner forks.

I think you can do just fine with either one. I'm used to the 5-tine/cut down because I did my first sheaf throwing in Washington, so that's just what I like. I prepped my fork much like how those guys do theirs. However, when I bring my fork to a local Nor Cal Games people usually opt for the SHA-supplied three-tine.

Either one is fine. Sheaf, however, seems to be an event where practice will buy you height, bigtime. You can practice your butt off on WOB and it will buy you another foot or eighteen inches. Practice sheaf, and it can buy you for or six feet pretty quickly.

Clevenger sheafs are really popular. I'm cheap, so I made my own from straw (got the straw from the University stables) and two burlap bags, sewed it up with cotton twisted twine. However, the straw bag is significantly less dense than a rope bag, which is what you'll see a lot of. Less dense means that the bag is physically bigger, which is a pain. However, a straw bag pops off the fork more easily, too. A Clevenger sheaf will cost you about $100. Merl Lawless also makes good bags, so I hear. You can make a rope bag yourself, too. Clevenger and lawless bags are not stuffed with straw, they're stuffed with untwisted nylon/polyester rope. The rope is cut into 12-18 inch long sections and mashed into the smallest bag, possible. Clevenger bags are incredibly dense, in fact they are SO dense that often it's very, very difficult to get the fork into the bag. One advantage to a synthetic rope bag is that they don't absorb water so much, so if you're practicing in the rain, the bag doesn't get outrageously heavy.

Straw and burlap is the cheapest way to go and they DO fly. I like mine. It took me about 2 hours to make it, and I'll be making a womens 10 pounder for Bethany to practice with. However, if you want to practice with something that's as similar to what you'll see at an actual Games, then you'll probably need to buy one.

[Detroitpete]

Yep Alan's right about the regional differences Forgot to mention a lesson I learned on homemade sheafs--If you plan to practice in anything but warm sunshine (I live in Michigan) straw gets wet and heavy fast. It also takes a long time to dry out. I stuffed mine with plastic twine. Doesn't hold mud and water long at all.

[Tiny]

Bill Wadell makes the bags most of the games in the area seem to use. his prices are good but shipping is a bear to get it to me. I may order one from him next year and pick it up during one of the competitions. till then just looking for something I can throw together and practice with this winter. Would go with the synthetic rope as I can see the straw getting watter logged after a few throws and never drying out till spring.


Any lifts I should be focused on in the gym?

[o1d_dude]

Shipping shouldn't be that bad. The bags only weigh 16 or 20 lbs and UPS should charge that much. My pop lives in Amherst Maine and he gets UPS on his dirt road.

As to lifts, the usual stuff. Snatch grip deadlifts, high pulls seem to get the best bang for the buck with the sheaf. They're some good for the rest of throws, too. Use your legs in the sheaf. That's where your strength is.