On Tug-of-war
August 6, 2009 7:19 PM Subscribe
Participating in a tug-of-war tournament this weekend. Looking for strategy advice to help crush my enemies and hear the lamentations of their women.
These will be friendly matches with standard rules and six person teams. I am open to all suggestions short of seriously foul play. Tested strategies? Time-honored training methods? Soccer cleats and hands slathered in Elmer's glue? We're not losing this year.
I have already perused these resources [pdf]. What are your best tug-of-war tactics?
These will be friendly matches with standard rules and six person teams. I am open to all suggestions short of seriously foul play. Tested strategies? Time-honored training methods? Soccer cleats and hands slathered in Elmer's glue? We're not losing this year.
I have already perused these resources [pdf]. What are your best tug-of-war tactics?
Obviously your biggest, most brutalist largest thighed person is your anchor. Ideally they're starting back-into their loop, and as you gain ground they're turning around and digging in forward. They want to keep the loop well above their waist, even as high as their armpits to keep it from slipping. If it goes down their legs, you lose.
If there's no tied loop for your anchor, then just make a loop.
In the past I've seen people do a single loop around the arm on the rope-side. (Rope is to your right, single slow friction loop around the right arm), as though you were doing a gearless belay, the idea is to create friction across your back and bicep and forearm AND hand, not just your hand.
A dirty tactic is a hardcore pull on the first whistle. More of a hardcore yank than a serious pull. Sometimes you just pull it right out of their hands cuz they're not ready. IF that fails, you often lose though, because you lose your balance on the pull and they just yank you right back.
The only other bit of advice I have is to have a designated yeller. Usually the person closest to the knot/tape/whatever, because they can see the progress the best. And yea, soccer cleats or football cleats = win too.
it's been a long time since I tugged war, but we did it a lot when I was a camp counselor.
posted by TomMelee at 7:26 PM on August 6, 2009
If there's no tied loop for your anchor, then just make a loop.
In the past I've seen people do a single loop around the arm on the rope-side. (Rope is to your right, single slow friction loop around the right arm), as though you were doing a gearless belay, the idea is to create friction across your back and bicep and forearm AND hand, not just your hand.
A dirty tactic is a hardcore pull on the first whistle. More of a hardcore yank than a serious pull. Sometimes you just pull it right out of their hands cuz they're not ready. IF that fails, you often lose though, because you lose your balance on the pull and they just yank you right back.
The only other bit of advice I have is to have a designated yeller. Usually the person closest to the knot/tape/whatever, because they can see the progress the best. And yea, soccer cleats or football cleats = win too.
it's been a long time since I tugged war, but we did it a lot when I was a camp counselor.
posted by TomMelee at 7:26 PM on August 6, 2009
Best answer: Use a suitable, tested rope.
Get your team low, and leaning back as far as they can, as soon as possible. The effort should come from straightening the large thigh muscles, and not from the arms or backs.
Chant ("Hey-Ho! Hey-Ho! Hey-Ho! Hey!!") or sing to keep all team members breathing in strain, and set a rhythm for "super-effort" tugs. Team members who fail or forget to breathe, become dead weight within a minute or so.
If you start to move the other team, keep 'em moving. Some teams give up hard won first advantage, by failing to keep the other team on the defensive, once they give ground.
If your team is very agile, and the rules you follow allow, "sawing" back and forth across the field, perpendicular to the direction of tug, can be disconcerting for an opposing team expecting only a simple direct strain. It gets you a chance to take out the first one or two of their team, on agility. Soon as they're down, you tug straight away, to victory.
posted by paulsc at 8:29 PM on August 6, 2009
Get your team low, and leaning back as far as they can, as soon as possible. The effort should come from straightening the large thigh muscles, and not from the arms or backs.
Chant ("Hey-Ho! Hey-Ho! Hey-Ho! Hey!!") or sing to keep all team members breathing in strain, and set a rhythm for "super-effort" tugs. Team members who fail or forget to breathe, become dead weight within a minute or so.
If you start to move the other team, keep 'em moving. Some teams give up hard won first advantage, by failing to keep the other team on the defensive, once they give ground.
If your team is very agile, and the rules you follow allow, "sawing" back and forth across the field, perpendicular to the direction of tug, can be disconcerting for an opposing team expecting only a simple direct strain. It gets you a chance to take out the first one or two of their team, on agility. Soon as they're down, you tug straight away, to victory.
posted by paulsc at 8:29 PM on August 6, 2009
Definitely stick to that six-person limit:
On October 25, 1997, Yang Chiung-ming and Chen Ming-kuo each had their left arms severed below the shoulder during a massive Tug-of-War event in Taipai, Taiwan. The event involved over 1,600 participants whose combined strength exerted over 80,000 kg of force on a 5cm (2 inch) nylon rope that could only withstand a maximum of 26,000 kg. The rope immediately snapped and the sheer rebounding force of the broken rope tore off the men's arms.
posted by Rhaomi at 8:29 PM on August 6, 2009 [5 favorites]
On October 25, 1997, Yang Chiung-ming and Chen Ming-kuo each had their left arms severed below the shoulder during a massive Tug-of-War event in Taipai, Taiwan. The event involved over 1,600 participants whose combined strength exerted over 80,000 kg of force on a 5cm (2 inch) nylon rope that could only withstand a maximum of 26,000 kg. The rope immediately snapped and the sheer rebounding force of the broken rope tore off the men's arms.
posted by Rhaomi at 8:29 PM on August 6, 2009 [5 favorites]
Any scuba divers in you crew they could wear diver belts with lead weights under their clothes. god...I can't believe I just said that...
posted by Muirwylde at 11:57 PM on August 6, 2009
posted by Muirwylde at 11:57 PM on August 6, 2009
Whatever you do, make sure you put towels on your anchor's shoulders (or whatever part of his body is in contact with the rope), to prevent searing rope-burn from the sawing motion he's going to experience back there.
posted by saladin at 5:25 AM on August 7, 2009
posted by saladin at 5:25 AM on August 7, 2009
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