Discover our best Pahlavandle tips! Many people do not realize the amount of variability our Pahlavandle™ offers.
When you get your Pahlavandle™, the little card in the bag mentions the most basic things to know, but it’s impossible to list everything!
This post was written to introduce you to new possibilities, and get the best club swinging experience you can get.
Tip number 1: Get the right bottle
First, you must use plastic bottles that were made for carbonated beverages. The thread on that type of bottle is stronger than regular water bottles, and is an international size and standard in the industry. This is the exact match for our Pahlavandle™. Anything else is unlikely to work properly.
If there is a slight leak, unscrew the handle fully, and refit it on the bottle. Do not over tighten! If it still leaks, try another type of bottle. Some of our customers have reported that some of the cheap “homebrand sodas” do not always fit perfectly.
Carbonated beverages can be soft drinks, sparkling mineral water or even beer. BUT but but… drink the contents first, and then refill the bottles with tap water. If you leave carbonated liquids in the bottle and start to swing, you might experience leakage as the pressure build up increases with movement…
What’s in a name?
By the way, did you know why our little invention is called a Pahlavandle™?
In Persia, a Pahlavan was an accomplished warrrior, athlete and man of honour, a true leader in his community. Enters the Pahlavan-handle. We wanted to pay respect to the roots of club swinging, and make this training form available to anyone.
Tip number 2: Bottle shape
Now, not every plastic bottle is created equal… Generally, bottles with a classical wine bottle shape, a long neck, are structurally stronger and provide the best weight distribution, compared to a squarish bottle.
We recommend to use bottles up to 1.5 liters. While we have some people swing 1.75 and 2 liter bottles, usually in most countries, these bottles are too soft and bend at the neck, especially if your swings are less than perfectly smooth.
Tip number 3: Use different fillers
Also, just because these bottles were filled with water , it doesn’t mean you should only use water! If you collect a few bottles, you can build a whole collection of clubs up to 3kg!
We do not recommend using bottles heavier than 3kg.
For this, you will need sand or gravel, as they both have a weight coefficient roughly twice that of water. So 1 liter bottle filled with sand weighs roughly 2kg.
Some people worried about spilling water indoors even use rice or bulgur. Here the coefficient is about the same as water, so 1 liter equals 1kg.
There is a difference in sand, with beach sand being lighter than sand you would buy at a hardware store.
If you’re going to use sand, we recommend you to seal the tops of your bottles. Use silicone or any type of of flexible acrylic multi purpose filler. This will prevent sand getting into the thread, and prolongate the life of your Pahlavandle™.
Before you seal the bottles, you’ll have to let the sand settle. You could tap the bottles on soft ground (use a mat or carpet, and not directly on concrete as you may shatter the plastic) or swing for 10 minutes or so. Top up with more sand and repeat. WHen you can no longer add sand, it’s time to seal the bottles.
We do not advise using steel shot, as the max weight recommended for each bottle is 3kg. Again, it comes down to ensuring that your Pahlavandles last for as long as possible!
Customize the look!
You can go some steps further and let your creativity speak by creating unique designs.
We have had kids paint their bottles, and some used bright food coloring to add their touch of personality. Others have used colored gravel that you can find in shops selling aquarium supplies. You can truly make the Pahlavandle your own!
Tip number 4: Change the weight distribution
For a less aggressive and more forgiving club, fit our weighted inserts inside the Pahlavandle hollow space .
This brings the balance point closer to the hand, and gives you a bit more control.
The inserts weight 370g each.
To make a faster club that handles like a teardrop club, you could use a bottle of about 300-500 ml and fill it with gravel, or read on!
Tip number 5: Extend the lever arm
Since the recommended maximum weight for the Pahalavandle™ is 3kg, to challenge your strength and skills beyond that you need to extend the lever arm.
Screw 2 or 3 Pahlavandle together. The longer lever arm increases the resistance without any weight increase. We recommend 3 handles together as the maximum limit.
The longer handle lets you experiment with exercises designed for Persian meels or light maces.
Tip number 6: Shifting weight
Nobody says you have to fill the bottles chockablock before you swing them either. Filling bottles to 50-75% of their capacity creates a shifting weight. This is a great tool when first learning how to swing clubs, as the shifting weight creates an audible feedback, which can help you understand the swings.
One of my favorite ways to do this is to fill gravel inside a bottle to about 70%, and then add water. It creates a new dimension to the swings as the gravel moves around in water. Be creative!
Last tip
And the last of our best Pahlavandle tips is to use Fatgrips. They slide on and fit perfectly the Pahlavandle, and will give you a hell of a forearm and grip workout.
The thick grip forces you to engage all digits and muscles in your hand to hold on. This is why we have designed our Pahlavandle TG with a 50 mm grip.
Now, it’s up to you!
You won’t get stronger and healthier by reading our blog all day long, so get up and swing!
If you do not know where to start, we have you covered, with lots of great programs and tutorials.
And if you want heavier and bigger clubs, check out the whole Pahlavandle range!