To me, speed of the maul head is what matters, so I keep the thing moving and try for hard acceleration on the downswing, of course. For me, my method is far superior to raising straight over head, and back near your shoulder blades. Here is what I do (I'm right handed): with my right hand near the end of the handle and maul hanging down just off the right of my right leg I begin a clocklike motion from right to left swinging to my left by twisting at the torso, pointing my right shoulder in straight at the round (and thus, my left shoulder back). The maul is going to be swept up just slightly behind my left shoulder. As the head gets waist high I grab the handle with my left hand, loosely, at mid-handle, continuing the swing to get the head just above mine. At the top of the swing my wrist is almost touching the top of my head. When the head is straight above my head I begin the downward stroke, accelerating as best I can through the strike. My left hand slides as the maul comes down.
I hope the description is clear enough. I find this easier on the body and back. It requires little bending. I find myself rocking off my right foot a bit on the swing, but otherwise the stance stays strong. Last year I hand split 6 cords myself this way, but in the fall I bought a splitter, so I won't be doing much maul-swinging again (I hope). See this attached message below for an interesting technique.
MarkG
Here is a message posted over on the Arboristsite.com website, in the firewood and heating with wood forum. Seems really interesting, though I've never tried it. Posted by Mister Moe:
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Sure - here's a splitting tip - my buddy taught me how to REALLY split with a maul some years ago.
I watched in amazement as he laid open a two foot diameter chunk of oak with three hits! Then he showed me the secret: just as the maul head is about to hit wood, twist the head so that it's actually at an angle. Two things will happen: the maul will not get stuck in the wood, it will just bounce off. Also, the force is not just directed perpendicular to the wood leaving only the shape of maul head to split the wood apart but rather, the maul head is entering the wood at an angle and the force is directed sideways - now not only is the maul head wedging the wood apart, but the sideways force is also working for you. If it's a larger piece, say larger than a foot diameter, don't try to split it all at once, hit it two or three times. You'll find you can split it anywhere you want with this technique but for demonstration, let's say you want to split in half: hit the chunk in the center but towards one side then hit towards the other side - both of these hits should not be full out hits, just half-hearted hits to prime the wood. Then, on your last hit, just HIT it in the center and the chunk will explode in half like you wouldn't believe.
This technique does require some practice but once you get the idea, you'll be amazed at the efficiency of it. Now I can easily split two foot diameter sections with three hits. I have a splitter but I actually prefer to split by hand (I too need the exercise). If the chunk doesn't go after a few hits I'll just kick it aside for the splitter along with the really knotted pieces. Oh - one more thing - I find that maple and oak split best when green.
Hope this helps
Moe
!! Did I ever mention how much I hate elm?
