Impact Play Made Personal

So, you’ve seen how much fun people are having during Impact scenes you’ve happened by at play parties and events. You’re intrigued, and you want to join in on the fun. But how do you get started? Before you grab the nearest toy and start swinging it, you should definitely find a mentor, learn more about BDSM as a whole, and make sure you are in the right mental space to take on the role of a Top or Dominant. Once you’ve accomplished these very important steps, it’s time to get familiar with some popular Impact tools and learn some skills.

Impact Play Made Personal: Tips on Choosing Impact Tools

One of the most common misconceptions among people getting started in BDSM, and especially in Impact play, is that absolutely everything needs to hurt, and if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not being done hard enough. While there are plenty of people who do like to have their pain thresholds pushed and tested, it is not by any means a requirement. Impact play can deliver pain, but it can also be a light and sensual experience.

Impact pain is typically described with two types: “sting-y” and “thud-y.”

Sting-y pain is the sharp surface level sensation felt, such as when the skin is slapped with an open hand, while thud-y pain is denser and is felt much deeper in the body tissue, such as from a punch. Typically, people prefer one type of pain over the other, but it is also fairly common to enjoy a nice combination of both.

As a Top, it is recommended that when choosing Impact toys, you try the toys out on yourself first. Think about it: How can you possibly know the scope of the pain and sensation you are dealing if you’ve never felt it yourself? It is not a requirement for you to enjoy the pain and sensation, but experiencing directly how different tools feel at different strengths will help you become a more responsive and responsible Top for your bottom.

It is also recommended when choosing your very first bottom, that you choose a pillow. Prop a pillow up on a chair or couch and practice hitting certain spots on the pillow with intention. Then practice choosing a spot on the pillow and hitting that same spot multiple times. This exercise will help you learn the type of amazing accuracy and precision that will prevent injuries once you find a human bottom to work with.

Most forms of Impact play come with the probability of receiving marks on the skin. Most marks are temporary, but some can be permanent. The probability of marks not only depends on the tool and how intensely it’s being used, but also on the type of skin the bottom has. Some skin types are much more susceptible to marks than other types. Anyone who is considering being a bottom must make a personal decision on whether or not receiving marks is acceptable. Some people don’t want to have any physical evidence of having participated in BDSM play, while others wear their bruises, welts and scars like badges. The decision the bottom makes regarding marks will be an important factor in determining which tools are used, as well as the intensity of play.

Now, let’s have a look at the different Impact toys you can try as you search for your favorites.

Impact Play Made Personal: Types of Impact Tools

Hands

Hands are nature’s starter BDSM tools, so don’t overlook them, even after you have found your favorite tools. Spanking can be done with the bottom standing, bent over a spanking horse or bent over your knee. When administering spanks, the hand should be slightly cupped, with the fingers together. Spanks should start out light on the buttocks and can get more intense in strength and frequency as the skin starts to warm up. Getting familiar with everything the hands are capable of puts you on your journey to understanding all types of other implements. Learning and practicing sound spanking techniques is the start of that journey, but don’t stop there! The hands are capable of even more dynamic acts on even more dynamic parts of the body. Percussing, punching, and backhand slapping are all fun skills, but ONLY if you get proper guidance on where and how to perform those acts safely. The feet, buttocks, quads, upper back, arms and even the face are prime targets for the hands (with pre-established consent, of course). Bottoms will not usually receive any marks beyond temporarily reddened skin, with the exception of punching, which is typically concentrated on the buttocks and tends to produce bruises.

Crops

A crop is a semi rigid rod with a handle at one end, and a thin, flexible head at the other. Most crop heads are made of leather (genuine or faux). Initially used for training and controlling horses, the crop has also been given a permanent spot in the BDSM world as a fun and playful Impact toy. The most fun part of using crops is the delicious slapping sound the head makes on the skin. Crops are wonderful beginner tools for the Top and the bottom alike. They are easy to handle and control, and they typically generate more sound and sensation than actual pain. The pain they do generate is typically “sting-y”, but it is usually a very light and airy sting. There are certain specialty crops (with heads made of materials such as hard plastic, steel or silicone) that will deal a significantly more intense level of pain, but you can choose to work your way up to those crops, or steer clear of them altogether. Deciding which crop is best for you to wield depends on your Impact style. If you prefer to stay intimately close to your bottom during a scene, a shorter crop will work best for you. Conversely, if you like to create a bit of distance from your bottom while you work, a longer crop will give you a better reach. The longer crop, however, will take a little more practice to aim and control, as the longer shaft will be less sturdy than the shaft of the shorter crop. An additional benefit to crops is that they are fun and easy to have one in each hand! This will give you the ability to create rhythmic sound patterns on your bottom, and crop on different parts of your bottom’s body at the same time.

Sex & Mischief Amor Crop

Riding Crop with Loop

Riding Crop

Canes

A cane is a long, thin and typically rigid rod, made of a material such as rattan, bamboo, fiberglass or steel. Caning is an advanced skill, and one that should never be attempted as a beginner. You must be aware of which parts of the body are safe to cane and which parts should be avoided at all times. Body parts to avoid include all bones (especially the spine), the kidneys, the backs of the knees and the neck, face and head. When first starting to learn to cane, to be as safe as possible, keep the cane on the buttocks and, with the bottom’s permission, the extra sensitive area just below it, called “the underbutt” or “the sweet spot”. After you have practiced and gained enough skill and confidence, you can begin exploring other parts of the body to cane such as the soles of the feet or the quads. You must also be able to practice control of the caning arm, so that you are making contact with the correct area, and with the correct strength. As with crops, there are longer and shorter canes that cater to different topping styles. Longer canes will, of course, take more practice to control. Caning recipients must prepare for a potentially intense pain and must also accept the possibility of lingering marks, depending on the composition and thickness of the cane (thinner means more sting and welts, while thicker means more thud and bruises), as well as the strength the Top is using, as agreed on by both parties.

Paddles

A paddle is a broad flat plate with a short handle, intended to be concentrated on the buttocks. Paddles can be made of wood, plastic, silicone, leather, fiberglass and even incorporate fur! The pain (or sensation) received from paddles varies wildly by material and must be chosen carefully for your bottom (pun intended). While paddles are fairly easy to use, they can pack more of a smack than one might expect. Always err on the side of gentle when first starting out, both in your overall journey AND at the beginning of each scene, and try not to concentrate on only one area of the skin. Spreading out the target spots on the buttocks is key. Paddling delivers a lot of kinetic energy, so taking short breaks between every few swats to soothe the skin with your hand is a good way to ensure your bottom will be able to endure a longer session. An alternative method, for paddles that are particularly rigid and thick, is to periodically use the edge of the paddle to deliver a solid thud, for variety. Paddles tend to leave evidence such as reddened skin, pattern marks and even bruising. Along with canes, they carry the most potential of making it rather uncomfortable for the bottom to sit afterward, for even a few days! Therefore, you and your bottom should consider your plans for the next few days before engaging in any kind of heavy paddling. A long road trip right after a long and heavy paddling session may not be the most pleasant experience for the bottom.

Spanking Paddle In a Bag

Red Heart Aluminum Paddle

Leather Slapper

Floggers

A flogger consists of a handle with several strips of material emanating from it. These strips are called “falls”. Floggers can come in an overwhelming variety of shapes, sizes and materials. The material a flogger’s falls are made of range from synthetic (rubber, plastic, paracord, chain, etc) to organic (cow leather, bison leather, fur, etc). The material is a big determining factor of what being flogged will feel like. Pay close attention to the different organic hides being used to make the falls; deer and elk are some of the softest, while buffalo and bison are some of the hardest. When it comes to the synthetic falls, most, if not all of the materials will be on the harder side, making them choices that deliver more pain. The exception to this rule is vegan leather, which can have a softer feel, similar to some of the organic hides. Like crops, floggers can have short and long handles, which should be chosen based on your preferred style of topping. In addition to the different lengths, there are also a few different types of flogger handles besides the standard. There are floggers you can wield using only 2 fingers, floggers with ball shaped handles that nestle comfortably into the palm, and floggers that have the handle connected to the falls by a very short chain. Flogging targets on the body include the buttocks, upper back and chest. There are many ways you can swing (technically called “throwing”) a flogger, but the main methods are:

1. Holding the tips of the falls with the non-throwing hand and then flicking the falls toward the bottom

2. The standard horizontal figure eight pattern

Because floggers have so many moving parts, it can be difficult to make contact with the intended body part; therefore, Tops should always make sure the bottom is positioned correctly, so the flogger can make contact with the correct body parts while avoiding other parts. For example, when flogging the upper back, the Top should make sure the bottom’s head is tilted down, out of the path of the falls. Flogging is one of the hardest skills to perfect. Building skill with one flogger before investing in two is a good idea, as two floggers can be overwhelming for a beginner. This also gives the beginner time to figure out which type of flogger is most comfortable to use before investing in a set. Beginners should try out a few different styles of floggers, one at a time, as they all ebb and flow a little differently, depending on the material, style and size. Once you have gotten a good idea of which style of flogger suits your topping preference, you can choose to purchase a higher quality flogger (or two) of that style for permanent use. If you are investing in two floggers, you are likely interested in learning the popular flourishing method, called Florentine, which is a skill that incorporates both floggers into the figure eight pattern. Bottoms can receive a wide range of sensations, from heavy, deep tissue thudding, to light, buttery thudding, to slapping, stinging strokes. Marks from floggers are rare, but if a flogger is heavy and thud-y enough, it can possibly leave bruises.

Sportsheets Faux Fur Flogger

Lite Line Suede Flogger

Rainbow Pride Flogger

Impact Play Made Personal: How to Play with Impact Tools

When first figuring out your Impact style, you should consider deciding on two to three tools as opposed to just one. Variety is the spice of kink! If you are focusing on only one form of Impact, you may get bored, and there’s a good chance your bottom will as well. Additionally, it is better for the bottom’s body and skin to have a break from whatever tool you are currently using, in favor of a different one. That being said, don’t feel like you have to be an expert with ALL Impact toys, as splitting your focus too much could result in a mediocre skill level overall.

The best ways to gain skill with any tools are to attend classes or get one on one instruction from someone who has demonstrated a high skill level. Being able to have someone watch your developing technique is key, as you can receive critique and correction on the spot. Always remember to be humble. Everyone starts their journey at the beginning, with no skill, and everyone will make mistakes and hopefully learn from them.

Keep in mind that your bottom is not the only one who can change position during a scene! Sometimes you will benefit from kneeling to better reach a spot; sometimes reaching from the front of your bottom might feel better than only reaching from behind. Not only can it be a more logical choice for you to move, as opposed to your bottom, but if you happen to have a small audience watching, it can make for a more dramatic and dynamic scene for them to witness.

No matter which tools interest you, it is important to remember that as the Top, you are not simply there to hit the bottom to your heart’s content. The Top must walk a fine line between what the Top wants to dish out and what the bottom wants to take. The Top must take care of the bottom during the scene, by making sure the play doesn’t get too intense, checking in with the bottom to make sure there aren’t any unseen issues, and soothing the skin that’s been struck periodically. The Top also must take care of the bottom AFTER the scene, by making sure the bottom is in a good head space, rehydrating and providing comfort and security, if needed. Having a discussion with your bottom after a scene to find out if there was anything you did that wasn’t appreciated is a good idea. Communication is extremely important in order to maintain a good ongoing relationship between you and your bottom. Good aftercare game is an essential part of being a good Top. After all, as Safiya Darling says: “If you break your toy, you don’t get to play with it anymore.”

Switch Wicked

Switch Wicked is a 10+ year lifestyle and professional player, specializing in Impact and Sensation play. She teaches classes in the Los Angeles area with a focus on putting beginners on the right mental and physical path to safe and enjoyable BDSM play.

IG: Wicked_theSwitch

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