# It is possible to do a real life Indiana Jones whip swing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-possible-to-do-a-real-life-indiana-jones-whip-swing/299585>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 16, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-possible-to-do-a-real-life-indiana-jones-whip-swing/299585 "2005-04-16T02:00:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-possible-to-do-a-real-life-indiana-jones-whip-swing/299585/21 "2013-11-19T06:53:42Z")

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Whips are ineffective against zombies. Use a shotgun instead.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-possible-to-do-a-real-life-indiana-jones-whip-swing/299585/22 "2013-11-19T08:45:28Z")

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> [@DrJohn](#):
>
> Roo hide

Move 'em on, hit 'em up…

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**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-possible-to-do-a-real-life-indiana-jones-whip-swing/299585/23 "2013-11-19T10:44:30Z")

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> [@buddha\_david](#):
>
> Whips are ineffective against zombies. Use a shotgun instead.

I did see a guy do tricks with a flaming whip though. Maybe a flaming whip could work at least keeping the zombies away from you (in the first Night of the Living Dead, zombies were deathly afraid of fire). Or maybe a flaming whip could light a zombie on fire, a known method of zombie extermination.

That being said, attempting a whip swing across a chasm with a flaming whip does not sound like a good idea.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-possible-to-do-a-real-life-indiana-jones-whip-swing/299585/24 "2013-11-19T11:49:30Z")

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Seems to me that if you got a secure enough hitch to take your weight, the problem would be in undoing it afterwards. It’s one thing to swing across a chasm and then casually retrieve your whip with a flick of the wrist, adjust your hat and be on your way; but you lose several million cool points if you spend a few minutes struggling to untie the whip and then have to leave it dangling there.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-possible-to-do-a-real-life-indiana-jones-whip-swing/299585/25 "2013-11-19T17:29:23Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> That being said, attempting a whip swing across a chasm with a flaming whip does not sound like a good idea.

[This guy can attest to that](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywZ5uo_3Y_A#t=3m20s).

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