The “Devil's Swing” is one of our favorite combinations you can do with a steel mace.
It’s smooth, challenging, highly repeatable, and trains a ton of qualities at once without needing a super complicated setup. Once you get the rhythm down, it’s one of those movements you can just keep doing for rounds and rounds.
At its core, the Devil's Swing is simply combining a 360 and a 10 to 2 together continuously while reversing directions back and forth.
360 → 10 to 2 → reverse direction → repeat.
When you take that concept into single arm work, things get even more interesting.
What Is a Single Arm Devil's Swing?
A Single Arm Devil's Swing combines:
- A single arm 360
- Into a single arm 10 to 2
- Followed by a hand switch
- Then repeating on the opposite side
It creates a constant flow where both sides of the body are working while also forcing you to coordinate transitions, timing, grip, and positioning.
Unlike standard single arm 10 to 2 work where you typically switch hands every rep, the Devil's Swing extends the amount of time you stay connected to the mace on one side before switching.
That added time under tension builds:
- Grip strength
- Shoulder endurance
- Rotational control
- Coordination
- Confidence with single arm swings
For a lot of people, this movement actually feels smoother and more manageable than doing repeated single arm 360s by themselves.
Why This Movement Works So Well
One of the biggest benefits of steel mace training is the leverage challenge created by the long lever arm.
Even relatively light weight can create a large amount of torque once the mace starts moving. That means your body has to constantly:
- Decelerate
- Stabilize
- Redirect force
- Stay connected to the movement
The Devil Swing does a great job exposing all of that.
You’re not just muscling the mace around. You have to learn rhythm, timing, and positioning.
That’s why these kinds of flowing combinations can become incredibly effective for:
- Shoulder durability
- Grip strength
- Trunk rotation
- Athletic coordination
- Conditioning
- Movement efficiency
And because the movement alternates directions constantly, both sides get challenged evenly.
A Great Drill for Learning Single Arm 360s
One thing we’ve noticed is that a lot of people struggle more with single arm 360s than single arm 10 to 2s.
The Devil's Swing can actually help bridge that gap.
Because the movement blends both patterns together, it gives you more opportunities to practice the transition and build confidence without feeling like you’re grinding through isolated reps.
The momentum of the sequence can actually help teach smoother mechanics.
That said, you still want control.
Momentum in mace training is not cheating. It’s a tool. The key is learning how to manage it.
Hand Position Awareness Matters
Single arm work teaches you very quickly whether or not you actually know where your hands are on the handle.
That’s one reason we prefer a smaller pommel design on our handles. It acts as a guide without becoming something you completely rely on.
As your hands transition during swings, they may naturally migrate slightly up or down the handle. Learning to feel those adjustments without needing to constantly look at your hands is part of developing better mace control.
That awareness becomes even more important during flowing combinations like Devil Swings where transitions happen quickly.
The smoother your hand positioning becomes, the smoother the movement becomes.
Don’t Rush Into Heavy Weight
Like most mace movements, this is not something you need to load super heavy right away.
The goal first is:
- Clean transitions
- Smooth rhythm
- Controlled pullovers
- Consistent hand positioning
- Symmetry between sides
Once the movement feels natural, then you can slowly start increasing load.
One of the biggest mistakes people make with mace training is chasing weight before mastering positioning and timing.
The better your mechanics are, the heavier you’ll eventually be able to swing safely and efficiently anyway.
Boxes Checked ✅
The Single Arm Devil's Swing is one of those movements that checks a lot of boxes:
- Skill
- Conditioning
- Coordination
- Grip strength
- Shoulder resilience
- Rotational strength
- Fun factor
And honestly… it’s just satisfying once you get it flowing smoothly.
If you’ve been working on single arm swings, give this combination a try. Start light, take your time with the transitions, and focus on staying smooth instead of forcing the movement.
Watch the full video above for a full walkthrough and demo.
CK Maceworks adjustable steel maces are handmade in the USA with custom sizing, adjustable loading, and lifetime durability built for real training. Explore the full lineup here: CK Maceworks