What is impact play? 
Impact play is a form of kink play that involves hitting or striking your partner either with an impact instrument or with your own body. It is frequently used in sadomasichism play, and generally the most common thought of play type. When used as a punishment, it can fulfill the discipline aspect of BDSM.
There are numerous types of impact play, including but not limited to, spanking, hitting/kicking, paddling, flogging, whipping, cropping, caning, and more.
Safety
As with all play, the most important things in terms of safety are consent and using safewords. Play without genuine consent is abuse/assault, so it is detrimental that all involved parties are consenting to play. Safewords provide an extra safety net to play. They allow us to communicate when we are close to our limits, and when we need to tap out. Remember, using safewords is never the end goal; which is especially true in impact play.
Remember SSC, RACK, PRICK, BORK, and CCCC? Those are also safety measures that should be considered and utilized during the preparation and execution of impact scenes. Which do you follow, and how can you incorporate it into your impact play?
For impact play, you made need to incorporate specific things in your first aid and aftercare kits. Scissors, bolt cutters, or a knife can be very important if you intend on using restraints. Aloe, antibiotic ointment, cooling lotion, soothing balms, and various bandages are all important if impact play breaks the skin. Ice packs and heating pads are good for sore muscles.
The importance of research and practice is crucial for impact play. Depending on the instrument used in play, different techniques can be used to wield it. It is also extremely important to know some basic human anatomy, and where are safe and unsafe places to strike. General rule of thumb: the more squishy and fleshy the area, the better that area takes impact. Places like the buttocks, thighs, and breasts are great areas. The forearms and shoulder blades can take some impact, but may not be able to take harder impact. All joints, the neck, stomach, and lower back, are NO ZONES, meaning impact should n ver be implemented in these areas. Any area that is already injured should also be avoided.
Finally, it is important to find your own limits and pain threshold. When starting out, it may be a good idea for the receiver to provide a numeric level of where they gauge the strike in terms of their pain threshold. What one person may label as a 3, another may label as a 7. As you explore more together, you’ll find an intensity level that works for both of you. Different impact instruments will provide different intensities and are usually labeled either as a “stingy” pain or a “thuddy” pain. Thuddy impact usually leaves longer lasting marks, whereas stingy impact is usually able to be handled for a longer period of time.
The Scene
There are various positions for easy impact play. Putting the receiver over the knee (otk) is great for short range impact like spanking and paddling. Standing the receiver is great for whipping and flogging. Putting the receiver on all fours or bent over is great for long range paddles, canes, and crops. You may find having the receiver lay down works best for high intensity impact. Any of these positions can be reinforced with restraints, which not only can heighten pleasure for a receiver who enjoys them, but also provide physical support during impact play.
Start your scene with a warm up. Softer impact with open hand spanking, using a paddle, or even a wooden spoon, hairbrush, or wooden ruler, will ease the receiver into impact, and prepare them for harder impact.
Move to a bit more intensity and more sting, gradually. Slappers, and light flogging are great tools to
slowly increase intensity.
At the height of your scene, you can touch your max intensity with canes, crops, belts, whips, long range paddles, and harder flogging. Remember the goal is not to make the receiver safeword, rather to experience pleasure through the pain of impact. For punishments, you can push intensity further (if consented to). Ultimately, the length of the scene will greatly depend on the limits of the receiver.
Bring your scene back down from this intensity by easing back down into lighter impact, striking slower with less force, and then move into aftercare as you would with any play. Impact play is notorious for triggering drop. Be prepared to tend to drop symptoms for both parties. The crash from high adrenaline can easily push the receiver into drop, and the post-scene clarity can leave the giver uncertain about what they just did - triggering drop. Depending on the intensity of play, there may be wounds to tend to, sore muscles, fatigue, dehydration, and may other after affects. Be prepared to address any affects that may come up during your aftercare.
Keep It Interesting
Use your own creativity to keep impact scenes interesting. Having the receiver pick out and prepare the impact tools before play starts, or even having them create the tool, can provide time for them to meditate
and mentally prepare for play. During play, having the receiver count each strike, or provide gratitude or praise after each strike, can keep them mentally present in the moment, and practice discipline. Wearing costumes or fetish gear, even roleplaying during impact play can offer creativity and keep scenes interesting. Using the handle of an impact instrument to penetrate the receiver, or having the receiver wear a plug or clamps, can increase intensity levels. Remember, you can always incorporate impact play into other types of scenes as well!
Get creative with impact instruments. While we have discussed some common ones, creative freedom is encouraged! Kitchen utensils, yard sticks, a rolled newspaper or magazine, jump ropes, sandals, some sports equipment like rackets, and even a sock with a tennis ball inside it, can provide creative impact play and be budget friendly.