When should I hit it? Part 2

In part one of my "when should I hit it" tip we discovered that the stiffness of the rod will be one of the factors which determine when a caster should "hit" the cast. This casting tip will involve the parts of your body and arm that are used to "hit" the cast. Please remember that in every cast there is an optimum stroke length and stroke aggressiveness to match the caster's equipment and physique.

Every time I read a "tip" in a magazine I get a little irritated. It doesn't matter if it is a casting, golf, or other "tip". In every tip the writer assumes the reader already has a solid background in biomechanics, mechanical engineering, and is fluent in Latin. The truth is many teachers can describe a simple motion or action in a complex and confusing way. Just for fun try to describe all the motions and actions you need to take two steps. Wow it's hard, isn't it? It might go something like this; start with the muscles in your hip, which you use to pull on your thigh, which in turn causes your quads to lift and swing your knee up while allowing your foot to extend out in front of you in a smooth acceleration……… blah blah blah. This is hard isn't it? So when I attempt to describe the actions and motions used to cast a fly rod please forgive my assumptions and complexity of my descriptions.

In the next few paragraphs I would like to review the form used by great casters, many which use different strokes. Hopefully you can "relate" to one of the casting styles described below and pick out something that will help you. Keep in mind that it is best to examine your body type and your favorite casting motion to know if you are an explosive caster or a long stoke / smooth caster. Mr. Harvey Pennic, a famous golf instructor, used to tell his students "if you are going to try to copy the swing of someone make sure they have the same 'build' as you". I recommend the same thing for casting a fly rod.

The aggressive caster, one who likes to use an explosive burst of acceleration, will generally do better using little or no wrist in their cast. Remember in the first tip we discussed how the explosive caster would be the person who likes a stiffer rod. There is considerable more leverage against a person's hand and arm when they use a stiffer rod. The concept of a fly rod being a lever is one of the "engineering techno geek" things we instructors talk about and isn't important for everyone to understand. Just remember that a stiffer rod is harder to accelerate than a softer rod. Imagine trying to swing a hammer that has a handle that is twice as along as a normal handle. It would be difficult to swing the hammer and would require more strength wouldn't it? To swing a long hammer you might be better off using no wrist, or locking the wrist. So in essence a stiffer rod acts like a longer lever, which will require more strength and a more aggressive stroke to get the speed needed to cast a line.

To effectively cast a stiff rod a caster must work harder making a shorter stroke. This is the short twitch muscle person. They are able to reach their target using a short stroke. Since the wrist is the weakest link in the casting stroke of most people it should be used sparingly when using a stiff rod.

The opposite of the aggressive caster is the smooth longer stroke caster. When they cast their rod travels farther back and farther forward during the cast. They prefer rods that bend more and act like a shorter lever. The softer rod is easier to accelerate so many people who use softer rods can take advantage of their wrist speed. The wrist snap is most people's fastest twitch muscle movement. Every major league pitcher relies on the wrist snap at the end of their motion to add the final speed to their throws. Like a pitcher a fly caster can add their final speed or acceleration using the wrist. If the rod is too stiff your wrist will not be strong enough to add speed and may cause casting problems and cause bad loops. If the rod is softer it will not be too hard to snap the wrist at the end of the casting stroke.

So try making some casts using mostly wrist and try making some casts using almost no wrist. Repeat the experiment with a stiff rod and a soft rod to help identify which "style" best suites your body type.

In my next tip we will talk about the shoulders and upper body and how it relates to your personal optimal cast.

Take care,

Tim.

Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like bananas.