Gordy,
I'm not sure where the people in the "Neither" category fit but I have found that teaching ground casting can be
effective. In particular, I find that when teaching younger students the method I learned from Soon Lee is
very effective. In this method the student starts by casting side arm with a very short line (just a few feet
of leader) and the line length is increased by a foot or two as the student demonstrates consistent, well formed
loops. When the student is able to carry 20 - 30 feet of line they begin working their way from a horizontal rod
plane to a vertical plane.
The reason that I find this works very well with younger students is that they have the
patience and understanding to back up a bit (i.e. reduce the amount of line they are carrying) if they start to
develop issues with loop control after lengthening the line. By backing up they quickly regain control and then
can move up to the longer line again. Younger students also have no problem with increasing the amount of
line carried by a foot or two at a time. Adult students seem to have a problem with backing up or only adding
a foot or two to the line carry each time.
I have taught beginners to false cast 30 feet of line in 5 - 10 minutes this way. I also find this works best with a
small student/teacher ratio. I've tried this with groups ranging from 1 student to 25 and the best results (as with
pretty much every other teaching strategy) are with the smaller groups.
One other thing I find essential is to be flexible. If a student isn't "getting it" be prepared to change strategies for
that student. Obviously, the larger the student/teacher ratio the harder it is to be flexible.
Thanks
Walter
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[GH] Walter,
My experience is that "ground casting" over a line or between lines works with most students.
I first learned of this method from Lefty Kreh.
Thing is that the student can SEE what is happening through the whole process.
I noted that this method with variations was mentioned several times in the quiz answers.
I have used it many times to take a step back to basics when I'm coaching a Master candidate who's main fault is failure to form nice tight back cast loops.
Gordy
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[GH] From Ckling,
Hi Gordy,
Thoughts on teaching roll cast. Essentially a forward cast but very difficult to learn well for beginners and even intermediates due to difficulty in loading/speed up and stop phase of static D loop/slack line. Need to appreciate how fast acceleration to a brisk stop to roll cast a line.
Find it easier when practicing on grass to initially just lay the 25 ft line straight behind, hold rod in starting of loading position and cast like a normal forward cast. No worry about slack from tip to ground as emphasis is on loading move which is amply doable in this situation. Once able to do well I.e reasonably good forward loops, lay the line behind but with a small loop, practice until forward loop good. Lay line behind now with medium size loop and once can forward cast this, put line with only D loop behind. With this exercise they always remember the feel of a good forward cast which is essential to a good roll cast.
If it has been covered before just bear with me.
Cheerios
Ling
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[GH] Ling.
Aahhh, YES !
I have noted the same.
Sometimes the very word,"ROLL" seems to give the student the impression that it is necessary to "roll" the rod tip into an arcuate (convex) path.
Tom White and I discussed this several years ago. His solution, for the student who is hard to break from that pattern :
He would say to the student, "OK, let's just make a forward cast. We are not roll casting". Then he'd do exactly what you do as he'd lay the line out on the grass straight back behind the caster in line with the target.
He'd, then, have the caster make a forward cast which usually went very well.
NEXT: He'd tell the student to keep looking at the target while he formed a long narrow loop as a D- loop (really a horizontal V-loop) behind. (The student never saw that loop). The fly was placed at the caster's feet.
The caster was told, as before, to make a forward cast.
He, then, repeated the process with the fly about one rod length in front of the caster. After a well executed cast, he'd then say, "You have just made a fine roll cast."
This was repeated with a static D-loop formed from the rod tip just behind the caster and Tom crouching while holding the fly; releasing it as a "roll cast tool". The student made a true standard roll cast.
(The reasons he crouched and held the fly as the anchor were, 1. He was quite tall. 2. We didn't have the roll cast tools we have now.)
I think you made a good point with the student being able to feel the rod load as the cast is performed.
Gordy
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[GH] Gary Davison agrees. He brings up some interesting points :
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