Group....
Some of you have this outline, as I sent it a couple of years ago.. Many of you have read the original paper.
SUMMARY OF PAPER BY AL KYTE AND GARY MORAN ENTITLED, " GOING FOR DISTANCE...GOOD VS. ELITE CASTERS". : Fly Fisherman, May, 1993.
The authors made a detailed study of the differences in the casts made by the, "good" casters compared to those made by the, "elite" casters using videography and other techniques.
1.) The elite casters straightened the back cast line more completely...and did so with noticeably smaller loops.
2.) They STOPPED THE ROD more abruptly on the back cast.
3.) They bent the rod tip back farther on the back cast.
4.) They moved the rod tip through a more straight path during the loading phase.
5.) They achieved maximum rod bend just before the STOP on the forward cast.
6.) Their rod hands moved in a slightlly more downward path.
7.) Their most common error was to apply power too soon. ( ie. they applied their maximum force a bit too early in the stroke.) (Good casters)
8.) Elite casters, "imparted more bend in the rod, and did so with better timing."
9.) They had a low release angle averaging only 6 degrees to the horizontal.
10.) They moved the rod though a wider angle.
`11.) They did this by allowing the rod to drift back and down, ".....an additional 10 to 15 degrees after the STOP of the back cast.
12.) Their stroke length was greater. (Stroke length defined as the distance the caster's hand moves the rod butt toward the target.)
13.) They used the longer casting strokes and wider casting arcs IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME and so achieved greater line speed.....and the same level of force and rod tip speed over a greater distance, yielding a total application of force which was greater.
14.) Elite casters made greater use of their body mass and musculature than did the good casters.
15.) "The most effective haulers pulled the line back a greater distance primarily during the final, accelerated stages of loading. Thus they stopped the haul and released the line farther back, as well."
16.) They combined styles: "They moved the elbow out to the side of the body during the back cast which opened the way for inward rotation of the shoulder. Then they moved the elbow ahead of the shoulder during the forward cast which enabled them to use a strong elbow extension as well."
17.) They used an, "educated wrist" motion during the final acceleration of the stroke, "averaging 45 degrees; 10 degrees more for the elite group.
18.) In most cases, the final 20 to 30 degrees of wrist action quickly tilted the butt of the rod forward, just prior to the STOP.
19.) With the best casts, the rod butt STOPPED ABRUPTLY so the butt of the rod moved hardly 1 degree ! The less successful casters couldn't hold the rod as steady.
This is not a substitute for reading the whole article, but it gets some important points across. I might point out, that although no names were used, among the elite casters were 2 world champions.
Gordy