Walter & Group:-
This is my response to Peter Minnick's questions on the concept of looking at translational movement in the direction of the cast as, "pull" prior to the rotatory motion of the hand/wrist/rod butt section when making a distance cast.
Here, we're using the term, "translational" to mean motion in one direction with no rotation.
A copy of a message from Bruce Richards to me on this subject follows the message, below.
Gordy
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Peter...
The, "pull" is made by starting the forward cast with motion of the hand and rod in the direction of the cast as a straight line motion WITH NO ROTATIOIN OF THE WRIST AT ALL, AND NO CHANGE IN THE ANGLE OF THE BUTT SECTION OF THE ROD.
As Bruce pointed out, this delays the rotation of the wrist until later in the stroke. Rotation then starts at which point the rod tip moves a LOT faster.
We could look at it as using this translational (forward hand path) motion to start the loading move, then reserve the rotation for the, "power snap".
By delaying this rotational phase until some translational pull has occurred, it does several things, as I look at it:
1.) Allows the rotational phase (rod arc) to start with the translational phase having removed any residual slack.
2.) Prevents an unwanted spike of power too early in the stroke, thus minimizing the likelihood of a tailing loop.
3.) The translational phase (pull) also begins rod loading and may result in slightly greater overall rod load when the rotatory phase comes in to play.
4.) Helps smooth out the cast by achieving the concept of, "start slow and end fast".
5.) The translational phase, "starts the ball rolling" by overcoming start-up inertia so that the rotatory phase doesn't have to do that making the rotatory phase a little more efficient.
6.) As Bruce Richards points out, when this is done on distance casts the loops get tighter and more efficient. (The earlier the rotational phase starts, the wider the loops. If you want to make a super wide loop such that the fly leg is high and the rod leg horizontal, for example, all you have to do is place that rotational phase and the beginning of the stroke and avoid the translational phase ("pull") altogether.
I respect the fact that our engineers and physicists don't have the terms, "pull" and "push" in their scientific lexicon. These terms, however, do have a place in common language of non-scientific folks. My students do seem to understand it when I demonstrate translational movement in the first part of the casting stroke as a, "pull".
With the casting analyzer and video techniques, Bruce has noted that the very best competition casters use this translational phase and delay their rotational, "turnover" very effectively.
I'll include one of his messages to me on this subject.
Gordy
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I had pointed out to Bruce, Tim Rajeff's observation that you can't make much of a cast using only translational movement without rotation, but one can make a fair cast with rotation and rod arc alone. To make a really efficient cast, you need both. Below is his answer. Read it carefully. There is a lot of information in his paragraph:-
Gordy
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From: bwrichards@xxxxxxx
To: "Gordon
Hill" <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: FW: Guy Manning's study/
competition distance casting
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:01:46
-0500
Gordy, very accurate observation.... Compared to rod tip motion
(a result
of rotation primarily), hand motion is short and slow. Translation
adds
little speed, and speed is critical for distance, of course. I
strongly
feel that the translational movements most important contribution to
the
cast is in pulling slack from the line which allows much more efficient
use
of the rotation. Top casters are all "pullers", another term for
delayed
rotation. But while rotation is being delayed, all the great casters
are
translating forward, pulling the line straight, preparing for rotation.
In
using the analzyer with interm. and adv. casters I find I spend most of
my
time getting them to delay rotation. Slow, early rotation is the
single
biggest thing that prevents them from throwing great loops. The stop
is a
close second. Once we get the rotation fixed and make the stops faster
and
more complete, the loops transform from nice loops to dynamic, top
pointed
wedges that require about 30% less energy to throw. The change feels
very
dramatic to the caster and all have been amazed by the loops they
throw....
Can't wait to show this thing to you Gordy, you'll love it.....
Will you
be going to the SE conclave in GA in June? I'll be going and will
have the
analyzer with me....
Bruce
Scientific Anglers/3M
4100
James Savage Rd.
Midland, MI 48642 USA
Tel: 989-496-1113
Fax:
989-496-3374