Thumbnail guide

Another way of making the diagnosis of the cast made with the back loop curving around behind the caster was taught to me years ago by Rick Whorwood :-

4.) Have the caster make the back cast and let it drop to the ground behind. The layout will be curved around behind him.

This problem is one to consider when your student complains that "the rod won't load properly". (Of course there may be many reasons for that assuming his tackle is well matched and balanced.)

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I use "keep the reel pointing at the target", and this accomplishes the same rod position, without twist, as the thumb on top. I showed this to Lefty, and he agreed vehemently that this was an equally good teaching method. I typically hold my hand and palm out flat next to the side of the reel, and demonstrate that the reel should stay oriented in one single plane. This also works well in cross body and side arm casting.

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I used that method, too ...... then I had one student who made beautiful efficient casts with his thumbnail accurately in line with the targets. He didn't twist his wrist. Problem was that he held the rod cork twisted so that despite the correct position of his thumb, the reel was maintained in a rotated position ! At first, I couldn't figure out how he could make those great casts with the reel twisted around like that.

Usually, however, that method works fine and its easier to see at a glance than the thumbnail.

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I an effort to guage delayed rotation on the forward cast, I have students refrain from rotation until they can see their entire thumbnail width in front of them.

To delay rotation on back casts, I have them avoid rotating the rod tip & thumb up from below horizontal until their thumbnail is no longer visible on the draw back.

These are extreme positions that few fully emulate but it is another manner of having students be guided by their thumbnail.

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Gary, Glad you brought that up. Delaying rotation until later in the stroke has been shown by Bruce Richards to result in greater liklihood of achieving tight loops. That timing of rotation can be seen so well with the Casting Analyzer.

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