The first of these problems is that you have to grip the rod too
firmly, and use all your fingers. If you don't, the tip of the
rod will fall away to the ground.
Secondly, you will find that as
you bring the rod back to cast your wrist will lock. This, in turn,
will force you to use more arm action, destroying the natural action
and resulting in less distance, less accuracy and the expenditure
of more energy.
Thirdly, on the forward thrust, your thumb will
want to lift off the line on the spool. This will occur
as a direct result of the mount of your palm and your fingers fighting
to grip the rod, to stop it leaving your hand. Once your thumb
cocks up in the air as a result of this wrong grip, you can guarantee
a back-lash. Your thumb will never get back down on the spool quickly
enough to stop it.
By rotating the reel to the side,you no longer
have to hold the rod with that vice like grip. You can
now relax your grip, bring your fingers into the cast, and it becomes
all wrist action, with a completely relaxed forearm.
The forearm
in fact becomes an extension of the rod's length, pivoting at the
elbow, while your upper arm remains relatively motionless.
Before you attempt to practice you should make sure your spool
contains enough line. The line should fill up to the bottom of
the chamber on the top edge of the spool. A full spool does not
have to revolve so quickly as the line peels off on the cast.
If the spool is only half full you are going to need more force
to overcome greater rotational inertia in getting the spool going.
This is sure to result in problems.
You should treat yourself to
a set of casting plugs. They are not expensive and will make practice
in the back yard that much more enjoyable.
Choose the biggest plug,
as this is the best to get the feel with when you are first starting
out.
You should sit down, holding the rod and reel
in the correct position, and with the rod point in the
air. You then allow the plug to drop to the floor, feathering the
line as it drops, but only stopping the spool as the plug reaches
the floor.
By continually doing this exercise for a minimum
of 20 minutes, you teach your thumb the process of controlling
the spool.
As the line drops to the floor you should be able
to feel the rotating spool, tickling your thumb as it spins.
Your 20 minutes practice teaches your thumb to feather the line
on the way out to the target, to stop the lure or bait when it
reaches its target, and not to point North.
Twenty minutes is not
much when you consider the practice required for the golf swing!
If you're prepared to do this the advice is well worth heeding.
Having
driven the family mad with your 20 minute feathering exercise,
you should then be ready to take on the dog in the back yard.
Once
outside, flex the rod back and forth whilst holding the spool with
your thumb. This is not a 20 minute exercise - just flex the rod
back and forth to get the feel of the rod loading and unloading.
It is a continuous backwards and forwardmotion taking the rod
well back, but don't stop the rod in the back position
