Andy Dear | Monday, 29 May 2023
"Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing."
---Ben Hogan
Several weeks ago I wrote a Front Page about my deep dive into the world of long-distance casting. Of course, this isn't the first time I've become obsessed with distance, but it is the first time where I have made the effort to really study the proper techniques to reach that 100' plus mark. Although I have known about the 170 stopless for many years, this was the first go at really implementing the extreme late wrist rotation. And, believe me when I tell you that proper tracking and late wrist rotation (along with an aggressive haul) are the holy trinities to really reaching out and touching someone.
The quote by Ben Hogan above epitomizes my feelings about the 170'. Leading with the butt of the rod and rotating the wrist at the very end of the stroke FEELS very counterintuitive. It FEELS like casting from a weak position when you are used to using brute force to bludgeon the line beyond 100' as I have been for 2 decades. But the first time you get the tracking and late rotation right, it is SHOCKING how narrow and energized the loops are.
After resting my ankle for the past two weeks, I went out yesterday evening, and after CONSCIOUSLY reminding myself about the "micro moves" need to execute the 170, I threw two inches over 120' with a 5-knot tailing wind. Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera rolling at the time, so I just shot a short video of the yarn fly against the measuring tape. Like the folks I sent the video to, I had my doubts this could be recreated, and I wanted to make sure that this wasn't an outlying anomaly, so I went out this morning and shot an actual video of the cast and the measurement in real-time, in hopes of recreating last night's success. The result? Two casts over 115'.
Not only is this a testament to Sexyloops as a resource, but to the quality of instruction that Nick and Paul are giving away for free in their video series.
If you've never delved into distance casting before, DO NOT be intimidated....if I can do this, anyone can. It is mostly a matter of technique, and NOT overwhelming brute strength. The hardest part is realigning and implementing a new world view into your beliefs about proper casting technique. It is an extreme mental adjustment, and quite difficult to implement and execute with regularity...something I will be working on for a long time I am sure!
And the funny thing? A 100' cast now seems like a simple chipshot. I now find myself curious what my on the water casting will be like with a matched rod/line after training with a 7wt. rod and a 5 wt. MED line!
Thanks again to Paul and Nick for such a great series....looking forward to upcoming 110+ video!
Hope you're all having a great week!
Andy