CI test question

[jarmo]

Something to try I learned from Bruce Richards and many people including myself have used it to fix Tennis Elbow. Take a wooden broom and cut 18” off the handle. Then hold this in your hand midway along and with a completed straight arm twist the handle clockwise and anti-clockwise as an exercise - like a propeller.

I’ll try this starting tomorrow.

Given that the length increases with improved elbow condition, I assume that this is a conditioning/strengthening exercise, not mainly stretching. Right ?

[Paul Arden]

I think at first it’s stretching but I’m not really sure how it works.

[Stoatstail50]

Although it can be caused by repetitive wrist extension the most likely source of the problem for casters is grip. This is because we tend to overgrip if we are consciously trying to stabilise the wrist during a casting stroke. Basically we squeeze harder and the wrist carries on doing whatever it was doing anyway

Firstly, take a short rest from the casting to let it calm down, this is the hardest thing to do if you are prepping for a test...do a bit of theory work to fill in the time.

Secondly, if you use a thumb up grip then you are more likely to overgrip during a casting cycle than if you are using a finger up, three point or v grip. You may not want to change how you hold the rod but it made a massive difference to me when I did it, thumb up is a squishers grip.

Lastly, however you hold it, wrap your rod handles with tennis racquet tape, this makes them a bit fatter. If you do this you will find that you don't have to grip as hard as you did with a narrow cork handle.

If you are going to do the rotation exercises try doing it with a can of soup, a coffee jar or a water bottle, anything with a bigger diameter than a broomstick, the broomstick will make you squeeze again which I think is something you would want to avoid.

Hope that helps

[jarmo]

Although it can be caused by repetitive wrist extension the most likely source of the problem for casters is grip. This is because we tend to overgrip if we are consciously trying to stabilise the wrist during a casting stroke. Basically we squeeze harder and the wrist carries on doing whatever it was doing anyway

... if you use a thumb up grip then you are more likely to overgrip during a casting cycle than if you are using a finger up, three point or v grip. You may not want to change how you hold the rod but it made a massive difference to me when I did it, thumb up is a squishers grip.

I use the three-point grip.

I think there are two primary reasons for my condition. The first one is overuse, particularly when practicing roll casting and roll-cast pickup on grass and on ice without anchor, as mentioned above. These drove me nuts, resulted in huge numbers of repetitions (on my own, without supervision), and with improper technique produced either no or very little "preload" before late wrist rotation, which made the final squeeze uncontrolled and erratic. I think since early April, when I started practicing in earnest, I must have spent tens of hours on these two tasks. With the tips I got from Paul it seems I got it now, but it still took me another 3 hours today.

The second reason is that when using the three-point grip, I really enjoy using the bottom two fingers when doing the final squeeze in a forward cast. It is not painful, but I think with so many repetitions the relatively weak muscles involved just started protesting. I now try to employ the thumb and index finger more.

... take a short rest from the casting to let it calm down, this is the hardest thing to do if you are prepping for a test...do a bit of theory work to fill in the time.

Like I wrote above, only 3 hours today, and tomorrow I am teaching a small group of beginners and intermediate casters for 3-4 hours in order to try to gain some teaching experience. So I will leave this box unchecked for the time being.

If you are going to do the rotation exercises try doing it with a can of soup, a coffee jar or a water bottle, anything with a bigger diameter than a broomstick, the broomstick will make you squeeze again which I think is something you would want to avoid.

Thanks, I just did a couple of sets with a water bottle, and it felt pretty good. I will repeat this daily for the time being.

Lastly, however you hold it, wrap your rod handles with tennis racquet tape, this makes them a bit fatter. If you do this you will find that you don't have to grip as hard as you did with a narrow cork handle.

I will consider this too.

Hope that helps

Once again I am highly impressed by the helpfulness of you experts on this board. Much appreciated!

[jarmo]

My next question is about tasks 4 and 5, reach mends, particularly about the cases where shooting on delivery.

When shooting line in these tasks, it gets relatively frequently tangled around the lowest rod section. This is because shooting and lateral movement occur at the same time (at least that's the way I do it now). I know these are "rod hand only"-tasks. However, if I do not use my line hand to haul, is it ok to keep the line in line hand and shoot through the O-ring?

[Paul Arden]

Yes no problems.

[OLDGOLD]

Although it can be caused by repetitive wrist extension the most likely source of the problem for casters is grip. This is because we tend to overgrip if we are consciously trying to stabilise the wrist during a casting stroke. Basically we squeeze harder and the wrist carries on doing whatever it was doing anyway

Firstly, take a short rest from the casting to let it calm down, this is the hardest thing to do if you are prepping for a test...do a bit of theory work to fill in the time.

Secondly, if you use a thumb up grip then you are more likely to overgrip during a casting cycle than if you are using a finger up, three point or v grip. You may not want to change how you hold the rod but it made a massive difference to me when I did it, thumb up is a squishers grip.

Lastly, however you hold it, wrap your rod handles with tennis racquet tape, this makes them a bit fatter. If you do this you will find that you don't have to grip as hard as you did with a narrow cork handle.

If you are going to do the rotation exercises try doing it with a can of soup, a coffee jar or a water bottle, anything with a bigger diameter than a broomstick, the broomstick will make you squeeze again which I think is something you would want to avoid.

Hope that helps

As I said on Saturday as well Mark,if you fish with a couple of rod set ups on any given day, as I do on Stillwaters, have different grip shapes and thicknesses on them, just to halve the repetition at any one grip size.

[jarmo]

Yes no problems.

Thanks!

(Regarding the tennis elbow thing: if I wouldn’t be training for the test, I would be fishing with my non dominant hand for the time being.)

[Stoatstail50]

have different grip shapes and thicknesses on them, just to halve the repetition at any one grip size.

I get a bee in my bonnet about grip...was I in rant ?

[OLDGOLD]

Nope, not a rant in sight. I think we both agree that most grips are way too slim.