The Board

So I've been stood in the local park for a while now - I'm pretty sure I'm making regular tight loops both forward and back.

I've moved onto the 'Intermediate' lessons on the App. I spent this morning trying to figure out drift - the little 'up' movement after the back cast has straightened.

I just wondered how getting it wrong - the big 'shudder' - will manifest itself. Or are the problems getting drifting wrong pretty much the same as the previous issues you get - tailing loops, open loops etc etc.

Hi Neil

If you do the drift after the bc has straightened, then you're introducing slack, and you'll get waves, potentiel tails etc. The drift should be made while the line is unrolling in the air.

Cheers
Lasse

And it is a subtle movement. Not a double motion. Key is that you have a tight back loop, Neil. If you don't have the control of a tight back loop then very often drifting/attempting to drift makes the loop wider!

If you stand side-on you can watch the backcast easily and see what it's doing. What does it look like?

Cheers,
Paul

It is a subtle (blended) move as Paul notes, but at first you will probably make it look like two separate moves, kind of clunky. Don't get frazzled by that. Allow yourself to do one (form a backloop) immediately followed by Drift (follow through towards that that loop). With a short bit of practice you will blend the two elements.

Craig

Mel taught me to "feel for the line straightening". At least I think he taught me that, maybe that's my interpretation. A great bloke. I wish he was still around; I'd like to meet him how I am now.

Cheers, Paul

I'm having trouble 'getting' this - so I'm back to just concentrating on the basics and am quietly berating myself for thinking I'm better than I am.

Neil,

Have you tried Drift on your forward cast? That might provide some insight.
While Drift is usually thought of as a rearward move, it is merely a form of follow through and so can be applied to any cast, front or back.

Make sense?
Craig

Another option is to cast so that it lands on the ground, drifting while watching your rod tip. I'll dig out some old videos and pages on Sexyloops. I'll do this in the morning!

Cheers, Paul