Walking around while flycasting

[Graeme H]

Hi Mark, and all,

I’ve been experimenting with this exercise with many of my “athletes” recently. This is a highly effective exercise. I would suggest that everyone gets a regular dose of this as part of their training, at all skill levels. It’s a very effective way of breaking inbuilt habits and instilling new ones.

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Hi Paul,

Can you describe this exercise please? This thread is a mystery to me so far.

Cheers, Graeme

[Paul Arden]

Hi mate,

Simply: just have them walk around while false casting. You can take it multiple ways from there. Depending on how experienced they are I’ll go to all planes. You set that exercise and next time you see them they are a different caster.

Cheers, Paul

[Paul Arden]

There is one guy at the moment who I’m working with, and I set him this drill. He went to a July 4th parade where the fly fishing club had a float, so off he went walking down the street falsecasting.

He really is a new man. I can’t ever remember seeing a change like that in anyone. If he can do his CI test walking he’ll nail it!

[alanj]

where the fly fishing club had a float,

Surely they should have a fly not a float?

Walking really is a great exercise though. I initially thought it was more of a distraction technique but of course its the wrong way round as you can, hopefully, already walk. So it seems more a way of disconnecting the notion of a fixed stance and action - possibly created through watching too many videos!

I'm off to walk around the garden now ....

[Lasse Karlsson]

Like using walking and casting short lines as a warmup. Really cleared my head in Yellowstone after having Pauls socks stuck under my nose before my MCI test....

Cheers
Lasse

[Paul Arden]

I don’t know why it works Alan. I think distraction is a part of it. Certainly that’s the feedback I get. But I also think it’s more deep seated. Total body movement would also make sense. I really don’t know.

I’m learning to swim at the moment. As in faster. Had three lessons. Watched a lot of YouTube and there is good stuff there. So much of it is internal focussed though. It’s more internal focussed than flycasting! I’m trying to create external cues for myself while learning drills. Currently I’m trying to learn the two beat kick. It sort of reminds me of this.

Cheers, Paul

[Paul Arden]

Like using walking and casting short lines as a warmup. Really cleared my head in Yellowstone after having Pauls socks stuck under my nose before my MCI test....

Cheers
Lasse

Yep me too. I remember when working for Guide Fly Fishing taking customers to the rod testing area I would cast my way there. We have it.

Cheers, Paul

[VGB]

I don’t know why it works Alan. I think distraction is a part of it. Certainly that’s the feedback I get. But I also think it’s more deep seated. Total body movement would also make sense. I really don’t know.

It’s wrapped up in what Mark mentioned earlier “being able to differentiate between good outcomes and bad as they move”. When you are not moving it is similar to blocked practice and the outcome can be achieved by repeating the same motion over and over. If you are walking, changing planes or doing the twist, the caster is still trying to maintain the desired outcome in a changing environment which forces them to adapt their solution.

In motor learning methodology this is called contextual interference and it has been found to initially hinder performance but lead to superior long-term skill retention and more robust performance.

Regards

Vince

[VGB]

This is worth a read for anyone that wants to take a deeper dive:

https://sportscienceinsider.com/context ... ce-effect/

[Stoatstail50]

It works because it exploits perception action coupling and self optimisation.

It actively promotes self efficacy so it fits well in a spiralling or stepped lesson structure.

It is surprising to the caster, a novel experience which usually persuades a caster that they can perform a seemingly complex series of movements and still get a positive result.

It is loosely based on basic concepts listed in other threads in the teaching section, Ericssons Deliberate Practice, Newell on Constraints and Wulff on Focus of Attention.

As Vince has pointed out this is a totally bog standard and well researched teaching technique used frequently in other disciplines.