# Give me hatteras cast mechanics advice?



## chinookhead (Dec 13, 2004)

I've seen many different "versions" of this cast. My 2 main questions are:

1) At what point in the swing are u suppose to hit it. At its farthest point out (swung away from u)? I've seen guys hit it after it comes back towards them, but I assume this is more of an "in the air unitech cast".

2) Is it suppose to be swung pre-cast at about a 45 to the water? That's about how it looks in Tommy's video, but I see some swing at what looks like a 90. 

--On monday I'm going to Robert Moses so maybe I'll be able to post some video bloopers for you guys.
opcorn:


----------



## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

chinookhead

There are as many versions of the hatteras cast as there are versions of the pendulum. No two casters or for that matter no two casts are ever exactly the same. We practice and strive for that "perfect cast" but it is very elusive.

The thing I try to teach guys (and gals) learning the hatteras cast is to concentrate on sound casting fundamentals. There really is no need to get caught up in the "Bob does the outswing like this" or "Billy hits it with the lead still rising" aspects of the cast. Work from the fundamentals and find what works for you. 

What are the fundamentals??

Learn the ground cast. Practice it, get it right then practice it some more. The Hatteras cast is nothing more than an areolized ground cast. Some will disagree with this statement but it is what it is. 

Learn to use a little body rotation, learn to extend the arms out and away from the body, learn to WAIT until your left hand is out in front of your eyes/forehead before you make the hit (answer to question #1). Everything up to that point is really just preloading the rod and getting in position to properly apply the power. You can swing it straight back (6:00 with 12:00 being the target) and power overhead to start but as you gain experience you should add a little rotation at a time until you get the outswing back to around 7:30-8:00 (question 2). The most power will be developed with an arc that brings the sinker around at 45 degrees (halfway between overhead and sidearm). 

I personally swing the outswing back to about 7:30, when the sinker reaches it point fartherest away from the rod with rod and arms extended fully toward the sinker. Nothing fancy, no flipping motion with the lead, no waiting for it to drop. I turn, rotate at the hips and uncoil. With the left out in front of my eyes and the right beside or slightly in front of the right shoulder THEN I apply the power for the hit. 

Practice the fundamentals.



Tommy


----------

