# Lazy left arm



## Funkey Bunker (Dec 7, 2005)

For the life of me I can not get my left arm to pull down on a cast. I have practiced with a broom handle and the arm seems to work but when I go to cast nothing happens with the arm. HELP!!!


----------



## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Practice the groundcast.


----------



## Big EL (Apr 8, 2002)

*Tommy*

Please describe "the ground cast"

><))))*>


----------



## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

Funkey Bunker said:


> For the life of me I can not get my left arm to pull down on a cast. I have practiced with a broom handle and the arm seems to work but when I go to cast nothing happens with the arm. HELP!!!



It's only a guess without actually seeing you cast-- I'm betting your right arm is dominating the cast and the left just goes along for the ride-- for the most part. 

It's easy to trick yourself into making the right motions with a broom because you are not fighting the sensation of a rod loading up and pulling back against your forward movement. For a lot of people when they start to feel the rod load they power up with a big "push" from the top hand-- and inevitably "forget" to pull hard with the left. A pull is only possible if you get and keep your pulling hand out away from the body-- elbow mostly straight-- and pull at the last second.

I agree with Tommy the easiest way to practice is with the groundcast-- then you can straighten the top (right) arm out and isolate it like it's a fulcrum or balancing point - resist the urge to "throw" the rod forward with the top hand-- the bottom hand should pull the rod around the balance or "pivot point" formed by the top hand. Once you get the feel for it you can gradually add power back in with the top arm, but starting out you want to isolate it and focus on the pull.

Keep at it -- I struggle with a weak pull too-- but it will improve with "proper" practice.

One point of clarification. The reason a lot of us have weak pulls (myself included) is that we start to let the front arm get in too close to the body before it should-- keep the elbow straight and create as much distance with the pulling hand away from the body as you can-- if it collapses early there is no room for an effective pull -- you might feel like you're pulling for all your worth, but if there is only room for a short distance you don't create tip speed with the pull. 
However keep the arm straight and time it right and it will feel almost effortless and you'll start to hear a noticable increase in the tip speed as it goes by.


----------



## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

plenty on u tube this is a good cast to start with


----------



## ReelinRod (May 29, 2003)

The Brighton or Unitech is a dangerous cast to perform with modern high modulus carbon/graphite rods.

It over stresses the tip because you are essentially high sticking the rod.

A high modulus carbon/graphite rod should never be bent at an angle less than 90 degrees tip to butt.

A great vid showing champion left arm extension and pull is this one:


----------



## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

ReelinRod said:


> The Brighton or Unitech is a dangerous cast to perform with modern high modulus carbon/graphite rods.
> 
> It over stresses the tip because you are essentially high sticking the rod.
> 
> ...


I did not know that and I have used that cast for yrs with a shorter tag and never had a problam with any of my rods , but mabe I dont hit it that hard 


9


----------



## ReelinRod (May 29, 2003)

9 rock said:


> I did not know that and I have used that cast for yrs with a shorter tag and never had a problam with any of my rods , but mabe I dont hit it that hard


Shorter drop is better, the quicker the lead gets behind and outside the tip the better. Terry's method is less drastic than *Nick Meyer's longer drop*. 

Nick begins by placing the lead only 2ft of so behind the back foot.


----------



## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

ReelinRod said:


> Shorter drop is better, the quicker the lead gets behind and outside the tip the better. Terry's method is less drastic than *Nick Meyer's longer drop*.
> 
> Nick begins by placing the lead only 2ft of so behind the back foot.


I learned that cast to teach my uncle who is 70 and does not have much strength it seem to load the rod by itself with little effort needed I told him to start the cast with the pull of the left arm , he only throws it about 35yds 8nb , I use it just to get a little more than a Hatteras cast




9


----------



## SNDFLEE (Sep 8, 2010)

*Keeping left arm straight*

I too have a problem with this could you recommend any videos I could watch Tommy. I would like to study more of the mechanics etc. of a cast such as the arm straight thing.


----------



## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

SNDFLEE said:


> I too have a problem with this could you recommend any videos I could watch Tommy. I would like to study more of the mechanics etc. of a cast such as the arm straight thing.


Tommy has many videos on youtube




9


----------



## SNDFLEE (Sep 8, 2010)

I was wondering if he had any hard copies but thank you for answering.


----------



## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

No hardcopies for now. 

Take a look at these two clips. This is primarily describing a tournament style groundcast but the same fundamentals apply to the fishing groundcast. Just lay the sinket on the ground behind you with the sinker laid out behind you (between 6-8 if the target is 12 oclock) with no slack in the leader.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAuMsGfQczw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wnqhCpJTVU&feature=related

Keep the rod out and away from the body and concentrate on pulling with the left as you punch with the right.

Hope this helps,

Tommy


----------



## Led (Feb 1, 2001)

ReelinRod,

I have been using the Brighton cast for fishing for many years with modern day hi-modulous rods without any breakages, you will probably find that less rods are broken sing this method than the pendulum style.

The mechanics of any cast is about applying the power at the correct time to maximise the rod as a lever. 

Here is a short video


----------



## SNDFLEE (Sep 8, 2010)

*Thanks Tommy*

Thanks Tommy for the specific link. If you can think of or know of any hard copies would like to put em on the big screen. Thanks


----------



## Funkey Bunker (Dec 7, 2005)

*Thanks Guys*

A lot of good information here! I am going to shorten my drop to 4' and concentrate on pulling on my left and letting my right go along for the ride instead of vice ver-sa. Thanks again.


----------

