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In frame 1 we can see, with respect to the horizontal plane, my line hand is in front of the pivot line running through my rod hand. I am PULLING the rod over and through rotation…….that is good. By the second frame my hand is still I front of that line…my pull still has a forward vector and I am assisting and adding to the forward acceleration of the rod. By the third frame and beyond, my line hand is IN LINE with the pivot line and my pull is NEUTRAL , then as the line hand gets behind the rod hand, actually pulls back against the push and rotation I am applying through my rod hand. Not good….but there are offsetting factors.
But what of the 3rd plane? My line hand is NOT directly in front of the rod. My line hand is about a foot to the left of the rod and then rapidly accelerates to the left OFF plane. I am applying serious force pulling the rod TO THE LEFT as it rotates forward!!
Everyone knows that the friction of line through the guides varies dramatically from line to line, line diameter to diameter, from wet to dry, depending on guide materials, etc., etc.. Monofilament shooting line probably has the least friction. But even if line friction could be reduced to zero…there is still that stubborn old F=MxA force since I am pulling AGAINST the weight of the head, accelerating it. There is no escaping the conclusion that a forceful haul, whatever else it does for the good, even with minimized line friction, pulls the rod OFF PLANE to the line hand side as the rod rotates forward.
Now I understand why when I miss my target at haul-able distances, 90 percent of the time I will miss to the left side. The variation in haul force, and the modulation of friction, cast-to-cast is difficult to control with any consistency.
Are there any factors which can reduce or minimize this off-plane torquing? There is only ONE that I can think of. A heavier rod tip, Moment of Inertia, swing weight, whatever you want to call it WILL increase the resistance of the plane of rotation to be pulled off-plane by this side vectored force. A heavier tipped rod,swinging an arc with have greater radial momentum and will track straighter against a side force.
So much for the idea that a lighter rod is automatically more accurate.
VII The Haul - The Second Model