D.W. recently sought me out for help with his casting, after his varied fishing experiences highlighted the need for all around improvement. There are a number of ingrained fundamental flaws present in his stroke, and he has graciously allowed me to post this video highlighting a few of them.
As with so many fly casters, D.W.’s elbow is the pivot point of his stroke, instead of his shoulder. His elbow remains essentially in place throughout the stroke, as opposed to moving up on the backcast and down on the forward cast (pivoting in the shoulder is how we effect this). This fixed elbow position leads to an over-reliance on the wrist, and to a lesser extent the forearm, through the entire stroke. Fatigue is just one of the consequences, a problem particularly pronounced when using heavier rods and lines.
There is also a “chicken wing” movement taking place on the forward stroke, another consequence of relying on the elbow as the pivot point. D.W.’s right shoulder hitches up, his forearm turns over and at the same time his upper arm moves away from his side. This movement pattern is very common among casters that pivot in the elbow, developing naturally as a way to avoid having the line run into the rod, or into itself, as the forward stroke is made. It is a mechanical flaw that limits effective casting and, more seriously, it can lead to tennis elbow.
Watch this video to see a fundamentally sound stroke:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-IOPCEFptc&t=3s