Helping the caster -3

[GH]   Some new entries to review before hearing from Dennis, tomorrow :

 From Tim Lawson :

Gordy,

 

FINALLY somebody said take the line hand out of the equation and start with 25’ of line.  I don’t see how any attempts at “fault” correction would be effective until that basic step was taken.

 

Tim

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[GH]  It was Doug Swift who said, "Keep the line hand out of the instruction.........."

Jim Chestnut said, " (C) Put his line hand in his pocket........."

Eric Cook used the term, "trap the line".  This usually entails the use of one hand.

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From Jim Gill :

Methinks I'd stop the action and sit down with the candidate and review the video - start from basic theory using the video evidence. 

To actually begin to pick up and correct all the faults would probably demoralise the candidate and there will be too much to take in - to see the rod thrown into the water and the candidate catching the next bus home would come as no surprise. This rather gets back to earlier debates on "How to Teach". Someone taught this fellow and didn't do a good job! What has the candidate picked up on?

 

Jim.

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[GH]  Jim,

I recall Dennis telling us that this chap said that he'd been, "self taught".  Sometimes,when that is said, it turns out on close questioning that the caster has had some albeit fragmentary or incompetent instruction.

It would be interesting to know.

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Troy Miller brings up an important point on effective instructors :

I can’t overemphasize the relation between us as instructors laying the groundwork, and the trust that our students immediately develop.  If you try to fix too many things, some students will feel somewhat offended, like you said that their kid is ugly.  If you start at the beginning and have a clean, insightful “building of the blocks”, the student will be confident that he’s trying to do the right things – just that practice will make it graceful and efficient.  

 

I’ve said this before:  one of the most important things that an instructor can do is to make it patently obvious that there’s nothing else you’d rather be doing, no place else that you’d rather be -- than to be right here, right now, helping your student(s) in their self-discovery of flycasting concepts and techniques.  They have to KNOW it’s true.  You can’t put it on, they’ll know if you’re faking.  When they realize that this is all about them, that you’re investing in their development, they’ll allow themselves to be moulded and guided all the way through the bumpy process. 

 Some teachers (no matter the discipline) have this innate ability to connect and build rapport quickly and completely; some struggle and never really achieve it.  I’ve known several excellent flycasters who knew how to teach (could say all the right words, analyze and correct flaws, etc), but were not “accessible” to their students if you know what I mean.  And as such, they are not NEARLY as effective as they could be if they could find a way to genuinely connect.  Like everyone, I have strengths and weaknesses.  I consider one of my greatest blessings to be how approachable my students seem to find me.  I’m consciously grateful  and hope I never lose that particular strength…  

Regards,
Troy Miller 

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[GH]  I've worked with Dennis Grant often enough as we've taught together that I'm confident he'll do just that what ever specific teaching method he uses.

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