Stop

The quickness of the stop influences both line speed and loop size. Slow stops create open loops with slow speeds; however, sudden stops create narrow loops with high speeds.

The slow stop is made when the caster flings his arms out in a futile attempt to gain distance. It’s like trying to push a rope. Releasing the rod’s stored energy all at once by making an abrupt stop propels the line efficiently in a tight casting loop.

The caster conserves energy by casting with smooth controlled acceleration and by stopping hard. This makes the rod do most of the work by flexing and releasing its potential energy all at once. For example: a bicyclist accelerates fast and hits a wall; the bike comes to a sudden stop throwing its rider into the wall. On the other hand, if the bike comes to a slow stop and merely bumps the wall the rider is hardly displaced.