Course Schedule
Mittersill, Austria
16th – 18th September 2016
Chief executive: Roberto Pragliola
Deputy chief manager: Giacomo Catellani
Theory: Vanni Marchioni, Stefano Alessandri
Teacher: Fabio Bargi, Stefano Alessandri, Emanuele Costamagna
Translator: Peer Doering-Arjes
Friday
18.00
18.00 - 19.45
20.00
20.00 - 21.30
21.45
22.00 - 23.00
23.00
Meeting in the hotel Bräurup
Welcome reception
Meeting in the restaurant
Dinner
Meeting in the theory room
Theory: TLT rods, lines and tips
All your questions for Roberto Pragliola
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Saturday
Morning
07.40
07.45 - 08.30
08.45
09.00 - 12.00
Meeting in the restaurant
Breakfast
Meeting on the meadow
TLT technique presentation
- Roberto Pragliola
o TLT casting rules
o TLT four trajectories
o TLT “Angolato” cast
o TLT “Sottovetta” cast
o TLT “Tagliato doppio” cast
o Technical equipment: TLT rod 7’6” with a floating
double tape n°3 line
- Giacomo Catellani: “Double haul” long distance cast of a
floating double taper n°3 line
- Fabio Bargi: long distance cast of a floating double taper n°3
line without the help of the left hand
- Participants split into groups, due to their specific skills
- Teachers assignment
- Filming the participants
12.00
12.55
13.00 - 14.30
Free time
Meeting in the restaurant
Lunch
Afternoon
14:45
15.00 - 17.45
18.00
Meeting on the meadow
Basic TLT casting exercises
Free time
Evening
19.50
20.00
21.45
22.00 - 23.00
23.00
Meeting in the restaurant
Dinner
Meeting in the theory room
Theory: TLT casting (images and videos)
Participants’ videos projection: before & after exercises
Sunday
Morning
07.40
07.45 - 08.30
08.45
Meeting in the restaurant
Breakfast
Meeting on the meadow
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09.00 - 11.45
12.00 - 13.30
Afternoon
13.45
14.00
14.15 - 15.45
16.00
16.15
TLT casting exercises
Lunch
Meeting on the meadow
Technical demonstrations
- Giacomo Catellani: TLT “Angolato” cast
- Fabio Bargi: TLT “Radente” cast
TLT casting exercises
Meeting
Finalising of the TLT Course
- Certifications’ delivery
- Participants’ personal videos delivery
- Last & best wishes
The course is a co-operation of
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Teaching method TLT for participants and instructors
Acceleration and Explosion
by Roberto Pragliola
Introduction
Today’s casting methodology TLT (Total Casting Technique) is the result of countless courses:
a practice, a teaching method started by me in the early seventies, even though at the time I
began with traditional casting. By inventing TLT, I also revolutionized the teaching
methodology. The initial breakthrough occurred with the first courses for casting instructors,
held in Coverciano - Florence. The methodology was subsequently revised and further
developed with the birth of the Casting School (Scuola di Lancio - SIM). I founded and directed
the school at this time.
The second significant event occurred when I started to organise courses both throughout
Europe (France, Spain, Sweden etc.) and privately in Italy. The methodology developed
gradually whilst teaching TLT.
Nevertheless, the real turnaround happened during the development of the TLT academy
courses. This new methodology represents a process, which focusses on two premises:
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1. The instructional casting process consists of only two different movements: acceleration
and boosting-moment.
2. The obstacle in learning TLT is our so-called ‘muscle memory’.
The first point is a result of synthesising existing casting techniques. This was the premise for
the revolution of the casting dynamics by TLT. The second is a consequence of traditional
techniques, which participants of the TLT courses have learnt before.
Their movements are conditioned (muscle memory) by old or erroneous instructions. The
‘muscle memory’ increases the learning time required by between 60 to 80 %. ‘Muscle memory’
blocks inappropriately the immediate comprehension, because it is connected to the neuronal
pathways, which are formed when a particular movement is often repeated.
Acceleration & Explosion
Here are the innovations I introduced in the TLT academy courses:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The instructor should not cast.
The instructor should not explain the dynamics of the cast.
The instructor must strive to establish a confidential relationship with the participant.
A fundamental assignment of the instructor is to guide the participant’s hand by
enclosing it to reduce ‘muscle memory’.
5. It is the responsibility of the course director to illustrate the mechanics of the TLT-cast:
a demonstration, he then has to repeat during the course.
6. It is the responsibility of the course director to explain the theory in an appropriate
session.
Point number one often creates problems. The second point rules out the same concepts being
interpreted differently from what is desired, avoiding inevitable confusion between the
participants. The third point seems obvious, whereas the fourth point is fundamental: to guide
the participant’s hand, transmitting the impulse for the boosting-moment (Momento-Spinta) and
to show when to execute. The description above, even though accurate, is far from the actual
reality. Without doubt, guidance of the participant’s hand makes an enormous difference. It is
impossible to explain the various levels of progression required by the manoeuvre. It is
impossible to explain which muscles must be held still, and which should be active.
Finally the potential: a fundamental point is the instructor’s capacity to sense the ‘nervous’
potential of every single client. Each individual client is a world in themself, and must therefore
be evaluated and approached individually.
The methodology together with the instructor’s guidance by hand are the creators of the result.
The first creates, the second carries out and accomplishes touch, pressure, stimulation, speedup, slow-down, aim and peremptory order. The hand needs to be ‘constructed’ as well. Because
no single methodology, no matter how well developed, would be of any success without first
having ‘constructed’ the instructor: a job, which requires a great deal of experience. A strength
in my own personal career: My experience spans nearly half a century.
The final points: avoiding misunderstandings because the matter itself is very difficult. This has
been a considerable handicap to the learning process in my past courses. Therefore, it is
necessary that all instructors carry out the same gestures and express themselves in the same
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language. This is a fundamental requirement for the correct execution of the courses and for
obtaining tangible results.
The TLT method
Below some of the innovations, I introduced in the TLT academy courses.
Basic exercise using the TLT acceleration and explosion method
This includes only two movements:
Movement No. 1
The hand completes the entire cast (back and forward) with a motion of almost 180 degrees and
without ever executing a stop (continuous constant tension of TLT): a movement consisting of
these parts:
1. During the back-cast, the hand must reach more or less ten o’clock. The projection of
the line during the back-cast provides for a trajectory, which tends to go linearly
upwards.
2. The line projection during the back-cast must be executed with progressive speed.
Movement No. 2
1. The next movement forward (acceleration) ends more or less at two o’clock, in
connection with the start of the boosting-moment.
2. This same movement involves the entire arm: sometimes even intentionally exaggerated
up to the extreme limits, which involves the entire arm-length and more. This movement
requires repeatedly guiding the participant’s hand with ours.
3. The boosting-moment of the forward cast needs to be executed with an explosion in
speed. The reason for these deliberately accentuated movements is to link them
primarily (but not exclusively) to the ‘muscle memory ’, in fact, the faster the hand
moves, the more the movement is exasperated, the easier it will be to reduce the
influence of the ‘muscle memory’.
Posture
1. Position of the body needs to be slightly lateral, left foot forward if you are casting with
the right hand.
2. Keep at least three wide coils of line in the left hand.
3. Keep the left hand laterally detached from the body.
However, points number 1 and also up to certain extend point number 3 need to be
adapted: it depends for example on the physical structure of the person.
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Basic exercise: angular cast (Lancio Angolato)
1. The cast is executed at an angle. Do not care too much about the outcome of the cast.
Rather look after the correctness of the movements only.
2. Three false casts plus the posture plus delayed shooting.
3. Divide the movement of the basic cast into two moments and dedicate ⅓ of the time
needed to the back cast, and ⅔ to the forward cast.
Roberto Pragliola: Lancio Angolato
Routine exercises
1. Hand moves rectilinear, but at an angle.
2. Boosting-moment (Momento Spinta): the hand is pushed forward and executes the
boosting-moment late as possible.
3. Boosting-moment: the maximum contraction of the muscles needs to happen as fast as
lightning and the release immediately afterwards. It needs to be an explosive maneuver.
This movement requires the guidance of the participant’s hand by ours and is to be
repeated with a certain frequency.
4. Attenuation back/forward.
5. Delayed shooting (when the loop of the line is about to open), this manoeuvre requires
guiding the participant’s left hand with ours. To be repeated with a certain frequency.
6. During the back-cast one should attenuate at the position of more or less ten o’clock
with the thumb opposed, stiffening the thumb, the motion of the fishing rod going
backwards. At the concluding movement, the line should be straight and stretched out
over the tip, at a maximum of the same height.
The concentration
Managing to maintain the concentration after a certain period is impossible. Therefore, it is
essential to pay close attention to the following points:
1. The instructor needs to realise in time when the participants are decreasing in focus and
give them enough time to re-focus and start. This procedure should be frequently
repeated.
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2. One of the most harmful problems is to cast continuously without interruption: a fact,
which allows ‘muscle memory’ to prevail and hence casts will be performed
erroneously. The instructor should intervene immediately when this occurs.
3. However, when the instructor notices that the participant casts well, the participant
should not be stopped but should be stimulated to continue as long as possible.
The afternoon of the last day of the course should proceed as follows: determine the distance at
which each individual participant is at his best and let him/her carry out only casts within this
particular distance. In case (and this happens regularly) the false casts are better than the final
one, due to a surplus of power, let the participants carry out only the first ones.
Our course accomplishes a synthesis of all casting techniques. It is the best and fastest way to
get results. However, if the instructor’s concentration level is not superior or equal to that of
the participant, and above-mentioned points are not carefully taken into account, the process is
sure to lose some of its effectiveness. So, pay attention to respecting and enforcing the rules.
Teaching Tools
To educate, TLT involves these tools:
1. The mirror
2. The two tutors
These tools have more than one single task, but the key role they perform is to minimise the
already mentioned ‘muscle memory’.
The mirror
A tool both simple and essential: seeing yourself is fundamental, this is proven in ballet for
example. This didactic support is essential to reduce not only the ‘muscle memory’, but also to
observe if the hand executes the cast in the proper way. First of all, it will help to remain
focused, which is often hampered by observing the flight of the line. When casting attention is
mostly payed to the line and rarely to the movements of the arm, this is actually fundamental.
We should never forget that the flight of the line is a consequence, a result caused by the
movements of the arm.
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The tutor
A tool, consisting of a standing horizontal strip or band, to support the arm and wrist, and which
can be regulated both in height and in inclination. This is therefore usable by all regardless of
their physical shape. Together with the mirror, this tutor helps carry out the casts correctly, as
well as learn faster. The strip is not only imprinted with which direction the back of your hand
should follow, but also the intensity with which the acceleration and the boosting-moment needs
to be carried out.
The adjustable bar tutor
This is also adjustable in both height and inclination and so usable for anyone, regardless of the
physical characteristics. Its role is important in regulating the correct position of the fishing rod
at the boosting-moment, depending on the specific dynamics and on each person. It also hinders
the previously described harmful effects of ‘muscle memory’.
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