I don’t get to ring on long drafts a lot, but I try to incorporate an understanding of long drafts in my handling instruction to help learners understand the motivation behind handling and bell control details. Seven of my learners recently got lots of compliments on their first visit to a long draft – St. Mary’s Warwick, so I think the effort is paying off.
At least three things change as rope drafts get longer, especially if the ceiling height is high without rope-guides:
- The rope is more free to wander around. Whatever momentum you impart to the rope will move it further on a long draft than a short one.
- There will be more stretch in the rope. This makes it more difficult to feel the bell and pull the right amount at the right time.
- There is more rope weight that has to be lifted, requiring more power in the handstroke pull, and increasing the risk of overpulling on the backstroke.
These three elements also interact in ways that make things more difficult. Since the rope is more likely to wander around, it is more important to get a very good followthrough on the backstroke. But, at the same time, it is very important not to overpull the backstroke, as the added rope weight is also adding momentum to the bell. Also, the greater power on the handstroke increases the asymmetry between hand and back, and making it more likely the novice ringers will pull the backstroke more than usual, instead of less. The stretch in the rope often means that the initial pull to get the bell moving must be a bit firmer, but then you must guide the rope through 90% of the stroke with a very light touch, finishing with a firm flip toward the floor at the bottom.
Good followthrough is important because it minimizes how much the rope lifts off the wheel, which in turn minimizes how much the sally jumps and dances when the garter hole passes the pulley. If you have a 15 ft draft, and an imperfect followthrough, perhaps the sally will dance about a few inches. But if you have a 30 ft draft, the sally may suddenly dance about 8 or 12 inches, because the longer draft means larger amplitude waves down the length of the rope.
The rope’s tendency to wander also means that any deviation the hands make from a straight line will be amplified. If the hands move apart (out to the side) just a couple inches during the followthrough, the rope will follow, potentially moving several feet. Even a small “wood chopping” motion may throw the rope several feet out into the middle of the chamber, potentially making it impossible to reach the sally. And if you overpull the backstroke, the bell will then whack the stay, a bit harder than you expect because of the rope weight.
What all this comes down to: If you don’t already have good habits – straight pull, good followthrough, gentle backstroke, firm handstroke – then a long draft will greatly amplify any imperfections, and it is quite difficult to suddenly improve your handling to meet these difficult conditions. So, get feedback and work on improving these things in your home tower!!
The Bell Whisperer 