I'm not sure what my problem is but I seem to get a lot of phantom backlashes on my lews mg. I use 50 lb braid on it and I only use this reel for frogging so I rarely change the lure. I can get it zeroed in pretty well but every now and then it will just blow up on me. I'm not swinging for the fences when I cast it, I just feel like I'm rolling the dice every time I cast it. Has anyone had a similar experience or have any idea what I'm doing wrong?

My Lew's Speed Spool did the same thing at first. I really had to get it dialed in on the magnetic brakes before it finally stopped doing it but now it's trouble free to fish with. 

Just like snowflakes, no two casts are ever exactly the same.   Think of the countless variables that affect each cast.   That it why it is so important to develop the most important brake, your thumb.

All it takes on a magnetic brake reel is to get careless on the rod's reversal.  Can...and does...happen on a centrifugal brake reel as well (for me anyway), but a magnetic only reel is guaranteed to blow up under that circumstance.  I've been using magnetic only reels for 5 fishing seasons.  Same thing can still happen to me if I get careless and jerk the rod on the reversal.  You must be smooth at all times.  That is why I now almost always use an under hand (roll) cast.  Makes it impossible (Well, nearly impossible.  Is anything really impossible?) to jerk the rod.  Still can overrun or backlash if the brake isn't set right or I overpower the reversal without making use of the thumb when the line starts flowing off the reel.

 

If my brake is set too low, I am usually more apt to overrun at the end of the cast as long as I make the proper (smooth) back cast without excessive force.  I have a tendency not to use the thumb at the end of a cast if the rest of the cast feels good.  That is because I usually am casting for distance.