Make that big of a difference from a straight handle casting reel? I know Daiwa started the trend years ago, and other mfg's followed.

I know it looks cool and all and does give a baitcast reel a modern look, but is it really all that functional from a straight handle?

 

 

 

makes reeling a little smoother by having the handle knobs closer to the body of the reel it's less prone to wobble .

A swept handle puts the knobs on plane with the drive shaft and tend to be a tad shorter than some straight handles. Any mechanical advantage is slight but the same can be said about a lot of reel features. The subtle refinements are where it's at nowadays. 

It's snoozer of a feature for me.  It's mostly about aesthetics, and what is expected to make reel seem "high end."

I have reels with straight handles and reels with bent handles. There is no functional difference. 

1 hour ago, .ghoti. said:

I have reels with straight handles and reels with bent handles. There is no functional difference. 

Same here. The tdz has a straight handle and still to this day is better than a lot of other reels you can buy.

I can't tell any difference. catch fish with bent handle or straight handle. it don't matter.

I will say this, on some reels with a swept handle, the knobs are in the same place, relative to the centerline of the rod, as on a smaller reel with a straight handle.  For example, compare an OG Zillion with an Alphas/Sol.

For me, swept handles are just aesthetically more appealing.  Functionally, I don't feel a difference.

So its just a marketing thing to sell more of a brands reels?

I like the pre-bent handles.  Saves me the trouble of stepping on them and bending them.

1 hour ago, ghost said:

So its just a marketing thing to sell more of a brands reels?

 

If that were intended I think it failed.  I don't know anybody who bought a reel based on it having a swept handle.

I have noticed  on some reels (usually  smaller reels) that the swept handle will get in the way when i hold the reel to make a cast.  Then i have to adjust  the handle  before  i can make a cast.

17 hours ago, rippin-lips said:

Same here. The tdz has a straight handle and still to this day is better than a lot of other reels you can buy.

 

Amen, brother.

Just for looks and to make a reel feel more compact