If you look inside the blank , you will see its nice and even walled around the circumference except at a spot which has a little bump. That bump runs all the way down the length like a spine. I think its where the fiber wraps start and end. Anyway , the blank is stiffer along this spine. If you you put the rod on rollers at the butt and tip end and press down in the middle , the blank will turn till the spine is on the outside of the bend or directly down if you flexed the rod directly down. You have to line up the guides and reel seat exactly along this spine or at 180 degrees to it (depending on what you are trying to optimize) or the blank will want to twist in your hand when it is loaded while you are fighting a fish. A blank that has the guides aligned at 90 degrees to the spine will twist a lot when loaded.This makes it uncomfortable to hang onto and tires your hands out.
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