taoski,

First, Happy Thanksgiving!

Now, let me address the issues you pointed out.

Quote Originally Posted by taoski
Overmywaders, I think you're missing a few points of the CCS.
I probably am.

1. It's intended to describe the static properties of a rod. As such, one's casting style has nothing to do with it. As mass is a dynamic property, it also has nothing to do with CCS
How does knowing the static properties of a rod benefit me? I suppose if I were dapping, but if I'm casting such knowledge is of no value.
2. It's intended to give an arbitraty and objective definition of a rod's maximum bend "action", and how much line it takes to load to rod "intrinsic power" (although "stiffness" would be more correct termonology).
Without dealing with the mass and the taper, you have no way of knowing how much line it takes to load the rod, because some rods load with their own mass, and some tapers deflect differently than they load, e.g., parabolics. The CSS is assuming that all tapers are "progressive tapers", not so, some of the most interesting casting rods don't use a progressive taper.
3. It won't tell you if a rod is fast or slow, as those are subjective terms. Its up to you to decide what action angle constitutes fast, etc.. . But every rod with the same action angle will, by definition, have the same action.
By definition, but not by Common Sense. That is only the deflection, it does not include the "hinge" the rodmaker might have put in the butt to optimize rollcasting, as just one example. The Hexrod stress graphing gives you more information, because it gives the taper (but only for cane rods), so that you can determine from experience with graphed rods, and the stress curve, how the different parts of the rod will act.
4. It does not address "feel". Nor does it desribe a rod's weight, tip size, butt diameter or nationality. But that doesn't mean it should be dimissed becuase it doesn't do it all.
It apparently doesn't do anything. Does it tell me whether the rod I buy, made as the same model by the same manufacturer, has the spine of the rod facing to the rear, influencing my backcast, or to the side, twisting my cast? Each rod is different, even from the same company, because when it is built, more or less care went into aligning the spine.
As JC has said on many occasion, there is no substitute for test-casting a rod. At least with the CCS you don't have to test every rod on the rack if you know what you're looking for.
Yes, you do. See spine issue above.
One last point to make. Don't expect to see rod makers to list the CCS data of thier rods anytime soon. Too much liability for the mfr's and costly to implement.
And really, not useful for determining anything about the casting characteristics of the rod.

But, still very interesting and thank you.