I found my older softer rods to me more accurate, perhaps it's just because I used them for so long that I got to know them better. I could hit an area the size of a car bonnet at 70 yrds clipped up, between snags or overhangs no problem. I also think this was because I wasn't really putting my back into it, so it was a more controlled cast....... In trying to improve on distance, at this stage, I'm a bit less controlled, so accuracy suffers a little so far.. There's a lot to be gained from technique, and plenty of YT vids outlining feet and arm positioning, bit like a golf swing (not that I play golf), but if the ball hits the sweet spot on the club it goes further with less effort. The sweet spot in terms of casting, would be getting the feet and arm positioning correct and releasing the line/lead at the correct angle. Once that is mastered, then a bit more brute force can be added, after that, the fine tuning comes down to kit imo., ie lead size, mainline etc and possibly using a shock leader.