Bass,

Counting, IE tapping your foot, will work in some cases as you mentioned, but remember that if you do it going into a 45 or vertical line that's where counting will make the line unequal if there is some kind of element on the line. Remember, you slow up as you are climbing so caounting to two, do the roll element and counting to 2 will casue the second line to be shorter as the plane has lost speed.

I try to view my lines being equal by using something off in the distance. I do this while calling as the caller can see the lines much easier leaving the pilot free to fly the plane.

I agree, it's not a good thing to use your own names, what happens if you normal caller cannot call for you and you need to find someone else. You would have to get that person up to speed and if your vocab is way different then you can create confusion and possible problems.

In your example, I simply call "hammer", most everyone that has flown IMAC knows what that is, if there is a roll element in it I'll say that as well, ie, in this years sportsman, "Hammer, 3/4 roll going up and opposite 2/8 on the way down". I may even say which way to do the 3/4 roll as it dictates what the plane is going to do, ie...go out further or come in closer