Competing at Lawn Bowls: playing as if on two Rinks in the same Match

In a bowls match, what remains the same for ends 1,3,5,7 etc.? How about ends 2,4,6,8 etc.? What is different between the two sets of ends? The difference is pretty well everything.  When the jack is delivered in the opposite direction on a rink, it’s as if you were playing on a different rink, on a different day; almost everything is different. Yet we so often act as if little has changed.

The fact is that almost everything you learn in the first end will only be useful when applied in the other ends that are bowled in the same direction. Similarly, what is learned in end two really can only be useful in other even-numbered ends? So a bowling match is really two matches woven together. The rule linking them strategically is that the winner in any end except the first gets to position the mat and roll the jack to a preferred length in the next end.

Consequently, if you can find a mat position and jack length that more consistently wins the odd ends, you will be provided many opportunities to investigate mat positions and jack lengths that may allow you to win in even numbered ends, and vice versa. Conversely, if you can’t win more of the odd numbered ends, you will get few chances to look for mat and jack positions that might favor you in even-numbered ends and vice-versa.