When the opposition has the mat, they deliver the jack and the first bowl of the end. This is not the time to be chatting, getting a drink, or finding your own bowls. You should already be holding your first bowl and be standing behind your opposite lead watching the line taken and the result achieved. You should use this information to improve the outcome for your own first bowl of the end.
Leads are required to follow the instructions of their Skips and these instructions are provided by the hand and body signals they send once the previous bowler has completed a delivery. What is written here is only to acquaint you with some of the considerations a skip may be having when deciding what instructions to send.
Opposing Lead’s Bowl >2 meters from the Jack
An opposing bowl that finishes more than 2 meters from the jack should not be a consideration when deciding your own first delivery. Knowing the aim line that was taken by that bowl is very much a consideration. It can be a guide and a warning. Did it hit something in its course? Did it backup and break its smooth curving path? The rink may tell its secrets but you must listen!
Opposing Lead’s Bowl is Close and Behind the Jack
You might think that an opposing first bowl that finishes just to the side of the jack and around a bowl diameter behind would make your life more difficult, but in fact, it presents an opportunity. If you can follow that bowl down the rink and come to rest touching that bowl (resting the bowl) you will be shot. If by chance you strike that bowl with a bit more velocity you will roll it back and perhaps take its place! (chop and lie). In both cases, the opposition bowl makes it more likely that you will have a happy result.
Opposing Lead’s Bowl is Behind the Jack but Not Very Close
The opposing lead has just delivered a back bowl. Your skip will want your first bowl to finish closer to the jack but behind the jack. Your skip is likely to let you choose the hand you prefer. If you have no strong personal preference choose the hand your opposite lead just played, you will have a better estimate of the correct aim line. If you have no natural preference and the two sides are, as far as you know, equally well-known and equally ‘forgiving’ choose the same side as that upon which the opposing bowl has come to rest. If your bowl trails the jack you prefer it to go away from the opposing bowl.
Opposing Lead’s Bowl is Jack High but about a Mat Length Wide of the Jack.
‘Jack high’ means that the front edge of the bowl so described is level with the front edge of the jack. Another term is jack level.
This is a favorable situation for your side. This bowl does not block your delivery path and is not so close to the jack as to be an eventual serious competition for shot bowl. Rather it confers a small advantage to your side.
If you deliver your bowl on the same hand with enough weight to reach to or behind the jack but your bowl runs a little wide you can get a wick off the inside edge of this opposing bowl that will nudge your bowl in towards the jack and push the opposing bowl away.
Your skip is likely to call for you to bowl to the jack on the same hand where the opposing jack high bowl is sitting.
Jack or Bowl Situation
Suppose the opposing lead delivers a jack-high bowl that is closer than the width of a bowl from the jack. This is the so-called ‘jack or bowl’ situation. Your skip might call for you to bowl to a specific spot on the other side of the rink from the close opposing bowl and slightly beyond the jack’s distance from the mat because that is where the jack is very likely to be by the completion of the end. You are being asked to prepare for the shot that will send this close bowl and the jack separate ways with the jack going hopefully towards your waiting bowl.
In Your Line but >1 meter in front of the Mat
Unfortunately, your skip will decide whether that bowl is in your drawline. I say unfortunately because often you will have a better idea of whether your delivery is blocked than your skip. For the sake of overall team cohesion please follow the skip’s decision in this situation; even though your judgment may be the better one. When the skip asks you to change the hand it is for fear that your bowl will be stopped far in front of the head. The open hand will give you a clear path to the jack! Check your bias. This is a situation where you might forget and the innocent error would be regarded as mutiny!
In Your Line but Quite Close in Front of the Jack
Ironically, when your opposite’s lead bowl is unambiguously in your line, your skip may not switch you to the other hand. The reason is that even if you hit that blocking bowl squarely your bowl will finish a very good second and if your bowl just glances off that opposing bowl and rolls on a tad further it may be you who has shot bowl!
But if the opposition bowl is within 6 inches of the jack and you are asked to bowl the other hand still better! Your aim line runs between the bowl and jack but don’t be short. Anything behind is good.
Directly in Front of the Jack; Hiding the Jack
Your opposite has delivered an excellent shot. It is difficult to visualize your delivery when you cannot see the target. Ask your skip to show you the exact distance of the jack by placing a foot beside the jack with your toe pointing towards it. Let that visible toe be your target for visualizing your shot. There are three good outcomes of your delivery. You may hit this blocking bowl away. You may trail the jack or most likely of all you may widen the head making it easier to hit and disrupt.
Centre Rink Close Behind the Jack
In lawn bowling ‘niggling’ is defined as unwarranted attacking your opposite's best bowls. Your opposition lead has delivered the best possible opening bowl! Your own skip will probably call for you to get close behind the jack. Bowl enough narrow that besides getting behind the jack as your skip has instructed your bowl will make it back to center rink or even cross it. If perchance you hit something on the way you are a hero, if not you’ve done OK!
Hello Clarke. Found your blog and have enjoyed looking through past posts. I too play lead almost exclusively, but have to say its a very exposed position, don't you find that? If you bowls don't get within a yard its deemed as a poor one, however the rest of the team may do worse, but yours stand out. I'm 71 now and bowl with a set of Drakes Pride Professionals, a mid bias bowl. But I lost on a heavy rink yesterday to a chap that used very narrow bowls, he simply was on it all the game. I'm thinking of a change, but feel its more me that the bowls now at my age?
ReplyDelete