When There is No Direct Path to the Jack during Play at Lawn Bowls

Particularly when playing triples socially, the skips may come to the mat and face a picket fence or thick wall of short bowls. There may be no draw to the jack. If your side has the shot bowl and there is no safe way to add to your count, you may just decide to add more blockers and leave the problem for your opposite number.

But suppose you are down in the head? In such a situation indirect tactics are required:

Bowl to a Nearby Close-Enough Spot 

Bowl to a spot that will give you shot even if it is as much as a mat length distant from the jack location. We get wedded to the idea that the only acceptable target is the jack itself. In fact, when only skip bowls are left to play, it is easier to guess just how close to the jack one really needs to get to obtain shot. A bowl a mat-length to the left or right or behind the jack might be quite sufficient and that path might be open.

Promote or Wick Off a Side Bowl

If your side has bowls right out in front of the jack, promotion is an easy call. When the bowl you must use for deflection is well to the side and 1-2 meters short of the jack, it takes more imagination to identify the available tactic to try. Make sure the target bowl belongs to your side; otherwise, you could only succeed in giving the opposition another point.

Try for an Otherwise Too Narrow Port between Two of Your Team’s Bowls

This play will give you three chances to succeed. You may raise one or the other of your own bowls or miracle of miracles you may just squeeze through the opening. For this play, you will need to visit the head to be sure you are properly assigning ownership of the close bowls. Where there is a choice among ports choose the one where your bowls are closer to the jack.