Keep track of the numbers yourself or simply observe a typical head. Club level players deliver bowls, mostly finish short of the jack. Is there a reason for this? Is there a cure for it?
Despite what the manufacturer of Aero Bowls says, no bowl travels in an arc that resembles the Sydney bridge! Lawn bowls have a substantial hook towards the end of their travel; the less bias the lawn bowl has, the less hook at the end, but a hook is still there. Furthermore, viewing the jack from the mat, it is the last few yards of its proposed travel that are most difficult to visualize. As a consequence, our mind’s eye simplifies things and imagines that portion of the trip as just a smooth extension of the earlier part of the path. And we estimate too short!!! The hook shortens the the last bit of distance the bowl travels down the rink.
Is there a solution for average bowlers that a skip can implement? I think there is. Place your foot about 1meter behind the jack and ask your team members to bowl to your shoe as the target. Then those bowls will finish on average longer and the number of long bowls will more nearly equal the short bowls.
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ReplyDeleteNice to see you still blogging Clark. The reason that AeroBowls shows their bowls with the "Sydney Bridge" arc is that the bias of a bowl changes as to the speed of the green. On a faster green the "Shoulder" and "Finish' ( final bend) appears more profound. Because of the non-circular construction of the bowl, it is like the rolling "Car Tire" which when it slows to the point of wanting to fall on it's side; it begins to turn or fall inward. If we assume that each bowl has a speed at which, if slow enough, it begins to fall to it's bias; then with a faster green it continues to roll a greater distance, creating a hock finish before finally falling or stopping. John
ReplyDeleteYou mention AeroBowls and in my February blog on the 2026 Australian Classic Single, still on Youtube, we see a very strong wind and Corey Wedlock (#2 of 2025 World Bowlers) using a narrow AeroBowl (Dymanic) to improve his performance. His opponent, Barrie Lester also using a AeroBowls (wider bias Optima) fights with the cross wind.. Gary Kelly (#6)as the guest commentator explains the difference in End 11 when score is 7-7.