Bringing the Mat Forward to the Hog Line to Confidently Deliver a Very Short Jack Length

 

An indoor World Pairs 2022 match at Potters, illustrated a point I have consistently urged in this Greenbowler blog. 

The most dependable way to get the shortest jack length is to bring the mat forward to the hog line and then bowl the jack just past the forward T. In a match that Andersen/Burnett played against Foster /Marshall, Foster, who was leading, first tried to deliver a short jack with the mat back (at 34:54 minutes) and lost the jack when it was too short whereupon the opponents continued playing full-length jacks to easily win the first set. 

In the second set, Foster got the jack back, and he took the mat forward to the hog line and easily delivered this jack past the forward T (at 49:55 minutes) whereupon it was spotted at exactly 23 meters.  Foster and Marshall, using this length change, got a good lead and won the second set to force a tiebreaker.

Bringing the mat forward to play a short jack length is even more of a no-brainer on the portable rink because there are 3.5 meters from the T to the ditch instead of the regulation distance of only 2.0 meters! It is equally a no-brainer outdoors in Canada where there can be a distinct lip at the edge of some greens that reduces the likelihood of ditching the jack.

When playing on such a rink, before the match commences, go and inspect the edges of both ditches. There may be a bigger lip in one area as opposed to the remainder of the edges. 

When employing this strategy your lead should deliver the jack toward that area.

If you are playing in Canada and would be content with a 23 meter jack length, place the mat  2 meters short of the first hog line and deliver the jack from there. You will have 2 meters leeway to be short and 2 meters leeway to be long!

Too many good shots: A Common Error of new singles players and talented leads/vices playing pairs and triples

 

A common error of new singles players and talented leads and vices, when they are playing pairs and triples, is to place a third close bowl tight into the head. This all too often just fattens the target for an opponent’s inevitable weighted shot. If your early bowls are very close to the jack, the chance that the opponent can outdraw them is low already. More very close bowls may just improve the chances that a runner can break apart the head.  The best bowl is one that is as far behind as possible while still staying in the count. The purpose is to force the opponent to draw to reduce your score and to increase the likelihood that you will retain the shot bowl even after a successful drive while increasing the penalty if it is unsuccessful.

In pairs or triples as well as singles having the three closest bowls invites an attacking shot so once your side has two close bowls the lead or vice should put any remaining bowls in receiving positions behind the jack or less preferably in front of the jack where they can act as (a) blocker(s).  The most desired situation in a developing head is two up. The worst acceptable final outcome should be one down. Steer towards these objectives.

Strategy Playing the Phoenix Scoring System of Lawn Bowls

Aero Bowls has proposed a different scoring regime for playing lawn bowls. A different scoring system immediately revolutionizes strategy and tactics.

In the Phoenix System which is designed for pairs play the lead bowler is provided ways to make points for the team that cannot be changed by the skip’s subsequent bowls. The second difference is that when an end is complete the scoring is similar to the game 4-3-2-1; 10 points are awarded for the closet bowl, 5 for the second closest, and 3 for the third closest irrespective of which team had the closest bowl. 

This Phoenix scoring system has the effect in essence of breaking each match into two parts. In effect, the leads play with one set of rules and then the skips play starting with the disposition of bowls from the leads’ play but their performance has a different set of rules.

In the portion of play between the leads there are two ways to score. When a bowl in its original course hits the jack it scores 3 points for that side. Since each lead delivers 4 bowls this provides a possibility of scoring up to 12 points each. Finally, the closest bowl to the jack after the lead bowls are completed scores 3 points. The leads’ part of the game is more strategic and less tactical. That is to say, what can be described as a good bowl has consistent, unequivocal characteristics. Good bowls are narrow, close, and behind the jack. 

Strategically it is useful for the lead bowls to finish close to the jack both to win the 3 points awarded for their closest bowl and to provide their skipper with the most advantageous starting position. However, it is even more important that lead bowls should finish behind the jack since jack movement is more likely with this scoring method. Both lead bowlers will favor bowling a bit narrow because that provides the opportunity to trail the jack for an extra 3 points. The rules reward bowls that cross the center line and finish behind the jack! 

When the skips' turn arrives, play is more tactical. That is to say, choosing an objective depends critically upon the particular disposition of bowls. If your lead has bowled anything short those bowls are essentially useless for scoring and maybe even more seriously damaging by blocking skip options. Even if your side holds shot, another close but short bowl may just provide the wicking assist that moves the jack backward. Even at the completion of the end scoring the shot bowl is less important with the Phoenix system. The 15 points scored having the shot bowl are easily matched or bettered if the other side can win the 2nd and 3rd best (8 points) along with some touchers (3 points each).

Unlike in the classic game, one does not need to worry about giving away shot when competing bowls are close to the jack because having shot bowl does not guarantee to outscore your opponent in the end. Instead trying for another toucher that will at least finish as another close bowl is likely the best tactic. In any case, the end is unlikely to lead to a large swing in the score.

Strategically, Phoenix scoring seems to discourage short ends. Because the game is played with no dead ends, a jack that is driven out of bounds will be respotted centered 2 meters from the forward ditch, and since the leads are encouraged to play their bowls somewhat longer and because the bowl that has displaced the jack will either finish long or often alive in the ditch and because the bowl that has displaced the jack may have scored 3 points as a toucher, more heavy shots can be expected from skips in this format. Having last bowl will be more important and consequently, the side with the mat (and bowling first) will not want to give their opponent a short end that can more easily be attacked.   

Lawn Bowls Ramp

 

For several years now I have been looking for a place to purchase a lawn bowls ramp. Recently I saw one on the lawn bowls Youtube video, “Lawn Bowls for Fun” from Alec Sharman. Apparently, it belongs to the Camberley and District Indoor Bowling Club. I provide a screenshot from Alec's video edition #23.

I have asked Alec about the provenance of this machine and he is making inquiries but it is unfair to put all the burden on him. I am hopeful that one of my own blog readers can help.

I want to use such a device to introduce new bowlers to the concept of bias. Using it, they will immediately recognize that the curving of the bowl is not some sort of ‘English’ twist that is applied by the bowler. Furthermore, I will be able to illustrate that the same angle of delivery can be used from wherever the mat is placed; whether at the T or close to the hog line and the same angle of delivery can be used whether it is a short or long jack.

If you know how one could acquire such a device please provide some information in the comment section.

What Confidence Looks Like Playing Bowls

"You can do what you believe you can do?"

I can’t buy this statement,  if this means something like, “I know I will bowl a resting toucher with my next bowl” I would be kidding myself. I’m trying to send a lie to my subconscious. 

Instead, if the statement means that I know that I might deliver a resting toucher with my next bowl, then it is trivial. Even a tyro bowler has a finite possibility of rolling a perfect bowl. Lawn bowls is not a sport like track and field where no one can deliver a world-class delivery without preparation. The tyro is physically capable of doing it. Sometimes it will happen. In bowls, it is consistency that sets the expert apart— not any single shot. 

The corollary seems more likely to be true: you cannot do what you believe you can’t do. Yes, yes- so true, so true. If you visualize failure, you will enable it. If you visualize success, you enhance that possibility.

So how does the confident bowler think? And how does that thinking get expressed in action? 

When the confident bowler delivers consecutive bad bowls or has a streak of garbage bowls, (s)he doesn’t question the delivery; doesn’t ask secretly, “What am I doing wrong?” (S)he doesn’t call upon him(her)self to bear down or concentrate more.

Instead, for the confident bowler, it is obvious that something external has intervened. Something just ‘happened’ and there is no reason to get upset or disturbed.  To the confident bowler, the misfortune that has happened is most likely due to factors beyond the bowler's control, and most likely these factors can as easily disappear as persist. The last bowl doesn’t affect the present bowl. The deviation could have been the green or the wind or a change in temperature. So of course take these into account, but your delivery can be the same; the same relaxed, smooth, step and swing.

The confident bowler never ‘fixes’ a delivery because ‘fixing’ means making a conscious adjustment from the previous execution. The confident bowler visualizes what is wanted, corrects any deviations from expectations about the environment, and bowls that same groovy delivery with every expectation of a good result. 

Cataract Surgery Will Improve Your Lawn Bowls

 

I am 75 years old and the sharpness of my eyesight has been slowly deteriorating. As with so many people, I was told I needed cataract surgery on both eyes. My ophthalmologist said to tell her when I thought would be a good time. With the pandemic and the consequential reduction in lawn bowls activities, I said I was ready. In this last month, I have had both operations. The second eye was done just over a week ago.

Today I went to James Gardens LBC which has an outdoor carpet that keeps it playable. The temperature was 12℃ and the sun was unobstructed. I wore a jacket, but I perspired. My vision in both eyes is now 15/20 ( that is better than 20/20). Everything is brighter and sharper but the most noticeable effect is on my estimation of distance. I practiced playing a game of ‘jacks wild’ alternately delivering two different colored sets of my bowls. My weight control seems noticeably improved.

Bowlers— if you need a cataract operation get it now— practicing while you can’t see properly is a waste of your time and a personal frustration! 

Lawn Bowling Practice Game: Jacks Wild

 The Covid-19 Inspiration

Covid-19 restrictions have led lawn bowling clubs to organize play only on alternate rinks. This means there is essentially no interference with those on an adjacent rink when playing to off-center jacks. This in turn has made it possible to enjoy a new modified lawn bowls game which I have christened “Jacks Wild.” 

The Game

The game is designed to practice lawn bowling skills that are not given adequate attention during more common practice regimes. At the same time, it provides exciting competition between the participant players.

“Jacks Wild” is played using two jacks and eight bowls from two sets. It can be played as solitary practice in which a single player provides two sets of preferably matched bowls. When two people play together they use their own sets and deliver their bowls alternately. The object of the game, as in regular bowls, is to score points by delivering your bowls close to one of the jacks. Bowls that finish outside the rink are removed. Other rules analogous to regular bowls apply.

Each player delivers the jacks in alternate ends hence each player delivers jacks in only one direction on the rink. The player who starts the game places the mat centered and covering the T and delivers one after the other the two jacks. Each jack must finish within the designated rink space but one must be to the left of the center line and the other to the right. Each jack can finish anywhere on the rink that would be acceptable for a regular bowls game so long as each is on its designated side of the rink. In this game/exercise, however, neither jack gets centered. The jacks are played to at the spots where they finish. This means that jacks may even be close to the boundary lines or closer than two meters to the end ditch. This is why it is a good thing that Covid-19 is forcing us to have an empty rink between those that are being used! Otherwise, playing to jacks close to the boundaries could inconvenience other bowlers on adjacent rinks.

The player who has delivered both the jacks then delivers the first bowl trying to get as close as possible to whichever jack (s)he announces that (s)he will play towards. Then the second player uses a first bowl attempting to get close to the other jack. The two players then each get a second chance to deliver a second bowl towards their same targets. This simulates the normal bowls game in that each player gets a second bowl to correct on a first delivery.

The player who started the end delivering the jacks then delivers a bowl towards the other target not previously bowled at and the second bowler follows playing towards his/her new target. Each player then gets a chance to correct their deliveries towards each one’s second target. 

Bowls that finish closer to the jack that was not the intended target of that bowl are removed from play immediately; otherwise, confusion may arise in the scoring.

If, during play, one of the jacks is displaced bringing one or more of the bowls intended for the other jack closer to it, the bowls so changed, become part of this different head. 

To further avoid confusion, if a jack upon delivery finishes less than 2 meters distance from the other, the player who did not deliver these jacks can separate them by two meters by moving either one away from the other along the straight line that would run through the two of them.

 A tally is determined for each head and the net result is scored as the result of the end.

This is all repeated coming back on the green but this time the player who delivered the jacks and played the first bowl plays second.

The game is played to a predetermined number of ends.

Benefits of the Game

This game is much more difficult than the regular lawn bowls game.  Because the jacks are not placed on the center line, the aim lines change in every end. Furthermore, there is a forehand line and a backhand line that needs to be discovered for each of the two jacks. Because each participant only gets two bowls to deliver towards any one jack position, the pressure to get the proper correction for that second bowl is intense. In this respect, this is good practice for what is demanded in a regular game of fours.

Because the conditions change so quickly, the importance of having a rigid pre-delivery routine is multiplied. There are no extra chances. Full concentration is required for every delivery.

Because the game is so demanding the mat positions are fixed over the Ts. To make the game, even more, demanding the person delivering the jacks can be allowed to move the mat as in a regular game!

Bowling on Heavy Greens can Test your Delivery Mechanics

 

Two of the lawn bowling clubs to which I belong have extremely heavy greens this season. One needs to be an athletic bowler indeed to deliver a bowl from T to T. Whereas under a more normal condition one might have an aim line that runs from the center of the mat to the forward boundary marker, the present heavier conditions reduce bias so much that the line more typically runs to a spot on the forward bank about midway between the rink number and the same boundary marker— only half as wide.

Although this heaviness decreases the enjoyment of social competition, it is rather useful for practice.  The reason—when you need to deliver a bowl with more weight, it dramatically exaggerates deficiencies in the mechanics of your delivery.

Let us say, for example, your delivery throws your body out of balance, this will be even more pronounced when you are forced to roll with more weight. Similarly, if either your backswing or your follow-through is poorly grooved, this will show up as increased wildness when you are forced to throw harder.

At the same time, you need to be aware of two caveats that pertain to practicing on a heavy green. First, be more critical of your results because with the reduced bias being exhibited by bowls under these heavier conditions even when you miss your line by quite a bit the deviation in terms of distance from the jack will be much less. The track of your bowl will be straighter than usual. Second, don’t get excited by what seems to be an improved weight control; the heavy green will be stopping your bowls faster and make weight control unnaturally easy.