Measuring at Lawn Bowls

As a novice, like myself, becomes better (and better known) at his home club (s)he will be drawn in fun roll-ups to play positions other than lead. If you are asked to be vice-skip you will need to be able to measure properly. Besides a measure and chalk, always carry a small towel. It is not only good for drying/cleaning bowls, but should also be used when measuring for more than one point. Lay the towel on the ground and place each scoring bowl onto the towel. This avoids confusion and ensures that a bowl already counted and set aside is not accidentally measured again. Get into the habit of doing this all the time, not just in tournaments. Bowls that are not scoring but are just in the way can be taken aside well away from the scoring zone.

Either vice can ask for a measure, and their opposite number cannot refuse the request. Some vices are not above exerting a little psychological pressure at this stage, by making it very clear to their opposite number, particularly if (s)he has not been bowling for many years, that there is absolutely no need for a measure and it is blindingly obvious which bowl is the winner. On the other hand, it is not unknown, when a measure has been insisted upon, the “bully” is to be proved wrong!

Measuring Tapes

Before beginning measuring, place wedges under any bowls that will be considered in the count that look as if they could fall over. It is important that they do not fall until the measuring is complete. Wedges can be made from the corks of empty wine bottles. Preparing wedges can be fun, particularly the drinking!

There are two types of measurement devices in general use. String measures are generally preferred in competitive play, but some players regret this trend because it is far easier to cheat with a string measure than with a metal tape. Make sure that the distance measured between the jack and the bowl is the shortest possible. This means that the measure must be placed in a dead straight line, and that the tip of the tape touches the bowl at the point closest to the jack. A player can cheat at this stage by measuring the two bowls at different points, such that one of them is measured too low, or to one side (or see above wrt misaligning the tape case). It only takes a millimeter of difference to change which bowl is closer, and a cheating player can find that millimeter very easily! When you are not the measurer, be a careful observer. If it is crucial, ask to perform the measurement again yourself.

It is sometimes necessary to repeat the measuring procedure, and the other vice may wish to check the result for himself/herself. The two players must always agree on the result, which is usually signaled by the conceding player pushing away the opposing bowl that is closer, followed by the winning side picking up the jack.

Calipers can be used when the bowl and jack are too close to get the measuring device between the bowls. Good calipers have a screw adjustment and can be purchased from any specialty bowls shop online, such as Shotbowl.

http://www.shotbowl.co.uk/Calipers.aspx

With calipers, try not to get the measure too accurate. Nine times out of ten, you don't need to touch both objects. You are just trying, using the calipers, to make obvious any difference between the two gaps. This can be done while still avoiding contact of the calipers with the jack. Always use the bowl that is heavier as your stable object.  You can run one leg of the caliper down the bowl safely without it moving, but the jack should not be touched.

Most standard string or tape measurement tools include some form of calipers, but these are very crude and can lead to trouble. A referee probably has the more precise screw calipers. Calipers require practice to use properly. Firstly, place them below the gap between the bowl and the jack. Let the back of the caliper rest near or on the ground and raise the points upwards. Withdraw the caliper away from the bowls and jack to make adjustments. You should never make adjustments while the calipers are still resting between the bowl and the jack.

For even closer measurements when two competing bowls both seem in contact with the jack, to determine whether both are actually resting on the jack, you can take a dollar bill or any smooth sheet of paper and try to slide it, in turn, between each bowl and the jack. If the paper moves easily between the jack and bowl, they are not resting on each other. If it will not slide easily, that bowl and the jack are touching.

If one player is measuring and moves the jack and/or the bowl the opposite number must be the one restoring that bowl or jack. There is little you can do to prevent him/her from restoring it closer than it was (in your opinion). For this reason, some folks always ask the opponent to do the measuring. Others always ask the umpire, marker, or some neutral person. 

When using a string or tape measure, it is not a bad idea to never actually touch the jack but be about a half mm off, because it’s far easier to accidentally move the jack than the bowl. Also, a player should not place a wedge against the jack because if the jack has moved, the opponent can reposition it. Remember, the idea of measuring is to be able to see the difference between the two lengths rather than putting a number on those lengths themselves. If you measure both distances holding the measure about a half mm from the jack, but not touching, and you still cannot decide, call the umpire or someone neutral to measure.

It can happen, even when everything is legitimate, that no decision can be reached, and the bowls in question are declared to be exactly the same distance from the jack. If the measure is for second (etc) bowl, it is not counted in the score. If the measure was for the shot bowl, neither side is allowed to score; the end is counted as having been played (i.e., it is not a dead end), but no score is recorded. In other jurisdictions, each side in this situation receives one point, and the end is counted. In continuing on with the match, the side that had led off during the end will continue to lead for the next one.

If the measurer touches the jack, which wobbles, and the other vice says “my shot”. You can say, “No, you put it back and we’ll remeasure.” Whether it is the bowl or the jack that is moved, don’t just let your opponent claim anything. Get him or her to re-position the jack. At least that way, you have a half chance of them getting it back in the correct spot. 

If you are playing singles, you can ask the marker for assistance either before or after you've tried to measure. (Don't forget the marker must not push out a shot bowl; he can only point to what, in his opinion, are shots, leaving the option for an umpire to be called.)

Measuring for yourselves first before calling outside help seems like the common-sense approach. If you can reach an agreement, then no one else needs to be disturbed. If the skips agree to ask another uninvolved player, that person becomes de facto the umpire. Once you call and agree on a third party to measure,  that decision is final. No objection is valid, and any objection is unsportsmanlike. You cannot get any other decision. Once an umpire or neutral party is measuring, it is good etiquette to leave the head and not watch. Indeed, there is no point in watching. Even if there is a grievous error against you, you will just upset yourself, and nothing can be done. 

Only an umpire should resort to wedging the jack! Even so, it is not recommended by official lawn bowling associations unless especially difficult conditions prevail, such as very high winds or a jack at risk at the edge of the ditch.

Remember Rule 40.5 from the Crystal Lawn Bowling Rules. When measuring between a jack in the ditch and a bowl on the green or a jack on the green and a bowl in the ditch, the measurement should be carried out using a flexible or string measure whenever possible.

Make the fewest measurements possible for determining the score in an end. In most dispositions of the head, counting is simple. Even where a measurement is needed, it is most often only between two bowls; however, more complicated situations can arise. To avoid becoming confused and to use the measuring tape as little as is necessary to establish the score, the following rules are useful.

1.       Decide which bowl is shot. This will involve measuring one distance between a candidate and the jack and comparing it to the distances for other shot candidates. This is done by choosing the shorter distance among the first two and comparing it with that of the next candidate, and so on.

2.       Place the shot bowl on a towel to indicate that it is measured and will count.

3.       Remove any other undisputed counting bowls of the same team that have the shot bowl by placing them on the cloth.

4.       Find the closest bowl belonging to the team that did not have the shot bowl. If several bowls might be the closest bowl belonging to the team that does not hold the shot, measure among these contending bowls to find out which is the closest.

5.       Using this measurement, find any other bowls belonging to the team holding shot that are closer than this measurement and place each of these bowls on the towel.

6.       Count the bowls on the towel. This is the score for the team that had shot.

I will illustrate this with some examples.

Example #1

Bowls 1, 2, and 3 are undisputed counters for the blue team. Place them on the towel. Measure 4 and compare it with 5. Choose the closest. If it is 4, then compare 4 with 6. If it is 5 that is closer, measure 5 and compare it with 6. Whichever of 4, 5, or 6 is the closest, take that measure and compare it in turn with 7, 8, 9, and then 10. Each of 7, 8, 9, and 10 that is closer than the best of 4, 5, and 6 is placed on the towel. The number of bowls on the towel is the correct score for the blue team.

Example #2

The blue team has shot indisputably. Place bowl 1 on the towel. Measure 2 and compare with 3. If the green 2 is closer than 3, the blue team scores 1. If the blue 3 is closer than 2. Place bowl 3 on the towel. The next closest bowl is 2. The blue team scores the two bowls on the towel.     

Example #3

The green team has three undisputed closer bowls. Place these on the towel.

Measure among 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10 to find which is the closest blue bowl among them. Compare the shortest of these measurements against 5. If 5 is closer, place 5 on the towel. Compare it now with 6. If 6 is closer, place 6 on the towel. Count the bowls on the towel. This is the score for the green team.

Further information about measuring can be found at https://greenbowler.blogspot.com/2021/04/measuring-in-close-disputed-ends-at.html

Lawn Bowl Delivery Instruction at Turramurra

This novice bowler has taken advantage of staying for the winter, within 500 meters of the Turramurra Lawn Bowling Club, in Sydney Australia to receive coaching on my bowling delivery.

My First Lesson

The most fundamental recommended change was not to crouch at the beginning of delivery but to stand with my legs straight but with my trunk slightly bent forward at the waist. This will pay off, it was explained to me, not so much now when I am still quite physically fit, but as I grow older, when I will not need to change my delivery to take into consideration increasing infirmities. Starting the delivery without crouching is the least stressful style.

A second significant observation of the coach was that too often my nonbowling arm ends up out in the air rather than resting consistently on the knee of the advancing leg. So now, for a non-crouch delivery, the non-bowling hand starts out with the fingers resting lightly at about the bottom of my pocket on the thigh of the leg that will step forward and ends up resting lightly on the knee of that forward leg.

The third significant change relates to the placement of my feet before delivery. Instead of standing with feet essentially together, it was advocated that my advancing foot should begin one-half a shoe length forward of my anchor foot. When I tried this combined with an upright starting stance, I  found that this caused almost all my weight to remain on my anchor foot throughout the delivery, automatically, while before I had to make a conscious effort to keep my weight predominantly on this foot; thus, this new modification again simplified my delivery.

I had seen in bowling videos on U-tube that many top bowlers tuck the knee of their anchor leg in behind the heel of their advancing leg when they deliver. I was not finding this necessary and so I asked the coach why this happened. He explained that I was not doing it because I was stepping forward parallel to the aim line rather than stepping more towards the aim line; that is directly in front of my anchor foot. If I were to step more towards the aim line according to theory my eyes would be directly over the aim line and I would improve the proportion of bowls passing cleanly through my stare point.

My Second Lesson 

I had the good fortune to have another lesson from a different teacher, Geoff Hamilton, who is the club champion and the CEO of the Turramurra Lawn Bowling Club. In my second lesson, my instructor said that he had been watching me practicing in a roll-up. His main concern was that I was still in too much of a crouch. He wanted me to stand up straight when I stepped onto the mat with my feet positioned as previously described but with a slight flexing of the knees and the weight on the balls of my feet so that I inclined slightly forward. (I will continue to try to keep most of my weight on my anchor foot.) He again emphasized that the goal was to have a delivery that would not need to change as I aged and acquired more aches and pains.

His next criticism was that after releasing the bowl I stepped back onto the mat rather than continuing to move my weight forward with the shot. He said that I should instead draw up my anchor foot so that I would end up standing with both feet out in front of the mat. He stated emphatically that on fast greens consistent weight transfer would be essential for controlling the momentum and hence length of my shots.

The third criticism was that I was flailing in the air with my free hand rather than sliding it down to rest on my advancing knee. After the bowl was released and traveling down the rink was the time to check (i) whether my delivering arm was raised no higher than my advancing knee (ii) that my anchor knee was just behind my advancing foot and (iii) that my non-bowling hand was resting on my knee. Even so, the number one job, once the bowl was released, was to notice whether the stare point was being hit and if not by how much and in which direction the miss occurred so it could be correlated with the final bowl position.

Bowls at Turramurra, Australia

The novice bowling author is on an extended holiday in Sydney Australia until March.

The grass is faster here than on the synthetic surface at James Garden and much, much faster than the grass at Willowdale, but this is the least of the differences in play between here and Toronto. In Australia, the pair’s game is played with the leads opening with two bowls each, then the skips deliver two bowls; then the leads return to the mat and deliver their last two bowls, and finally the skips come back and grass their last two bowls. Thus, there is twice as much walking back and forth on the rink as in Canada.

One might think the game would proceed more slowly but it actually goes faster because, unlike in Canada, each rink has a marked center line that extends out from the two-meter T for eight meters at each end. This eliminates any signaling between the leads and skips concerning the centering either of the mat or the jack before the beginning of each end.

The presence of the marked center line creates several differences in how play usually evolves. In Canada, because of the problem centering the mat if it is moved up the green, most ends end up being played with bowls delivered from the 2-meter mark or no more than 4 feet further up the green. At Turramurra, and perhaps elsewhere in Australia, there is less tactical play with changes to the distance the jack is delivered and much more involving the location of the mat. In the first game I played in Australia, (social not competitive) both skips left it pretty well up to the leads to decide on the placement of the mat and the distance that the jack was delivered. In Canada, even in a social game, play would pause until the skip in possession of the mat came down the rink to the place where the jack was supposed to be delivered. The skip expects or more often just hopes the lead will deliver the jack close to where (s)he stands. The skip I played with simply waited near the forward ditch for the mat to be placed and jack to be tossed down seemingly at my discretion. Then they quickly moved the jack onto the center line for the first lead bowl.

At Turramurra, and perhaps in all of Australia, players do not use bowl rakes to gather the bowls when the end is over but the bowls are kicked back to behind the mat placement for the next end. In Canada as far as I have seen, rakes are used except for singles matches. As a consequence, in Australia, it seems that for the convenience of the bowlers, the mat is rarely placed at the 2-meter line, but almost always at least 4 meters more up the rink. Since very often the previous head might be as far as 10 meters from the forward ditch if the mat for the coming end is now placed 6 meters from the ditch, the bowls only need to be kicked a short distance. If the mat were placed at the 2-meter mark, the bowls would need to be kicked inconveniently far and there would be an increased chance that a bowl would end up gathering some sand in the ditch before it could be properly marshaled.

There is another reason that moving the mat might be discouraged by Canadian conditions of play. Ground sheets are used much more in Canada than in Australia. From reading the comments written by Australians on the blog, Julian Haynes Bowls, many feel that if conditions require ground sheets, play should be canceled. This is not the case in Canada.  In many places in Canada, the weather is quite variable throughout the bowls season. There are more days when it rains at least some of the time. Furthermore, the season, which is only from May to October to begin with, is extended by using ground sheets more toward the end of the season as the weather deteriorates. There also seems to be much heavier morning dew, at least in the Toronto area where I am from, and it doesn’t ‘burn off ‘ until about 10:30AM which is well after most tournaments have begun. According to the World Bowls Crystal Mark Second Edition rules, ground sheets are placed on each rink by the groundskeeper if in his opinion required and cannot be moved or removed except by agreement from the groundskeeper. Moreover, the rules further  state that the mat must remain placed with its front edge aligned with the back edge of the ground sheet. As a result, groundsheets take mat movements out of the game.

With a marked center line, the greater movement of the mat has a significant effect on determining the aim line. In Canada, some choose the aim line by selecting a particular distinct point on or beyond the forward bank and creating an imaginary aiming line that passes through that point; then carefully looking back along that line they find a stare point conveniently in front of the mat. The difficulty with this method is that the aiming line needs to be changed whenever the mat is moved significantly forward or back. Since significant mat movement is rarer in a Canadian social game, this is not a burden. In Australia, such changes in mat placement are more the rule than the exception, so, bowlers that use the above method are handicapped. At the same time, players who apply a method based on bowling at a fixed angle to the centerline are aided by the existence of a clearly marked center line. The simplest method of choosing the proper line for delivering bowls to the jack in Australia is by bowling at the correct angle off the center line because that angle is not changed when the mat position is varied!   All your attention can be directed at getting the correct weight for your shots.

Cultural Aspects of the Game

At the Turramurra Bowling Club in Sydney Australia many more men are bowling than women, while at James Gardens in Toronto, there are more ladies than gents. Mixed bowling is the most common bowls game in Canada but it seems that the men far outnumber the ladies at Turramurra. Even more noteworthy is the extent to which men and women do not mix down under. Ladies play on ladies' days and hardly make an appearance at the club at other times. This may be connected with the fact that bowling clubs in Australia typically have a bar and some slot machines, but this is just a tentative hypothesis. There are also hints that the men prefer male-only games because they can use rougher language, drive more often, and perhaps drink more freely afterward.

It appears that bowls is much more expensive to play here in Australia.  If you want to play often you must play in an organized game that costs between $15-20 per player. This outlay includes some lunch, and coffee or tea perhaps a couple of times during the day. For the men, there is also the expense of a traditional alcoholic beverage for yourself and your opposite number after the contest. This is not to say that these extras do not have value but just that they are not optional. They are inherent aspects of the entertainment package. In Canada, for regular weekly scheduled in-house games, if you want food you bring a lunch, and tea and coffee are supplied by the club. Since almost all clubs are unlicensed, there is simply no opportunity to imbibe on the premises. You can pay $0.50 for a soft drink from the club frig or drink from the water fountain. Canadian bowls clubs more closely resemble an outdoor skating shack; the Australian bowls club is more like a golf country club!

Best Lawn Bowls Competition Videos

As a novice lawn bowler situated in Canada where the greens are now covered with snow, I watch a lot of bowling videos, waiting until December 27th when my wife and all head off for nearly three months in Sydney Australia where we will have kindly been invited to bowl at the Turramurra Lawn Bowling Club.

As a Christmas present for my followers I offer my two favorite lawn bowling videos for your entertainment and instruction. The first climaxes with some of the most amazing shots directed at a jack in the ditch that you will ever see. The competitors Greg Harlow and Alex Marshall are so impressed with each others excellence that you see them congratulating each other even before the match is decided. I particularly like Alex Marshall's abbreviated follow through and controlled steps following each bowl. Greg Harlow's delivery is the smoothest most classical delivery I think you will see.  The match is the  2011 World Championship semi-finals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB_r0fvcYcc

The second video match features what I feel is the most dramatic drive shot artist in the world, Canada's Ryan Bester. This match features the most dramatic shot I have ever viewed. This match is the World Cup 2007 Australia Vs Canada 2nd Semi -final

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXRxWzL2Amw

Enjoy and Seasons Greetings.

Interpreting What You Can See from the Mat

Above you can view a head of bowls with a long jack as seen from the mat (top) and then taken from just in front of the head (below). Using the rules in the table below you can quickly work out the disposition of the bowls without visiting the head. 

In order to bowl the proper length, you must be able to provide accurate information to your subconscious computer.  You need to tell it whether your last bowl was long or short and by how much. Particularly in singles, this must be done at least part of the time by an estimation done from the mat. You can't go back and forth to the head after every bowl! Even in non-singles games, some skips may not be competent to properly and concisely convey important information. Other skips may modify the truth to save your feelings or as part of their own strategy to correct your play. Such misinformation will only confuse your natural gift for making adjustments.

In lawn bowls, the jack may be placed anywhere from 21 meters to 29.5 meters in advance of the front edge of the mat. My eye level is 66 inches from the ground (I am six feet tall). Thus at 29.5 meters the angle between the horizontal and my line of sight is 3.25 degrees. When the jack is at 21 meters, the corresponding angle for me is 4.56 degrees. My bowls when lying flat have a height of about 4.25 inches and these bowls' diameter is 5 inches, so standing up each has a height of 5 inches.  A jack’s diameter is 2.5 inches. Doing the calculations I get the numbers in the table below.

	Completely see Jack behind Bowl	See half Jack behind Bowl	Completely see Bowl behind Jack	Completely see Bowl behind Bowl
Short Jack	Inches	Inches	Inches	Inches
	49.5	33.9	27.6	53.3
	Feet	Feet	Feet	Feet
	∿ 4	∿3	∿ 2	∿ 4.5
Long Jack	Inches	Inches	Inches	Inches
	71.1	49.1	40.3	74.8
	Feet	Feet	Feet	Feet
	∿ 6	∿4	∿3.5	∿6

It is worth noting that a bowl can be as much as two feet in front of the jack and still completely hide it, so even though the jack is covered a good draw can readily become the shot bowl.  Also, even if the jack is completely hidden as seen from the mat, there can be plenty of room to catch and trail the jack without touching the covering bowl.

Another Reason to Draw Your Bowl Behind the Kitty

 Keywords: lawn bowls, tactics, strategy, delivery, draw, shot, competition, short, long, bias, tipping over, jack, weight

Novice lawn bowlers are frequently reminded that drawing long behind the jack is strategically better than being short and in front. The usual reason given is that when the jack is moved by a later bowl that movement is almost always backwards. Short bowls are very likely to end up further from the jack when the final count is taken. There is another very good reason that can be precisely quantified. Short bowls, when they tip over, usually fall away from the jack. Long bowls tend to fall down so that they end up closer to the jack. The amount the former moves closer  and the latter further away is exactly the same; that is 3 .5 inches. The result for two bowls, one that draws so that its centre of mass ends up 1 foot behind the jack and the other so its  centre of mass ends up 1 foot in front of the jack, is that after each tips over, the back bowl will be 7 inches closer than the front one! In competition this will often make a difference .

The Secret to Controlled Weight Delivering Lawn Bowls

I learned something today that was so startling and made such a dramatic difference that I was tempted to keep it as a secret- just for a year or two- I thought. Why should I share the secret? Then I thought again, “What is the point of writing a lawn bowling blog especially for novices if you hide the most important thing you discover?”

So here it is! You all must have heard, “It doesn’t matter what your style, consistency depends upon reproducibility of the delivery whatever it is.” This is true; but, I didn’t realize how precisely the statement must be interpreted. You need to be able to reproduce the same form exactly, in every detail, even those things that you think can’t be very important. This is why simple delivery styles are best, even though any style can be perfected. Uncomplicated movements are the easiest (I didn’t say easy) to repeat consistently, end after end, season after season. There is a valuable dividend that follows from this simplicity. If your style is reproducible in every little respect then your mental computer will make corrections to the speed with which you release the bowl to correct for previous short or long bowls.

I say I have magically improved my draw accuracy. What was I doing inconsistently before? My follow through was not sufficiently controlled. My bowling hand came up somewhat higher sometimes than other times. My fingers flexed sometimes while remaining straight other times. I would not have expected that these are consequential differences, but they are. 

I discovered these differences watching professional indoor bowlers on Youtube and asking myself, “How does my delivery deviate most from theirs?” The answer was that, in the follow through for any draw shot, their hands were still pointing to the ground. They never raised their bowling arm more than 45 degrees from the vertical. They stopped the arm rather more abruptly after releasing the bowl and never curled their fingers up. Moreover, many of the best players followed through by walking. with halting measured steps off the mat following the line of delivery and as they watched the progress of each bowl. See for example Foster and Marshall in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zql2KzXudGI who exhibit this distinctly. With these two champions the exaggeration of these points makes it even easier to see.

So now I keep these little things constant, concentrate on a smooth release onto the green and let my subconscious computer determine the weight. All I tell myself is whether the jack is short, medium or long while I look carefully at its position. I don't consciously measure my backswing the way I did when I started! 

Draw or Drive at Lawn Bowls: The Tactical Decision

There is an old saying: draw for dough, drive for show.

I think that this is saying is that those who win the tournaments use the drive shot less frequently than those who do not. That is, those who drive most often end up out of the money.

But this may be confusing cause and effect. Those who drive most often do so because they are already in trouble. They are already most at risk of having a multiple count against them or losing outright in the final ends; that is- being out of the money. The winners who eventually get that ‘dough’ are most likely the ones threatening to score a big count.

To know when it is tactically wise to drive in singles or as the skip in other contests, (in team games you don't bowl with weight unless the skip calls for it), you need to know some statistics about your own draw accuracy. I use the median of medians test to measure this. For example, for me, only one bowl in three come less than 52 inches from the jack. From this, I calculate that only one bowl in six will be within 37 inches. This is pretty bad; but hey, I’m still a novice playing on a fast green.

Anyway, one bowl sitting beside the jack can present a cross-sectional target as large as 17 inches. Furthermore, with a hard drive one does not need to worry about accuracy with respect to weight. How hard your bowl crashes into the forward ditch doesn’t matter. Consequently, the problem is reduced from a two-dimensional problem for that draw for shot: correct line and correct weight; or the one-dimensional problem: correct line for the drive. Which do I think I have a better chance of achieving: driving and passing within 8 ½ inches (either side) of the center of my target one bowl out of six; or drawing within 37 inches of the jack one out of six? Assuming a bit of instruction and practice in the basics of driving, the latter would be my statistical choice. Remember most people drive faster than necessary and so lose accuracy. But also remember, there are other tactical considerations because the two shots' purposes are different. Generally, drawing is to score while  driving is to save.

So:

1. For a promising drive, the target should be at least as large as a jack-high bowl separated by 5  inches (the cross-section of my bowl) from the jack.

2. You must almost certainly have the prospect to save at least 1, usually more, if you hit anywhere on the target.

3. You should have a second or third in the head which you are very unlikely to hit with your drive.

My conclusion is that, so long as you have been taught something about driving, you are likely to use it properly more when you are just a 3-5 year novice, because your median draw shot is relatively inaccurate. As your draw ability improves, driving will become tactically less often appropriate. Put another way, as you become more likely to win dough, you will be less frequently in situations where driving is the statistically correct tactic.