Fours as a Team

Every club which  works hard to promote bowls has developed an athletic whom made their National Team.

Notes the "Fours"  and sign of  "down Four"
Hong Kong international Danny Ho

  We are so proud of them as fellow club members, but if we have coached them a small bit it is even greater satisfaction. If not,  we wait hopefully for that  one day when they ask us  to bowl with them, so we can learn from them.
      The last Canadian Nationals I watched, 2011, a  young lawn bowls student which I was proud to have worked with was still on the Provincial "Fours" Team.  He had gone many times to the Nationals on "fours", since that first time at 18 when he played with the club's national team member.  As a new bowler, he was given the chance to play as lead on  the club's "fours" entry and although he lacked experience, his team won the provincial Roll-off and qualified.
     In Lawn bowls we make the Skip a "god" and let him play his game.  { I used a small "g"in "god" because many skips take too much  importance in being BOSS and not enough in  their leadership role.  In the rest of this Blog I will attempt to show how a skip can delegate responiability, especially in the Bowl's Game of "Fours"; and devolop a great team and still play his greatest game.
    On the mat, where performance counts, we have to do our best and the skip is probably the most skilled bowler of the team. But strategy is also playing a great game "off-the mat" and most skips only analysis the Bowls game from the "Head"  A good skip develops his team with all having a part in the " Game strategy"
    On the front end, as Lead and Second, (if given the responsibility by the Skip), these two players with their four bowls should work together to analysis and to give the same head as the "lead"  in a Pairs competition.
   -  Analysis the preference of the opponent and discuss the opponents skills
   -  Bowl placement which control the opponents access with counting shot that are also short blocks.
   -  Close the short side unless it is an opponent's weak back hand or your teams preference draw side

A Canada Day Social Bowls  (Usually Fours)

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   -  Move the mat (within a few feet) to give their partner members the best Bowl's receiving area. This requires knowing your team member's delivery receiving area. (center line,  along side of mat, out a bit). Look at the delivery style in the photo (right) and how the front foot placement and  bowler's weight can make for hard and bumply receiving area) 
 -  Choose the  most advantage first bowl delivery hand (forehand or backhand) as per lead's confidence.
   -  Balance the head with matching bowls and leave one in the back and on the "Jack Catch Line" area.
   -  Analysis the weakness of the "Lead End" of the opponents and communicate it to the Third to permit the skip/Mate to make  decisions and strategy change.  (Jack length, called faults)
   - Show the maximum sportsmanship and team spirit.   Most important,  when the mate (3rd) comes to the mat the head belongs to your team and  is well balanced.

    On the Back end of "Fours",  both the Mate and Skip, should know the forces and weakness of all players.  To me the best 4 is a skip with unbelievable draw ability with nerves of steel and a 3rd with good complex skills set. (Complex shots like tap-back, jack roll , blocks tight draws passes done regularly).

Look at team spirit (red team) and 3rd High 5 to skip

   The 3rd is the moving communication which keeps the team fine tuned.  He can be playing the green  with the "Lead End" and the Skip/Mate End  (in the house)/  Believe me, in the "fours", a 3rd makes or loses the game by his ability to keep the team working as a team.  As the Skip stands alone in the head, he know his work is with the Front End.; to the three players in the head as the skip bowls.  He is always makeing the team strong. The 3rd, should insisting the lead and second are in the head during the final bowl roll.; and be asking the opinion and reason that the lead is making decisions of bowls and draws.  If the 3rd is really communicating, the team will win as a team.  There are a lot of facts that can be analysis and seen by all four players and although the skip has the final decision;. a good "fours" skip will use that gathered information.
    I remember in a national competition, the Second told the Third that on two previous occasions that the mat was short of the Mat line.  Third told the skip and two end away from the game end, the skip read the sign of the 2nd for a short mat and called the official on it.  The umpire gave the position of the mat to us, as a  illegal  delivered jack (strange call),  and our skip, redefined the jack distance and picked up an advantage.  (yes it was a physiological point, and not very sportmanlike, you say, but it teached the  2nd to know and  correct these sort of problem)
    Actions of the Third in helping the skip.
   -  Reading the head, seeing the balance of bowls,  knowing the weakness of opponents and balancing the  strength and weakness of each position.  Does the opponent lead (or second) out bowl the team's player ?
   -  Suggestion of Offensive or Defensive actions to build and win the game.
   -  Keep the three pats of gameplay together (first 4 ends to analysis, next 4 to build lead, and last four should be such prefection of play that it means a win.)  A third becomes a third because he now everything.
   -  Take of the shoulder of the skip the pressure of a great shot by decreasing the lost to one point.
   -  Communicating the wishes of the skip to the Lead/Second in a manner which keeps team harmony.
   -  Building support for the skip when that great shot did not happen.  Keeping the team spirit.high.
  
"Fours" are the most team spirit game I know and it can be a very strong game.  Four minds each respected for their ability to see and analysis aspects of the game which is best suited to their position.

Don't Move in the Head

"Two is a couple, Three is a crowd" Lawn Bowls is a "Crowd's" Game

High Park Lawn Bowling - Monogallery.ca

  My thoughts are about my first time playing in a "Four" tournament.  The excitement as a "Fours Team member, standing there behind the jack,  as we watch the great recovery shot or Point draw of our skip on the mat.
 "Are we suppose to be here ?" I remember asking, as I stood in the "T" formation behind the head.  Like some football defensive formation,  the opponents players, behind us, forming a straight line, as they each hide one behind the other.
     It is not until my first "Fours Competition that I experienced this great team spirit, of standing together in the head and  the excitement when we all burst into one roar of approval following the great shot of our skip..
    In triples play, often the Second or Mate must stay at the mat with the Lead as support or be in the head with the Skip as they decide on the best strategy for winning this game. There is much a new player wants to learn as they venture into tournament play, and "Fours Play"  never leaves a team member alone.
 Either with your fellow player forming the "Lead" Section or the Mate has come to the mat to bring instructions from the skip on the games changes.  Or standing as a team behind the head. Communication was always a team thing.  Never a skip/mate in the head thing which excluded the lead.  Skip's leadership and ability of play requires keeping the team together and at it peak.

ADF lawn bowls fours team of SQNLDR
at the Arafura Games

 I remember travelling hundreds of miles to watch our Provincial "Four" team play in the Nationals.  I was excited to see them do well.  But when a good shot was done, I noticed one player, who was a last minute replacement for the team; standing alone as the remaining three players gave "High Five".  I later heard this same player say at his club, that he would never go back to the Nationals.  It was too expensive and not an enjoyable experience.   "Fours must be a Team experience"

In Club play, "Fours" are seldom played, but  a "fours" game is the best place to educate the new player.  Coaching of new players should not be during club play but in actual coaching sessions.  But explaining the do and don't of play must be taught on the green, where people can make mistakes and learn..
"Don't move in the Head", can often be heard during a "Fours  game.    In club play, the skip or mate are usually the only players seen in the head, and many a "New Bowls players" has been told they should be on the bank behind the green.
As a new Bowls member develops knowledge of the game from coaching sessions, the actual experience of play and explanations of decisions best build their ability to advance toward becoming a knowledge player.  Most of what I know of playing lead in Triples and Pairs came from "Fours"

2012 Governor Generals Finals
Kingston LBC  Facebook

"Know your opponents preference".   What if left to bowl forehand or backhand do they prefer? What are their strengths ?  Everyone has a different forehand/backhand natural distance.  How does the "Natural Distance of Leads" compare ? How does the opponent "put-on weight" or "Take-off weight?   Does a frontal bowl cause a fear of raising the opponents Bowl ?
  "Know the  opponent team strength" It is great when a skip ask only that your bowl to the jack.  But  does their skip overpower your skip's ability to draw ? Does a Runner exist in the opponents bag of tricks?  Does the opponent prefer using one side of approach other than the other?  Sometime in a game teams will go up and down the green on,  the same side because of the play conditions. Does your skip close the short side?  or the Wide side. Does your opponent "Balance their Head"
  "Are the opponents, or your team, "Fair weather" Players ?   When the cross wind adds on or takes off the draw line, do they know or waste a bowl finding the line?   When the mat position is changed by a meter or more, does you opponent adjust quickly?  Does your team adjust quickly ?.
   No these are not concerns for the "Lead" and "Second" but these are learned aspects of "Fours" which the Front end players discuss.  (As does the Skip end players do)
          One last event, not intended to rundown anyone, but show the team spirit and values are important.  
 When I was living in Quebec in the beginning 21th century, I had the honor to bowl in  the Governor-Generals. "Fours" inter-province Competition.  Each Province qualifies their team by Roll-off and the final day competition is a big thing. with meals, band openings, and a annual trophy. It develops friendships from neighbour provinces and sportsmanship is keen.

Quebec's Women G-G's 2012 Team

 

 Playing on this competition at our club, we were stealing the game.  First the total points of the day is the method of tournament win calculation, and we had won the morning game with a two team effort and a wide point margin.   As the afternoon game came to a close, the opponents had taken few end and points.  The win was certain as neither of the two "four" opponent teams had  a sufficient lead to win their game.
  We had given up a head  or two, with a few points,  sort of a sportsmanship thing; and as the last end finished we had the second and third point.   For some unknown reason, our skip could not accept them taking the last end, even if the points had no effect on the game or the days' competition.   His killer runner crashed the head as his last bowl was played.  It was hard to look the opponents in the eyes after the skip action which could be seen more as an insult. Clearly his wanting to show them and rubbed their nose in their team's  weakness.

2012 Quebec Men G-G's Team

   The skip action was not his decision alone.  It reflected on us all, as a team,  It lack of sportsmanship, only showed our province in a bad light.  He was so much of "himself" and his Runner ability he show a lack of respect for us, his team. Although he was a great bowler and skip, I never wanted to play for his team again.
   Today, as I prepare, in coaching, a skip who will go to the2013 nationals; I want his experience to be great.  He, has experienced similar lack of sportsmanship last year at our inter-provincial "Atlantics" and  I know he is bigger than that.  Because our province does not play more than one or two tournaments of "Fours" a year; this experience can not be learned on the greens.  
  

Usint the "Head" Thinking

In Canada, we are starting our Lawn Bowl Season,  Over the next three blogs, I will attempt to address the possibilities of the Lawn Bowls Game called "Fours". In my province, there is talk about why these competition and expecially the Nationals. My friends will go to BC to respresent our province at the nationals.  I will attempt to explain why "fours" should be continued and what advantages it gives to new Lawn Bowls recruits.  Please, think how we must do everything we can to save our sport.  If "fours" teach something which only "fours" can do... maybe we should use it to save Bowls.

Bowls  in the head and a Jack

Sometimes, A question is not intended to have an answer, but the contents is more intended to induce thought.  "Which came first, the chicken, or the egg?"  Or "What is the sound of one hand Clapping?".
In Lawn Bowls the discussion and question of "What is the raison for playing Fours?" is such a thought. If one perfect Lawn Bowler could exist and play the perfect game; why would you want to divide it into two parts. A "Pairs" team works to develop a Lead which can build a foundation of a Game which with strategy and "Skip leadership" will lead to an advancement of point or points against an opponent.
 "What is the sound of one hand Clapping ?"  to those who know of Zen also know that this question is a question which has an answer.  " The same as two hand clapping"  The logic is as simple in Zen as the question of "If a tree falls in a forest and no-one is there to hear it,  does it make a noise ?"  So to the Lawn bowls' question of "Why do we play fours ?"  "So we don't use game play to practice."
What would be the advantage to divide these four "Lead" Bowls between two players, a "Lead" and a "Second" and create a "Lead component" of the Bowls Game of "Fours"  I believe, in my own view, that we as individuals are to busy in the games of "Pairs" to take time to understand and analysis our role as "Lead" in developing the Head for our "Skip" (I inject here, YES, the skip is the boss, but we are not thoughtless robots rolling bowls to some position on the green, like chess pieces moved about.) I like the skip instruction of "Your choice" on wheather forehand or backhand delivery.
Yes, in a Pairs Game, we bowl up the green and before you have time to think; the opponent has delivered their bowl and you are again into the routine of rolling that perfect delivery toward the head. Seldom do we even find the time to "Prepare our bowl before stepping onto the mat". Although we all know from  practice and coaching that we do prepare ourself before the act of delivery.

A four team from You tube 

 When we began the action of delivery, it is a routine of perfection giving us the result we expect. We all know, and probably agree; that after the bowl stops rolling, we confort ourself that  the next bowl is always be better than the last.  With the Game of Fours we don't have this confort,
 But, as a lawn bowler, do we need 3 bowls of practice before we delivery that fourth and hopefully, the best of the four bowls. Would golf be a foolish sport if we suggested that they try three balls before the last striked ball.
 As a lead, I hate watching my skip trying a complex shot like a jack roll or tape-back and miss it and then try again. and again.  Or have you often say to your skip about the opponent skip; "He missed it twice, but be sure he will try again and the third bowl will be successful. What does this say about us?  Are we performing at a peak performance level ?

  Now if Bowls is a game of strategy, then lets look at a game of strategy like chess.   Do we play defensive or offensive when we play a chess piece.  Sort of both... Attack and be defensive about too quick a decision.   Maybe this is why two individuals are each given two bowls so that we learn to be defensive and offensive in our Bowl delivery.  Yes, we give the skip the best of what he wants.  But when we stand preparing our bowl before delivery, are we defensive or offensive.   When the skip leaves the head to come to the mat,  he is thinking defensive (if you give a strongly developed head) or Offensive (if it is necessary to recovery the head and point before that last bowl).
 But also, I would like to look toward the split personality of a Lawn Bowl Lead. Do you think "If I miss my shot, what is best  defensive or offensive" before going to the mat.  Confidence is not doubting you are going to do the shot. 
In the Lawn Bowls game of "Four" we have first the question wheather the first two bowls "Lead" are more or less important than the last two "Second" bowls.  So before the team is builded we must think of the opponent and if defensive or offensive is our game plan.  Do you put a better player as "Second" or as "First"?  Do you draw to the jack, and take charge;  or do you prevent the opponent from taking charge?  Maybe, the perfect front end of a Four team is two individuals who each talk and question their bowls in these two view of strategy.  
Don't tell me,  Lead and Seconds are not expected to think.  When I tell my lead,  "Place the mat so that my Bowls' receiving area is the best I can have ": I expect them to think as they place the mat onto the green.  Look ahead of it,  debits or weak grass areas are not there.  I expect that they will know how I delivery off the center of the mat, along the centerline, toward my line of delivery.  I hope that they will maybe even analysis how the opponent (lead, second and skip) does their delivery. Like finding a crossword puzzle word, they excite as they discover their part in the game.
And if there is something to be learned.. whom do you tell it too.  Of course, the lead and second are busy sharing and improving their knowledge of the game and their responsibility and contribution to the winning point.
   A Four team is made of 4 different individuals and the Lead "END" of the Four and the Skip "END' (mate and skip) must be working together,  not just throwing two bowls and waiting 20 minutes before throwing the next two.  This is the raison that I give to the Game of Fours in Lawn Bowls.  Learning with the help of your twin (partner) how to be a better lead, mate or skip.