Lead's Role and Fours Game

Of all the games played in Lawn Bowls I believe that the bowls game of "Fours" can be the most instructive for new bowlers getting into serious Bowls. 

 After having learned the basics of bowls from a qualified instructor, the new bowler usually ventures into social games of a triples or pairs and seldom gets an opportunity to learn about the value of a "Lead".   I remember thinking I was "Lead" because I was new and could do no damage with a bad bowl.

 

Actually,Leads can learn a lot by playing as 1st or 2nd in a  " Fours" game. The game of "fours" can be considered as the 4 bowls of the Pair's Lead rolled by two players.  The great advantage of these bowls being bowled by two players is that they complement each other.  They talk about the bowls,  they help with the read of the surface and what the skip is asking of them.


The use of two Players for these four bowls  also indicate that the Lead has two basic roles. Point tight to the jack, giving the team a good start for points and creating a "head" which is the start of the end's strategy. Of course, with the guidance of the skip.

Here in New Brunswick, where very few fours games of Lawn Bowls is played, I believe that new bowlers do not get the opportunity to learn the value of being a lead.  I read recently where an international bowler stated that he often played as skip at the club level but during international play he preferred the position of lead. Why?  Because the lead makes a head which can be the total possibility or difficulty which he wants for the opponent.


In pairs where each player has four Bowls,  the value of the lead is recognize by the skip, in building the house.  If we get away from the Roll and accept the result attitude of lawn bowls, we will see that the lead can establish difficulties for the opponent. These first placed bowls make it difficult for the opponent  to develop or collect points.

In the title of the second part of this Blog,  " Lead as Chess Master ", the game of chess is compared to Bowls because we all understand that one move in chest leads to another and they're only so many opening moves that the chess player can begin his game.  In reality there is just so many possibilities of the 6 bowls (both leads) in the head after the lead finishes their delivery.

 

One of the first complaints one hears about the game off fours is how very slow the player finds the game.  And having only two Bowls, the  players often complain that there's a great deal of time waiting for your turn to Bowl.  This time can be to learn a lot about the opponents play and weakness.

 

A skip in the head often has very little time to collect data and information which will indicate the weakness of the opponent's or the best strategy to defeating the opponents. Why? Because, the skip often is busy thinking of repairing the damage done by the last opponent's bowl or recovering from a badly delivered team bowl, as he directs the next bowl to be played. 

 

In fours, after delivering the to Bowls, the lead has plenty of time collect valuable information.  Of course, information requested by his skip, In great "fours" teams, and through training at team's lead end,  the importance of various aspects of developing a head of  each end can be learned. 

 

Remember, all bowlers have a preference of their delivery, either forehand or backhand, and expressed confidence in their ability for pointing tight to the jack. If a short point bowl, blocks that option for the opponent, the game will change greatly.   Also, all greens, or alleys of play, has unique characteristics which force the pointer to do a narrow draw or a wide draw.  A similar short point, will control that narrow and easily to draw approach to the jack for the opponent.  Remember, you never worry about raising your own bowl to the jack.

 

Often the skip will collect this information in the first three of four ends of play, and this is when the leads of "fours " give suggestions to their skip. Whether the opponent is using the forehand or the backhand.  And this is when the skip or mate will instruct the lead to attempt to force the opponents away from their preference of delivery style.   Any time you waste an opponents bowl with increased difficult to the jack, it is a free bowl for the skip to build the head and capture points. 

 

Simple things like the "Trial End" Bowls  of a serious competition bowler, can indicate a great deal of information.  However, as often is the case, most "Trial End" players see these bowls as a way of  showing how close they can draw to the jack. Of course, there are only two trial ends and often the jack arrives at only two distances.  So how do you learn more about the green and the opponents ability? 

 

Because bowlers attempt to draw to the jack during trial ends, the skip is able to see the natural distance of a bowler and those distances which may be the difficulty.  A natural distance, that which the bowl rolls with the relaxed delivery, is the building blocks of adding on are taking off distance to the jack.  As skips choice of the jack location often is based on the distances the opponent lead has difficulty in reaching the jack. 


In the next couple of weeks I will be playing in the Atlantic Bowls as lead and wanted to get this blog onto my twitter site before going. It is written in two parts because of what the lead can do if given the liberty to build the head with knowledge.  As captain of the team and having another skip the game, I expect we will do good as we bowl against the best of Nova Scotia , P.E.I and Quebec.
The second part of this blog will discuss how the building of the head by the leads bowls is like a chess game and only so many possible ways to start the head.. Will attempt to update this blog with photos soon.  ty