Watching the Potter 2015 Single Final between Andy Thomson of England
and the Scottish Indoor Champion, Alex Marshall I heard the Announcer say "Using the Mat on the far edge" Andy attempts a jack roll and rolls pass as he tries "to turn the jack". The bowl passed just in front of the jack. The style of delivery of Andy is to stand on the far back corner as delivery foot placement. However if he had moved forward to the front of the mat the same bowl would have rolled the jack. These bowlers are the best in the world and it is not intended to suggest faults. But we normal players do not have their skill and often these tricks or "Tools" of delivery are helpful in our success.
Update Aug/2018 - A recent 2018 blog on the fault of experience bowlers being overly dependant on a Delivery Line Reference during their delivery instead of seeing in the "Mind's eye" where their bowl will go needs me to make clear how this trick helps experience lawn bowlers with their delivery line If you bowled to roll the jack and passed within inches and you know your properly delivery line; maybe the missing of the jack was because of a small hill or valley which changed the bowl line. If you do another instinctive delivery the bowl will pass the same place as the previous one. By walking the mat, (opposite side of missed jack) and double the missed jack distance you will hit the jack this time because the change in your bowl's roll has been adjusted. (Why double ?? Because your skip will tell you the distance from the bowl to the edge of the jack. You want to hit the jack in the center to add a few inches in your stepping the mat)
As a "Arm Chair Critics" or Bloggers, I sometime offer a different view and even become inclined to suggest a method of getting that bowl you delivery; to the shot you want. In a previous blog called "Delivery Line Toolbox", one of the Delivery Tricks which was suggested was that a lawn bowler could develop and by doing so would improve his delivery skills, said.
"Walking the Mat - Because the mat is defined in Section 3, Article 7 of rules as 600 mm by 360 mm (23.622" x 14.173") this small foot wide mat allows for a little bit of "Mat Walking " With the Section 5 (Game) and Article 21A (Foot Faulting) requiring that the player have one foot on or over the mat at the time of jack or bowl delivery; we have a great deal of place to put our foot and (still) move around on the mat."
The Second reason why you should have the "Walking The Mat" ability is to change your "Receiving area". What is the Receiving Area? The place on the green in front of the mat where your bowl first makes contact with the green is often referred to as your "Receiving area"
In an previous blog it was suggested that the lead needs to know and always check the "Receiving area" of their team mates when first placing the mat, To be aware of damage to the surface where you or your fellow teammates will place the bowl; only means moving the mat ahead or back a bit to get the best roll of the delivered bowl.
What is so hard about checking the surface and to be sure to not have debits or damage where they place their bowl. However what if your team has not placed the mat ? In placing the mat, the opponent lead may have given his team a good surface and in so doing given you or your team mates; a bad "Receiving Area". If you need to change your stance on the mat to improve where you place your bowl (your "Receiving area"), in order to not lay down a good delivery in the middle of bad debits.
Interesting Story from Bowling out of Montreal. I was teamed in Pairs with Scot and we were against a Westmount Team. Scot and the Westmount skip ( Richard) were the club "Greens keeper". I noticed that the Westmount lead was causing debits and when we had the first bowl, and as lead, I knew that when placing the mat; it should be moved ahead or back a bit to give a good "Receiving Area",
Scott my skip was an excellent Green keeper back at our club. Because Richard, the opponent skip and I were both left hand bowlers, when I placed the mat I did not think of my skip who like the Westmount lead was right handed. As a new player and as lead, I should have known the left and right handed players on both teams. However, I placed the mat for my self to have a good receiving area and when the skips came to the mat, my skip was delivering his bowl in the debits of the opponent lead and Richard the opponent skip had a clean "Receiving area" . Looking down at those debits as he bowled Scott (my skip) completely losted it as he tried to deliver around those debits.
When needing to adjust your delivery "Receiving area" the need to move left or right on the mat is the first reason for "Mat Walking". As a "Line bowler" you may have to adjust your bowl if the "Receiving area" of your bowl is bad. By developing this trick or tool in your "ToolBox of Tricks" you should be able to move on the mat and obtain the best delivery ofyour bowl. Also, in your "Post Analysis" of your "Good delivery" you must know that this small defect in the green has changed the actual roll or performance of your bowl. This is your feedback for the next delivery. But if you don t know how to "Walk the mat" you may try leaning ahead or to the side to place the bowl on a different part of the green. Now, with a Balance problem you create another problem in your delivery.
Update Aug/2018 - A recent 2018 blog on the fault of experience bowlers being overly dependant on a Delivery Line Reference during their delivery instead of seeing in the "Mind's eye" where their bowl will go needs me to make clear how this trick helps experience lawn bowlers with their delivery line If you bowled to roll the jack and passed within inches and you know your properly delivery line; maybe the missing of the jack was because of a small hill or valley which changed the bowl line. If you do another instinctive delivery the bowl will pass the same place as the previous one. By walking the mat, (opposite side of missed jack) and double the missed jack distance you will hit the jack this time because the change in your bowl's roll has been adjusted. (Why double ?? Because your skip will tell you the distance from the bowl to the edge of the jack. You want to hit the jack in the center to add a few inches in your stepping the mat)
As a "Arm Chair Critics" or Bloggers, I sometime offer a different view and even become inclined to suggest a method of getting that bowl you delivery; to the shot you want. In a previous blog called "Delivery Line Toolbox", one of the Delivery Tricks which was suggested was that a lawn bowler could develop and by doing so would improve his delivery skills, said.
Below the Youtube Video of Bowls Scotland National Championship 2014 Men's Pairs SF2 is used as an example of players with different delivery styles and it shows how to use the trick of "Walking Mat".
In this Youtube Video the lead. Colin Howie, for the Troon Portland LBC team, (Photo on right) is an example of delivery from the left side of the mat.We will see later in the blog and the video that because he is tight to the left of the mat, he has the restriction of not being able to move any further left. Also from this same Youtube Video we see his opponent lead (photo on left) from the Dander Hall Miners team, Billy Peacock is an example of a bowler using the right corner of the mat.
 |
| Foot on right side of mat |
 |
| Foot on left corner of mat |
Lesson 1 - Do you know what happens if you move left or right on the mat and use the same delivery (line or Point of aim) ? Try it. Delivery from 3 positions as the mat is large enough for left, center and right placement of you foot on the mat.
In this above mention video , we see Colin's bowls all passing just inches short and arriving left of the jack. In the previous blog the following photo was also composed of his 4 bowls to show his delivery results and how "Walking the mat would have helped.
The left photo show his first three bowls and their finish place behind the jack to the right. (his right looking from the mat) The right photo shows that his fourth bowl was a bit heavy with the idea it would not bend as much and probably would have taken the jack back to his three other bowls.
Very often a good bowler knows that he gets less bias on the bowl if it is a bit heavy. This is a mistake because the bowl's delivery and approach to the jack must be the same wait or else if you do touch the jack, you do not have a "Trail Jack" but a "Punched Jack". A "Trail jack" is usually when the jack stays with the bowl as the bowl slowly trails the jack (on the bowl) back to the new position.
Very often a good bowler knows that he gets less bias on the bowl if it is a bit heavy. This is a mistake because the bowl's delivery and approach to the jack must be the same wait or else if you do touch the jack, you do not have a "Trail Jack" but a "Punched Jack". A "Trail jack" is usually when the jack stays with the bowl as the bowl slowly trails the jack (on the bowl) back to the new position.
If his normal stance on the mat was to be with his foot in the center (like the photo of the Australian champion Kelsey Cottrell) (photo right); it is then easily to move a bit left and catch the jack with the same delivery roll.
Watch the video's first end of play, and know the value of this tool as a change in delivery.. It appears to me to be more accurate to do a small adjustment of foot on the mat; rather than believe that a heavier bowl will have the same bias. Bias changes with bowl speed and green speed as it rolls. Why make it more complex... the change of line or change of weight is harder to master. ??
If the bowler like Colin is a "natural delivery" bowler the change in delivery weight will require that he also change his delivery line. In using a "Natural Delivery" we see a style of delivery where the bowler's mind (subconscious) will adjust the " delivery line" for the heavier weight. The bowler will think that he has given the same line. Principle here, is that "if you have done the delivery so many time that you only need "to think where you want the bowl", then you can let the mind makes that delivery adjustment (subconscious mind)" as you move left or right on the mat. This is more precise and you are not changing your delivery weightm and the mind (subconscious) does the same line of delivery. (Or so you think) Don t out think yourself.
Watch the video's first end of play, and know the value of this tool as a change in delivery.. It appears to me to be more accurate to do a small adjustment of foot on the mat; rather than believe that a heavier bowl will have the same bias. Bias changes with bowl speed and green speed as it rolls. Why make it more complex... the change of line or change of weight is harder to master. ??
If the bowler like Colin is a "natural delivery" bowler the change in delivery weight will require that he also change his delivery line. In using a "Natural Delivery" we see a style of delivery where the bowler's mind (subconscious) will adjust the " delivery line" for the heavier weight. The bowler will think that he has given the same line. Principle here, is that "if you have done the delivery so many time that you only need "to think where you want the bowl", then you can let the mind makes that delivery adjustment (subconscious mind)" as you move left or right on the mat. This is more precise and you are not changing your delivery weightm and the mind (subconscious) does the same line of delivery. (Or so you think) Don t out think yourself.
The Second reason why you should have the "Walking The Mat" ability is to change your "Receiving area". What is the Receiving Area? The place on the green in front of the mat where your bowl first makes contact with the green is often referred to as your "Receiving area"
In an previous blog it was suggested that the lead needs to know and always check the "Receiving area" of their team mates when first placing the mat, To be aware of damage to the surface where you or your fellow teammates will place the bowl; only means moving the mat ahead or back a bit to get the best roll of the delivered bowl.
What is so hard about checking the surface and to be sure to not have debits or damage where they place their bowl. However what if your team has not placed the mat ? In placing the mat, the opponent lead may have given his team a good surface and in so doing given you or your team mates; a bad "Receiving Area". If you need to change your stance on the mat to improve where you place your bowl (your "Receiving area"), in order to not lay down a good delivery in the middle of bad debits.
Interesting Story from Bowling out of Montreal. I was teamed in Pairs with Scot and we were against a Westmount Team. Scot and the Westmount skip ( Richard) were the club "Greens keeper". I noticed that the Westmount lead was causing debits and when we had the first bowl, and as lead, I knew that when placing the mat; it should be moved ahead or back a bit to give a good "Receiving Area",
Scott my skip was an excellent Green keeper back at our club. Because Richard, the opponent skip and I were both left hand bowlers, when I placed the mat I did not think of my skip who like the Westmount lead was right handed. As a new player and as lead, I should have known the left and right handed players on both teams. However, I placed the mat for my self to have a good receiving area and when the skips came to the mat, my skip was delivering his bowl in the debits of the opponent lead and Richard the opponent skip had a clean "Receiving area" . Looking down at those debits as he bowled Scott (my skip) completely losted it as he tried to deliver around those debits.
When needing to adjust your delivery "Receiving area" the need to move left or right on the mat is the first reason for "Mat Walking". As a "Line bowler" you may have to adjust your bowl if the "Receiving area" of your bowl is bad. By developing this trick or tool in your "ToolBox of Tricks" you should be able to move on the mat and obtain the best delivery ofyour bowl. Also, in your "Post Analysis" of your "Good delivery" you must know that this small defect in the green has changed the actual roll or performance of your bowl. This is your feedback for the next delivery. But if you don t know how to "Walk the mat" you may try leaning ahead or to the side to place the bowl on a different part of the green. Now, with a Balance problem you create another problem in your delivery.
Can walking the mat also be used to get around short blocking bowls? Is it the best way to deal with the blocking problem?
ReplyDeleteBlocks are a part of Bowls. Taking Control of a straight draw side or just forcing an opponent to bowl on the delivery side which is a weakness. Sometimes the best play is confidence you can get around the bowl. A actual block and a "in your eye" block seem the same but your confidence is where you stand out. If a block really means that much trouble let it be hit and moved by your bowl as lead. Yes, walk the mat to change the bowl roll while keeping the same line of aim. Learn how your bowl changes position in the head as you move on the mat.
DeleteCould you please say something for us novices about using the mat to avoid blocking bowls?
ReplyDeleteYour patience between the two comments show a great tool.. Be patience with blocks and soon confidence you will get around them will be part of your strength. Know when to walk the mat... example to trail a jack which you tried (as skip or 2nd) and missed by a few inches, As a novices the best tool is a good delivery and line. A great bowler wrote.."I was not in a hurry to play other than lead because I still had a lot to learn" as a novice bowler.
DeleteThe foot fault rule has been changed so that only a part of a foot needs to be on or above the mat. Could you comment on how this might be change using the mat.
ReplyDeleteWhere can this video be found please?
ReplyDelete