Bowls Video Viewing 2/5

Bowls Routines... What are they ? Something about the 2015 Hong Kong International Classic Women's Pairs, which I found interesting in viewing the first 2 ends of the Finals.

As we learn to bowl, we are instructed in a routine of approaching the mat,  deliver a good Bowl and Watch our results, often called our Routine of "Preparation of the Bowl Delivery". As we become more experience we work on a more detail routines. A more detail "Before the mat" Routine, or a perfection of  delivery Routine and even a "Feedback Routine" where we evaluate our results as feedback for improvement on the next bowl ( or feedback into our training).

However, we become so fixed in our "Walk up the Green" routine as a " Don't think time ", that as we become an advance competition  bowler, we have forgotten to develop and use a "Mental Routine" for relaxing or what to do to stay involved in the game.  As we leave the mat and go to the head as a member of a pairs or a triple team we have  This sometime the social aspect and a care-free moment.  It is important to develop this  Routine of "Going to the Head" , "Arriving in the Head" and even "Dangerous Bowls in the Head Routine"

Crossing team express high Fives

Team Harmony is the smooth communication and support of members who might be over reacting to a rather bad experience or delivery from the mat. There is not much time taken walking to the opposite end of the rink as your team members come to the mat.  But the "High Five" and words of support (HKYT) are as important as the correct bias.
First, as the skip and team member  passes at centre green there is usually some exchange of positive encouragement. A smile, low 5 or even "Great Toucher"

In this blog, as I look at the first two ends of play of  the YouTube video  which results in the Youth Team taking a 7-0 lead.   This, the Woman's finals game  of the 2015 Hong Kong International Classic Women's Pairs, was probably considered a easy win for Australia.  The relatively few years of International competition of the Hong Kong Youth Team against nearly 20 years combined total of the Australian.

  A bowls Video is only as good as the players involved and this video can be said to have the best with Australian Woman's Pair of Karen Murphy (Skip) / Kristina Krstic , each bearing titles like Best Women Singles Bowler, Best World Woman's Bowler.  At home with a supporting crowd, the Hong Kong Youth Team of  Vivian Yip (Skip) / Amy Choi, would not be playing the finals unless they had won their matches against some of the world's best and  strongest women's Pairs teams.

This blog will touch on a mistake which I feel was just no " Head Investigation Routine", or maybe a lack of communication; because the longer we  play together, the more we know our team partners.   Or maybe, even the best players have that little bit of first end of play nerves, and forgot to check where that toucher was.  Again the 7 point lead , which Hong Kong Youth team took in  these two ends, might also  be knowing their own club green.

Although some errors will  happen in an end of play. What do we do ?? Learn from them ??

 Even when it is a silly mistake like removing a toucher from the ditch, on a long Jack, we have to see the mistake as maybe  something  just as simple as insufficient chalk on a toucher. Photo at right show the  two styles of chalking. Watch video and note the extra care that is give by Amy Choi  over the quick Lean in-passing Australian style.
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 Also interesting, we will see, that one of the game  commentator which has been working all  week as an official, had  the wisdom of not making  a comment or making a big thing of the mistake. Lets see what happen and how would you have handled it. (as player, as opponent, as referee, as radio commentator) Interesting.

Scenario - Second end of play with a jack at the maximum distance. ( only 2 meters from the ditch).

On the second  bowl of lead Kristina Krstic, a backhand delivery, it rubs the jack and rolls a little behind..

Commentator David Ryhs Jones from England who is at the Classic covering the games for " the UK papers and Bowls Magazine, says

"Great effort there, toucher, chalk on the bowl", (as Karen Murphy chalk sprays the bowl) 

For the non-lawn bowls viewers, David explains the meaning of  a toucher in the game with his comment of

" Which means if that bowl goes into the ditch at any point in this end ,it will remain alive"

The raison for this blog on the important in having an "Read or Study the Head Routine is that very often bowls get moved around during play, and although only three bowls of each team(in this final) are in this head, thing do and have changed

Next Australian's bowl by lead Kristina Krstic is a bit heavy following the same line as her previous bowl and passing the jack and  pushes her toucher back a meter back and to the left of jack line.

"Going to take her own bowl out" says Jim Neilson, the second commentator of the video, as Kristina bowl passes the jack. Although Jim, a Scottish Bowler living in Hong Kong, has seen many events in the head he was saying that this week he had been  "busy all this week refereeing".

At this point, I would like to ask a question of you readers who do know the rules or do some refereeing..  If this bowl was knocked into the ditch and removed (by mistake) which next happens on this video.

What is the responsibility of the referee to indicate and correct the situation.  If the team removed their own bowl?  If the opponent removed the toucher ?  If neither team playerin the head, asked for a referee's ruling ?   In bowls the referee is sometimes  responsible to address mistakes like Foot Faulting , so does it become a point of involvement when a Toucher is removed ?  Maybe the the referee should come forward or wait until requested to become involved.

The following photos show   
1 -The new position  of this toucher, when raised a short distance to the left.
2 - The toucher after being  knocked into the ditch by a wide runner drive of Karen Murphy and it removal by Kristina Krstic.

3- The final head configuration after the last bowl of Karen Murphy hit the jack and caused the jack to bounce forward, giving Hong Kong Youth Team a big count of 5 point.  

This final photo or screen captures of the head  is to show that had the toucher had remained in the ditch it would not have changed the final count. The blue bowl (lower right) is Karen Murphy.  This happen because the jack which had struck  a bowl directly behind it, then  bounced  forward and to the right away from the jack line.  However, what if the jack had gone back to the ditch as Karen Murphy was attempting to do ?

The purpose of showing this error is the interest of the lead going to the head routine.   What is your routine, and do you always do every aspect of it
Is there always communication between you and the skip (or lead) as you pass in mid-green.. Encouragement, head information, actual point count.
Once you Arrive, do you evaluate the situation.. See and identify the bowls which are important.
I like to put a Priority on the bowls.  (example: toucher's location, properly marked or even non-touchers with previous chalk)
In the first end of play there was a standing opponent bowl directly in front of the head and the skip's atteempting a backhand draw bowl, actually tapped or pushed it up to the jack for a 2nd point for the opponents.

However,  an interesting two ends of a very interesting  and enjoy Bowls video..  Thank you, to the individual, for the capture and then the placement on You Tube.  Take the time to watch all of the who video because it does really rain hard toward the end. So hard that the bowls can't be rolled.

To the Video Viewers of the game, they knew and had thoughts about the toucher; because after the first bowls of Karen Murphy, the  Commentator David Ryhs Jones says

"Well the situation is developing well for Australia"  "They may be down one bowl, but they have three  bowls just behind the jack, waiting to receive"

Watch the video.. great  bowls play by both teams and especially the  HKYT skip, Vivian Yip, who continues to draws bowl after bowl into the head to count another point time and time again.

Re-spotting jack

During a game, often the strategy of the game will develop around the jack being  placed at a distance which is a disadvantage to the opponents; (And / Or) an advantage to your own team or even a particular member of the team.

 This often will require that the lead be able to draw tight to the jack, which will mean that the jack will be placed at the lead's "Natural Distance".

Recently, a reader asked "Could you discuss strategic and game considerations for the last ends of play; (mat placement & jack length) and how to use "Re-spotting of the jack?". This was a comment in the  September 4 2012 blog on "Mat Movement" 

This reader's questions have two interesting aspects.. "Strategic for last ends of play"  and "Using the re-spot mark as the position of the Jack" at the wanted distance.

I like to believe that most Skip breaks their game strategy into three seperate parts. (Which consist of 3 or 4 ends when the total ends in the game are 12)  The  first ends of play ("Study") should have the objective of learning your opponent,  The second 4 ends of play ("Building") should be the wise usage of this collected information to establish a point spread which will garantee a win. (even there are 4 or more ends).

The third grouping of ends ("O/D" for Offensive or Defensive is the most important), should be to finish the game with a win. This may mean Defensive play because of having a lead in points or may require  Offensive play as you attempt to kill the lead the opponents have builded. There is an Lawn Bowling Adage which says "Down in Points, Bowls up in Head".  This because bowls behind the jack may catch the jack or as often happens all back bowls belong to the trailing point team.

I remember a game I was losing against an National Champion and this end he had 4 or 5 bowls within inches of the jack.  My opponent skip knew that a "Runner" would change nothing as the jack was tightly squeezed between the bowls.  However, he had not thought how a out-of-bound jack was expected to be re-spotted and allow us to seem to throw heavy to the gathering of bowls. (of course our bowls collected back near the re-spot mark.

  Finally I did a runner (back-wick) using two bowls about a foot left from the gathering of bowls and points and kicked the jack completely out of bound toward the right side of the green. Spotted it gave us 6 points and with the opponent having last stop he had to draw to save points.  His heavy bowl found the ditch and we went on to win the 3rd place of the tournment.  I said nothing about the Back-wick until I left the head to go to the mat and do the shot.  I am sure we all have learned that nothing is impossible.

 With the first 4 ends of play ( two up and back down the greens)  you should have sufficient opportunity to learn a lot about the greens, the opponent and your team on this day. However, it is not the skip or vice doing the work of collecting information. Each player has a different task and data collection. Lead working with Jack distance and opponent strenght and weakness. Vice and Skip working on reading the greens and strength of opponent Vice and skip.  Remember some skips have the Vice clean-up a head before they leave the mat. These skips like to come to the mat with just simple decisions.

In  a 12 ender game; each section of play means 4 ends but with a 16 or 18 ends of play, where these extra ends should be wisely placed in your 3-section strategy is a big decision.  And maybe the decision must wait until someplace in the game to make the decision.  Certainly don't wait too long because by the time both teams get beyond the first 8 ends of play and start the last four, six or eight ends they each now know the "green speed" and any unique changes that it creates. Certainly everyone will be doing perfect deliveries. 

 Therefore it is at this last ends of play point that the quality and actual scale of both teams will be properly evaluated. Sometimes the longer games (16 or 18 ends) may allow the extra ends to be dropped into the 2nd Section of Play. ("Building"), but don't wait too long for the "O/D" section because the last ends will probably be single or double points unless the team is lucky.  We can't win with Luck.

The " Knowing your opponent " might be a skip or vice experience of previously playing the opponents. The responsibility of strategy plans for the game is the Skip's need for communication before the game starts. This may not be much opportunity as the tournment organizators often match teams based upon the previous gameplay. And between the posting of the team match and start of play is very short.

 There may seem that simple things; like what jack distance  is best, don't need discussion for your team but all strategy require "pre-planning", "during play changes" and "last minute adjustment". Maybe you know what distance or delivery is bad for the opponent but often pre-planning discussion show that the opponent has improved or learned the club that you are playing. I like to instruct the lead to study the opponent lead and see the game as a match between them alone. It is good to evaluate their first bowls and against those of  the opponent. All the players of the opponent. Recently, I arrived on the mat as Vice with 3 of the 4 players at the mat being left-handed. The play was far from what was expected and we had to quickly adjust strategy and not wait until the end of the "Study section".

 In every game there are surprises found in unique  greens characterists and unique difficulties. But most important is that communication of these conditions to the vice by the lead or to the skip by the vice is a major part of game play. As a team the strategy is decided by the skip with the knowledge of the abilities of the team.

One thing that can be learned from End of play (or video of lawn bowls) is to wisely use the respot Point to place the jack at a precise distance. This strategy is often seen  in indoor bowls play ( like the 2016 Indoor Potter's Championship video on youTube) where the jack is almost always thrown beyond the respot point but not into the ditch and  then  re spotting. It is so easly to bring up the mat to a distance which when the  jack is on the respot "T"  that the mat to respot will be  the distance you wanted.

When you throw the Jack ( with the mat brought up ) you will have two meters to be in error before it goes into the ditch And ofcourse  it will be brought back to the "T" respot mark. (You as lead have chosen  the desired distance requested by the skip; by placing the mat at that specific distance from the despot "T"). 

 Of course, the jack distance is requested by the skip unless given as a "your choice" signal to the lead.  An then that first bowl should be on the jack and certainly not short unless the strategy has been to close (guard) one side of play to the opponents. Every lead should be able to throw the jack at the right distance or length as requested by the skip; ( long distance or short) or if given the choice of distance, to their best played distance. Otherwise, the jack should go to a neutral distance such as a mid-green, In the photo left the opponent's bowl is jack high so we have a good delivery of the jack at a distance which  the lead immediatly took control of the head.

 Many various conditions on a outdoor green may affect the best jack distance for your players or team mates. A outdoor, morning game may mean the green will change speed as the morning advances and at mid game; with an unexpected change in green speed as the temperature  warms up the greens and even lifted the dew. Ofcourse, to know the opponents weakness and difficult distance of play can be completely lost information, if the lead has not made adjustments to this changing  distances as the green speed has changed. (the 26 meter jack distance may have increased to 27 meters) If 26 meters was a difficult distance for the opponent and speeds have increased; it may mean that now the opponent has no problem at 26 and the jack should be now at 27. Sometimes we find an unexpected forceful wind  or a back wind changes the jack distance which is best. Signals or communication between lead and vice or skip should question these changes and request permission to change the best "Jack Distance"

The "Point spread" at the end of the first ends ( "learning" or " study" ends) should and will dictate the skip's and team's strategy through the 2nd section of play.  Attempts at  keeping a lead can mean accepting one point ends (given) while a aggressive strategy may mean gambling on an action of a "larger end ". If having a "losing spread" has the team comes into the second section of play, strategy may be more a " moving from a balanced head"" to "developing the back" for a jack roll and collecting a large point end of play . By the time you are into this 2nd section of play it is either a close game or a somewhat lead for one team or the other.

Australian Lead Kristina Krstic  spots on re spot point

By the time you reach the end game you are finding your strategy working or rather useless and needing a change.  I assume the question above wants suggestions of Mat Movements for the strategy where there is points to be made in order to win.  Remember, the same advantages or disadvantages of the endgame strategy mat movement may be used by your opponent if they have a point spread to obtain.

First, most important information of using the "re spotting Jack" advantages is to know the total length of the green.  Each club is a bit different and although about 33 meters to 35 meters,  With the 2 meter mat-line and the 2 meter jack re spotting distance removed u are playing 29 to 31 meters.

Ok, we have a 29 meter green (inside the mat-line and the jack re spotting (opposite mat line)) and you have decided that the advantage jack distance is 25.5 meters. The opponents are having difficult and your lead is killing them..  How do you throw the jack exactly 25.5 meters.  Can  it be done each jack throw.. Yes.

The difference is 3.5 meters short of maximum distance (jack re spotting place) and if you bring out the mat 5.5 meters (2 meters legal and 3.5 more) your jack will always be at 25.5 meters if you pass the re-spotting point, unless you throw it into the ditch.  You have 2 meters between the jack spotting point and the ditch to roll the jack to a stop and this is a large distance..  Over the jack passes this re-spotting point and not go into the ditch,  it will be brought back to that point at 25.5 meters from you mat.  Always at exact 25.5 meters.

During these 4 ends of play (end-game) you will find the opponent adjusting for the correct distance. Simple play the distance against them.  They were having a problem with 25.5 because they were coming short each time.  Now they have began to adjust.. add on a half meter to the mat.  Why. They were short before... placing a longer jack when they have began to find the distance will force them to think they are again not adjusting correctly  and over throw the jack. Your mat movement was to change their confidence in knowing the distance. 

With a jack placed on the re-spotting point you have the right distance and you have oppose directions of play... should be enough with 4 ends.. 2 up and 2 down.  If your end game is 6 ends of play then do a jack placement with the mat at the mat-line for the 3rd and 4th end.

The suggested 25.5 meter jack may have been 23.5 advantage distance, but the principle is the same.. let the jack pass the re spotting point and be brought back by the re-spotting; and use your mat movement according to how much distance you need to get that required distance.

I remember a regional qualification tournament where the clubs second green was shorter by 3 meters in one direction (toward the riverside dropping woods)  Probably 33 by 30 meters We played our 2nd game on that green on this short distance and used these 3 meters wisely. We certainly did not say "This green looks short" but walking the trail ends (ditch to ditch) as we went up the green I told our team and played with this knowledge to create an advantage.

Examples:  As lead I never let the jack become a maximum distance. ( no mat at 2 meters and jack at re spotting) as the opponent would have questioned their green distance because of their regular play on proper green length and their natural distance. Should you have told them in good sportsmanship.  Do you tell the opponents that the wet greens will take off 1.5 meters.   They always thought they were simply not getting the distance. (also never allowed the 2 meter mat and hogline jack)  When they got the jack off course the over threw the long jack and into the ditch and we threw the jack with them playing first.
The previous 2012, above mention, blog ended with the following statement " So... move the mat for 3 reason... Protect the greens,  create an advantage or disadvantage; and to prevent rules from allowing game lost"

We discussed here he advantage and disadvantage, but likewise, use the jack re spotting  to prevent the end from being burnt when u have sufficient lead that a one or two point end will not affect the win. As mention if the game play rules says the last end can be replayed if burnt, use the jack re spot at 2 meters from the ditch and make it  hard to get a runner that will knock it out of bounds and replay the end.
If the opponents are weak at a distance of jack, and everyone has their distances which offer more difficulties; then by the time you are into the end-game you are

Bowls Video Viewing 1/5

"Welcome Back " I hear the voice of a regular Blog Follower.  At the age of 70 plus I have been finding health demanding and have not Blogged much this past 6 months.  I'M BACK

The Blog Stats shown here is the basic readership..  US, Canada, Australia, England, S Africa have been the near 150 twitter readers.

February 26 Blog Stats and Readership

Of the 11,500 views over the live of this blog most have been toward articles on new tricks to measure "Which Bowl is Shot" or the use of your Subconscious abilities during game play.

This viewer stats of a period of non-new blogs shows the regulars whom continue to return to view old blogs and the countries from which these viewers have come.

The following month or two of blogs (coming) will be about game analysis and errors which can be learned from viewing YouTube recorded videos. These players are the best in the world and certainly not to be criticize.  My goal will be to show the type of errors which do occur and what a interested bowler enthusiast can learn from watching these games. During the next three or four blogs I will base discussion and blogs on the Hong Kong Classic Video from which the below photo is taken..

This photo is a  screen capture from the Woman's finals game video of the 2015 Hong Kong International Classic Women's Pairs with the Australian Woman's Pair of Karen Murphy (Skip) / Kristina Krstic against the Hong Kong Youth Team of  Vivian Yip (Skip) / Amy Choi .

In the photo Kristina is indicating to skip Karen Murphy the expected delivery of the last bowl of the first end of play on November 15 2015 on outdoor greens in Hong Kong (probably at the Kowloon Bowling Green Club which was used by HKLBA (Bowls Association) as office between 1961 to 1976. (Some blogs will have more detail as researched others (like this one) has little.

The big error in this above photo is the media inserted score The black box indicate the holding points, The White is the final score and the small dot is which team is playing or control of the head.
It appears that  the media responsible for score indicator update, to understand the game during play, which they do not because of the incorrect indication the score is 2 - 0 for Hong Kong.  The actual field scorecard board,  behind Vivian and Amy. show the correct  score. of 0 - 0.

  How did this mistake happen ?? Well, just before this moment (in the video) the last bowl of skip Vivian Yip was played backhand and it raised the frontal bowl of Karen Murphy, into the head, destroying the HKYT two point lead.  It appears that the video insertion scorecard team had not been educated on how to mark the score and is doing it bowl per bowl. like baseball run per run.

However, we know the score is only after the last bowl is played.  The small dot at the end of the HKYT line shows as per the media indicator, that the Youth team  are on the mat.. which is not true.. so it is not just a score error but also a delay in the update of the score indicator.. 

The point and lesson to be learned here..  If you want to educate the public about your sport and especially during a major championship then allocate the resources.  At local clubs a member of the club can circulate among the visitors and explain the sign language of the game players and also how the scorecard are marked.  Also,  if the Media is involved, realize that they may not be knowledgeable of the game and allocate a media rep who can help them understand and correct these errors.  This is our sport and these are the unique opportunities to promote it.  Invest time and people for a good result.  (maybe will get new members or a good review of the club)

The next three blogs will discuss briefly Team communication, lead's head read, missed marked Bowl and weather demands on Bowls.  Hope you enjoy and understand in no way do I consider myself in any way able to criticize these great bowlers.  Only you as a video view and reader can learn by watching the best.  And YouTube has a lot of videos.  Almost 50 videos of the 2016 Indoor Potter Championships with the very best in the world.

Some of my photos used in my blog will be from screen captures of the YouTube video mention above although a full page of photo are available at Mike Worth's Picasa Web gallery