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