Do you look up the Green for a point on the Back Bank as Line for your delivery ? Well you must get beyond that if you have been bowling for a few years. Otherwise, you will never know the use of this as a "Reference Line" in your "Pre-delivery Routine" or part of your "Post delivery Feedback". You should do your Delivery following a line which through years of experience, you know will place the bowl on the Jack (kitty) as a visual delivery line.
Photo (right) of John Tiplady's (of Chalkie) is for a
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| YouTube - How to find your Point of Aim |
suggestion of how to find your Aiming Point in his YouTube video of
"Aiming Point in Lawn Bowls" . His trick of finding the "Point of Aim" creates two lines to the back bank (or edge of the green) reference.
Many aspects of Lawn Bowls and their relatives Games have teaching points where you learn and advance beyond the reaching and other method you learn as a Beginner.
Petanque, the French game related to Lawn Bowls game has taught me to do a Petanque Finish when necessary. Have you had two or three shots in the head, as you go up the green to the mat and then the opponent skip draws his bowl in for shot. In the game of Petanque the tactic for the next to play players would be to take that ball (bowl) out and recollect the previous points. (Also this shows the need for a 2nd bowl in the head and teaches that having shot is not as good as cutting the point in the Head)
A very good friend who bowled out of Australia in the top of the players discovered that his eyesight was slowly going and he decided to remain active in Lawn Bowls; becoming a VI (Visually Impaired) Bowler. He was, as most players who discover they are going blind , qualified as a B4 or a B3, meaning he see some things but not all that clear. ( similar to tunnel vision or other aspects of slow lost of one's sight). Of course, he must realize that eventually he will become a B1 or B2 VI bowler and not see anything at all. (B1 is in total blackness, B2 can have Day/night awareness) Bowling as a B3 he sees the players and maybe even sees the jack on a sunny day, but he must learn to bowl like a B1 VI Bowler and use his limited vision as a reference and help. (ex: A totally Blind "B1 VI bowler has difficulty pointing their body up the "Jack Line", while a B4 or B3 probably see white of markers, the jack and even players dressed in white which will help to indicate the direction of the jack)
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| Photo with Bias Swing and Center Line |
As a Visually Able bowler we see objects as a "reference Point" for our delivery. The above Photo from YouTube has a video camera off line but whe we see when the Center Line is (inserted black line) we see that the Bowls Bias Swing , out and back to jack, is almost the same distance between Light Posts.
When we first learn to Lawn Bowl the Club Coach would suggest several methods of finding and using you "Delivery Line". As in the photo, if we aim at a point on the backstop or surrounding area (bench leg,etc) and the approach sides of the green are true..(no strange movement) the same "Reference Point" will put your bowl on the Jack (
If the Mat is at the same position). But what happen if the mat is moved or the Jack is knocked of center ?
Sometime to show the bowls bias, the coach will place a coin on the green and suggest you bowl over or toward that coin, and watch how your bowl comes back to center line. These two methods are teaching basic but also are developing the "Reference Line." which will give you the "delivery Line" of the bowl. Myself, I point my toe of my mat foot toward the jack and then with the "V: of my feet as I stand in a balance stance; I delivery my bowl on my delivery line. (Of course I change the foot when I am used a Backhand delivery )
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| Drake Bowls Bias Chart |
However, after you have bowled for a few years, and especially with always the same bowls; we began seeing in our "Mind Eye" (imagination) the line that our bowl must take to get to the jack or our requested position in the Head.
When coaching a new bowler, I usually do a early (really early) morning training session to show this "Delivery Line" in the morning dew. I say. "Your reference line will give you the point of aim but eventually you will have to imagine the line of your bowl, the same as the line you now see on the green"
This is a perfect time to also explain the various parts of the bowl "Rolling " or "Delivery" Bias Line, as it goes up the green. (the straight line, the shoulder, the bowl's Bend and most important, the Finish). Of course, the speed of the green will affect each section of the Bowl's Bias Roll. (Believe it or not on a smooth surface, (club tile floor) there is not straight, shoulder or Bend section to the bowl's bias roll and only the Finish of the Bias. The bowl will make a small circle. On a really fast green the Straight portion of the bowl's roll also does not exist and the Shoulder will go from the Mat to nearly 2/3 the rolling distance. (Similar to the white bowl line in the Drake Pride photo)
What does this Delivery Line have to do with Blind Bowls ?? Earlier, I mention that the newly losing sight Blind bowler will see up the green and will use his partial sight for his delivery. But if he does not learn; or is not taught, how to bowl all aspects of being a Blind Bowler; he will eventually have less and less sight and finally abandon lawn bowl because he no longer can get a satisfactory performance. (because he is dependent on his B3 visual support which has been lost as his sight continue to be worst)
Now, today, I see a great competitive bowlers who should now have a "Mind's Eye" view of their Delivery Line; but is still (totally or not) dependant on using their "Reference Line"as his Point of Aim. At this point in his career, he should know and see the bowls bias and his bowl's delivery movement line. He should only be using the "Reference Aiming Point" for Pre-delivery and Post-Delivery data or evaluation. (knowing if his last bowl was well delivered)
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| Mat placement quite a bit from Ditch |
This weekend I did a big money Tournament and in my first game, my opponent skip who often represent the province at the National competitions was heard being told by his lead " I am using (something on bank).... as line and that spot on the green is perfect as a "roll over". This comment revealed to me a weakness of the opponent's team on which I build my game strategy This dependency on a Line Delivery point, works great if the mat is always at the same position. Having previously won the "Coin Tose" and knowing this information at the game's trail end, I began taking the mat out several meters and always collected points. (Yes I won that game)
In any game, if the mat is at the same position for several ends the line and green defects are easily spotted. But with the mat changing position every end, the opponent was usually wasting a bowl each end to discover the proper line. My lead respected my suggested line and bowled well with effort for distance. I kept the jack at her "Natural Distance plus 2 meters. When the opponent got the mat, and placed it at the Mat-line and a long jack, it was my responsibility to get back the mat with a last bowl point.
So the point of this blog. ??.. We learn to bowl with tricks for line and weight of delivery, but when we use these tricks or methods which are suppose to be a trick in teach to develop our personal style; we make our self totally depend upon these aids. When during a delivery if we have bowl bad we tend to go back to thinking that we had the wrong line; and not analysis what happen or think we are doing something wrong.
Remember, every time an opponent wastes a bowl looking for line or weight, this bowl not in the head or proper position become an extra point for you. Unless bad luck happen and the jack is moved to their "wasted Bowl.
