As we watch Professional Golf we often see the golfer with his small notebook checking his guided experience from previous games on the same golf course. Strange, that we seldom see a Lawn Bowler taking notes about the playing surface or his opponents.
No, I don t have a book of information about greens or my opponents but I do have a photographic memory. Many bowlers can remember the unique aspects of a green and even remember certain opponents. For example, now 15 years later I remember Claude as a "2 by 2" Skip. He could draw and be exactly on line by 2 bowls width (one bowl error each side of jack) and his weight was always good or missed by "2 feet" (short or over). He never threw a runner although a "3 yard overdraw" was common when as skip he needed a "takeout". The same for greens. I remember Green 7 had a "Swing" at 3/4 maximun length on the right side (from Clubhouse)
When you are watching a game; do you simply watch and wait to see what happens to the bowl that was just delivered?. Or are you in the head of the player on the mat as he decides his shot. Myself as a spectator of a club game, I must use Binoculars and see the bowls in the head and analysis the best expected shot. Then I question if the bowler on the mat is attempting a "draw" or "over draw".
To watch a good game, streaming or at the club; I must get into the game with each bowl delivery. The following Screenshots are capture from the "Australian 2020 Burleigh Heads Clubs Men`s Singles Final" which is till on Youtube. In the 2nd end of the above video a similar type of shot existed ( a wifi missed signal does not show the bowl delivery but you can see the white bowl was move to the right pass the jack) and the bowler, who tried a takeout (tapback a bowl combination) missed and almost gave up 3 shots. For the above Screenshot , check the video above (9th or 10 end) and see the decision of the photo and the result of yellow (Crawford Linton of Burleigh Head LBC)
In the above photo we see a Red bowl which is "Danger" and four yellow bowl positions which will give a result or a "Successful Percentage" of 4 bowls. The draw of "1" or "2" or "3" will knock up for shot or knock out the shot bowl ("1" as a near miss of right). The "Red bowl is dangerous as the near miss of the white bowl will move it toward the jack and also move the jack for 3 shots of the opponent.
Most players would see the best shot as a removal of the white bowl. But with a "4" bowl shot "Success" if you try the "takeout Shot" and you just missing the line (full yellow circle) or have a light kiss of the yellow to roll to
the white; but with the danger of a miss and moving the jack ("Red" explained above); the actual shot which should be tried is line #"1" or #"2" as a miss on the line means "no damage". Missing the line inside (on the right), changes nothing; and a miss on the outside (left) will remove the white bowl if you know you are a "Two Bowl Success" player.
Are you a "Two Bowl Success" player? First thing about a decisions which you are making on a delivery shot is just how much a "Chance" do you have to making the shot. If you sometimes miss your delivery weight by "two feet" and your delivery line is sometimes off by "two bowls " at the head. You are a "Two Bowl Success player" if your bowl can be either one bowl left and/or one bowl right of the tried shot. (one bowl away)
Above, I suggested the best shot was choice "2" as you attempt to raise your bowl for shot because I am a "two bowl Success" player. (with a 80 percent success). Know your "success percentage" is best done by a practice where you are setting up a shot like in the photo and trying at least 10 bowl.
The above screenshot photo shows a "Four Bowl Success" with a 2 foot overdraw. This decision to use the bowl #"2" shot; actually removes the danger of giving up 3 points with a bad delivery and leave you with an almost certain raise of one of the yellow bowls to become shot if your weight is not too heavy. (two feet over).
Sometimes a successful shot is considered as a "Lucky Shot" when discussed later in the clubhouse. Although you know your thoughts and the value of a "4 Bowl Success" decision; sometimes a "Lucky Shot" does occur. The above "4 Bowl Success" photo has a "Lucky Shot" possibility. Yes, you would like to remove the white bowl but accept that such an attempt may result in failure and give away 3 points if the jack is moved as the white bowl is send toward the jack. However, there is another way the white bowl can be removed but would never be tried because it is "1/2 bowl Success". If you were to aim a heavy bowl at the "white bowl" under the diagram number 1, and with the same backhand delivery it is possible to hit the edge of the yellow bowl "#1" and knock the white bowl to the left giving 2 shots as the "shot bowl" is removed (kicked to the left). There is a greater chance of failure than success on this shot and so a "1/2 Success" shot.. However, as a "Lucky Shot" you could miss your attempted "Bowl #2" decided shot attempt and just "Lucky" do such a nick or "near miss" on the far right yellow bowl and perform the suggested removal of the "Shot Bowl". Yes this is a "lucky Shot" as you must miss by at least 3 bowls width.
I remember a game in 2019 (last year I bowl because of Covid) InterClub Pairs and before the skips last (of 4 bowls) bowl was played. I had a bowl setup of a easy "Five Bowl Success" on the green which would result in burning the jack. As we had all the back bowls, such a "respot" of the jack meant that the opponent skip would have to draw to a "respotted" jack. He did but over played his bowl and with it in the ditch we collected 5 shots and the best 3rd game prize money.
The meaning of "5 Bowl Success" is that if I tried the shot I could miss 2 bowls on either side (left or right of the "Bowl" and still get the jack knocked out of play and respotted. As the opponent had 4 shots tight on the jack, a "frontal" runner into the bowls around the jack would not have "Move the jack" much. But, if I was to play a "wick" of the frontal bowls on the right of the head; I would throw the jack out to the left. The shot was successful as we collected 5 of the 8 bowls played. But most important was the shot was a "Five Bowl Success" with about 75 percent success. (If the runner bowl had hit square center on one of the bowls, it would have simply drive it straight back and not rebound toward the head and jack). Shot was successful and put us into the money at the end of the day. The following week at another club I was approach by the opponent and her husband (a good skip); whom wanted to discuss the shot. There was a standing joke, as I often would explain my shot to the opponent skip when I was going to play such a shot. (a rebound from frontal bowls 4 feet right of the jack) Think it is easlier to explain before the shot than attempt to explain later why it was not just a "Lucky shot".
(This blog of 04/25/2010 was edited on Oct 8, 2022 to explain "Lucky Shots" possibility)
