ToolBox ABC's (AAA BBB CCC)

A couple of days ago, this blog was "Toolbox, Accessories, "Walking the Mat" and I wrote I was surprise to see Tryslan in the 1st end of play use his "Walk the mat".

However, I was impressed with his development because a lot of clubs don't have 2nd Year Coaching which usually covers the 'Toolbox ABC". These teachings are not tricks or different delivery or placements but an expansion of the Bowls Basic. For example; one of the C's of CCC is concentration which is important but can't be taught to new bowlers in the first year.  New bowlers get the Basics and bowl for a year or two before advancing to a few ToolBox possibilities. As on Twitter I post invitation to my Blogs and because I follow so many great Players often the twitter insert of my next blog follows another Bowl twitter posting. ( I am now following nearly 1,000 world wide bowlers) 

A few minutes after posting I went back to my list of Twitter post and discovered that my post was deleted by twitter. Since I posted (photo left) in this blog and Twitter sees it as a reposting of a twitter post it deleted my post. Ofcourse, I had 9 visitor\views of this blog and thinking it was probably from UK, ( near time zone to Canada). However, I now think that my post was deleted because of the above photo. (9 visitor are twitter staff doing a control of content. (no Problem but mention it here as information of Censorship) HaHa...)

 I will again post after deleting the photo for the near 200 lawn bowls followers.

When teaching a new bowler entering the club we put an important of always placing your feet the same on the mat and always rolling the bowl on to the green at the "Center Line" and all the basic to get that new member out on the green and participating in Club Games.

Over the years we learn to use the Toolbox's ABC more and more and now today, in reality, I have four different methods of  " Walking the Mat" beside this one which Tryslan has showed. His action is a  basic of Lawn bowls. The others methods of Walking the mat I call ToolBox Xcessories.  For example, I was expected to skip a Club Competition for the Seasonal Play (Cash) and I was just out of the hospital after a Gall Bladder operation. I could not do the "Bend to the Green" delivery and had been for a couple of years been developing a "Double Mat" delivery. (my knees are finished).  Double mat because instead of standing upright on the mat on center Line; I have one foot on the mat and I am standing spread leg with the Bowl Arm leg about 2 feet or more to the left of the mat. (as if that foot is also on a mat). This allows quite a different angle of delivery.  (The two other ToolBox Xcessories method maybe I will have time this year to cover them.)  

You may ask "Just out of the Hospital, why not just not play and let someone take your place" ? We all have our perks and my replacement would have been the next on the list of Qualification; a individual who is a good bowler but whom I find "Cash Cheap" and I would not encourage such a replacement. Also the organization of this Cash Competition did not pay a 3rd Place Amount to a non-playing 2nd Place person who won the game against the 3rd place.  ( The replacement would win the total 2nd place money not the difference of 3rd to 2nd place or 3rd to 1st if they won first) . Anyway, the double mat  Delivery takes a lot to learn and although I had perfected it as well as my "Center of the Mat" Delivery: I found a lack of control and concentration as the two and half hour game approached its end. (beaten by a few points)

When a new club member becomes a Coached Lawn Bowl student there is a lot to learns. The Basics such as " How to delivery the bowl", and ofcourse the teacher should show the  many basics  even if they don't use them. 

There are three basic grips which should be explained to a student (Claw Grip. Cradle and Dimple )  Had to ask the Internet ChatBot the 3rd Grip as I am off the old school when bowls had dimples on them and we used the dimples for grip alignment.

Here in Canada the senior School students in high school  take either "Shop" or "Home Skills" and  if you do "Shop work" you must learn about how to use the tools  You learn a lot of extra information like, how to grip the tool, how to best use the tool, and even how to sharpen the tool.  This experience followed me into my Sports (bowls is the 3rd I have perfected and do competition at top level) and so with the ToolBox of Bowls" I took it to learn how to chose the accessories or tools 

Likewise as there are various Delivery Stances which should all  be explained. Actually the old "Coaching Guide" from our Federal Association (Bowls Canada) at one time required that we put a lot of history of Bowls and International information in our coaching sessions. In recent years, probably because of CoVid, our Club Coaching for new members has been trimmed to a 4 week (2 - 2hrs a week) Course.  (Previously, a new members received 10 weeks and playing after 4 sessions - 2 wks).

The most important thing of learning Bowls is not the basic but how to develop your Mind Set. If you were using a Power tool you are at all times concentrating on security, proper usage to get the wanted result and never let your mind wander. This is a Mind Set of proper usage.  However, in Bowls we teach new bowlers the basic and as they began to bowl they have only a 15 second Mind-set when they are on the mat doing their delivery. 

 In reality an athletic should be total "Mind Set" all the time except when walking up the green which become a break from the continual Concentration.  Example of Delivery .. Finished . off mat... Post Mat analysis, Study opponent Delivery, Pre-mat Analysis, Pre-mat Routine (as Opponent leaves mat.) Skip Communication. Pre-Mat Routine finish. To mat, Line Position, Delivery Routine, Post Delivery Routine, Bowl roll Analysis, Result and off the mat.. only to again repeat the complete cycle. (Cycle a "C" of "CCC" of the Tool Box ABCs)

How many times have you done this complete 4 or 5 minute Cycle in total thought and Analysis?  Yes, maybe once during a 4 bowls end of Play... Even two time this cycle is tiresome.  I actually had a Skip whom I mention something as we passed in Mid-Green and he later told me "Don't talk to me when passing on the green, you break my thought"

I question if he had an "Analysis Cycle" (as mention above) because he would know the value of something to think  about as one walks up the green from the mat .  Also some Skips start their "Mat Cycle" as they are walking to the mat from the Head, but the problem is that then you have two Mat Cycles.. one for the first Bowl and another for the other Bowls. Ofcourse, maybe he was tell me he had his next shot already decided and my suggestion only confused him.  Communication is another "C" of the Toolbox ABC (AAA BBB CCC) both of the Skip with his team and the players with the Skip or Vice.

Lawn Bowls and Chatbot AI ??

As a blogger, I am trying to give the reader/visitor another insight into "Learning Lawn Bowls" which I have received from over 20 years of experience on the greens. A couple of mornings ago, as I open my Desktop computer with Windows 10, I got an invitiation by Microsoft (Bing AI) to ask a question so I ask "What is the purpose of the Trial End of Plays in Lawn Bowls ?"; not expecting much from the Bing AI, I am thinking how stupid I am in asking this question. 

 How "Surprise" I was when the reply I got from Bing Chat with GPT-4 was.

123. (the 1 2  here refers to the Source that AI got the reply to the Question) Listed here

To North Americian Lawn Bowlers this present ChatBot has shown a common error.  For those who have been following the Court cases of Previous Americian President Donald Trump, and other similar news,  sometimes the only excitement on the US news: we had a Judge throw out a contested arguement because the Law Firm used an ChatBot to compose the Arguement. 

This appears to have also happen here as Bowls.co.uk does a very good "Beginner's Guide Manual on Lawn Bowls which can be PDF downloaded but a search for "Trial Ends" give a reply of no "Search Results".  Don't believe everything you read and of course yesterday I published a blogs where  I mention Trial ends many times and the Chatbot did not use in it answer.  (Even I can be wrong !! original search was "trial end" and the Bowls.co.uk search was "Trial Ends")

A twitter comment was

 "

Bonymaen bowls club

@Bonymaenbowls

·

6h

How long before "they'll" be playing the trial ends for us?!"

Good Question.. But guess my blogs indicate that we have to do the work ourself.. Actually Today, US President Biden just passed an AI Control Bill following what the UK has been doing for the past month.

But I am sure that if we have an AI on a iphone camera which follows the Bowl as it rolls up the green on a Trial End can easly create a map of the Green's Dips and Highs. Even speed variations.

At the 2023 Canadian National, this year in British Columbia, the greens had non-grass spots which meant a slower grass roll and a fast (sort of artifical surface) non-grass spot. Strange to watch and hard for the skips to judge. (when a full length Jack resulted in 4 of 8 bowls (pairs) in the ditch)

ToolBox Accessories "Walking the Mat"

 

The basic of Lawn Bowls is simple as doing two things at the same time. Chewing Gum and walking for example can easily be done together. But in Lawn Bowls you must do a Perfect Delivery which has many parts that can go wrong and judging your Delivery Weight to get your bowl to the Jack.

You may say, "What about finding your Delivery Line ?". While reading an article on "Trial Ends" and their purpose there was an interesting fact. "The jack distrance in Trial Ends is nothing more than a distraction".  True. If the "Trial Ends" are to inform you on the conditions and speed of the greens then to roll to a jack or to an empty green gives the same information.

Over a century ago, when the  Lawn Bowls season ended in late fall and Canadians Lawn bowlers thought about waiting 5 or 6 months for the following year's greens to open; they started sliding medal cans of Cement up and down the lake covered ice and called it "Curling". Today, almost as much our national sport as Hockey. 

The delivery techniques for Curling were the same although as Lawn Bowls although it has changed in the past few years. The Target or "the House" in Curling was several Rings at  the 23 meters distance from the "Legal Release Line".  I am certain that these first time Curlers and their new Winter Sport;  did not think about making the "House" like in Lawn Bowls with different distance ; as they knew one of the hardest parts of Lawn Bowls is to be able to judge the actual distance (to the Jack) and get enough force onto the delivery to roll the object to the target.

So back to the original question. "What about Finding your Delivery Line?"  You will amaze yourself by watching a Blind Bowler draw his bowl within a foot of the Jack and you tell your self "Amazing and  he does not see the Jack or Distance".  But if you think a minute, you will realize that seeing the jack, the green, the back board and the players are all a big distraction.  Like the "Jack Placement" in Trial ends. If your Line of Delivery is correct with you feet on two marks on the mat; then your movement of a Good Delivery will send the bowl alway to the center line.  Yes, before, or after the Jack depending upon the Delivery Weight but to tell a student "Find your Line" is a distraction.  You miss the jack and you change your line.again. Really a sort of endless loop of doing nothing but change. Do you need it ?? Maybe your line was right and your delivery was not perfect and the bowl stopped where it did because of some error.

So, I tell students in my "Advance Bowls Training"  Get your feet properly position for your line and "Forget about Line".  Now work on doing a Perfect Delivery. Correct the raison your bowl is not on center line.  Almost as bad as bowlers who seems to change their bowl every week or two. A different size, a different Manufacture, a different weight, a different grip and how many more differences. Sometimes you need to change for a better grip or weight. And a lot of bowlers have several Bowl sets.

The same thing with Delivery Weight. We learn about our "Natural Distance as that distance a bowl rolls when we just relax and do the same action over and over. Same force, same swing, same balance and many more things to be repeated. Eventually you will have your bowl always on center Line. Yes now like in the game of "Curling" you are ready to roll your bowl to the jack if it is your same distance .

Now, to come back to "Trial Ends" and the Jack Placement as a "Distraction". First there is a very good article by Jack Toucher on Trial Ends   When the lead throw the jack in the "Trial Ends"  What are they trying to do ?. If the lead is to throw the jack at the beginning of each end of play your team makes points then it is good to know the speed of the green for the jack. So Lead must be able to throw the jack their natural distance and now see how much the green speed has made that distance wrong. Likewise, Lead need to be able to draw to the jack so now is a good practice. Also, the rules are open on the jack distance in the Trial ends and the skip can pick it up and move the jack to any distance they want. So the Lead tired to position the Jack at their Natural Distance or the Distance asked by the Skip. Good reason for Trial Ends.. What about the other team members ? Most important on Trial Ends. Everyone should watch every bowl rolled and read the information it gives.

If the team has a "Common Natural Distance" the Skip can place the Jack at that distance rather than leave it where it stopped. (Ofcourse, also tell the opponent the "Team's Common Distance" but how important is hiding that information.) Is it more important than all players know how the greens are in relation to their "Natural Distance" ? Any skip worth their Salt will know with in a few ends of Play each opponent's best Distance and avoid a jack at that Distance unless it is an advantage to their team.

This Blog is titled "ToolBox Accessoriess" not "Game Strategy" but these few comments on "Trial End are often overLooked so good to mention it now. "Walking the Mat" is a Accessories of a Player's ToolBox. When you know how to do something and feel confortable to use it when needed then you have added a "Tool" to your ToolBox.  Maybe you will go all one season not using that "Tool" but then again you might just have to use it on your very first end of Play as you see here in this Match for a National Gold Medal.

As I put away my Lawn Bowls gear and Bowls for the 2023 Canadian Lawn bowls Season, I began watching the Tournment Play on Youtube of the Australian National. Sometimes I can go a complete game and never see an athletic go into his ToolBox. But watching this 2023  Australian Nationals Men's Single Final in Joodalup West Australia; I was surprise to see Trystan Smallacombe go to "Walking the Mat" accessory on his 3rd bowl of the 1st end of Play. 

My first thought is maybe he is not consistance on his feet placement on the mat, or he has a different foot placement for a ForeHand and a BackHand. We athletics with a  "Lawn Bowls ToolBox" know that it is not used  like a carpenter's toolbox where every two minutes there is the need to get a different tool for something that needs doing.  Sometimes, you just refuse to try a "tool" because there is another way to get the same job done.  And ofcourse, Bowls is a "Draw" game not a box of accessories.

Sometimes something happens during a game and you plan to study that event and understand why it happen but must wait for a practice or discuss it with a knowledgeable coach. This happen to me last week. Ram was asking me about something I was showing our Club President and as we were in a Fun game I explained briefly. "It is easlier  "Walking the Mat"  than doing that which requires a lot of practice". (An off-bias-Draw) with the comment "Sometimes it is good to move left or right on the mat to avoid a bowl.  As I attempted to show it in a casual manner I was surprise that I had resulted in getting double the effect expected on the bowl. I immediatley thought to myself. "Did I do a Off-Bias Draw ?" and then maybe, "Did my Subconscious know I wanted to move right and I did not need to "Walk the Mat". "Maybe I needed to relax the subconscious communication.  Certainly I thought "Later, I have to study this which happen."

The subconscious mind is a very powerful instrument and like a carpenter keeps his tools sharp the bowler got to keep his Subconscious sharp too.  Sometimes the subconscious  will do somethings just because we thought about it and went into a "Normal Delivery Void". It hear me thinking I want the thing done. As an Example My goal was to have a displacement of a few inches right. And I did talk about "Walking to Mat" with Ram. I realized that  as I was doing my delivery  I was thinking of the

 "Result" I wanted. So now after 20 years of Bowls I am in a habit of "Think it, Do it" and it over the years  my Subconscious listens and even mades the correction from a physical action to a mental action or deplacement. " Walking the Mat" is a "Physical displacement" Based on if your feet are right for your Delivery Line your bowls goes where you send it. I made the mistake of allowing my delivery mood to go into the "My Delivery Void",  where my subconscious does it work of mental Muscle Memory while I do my delivery of the bowl. 

I promised to make the blogs shorter this year (2023-24) So to the Youtube video with photo (right) showing Trystan Smallacombe 3nd Bowl Delivery and as you can stop the video you see his hand is pointed inward. In the 2nd photo as he finishes his delivery his hand has returned to the cradle or Grip position. To do this required a small few degree of counter-clock twist.

This bowl finished about 4 to 6 inches to the left of Jack because as Trystan did his hand rotation he also moved it a small bit to his left. A common fault on Backhand Deliveries. We notice his "Mat Foot" is near the right side of the mat and his delivery "Laydown" is directly on the center line (arrow). First, I will always delete any critizism of athletics used in my blogs as a teaching tool if they so advise me of it being offensive.  We all can learn and this collection of blogs has now 81,000 viewer\visits todate.

In the following Photo we see Trystan do another BackHand because the opponent's  last bowl has closed the foreHand approach; although a bit short of being shot.Both players are right-handed and  Cory (Packer (WA) did a beautiful draw toward the jack but short  by an inch or two.

 The tool "Walking the Mat" is a tool often used  to get around the frontal Bowl. The 3rd bowl of Trystan, now blocking the backhand approach, would have been on the jack had not his delivery had a very  small hand movement to the left.

An interesting fact here. In the next end, the 2nd end; Cory asks the marker prior to his 4th bowl; "How many 2nd Do I have?" and then does a great shot which removes Trystan's bowl Leaving Cory with 3 shots. Trystan still has last bowl but seeing  he had back bowls he was wide on his runner to put the jack to the ditch. Also great information from the game commentators. Very knowledgable

Here, Trystan, on the mat with his 4th bowl of this the 1st end, could have asked the marker "how far his bowl is from the jack". Instead of doing a "Walk the Mat" to get around his bowl; he could have accepted to raise it that needed foot to the jack. The decision should have been based upon the "Percentage of Success and Failure". If he missed on the right he could have seen a draw shot or  hit the shot bowl of Cory; and if he missed  it on left. it still allows for a " Fine finish shot" depending upon the speed of the green or even "Falling into Jack Shot" bowl.

A previous Blog explained the "Delivery Line" and the "Bowl Roll Line" as seen when the bowl first leaves the bowler's hand. If we look at the green as the bowl is laid down and gather our feelings of our delivery we can sometimes know these errors as the bowl is just rolled and we still have the feelings. Often we compare the Bowl Roll Line on the green to the new Delivery. However, as this was Trystan's first BackHand there was no reference for the Post Mat Analysis to indicate what delivery error occured.

In the time I posted this Blog and updated spelling corrections it has had 14 visitors and total visitors to all 136 blogs is 225 and still only 6 in the morning here. Must be windy in Australia and New Zealand as seems to be now a run on Blogs about bowling in the wind.. Enjoy.. If Life permits I will get more blogs in this year. (81,000 visiter/view; Blogger has changed the stats and I now not aware of from where. Appreciate the comments and will try to answer questions or direct to another blog for answers.

I thank Trystan and Cory for this great performance and although I have yet to get beyond the 2nd end of play I see very interesting Blog material here.  In the next blog or next few I hope to show the "Tell" of Cory as he does a Mental Communication of Jack Distance to the Subconscious and how he adjusts with his large forward step on delivery to a short distance (24 meter) mat.  Thank You Guys.

Lawn Bowls for Dogs.. Really only a 2015 blog

 From Blogger's  Stats on visitors to "Lawn Bowls- Using the Head" Blog on Sept 11, 2015

Bowls Stats Sept 11, 2015

Here I see many  "UNIQUE" hits from Ukraine this past summer, so I decided to do some research as to the extend of Lawn Bowls in the Ukraine.  First to use a dictionary English to Ukraine for "Lawn Bowls" which I discovered is " Миски з газон" in Ukraine. Good start because if Lawn Bowls is in  the dictionary and part of the language, then the people must be playing the sport. As I have only 55 blogs and the readers are reading everything (and in English) I figured it worth the search.  I did not know if I pasted a non-English word into Google what I would get as result.. Very Interesting.

Lawn Bowls Ukraine

  First the Google results are 412,000 which is quite a lot And because u are going to another country have a good
 Virus Control installed.. (actually Norton displayed virus detection information in Russian when it found a dangerous site) The Google Search results have on the first line a  "Translate this page"(By the way, if you decide to try this search go to the actual website and if interesting then go back and do a  Google Translation of pages Instead of translate each page )

    Well Share with me this is going to be fun.  (and requires a lot of patience) After 5 hours of Google search of common sites like World Bowls and Language searches I found little so will update this blog when I have better info.

First found in the translation was for Lawn Bowls for Dogs". Yes " the latest development of US veteranians " Guess it is more like a "in the grass eating" tool for the health of the dogs. (see note at bottom of Blog)
  Next translation...Deposit Photo a download site for photos then a Android Cellphone App for Virtual Lawn Bowls. The most common Lawn Bowl found was what we would call a In house Flower Pot except with a more Greek Style base.
  Began feeling that it was best is to go back to Google.com with a new search. after using the translation by "Imtranslate.net" .  Now with " Lawn Bowls Clubs" or "Газон миски клуб"  in Russian (or Ukriane)  I  still got 339,000 results. Probably due to Travel Agency offering clubs with Lawn Bowls facilities some where else in the world. (Also again Photos )

Because the above Blog statistics for the 11 september shows a 74 viewer of the blog, " How to Measure which bowl is shot" I realize that this sort of Blog viewing usually occurs when a club member see something good on-line and posts it on the club board.  For this reason I will wait for more information before completing this blog. 

However, on the same subject, that blog of measuring; when I was watching the Canadian Lawn Bowls Gold Metal game this past month I notice a player try touse that method of Checking which bowl was shot. From his body movements I realize  that he did not understood  how to do it.  My mistake,  probably badly explained... Soon, I  will do a better blog but the mistake is that the individual thought just putting his foot there he could see what bowl was shot.  Not So... Your ability depends on finding the mid-point accurately and seeing accurately 90 degrees out from your foot.  Good to see it used ,,, sad to see I didn't explain it well...

Thank you for your interest.. will continue to search the web for great bowls information.


Added Note (copied from the Russian  site and translated)

Dog Lawn Bowl - It is known that dogs often too quickly absorb the food, just lashing out at it, and swallowing it all at one sitting. Because of this, the animal can  create health problems.  To help the four-legged friend to eat normally, experts have proposed a new device that approaches the normal course of  feeding.  It is a bowl that has a special design. . It is a unique model of what looks like lawn where the grass grows high. . The total surface 43 "stalk" of a height from 5 to 10 cm, which are arranged at small distances from each other.  Inbetween these interstices between the "grass" one serves and pour the food which will not have access as free as in a conventional bowl. . The creators estimate that the time it will take for a dog to get the food out of a bowl, will be almost 20 minutes.  (Ofcourse, I had to correct the grammer of this text after translation.)

Global Awareness or Zen Mind Teaser

  ‘What is the sound of one hand clapping?’ A "Zen Koan" or Puzzle can be either thoughless foolishness as the Youtube video of "Zen Koan: The Sound of One Hand Clapping" or as profoundly thought searching as the Zen teaching of the video "101 Zen Stories #21" which will help all coaches. The link to this video is at the end of the page as it is long, interesting and still on Youtube.

A similar question  of sport development for me as a coach as I suggest the "Zone" of Subconscious involvement in the delivery of a Lawn Bowl was... "Is everything  telepathically linked?" I  even had a reader on his comments on subconscious awareness;  that he had developp his delivery to now he just thinks his bowl to the position he wishes.  I guess this is approaching the idea as I no longer look up the green toward the jack or head while doing my delivery.

There is a idea of "Global Awareness which suggest that as more and more people do a difficult task it will become easlier for the new person as they attempt the task because the combined mental global thoughts and ability of thousand or millions of others doing it; will make it easlier.  In today cellphone society it seems to have meaning as I can remember in the early days of mobile devices how hard it was to figure out how to do something.

Likewise; if more lawn bowlers began doing Subconscious " In the zone" deliveries, will it become easier for those new individuals whom are attempting to understand and develop it ? For those whom think of coaching this blog and the video of 101 Zen Stories is a lesson on patience and student interaction.  To the Lawn Bowler wanting to learn a better delivery the blogs of this group is more about how you can improve yourself.  You will see in many sports the Zen "in the Zone" subconscious action being part of the athletic's advance development.  If you are not yet there, be patience little by little.

 "Masters of Zen Buddhism often give their more advanced students a Koan to contemplate. A Koan is essentially an unsolvable riddle. Its purpose is to get the student to transcend mere logical, every-day reasoning. As this video shows, the process can be fraught with mind-searching difficulty that takes the student close to the very limits of sanity."


 This kōan, unlike others in Zen, did not originate from stories of Chinese Ch'an masters, but was composed by the Japanese master uiHakn Zenji (1685-1768) and presented.. in a work entitled Yabukōji composed in 1752.

A previous student of Zen in his new interest of Huna also  replies on how he now uses this "one hand clapping" Koan  as a method of thinking  toward an idea's use in teaching Huna.  

 For instance, in third-level healing work (Huna) where we assume that everything is a dream and everything is dreaming, we say that if you change one dream you automatically change all related dreams.. In second-level healing work

where we assume that everything is telepathically linked, we say that if you begin to silently bless and forgive people with whom you are having difficulties, they will know it and they will begin to change their behavior  toward you without a word being spoken.

A tree falls in the forest, and there is not one to hear it; does it make a sound ? Did it fall ? One hand clapping is such a alumina. Does clapping need two hands or is it an idea of praise. To appreciate something some say you must first miss having it.

Good and Bad, Hot and Cold, Up and Down.. all need their partner to exist and be full. Yen and Yang.. the forces of the Universe. Hate and Love. Not knowing one, makes one wonder if we appreciate the other any less? or any more?
 The photo of the1997 novel by Australian Author Richard Flanagan is such an idea taken from Wipidepia

 So likewise, about Bowls,  Not having the idea that the subconscious mind can perform the ideal delivery, we do not seek the fulfillment of the possibility of self-development.

Look up at the sky which circles over us and realize how small we are.It is only because of how big it is. Lie down on the ground, look at the tall grass around you, as a mouse would see the world; and you will look into native American myth and teachings.... You feel like a giant because you have changed your prospective.
So, to you I give the thought or mind teaser.  As your bowls ability improve and you place new tools into your toolbox of abilities to perform your perfect draw or takeout shot. Remember all knowledge that is given freely, after verification as turth or possible;  is your to share freely. Together our sport builds and grows.

Clapping with one hand is such a change in thought. See the world different and you will see yourself, feel yourself different. Maybe even see your bowl performance differently.

As a coach watching a student development over the season or over several years, this video of Youtube allows for some thought on your patience and expectation of students. See  101 Zen Stories] #21 - The Sound of One Hand". and enjoy..

Difference in "Delivery Line" and "Line of Delivery"

In Lawn Bowls we hear instructors or skips saying "Take your line" of Delivery and do a "Good delivery". Because the various bowls manufacturers over the years having created differ "Bias Width"; the student or athletic began his Lawn Bowls introduction and learning to perform a good Deliivery with no two players on the Lawn Bowl Green having similar Bowls. Each will therefore takes some sort of reference as to their "Line" direction and do their best delivery.

Below, is this weeks Viewer Stats. Probably increased because Australia one of the most active Lawn Bowls Countries are again entering Spring and the new 2023-2024 Season.

Defination of these two terms.

  Delivery Line - The direction of delivery which is used as an "point of aim" to send the Lawn Bowl to the Jack allowing for the unique characteristic of the Bowl's Bias. Advance level Bowlers usually base this line on their Mental Image of their Bowl's Bias and the placement of their feet on the mat.

       Bowl's Line of Delivery - A visual track of the Bowl as it rolls from the Bowler's hand up the green toward the Jack. Easlier seen in Morning dew or  on unused greens and used as a tool of Analysis in Post-Mat Routine.

This short blog will confront a confusing learning problem of new Lawn Bowlers where the instructor in showing the newbie  how to roll a bowl and how to find his "Line of Delivery" before his performance; The Instructor often in good intentions suggest that the student use the out-of-bound marker or some other location on the "Back Ditch" as the direction that they aim their bowl. I have seen instructors suggest the student try to roll his bowl across a chalk mark on the green or on the protective screens (which have been used a lot here in Canada since CoVid) as their direction of Delivery.

 Problem that occurs is eventually that serious student sees the "track of his bowl which he just delivered" or the "Bowl Delivery Line"  in front of him and decides to use this line as he begans to learn to roll a bowl. Then the student finally began  to use this "Line of Delivery"  to create a "Delivery Line". Think about it. These are two different Lines because one is the direction to send your bowl and the other is the result of your grip, your movement and finally your step and delivery. Certainly different .

 This is not bad if it is a point of reference but what happens is that this "Bowl Track" or "Bowl Delivery Line" sometimes become the "Delivery Line.  I explain to the student that this "Bowl Track" on the green is very valueable in his analysis of his performance because after the bowler has done  one good delivery to the "Jack"; the bowler can compare the line of  his just delivered bowl to the good "Bowl Delivery Line" which goes right to the Jack; and analysis his delivery with  the  "Good Delivery" which he see as the "Bowl Delivery Line". 

As I began coaching teams or 2nd and 3rd year bowlers, the need to know their progress in "finding their Line"as it could becomes a serious problem.  After a year or two of Bowling the newbie now, with bad habits in "Line and Delivery"; will find it is hard to correct or change their method.  I often teach them what is in this blog and let them decide how they use it.  If they change their habit of finding a "Line of Delivery" or if they use the "Bowl Delivery Line" as part of their Delivery "Post Mat" analysis; it is their choice.

First, what is the best or proper method of  having a "Delivery Line".  After a year or two of bowl rolls, the serious athletic will eventually develop a mental image of their bowl's bias (a mark easily seen on the green) and use this mental image to see  their "Line of Delivery". This Bowl roll mark or track on the green is sometime called "the Bowl Roll Line" or "Bowl Delivery Line" and is best not mention as it is  more confusing for the newbie. If they asked "Why not use that mark as Line ?" I suggest that they be told that later they will learn that in a delivery there is "Pre-Mat routine" the "Delivery Routine" and a "Post-Mat Routine" and this line is used  in the "Post-Mat Routine" to analysis and improve their delivery.

 Also what is confusing to the newbie, is the habit of the instructors or the skip during a game; while standing in the head and  trying to give the "Bowler on the Mat" his line with his foot or waving a towel. Remember there are Lawn Bowl Rules which  exist which suggest that the "Bowler on the Mat" should not be distracted by conversation or other things. Wanting to allow them to do their best "Delivery".  Especially the distraction of  a skip yelling from the head or waving a towel.

  In the end, each individual bowler develops a natural ability to roll their bowl on "their delivery line" and go to the mat and with the position of feet on the mat being in the direction of their "Delivery Line" they perform a good Delivery which with success  does an accurate draw to the jack or expected bowl location in the "Head".

Myself a "Left-handed Bowler", I have long ago abandon the suggestion of the skip in the head giving "Line"and use his suggestion as  his expectation of where he (she) would like to have my bowl finish. Last tournment I did, I had a skip always giving his "Forehand" line and I have played a 3 game tournment of 14 ends to later discover that the skip did not know the difference betweeen a "Left Handed Bowler's Line" and his own line.  Today, my style (which was developed many, many years ago) is to stand with my foot pointing at the jack and then placing the other foot in a balance position (and at an angle to the center line) on the mat. An observator will notice that my "right foot" points to the jack on a "Left-handed Forehand" Delivery and my "left foot" points toward the jack on a "Left-handed Backhand". Ofcourse, my right foot is always the "Step forward" as my "Left side Delivery" movement does my "Pendium swing Delivery". I seldom look up at the head during delivery as this method creates the stance on the mat and the "Delivery Line" and my concern is to do a Perfect Roll.

On a early morning lawn bowl green with the collection of dew we can see clearly the line made by or bowl as it rolls up the green. This visuable mark or path of the bowl in the morning dew is the bowl's "Delivery Line". Most instructors will not mention this line to the new "Lawn Bowls" student because their bowl will only "always" have this same "Delivery Line" after years of actual Deliveries which have been the same. For the Newbie,  each student's delivery will have something different or wrong and therefore give their bowl's roll a different  Line or Weight. With practice the Bowl delivery is the same.

 And, of course it would be very easy for the student to attempt to roll his bowl over the "Lawn Bowl's Delivery Line", which will only be always the save after many years of practice and perfect Delivery. Also useless, is to use this line when there is no longer an early morning dew or there are 30 or 40 different similar lines going from the mat up the green toward the jack. Remember, no two bowls have the same bias or no two bowlers have the same delivery movement; certainly don't follow another bowler's Bias to the jack.. it wouldn't happen even if you both have the same manufacter bowls types.

An instructor of advance Lawn Bowlers will instruct his student on using  this "Delivery Line" during the "Post Mat" Routine. (A mat routine consists of three parts, Pre-Mat, Delivery, and Post-Mat) As the bowl rolls from our delivery onto the green we can see this first contact with the green and compare it with our previous delivery prior to that delivery. In the Post-Mat Routine you are beginning to collect information about your delivery, the roll of your bowl, the effect of various elements on your bowl and it final resting place near the jack or in the head.

Too many "Lawn Bowler" students only see the final position of the bowl in the head as their result of their delivey and began to analyis the WHY of their bowl and the errors of their "Delivery". This is too late as it is an analysis without data. Your only data, at this late point, is the location of the bowl to the jack and does not contain any other information from your delivery. By using this "Bowl Delivery Line you can collect data between the release of the bowl from your hand until it has stopped in the head.

As the bowl leaves your hand and touches the green (or protective screen used with newbies) you have a lot of feelings from your delivery. Your balance ? Do you feel well balanced or fighting to control your forward movement of the delivery?  Your delivery feeling are still there this early after delivery. Did the bowl roll of your hand smoothly?. Your weight. Did you feel your weight or gather your "Delivery Weight" feeling. (Discussed in another Blog). All of these feelings are available as your bowl rolls from your hand. And  your visual image of that bowl's relationship to your privious "Bowl Delivery Line".

As you see the relationship of the new "Delivery Line" and you collect your feelings of your delivery; you can actually decide what to expect of the bowl when it stops in the head. Of course, you are still watching the bowl as it rolls to the head and analysis it's movement caused by the green or your delivery. (If your grip was not correct, you may see a wobble or cante on your bowl) As you bowl stops in the head and you step back from the mat; all your data should be fresh in you mind. Think about how you felt as you saw the bowl drop from your hand, this memory is clear. The ability to remember and store data will be a major part of your development as a great Bowler. Today, I can still see various bowls delivered many years ago and even from last night's game. This data is your Post-Mat data use it to improve your next delivery as you stand waiting for the opponent to roll their bowl and your turn.

Sometimes, this data will be used during discussions with your team coach  or during a learning session you will recall your feelings at the mat or your view of your bowl's roll. Using a "Post-Mat" Routine in preparation for your next delivery, your concern should only be what improvements you feel you  need or your satification (on doing something right) because when you come back to the mat and get your instructions from your skip for your next delivery; you have already prepared for your delivery. (before going to the mat) (I instruct my students to first "take possision of the Mat" and then step off the mat as they receive instructions from the skip and decide what delivery will be used and what corrections)

 As a coach of competition bowlers I have often told student trying to find the new "Line" of a moved jack; to mentally see th delivery line of their bowl and imagine the of bowl-roll- line to this new position of the jack. See the mental image of your bowl's bias in all its part, even the "finish" right to the new Jack. Then by looking backward to the mat you will see your "Delivery Line".

Beginners often use a point of reference beyond the head or a mark on the green directly in front of them to learn their line-of-delivery but eventually they will see their mental Bowl's Bias. Good Bowls

Thinking outside of the box

 Just back from the clubhouse where an invitation competition of "5-a-teams" was being played. No, I was not playing but I spend a lot of time watching games and evaluating the potential of new bowlers. Sometimes a simple mis-understanding of a regular action can cause one to "Think outside of the Box"

As my 2023 bowls season draws to a close I guess I am back to blog writing a bit.

The first sets of games had just been completed and the 2nd set of games were to start. But, unlike the first games which start after a  "Trial Ends"  now with the new greens were assigned to all six teams there was no Trial-ends. The skips of the green just in front me  (number 1, an end-green) was questioning the previous team's skip on the green and their experience. With not much time for much information; I heard the skip  said "The ditch size is extremely wide and if you miss your line or the jack is moved toward the ditch; then  all your bowls will finish out of bounds".

As I listen to the skip talking to his lead as he prepared to start on this green; he was telling her (Kim) that she would have to take "Line, like on the corner where both ditches met. His thought was on her first bowl and how to play it, but  Kim, was a lead I had not seen before; was only thinking about to throw the  jack. As often happens; the skip was explaining the greens and needing a  "head ditch Line" while the  lead was thinking that the skip instruction were her instructions for rolling the jack.

I laster learned Kim was a first year bowler, and that as such  she was confusion. She was thinking of the Jack which she was to throw. So she asked "You want me to throw the jack toward the out of bound marker ?" The skip replied "No, No, Up the centre-line". First thought I had was she was an experience lead and had often thrown a jack off-center to learn something of the green. I later learned that she did not understand what the skip was suggesting. However, the Skip also did not understand what she was suggesting. Her suggestion of off-center Jack throw, if used here would have given him a lot of important information about  that side of the green. 

 After many years experience I had learned that on the jack throw to watch the jack and read how the jack is affected by the green during the roll. And now after several years of bowls and major competition I know skips do ask "Study Information" from the leads.  Especially in "Bowls Fours" where no bowls can be wasted. With no trial-ends and the team now coming to this new green; her question was extremely interesting as if she had previously been instructed on this subject of "of-center Jack rolls".

Because of the absence of a Trial end in this 2nd set of play I thought that the skip's thoughts were "if the jack is throw "off-center" and the team players were  watching the jack roll;, we have some very good information.  Also, as I had just returned to Quebec after several summers playing away; I saw this suggestion by a Skip a change in game strategy and even some clubs doing " Lead developmen"t which was badly needed before. 

To not throw the jack up the center of the green but off-center was first introduced to me at a early 2000 Atlantic Bowls game where the Jack has caught the ridge of a depression in the green and change it line by 20 to 30 degrees.  If a lead is to roll the jack up the green without going out of bounds and closely watch the jack; the watching team members would see how that side of the green would draw the bowls off.  Of course, after the jack throw, the Skip would bring the jack back to centre line if it did not go out of bounds. 

 I had been instructed many years ago that is Bowls Fours the Lead and Second should study the green and the opponent players delivery habits to advise the Vice (for the skip) in helping develop a winning game play strategy. (Seeing an opponent with a weak Backhand  and forcing the oppponent player to play backhand may remove a few bowls from the head)

 Last friday, I watch a jack which was thrown up "Center Line" go right,  across the center line then after a few yards began to coming back across the center line and finished at least 6 inches of center. This type of jack reaction can mean a "finishing Bias" bowl would stop or "reverse-bias" Yes, here in Quebec we have some clubs with really difficult greens. Ofcourse, a bad center of the green will not affect the bias of your delivery (rolled bowl) unless the jack was moved extremely off-centre and now your delivery passes across this section of the green. (center-Line).

 Over the years I have often done a "off-centre Line" jack roll to collect this sort of information.

 Yes, this thinking "outside the Box" of a regular habit of throwing the jack up center-line, would given a lot of insight into what to expect as the team starts it first end.  Even if the jack had gone out-of-bounds, I, as a skip and coach; would have consider the knowledge more important than the lost  "First-Jack".