A look at The 5 parts of a Delivery Routine with only a "Delivery Performance" being what happens when you step to the Mat to perform. If Muscle Memory is your bowl roll, great but still interesting links to other blogs with ideas.
The "Next Level" which the title mentions is a website for Lawn Bowls (Photo / Link below) which the "AI" found for me. In my previous blogs, I suggest the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) of your computer search for finding some good information on Lawn Bowls Coaching and Self-improvement. The Cambridge Dictionary defines "Intelligence" as " the ability to learn, understand, and make judgments or have opinions that are based on reason "
The Artificial side of "AI" is best to be seen as a detail Search of the World Wide Web (www) by your chosen "AI" Program. There are a lot of these programs and if you ask the same question a few times you will be surprise at the number of the difference response it gives. Therefore the "Intelligence" must be "YOU" and your "Judgement". Because it is found on the "Net", does not necessary make it a "Truth" and your intelligence of having the " opinions that are based on reason " to " understand, and make judgments" as to how this information affects your bowls' development.
As a coach I know that no two students see my instructions in the same manner and the vision of their development. Below, I will indicate a incident where my choice of words open a door for my listener. To me, this is the strength of a coach because until someone introduce a line of thought, the listener or student does not know to search out that knowledge. In the same way "AI" is helping me with my choice of a computer website with good information; by showing me all the places it found some of the topic.
The website of "Next Level Lawn Bowls" (Photo above) has a lot of good information for the learning reader as well as the experience athlete. My vocabulary is selective for my students. I teach "Your presence on the Mat is for Delivery" and push the thinking before and after your delivery to a "Pre-Mat Routine and a Post-Mat Routine.
This week was watching our best provincial player compete for the honor to respresent us at this Summer's Atlantic Bowls. In September, the best lawn bowlers from Canada's four Atlantic provinces will gather for 4 or 5 days of competition. After the game, while chatting with one of our best and future elite I said.
"Interesting fact. On your first bowl of the game, a Pre-Mat Delivery for a "Jack Touching Shot" and for the next five or six end of play you did a "Quick to the Mat" Delivery." The next night, in the 2nd of the qualification games, as I sat outside the "Fenced Green" watching the game, he left the mat after his first bowl of the third end and crossed the Green's Ditch and benches to say to me through the fence.
"Thank you, for the remainder of my "Pre-Shot Routine" last night". I was so surprise I could only reply "You're Welcome" as he turned and returned his thoughts to his game. I had said Pre-Mat Delivery because of teaching new club members for many years but he heard "Pre-Shot Routine" which he was not using until the end of his game. He so comfortable he was simply doing "Practice Bowls".
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| Pre-Mat Routine (1/5) |
Yes, it happens that we just bowl. But a Routine which is part of your Delivery is important because it means there is a place for everything and the "Mat" is for "Delivery".
Often after a bowl we are thinking of what we expected and what happen. All these thoughts between that last bowl and your Pre-Mat Routine can be positive or negative.
Negative "Self-talk" destroys your confidence and creates feelings of doubt and blame and should be avoided before starting your "Pre-Delivery Routine", ( or Pre-Shot Routine). This part of the "Before Mat Performance" or Pre-mat is to prepare for what is called "Muscle Memory" or an Instinctive Bowl roll build after much practice. In the sport of Curling (on Youtube) Muscle Memory is in the introduction vocabulary and Coaches say it will take about 100 hours of practice before your mind has it's proper Muscle Memory Performance.
When you think of performing an action, your conscious mind sees it as an instruction to the muscles required to perform that action. Especially if you are learning a sport. When you walk or jump from foot to foot you don't fall because your subconscious mind is performing without any conscious mind instructions. This is Muscle Memory and an athlete develops the same natural instinctive delivery. But if your mind is occupied with thoughts the instinctive action is destroyed because the conscious mind thinks it has to do something. (example, Cry when you are sad or hurt).
The Pre-Delivery Routines are very hard to prefect because there are so many aspects of emotions; that large clubs of countries like Australia and England have a Sport Psychologist on staff. To learn how to "Reset" after errors or confront doubt or guilt during a game may take years to master and control.
In our sport, which is a "Closed Sport" of you and your performance, everything is you when on the mat. I had a fellow club member who was at a out-of-province competition jump over the fence, run around the park and jump back in before going to the mat for his next bowl. Yes, a bit "Extreme" but that was his way. Extreme emotions and Bowl's Performance don't Mix if you want to reach that elite level of performance.
Rules of Lawn Bowls are for a 'Closed Sport" where the athletes are expected to be strong in psychologic control and a 'Focus" on the performance at 100 percent. If "Muscle Memory" is developed then it's successful performance depends upon a distraction free mind set,
The Delivery. Either developing and done by the Conscious mind controlling the muscles or being "Instinctive" and when the Subconscious mind executes the "Muscle Memory" and return control to the "Conscious Mind" you will feel a moment of empty thought. This void is important because later in development it is the "light of Mindless Performance" exchange which gathers and executes a great delivery.
An interesting fact. It is not a instinctive control of muscles but the collection of information and experiences such as in needed by the muscles to do the wanted performance. Last month, during a game I locked and tore my delivery muscles and being in a competition I changed my delivery to something I had never done. (a 180 side-step arm swing) I did not know what would happen but the shots were good because I had the knowledge of the green speed, the needed weight, the object distance and the subconscious made a perfect shot. (raised a bowl to the opponent's toucher (on the jack) and rolled the jack 4 or 5 inches for my points.
If you do not feel this "Void" of "Muscle Memory" there is a December 2012 blog of "Three Subconscious Mind Exercises" which explain "Muscle Memory" and the feeling. It is a long blog but touches on several sports and explains "Muscle Memory Void" which happens when we return the muscle control to the conscious mind. The blog has a 2014 comment from a reader which reads.
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I had to re-organize the order of "Next's List of actions", because "Muscle Memory" is the mind giving control to the subconscious mind for an instinctive performance, all your thinking must be finish and your word (or image) to Trigger control for the action to start is seen. Often this action is done as your backswing movement is finishing. After Muscle Memory has finished, you will feel that you were not aware of your thoughts; and you see the bowl rolling up the green. This is a "Muscle Memory Void" feeling. Yes, a lot of players do a Muscle Memory delivery but never attempt to feel the "Void".
That feeling is important because as you start your Post-Delivery Routine it is the confirmation that your delivery was correctly finished. If not finished because of a distraction or control of the mind's action was returned to the conscious mind. In a Youtube video, "Tiger Wood " tigers says "Between my swing starting and seeing the ball in flight up the fairway, I have no memory of what happen"
To understand more "Muscle Memory" two very detail blogs were done in April with reference to older blogs. The Cycle of Performance, Golf, Bowls and Petanque 1/2 and The Cycle of Performance, Golf, Bowls and Petanque 2/2 are available. These last two Routine of Delivery, the Post-Delivery (or Post-Shot) and Post-Mat are just all the things to think about as your bowl rolls up the green. After it stops and you step from the mat the information of these two routines are the data and decisions for your delivery and results. It will probably be the information you use to do your next bowl or even your next competition as this data remains in the mind and seldom forgotten. When next you make the same mistake the Subconscious will remind you of that game and your views of it.
The Post-Delivery Routine (or Post-shot) is important because as the bowl leaves your hands and is rolling you can feel all the mistakes you made. Your balance, a bad grip, a distraction, a thought; all are fresh in your mind. If you wait until the bowl stops you are 15 second too late to feel it.
The Post-Mat Routine is leaving the mat and the various thoughts as you analysis the delivery and bowl roll. You may make new decisions or be upset with yourself.
Between now, Post mat thinking after leaving the mat and returning to the Mat for the next bowl Delivery you must find method and time to "Reset". Reset is to regain your calm for the next bowl roll. If you have self-talk it is best to be positive and help you prepare. It is here in this time while the opponent is doing their delivery that many game are lost.
If you can watch the opponent's bowl without it confusing your bowl roll data let the time be occupied with confirmation of what you learned. If there is a bad section of green check and see how it effects your opponent's bowl. If you have tricks like "Walking the Mat" or "Off-Bias Draw" maybe make a decision of how to fix what you saw happen to your bowl. If all is good, then let the joy fill your body as you wait for the opponent to finish and you can repeat the great bowl roll.
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