Pre-Mat Routine Video

First, any video on Bowls is good and promotes the sport or an aspect of lawn bowls performance.  However, sometimes we cross a video which on first view seems to be nothing, or offer very little of interest to a active lawn bowler.

. The Coaches's Den episode 5 by Australia Bowls  is  prepared by Steve Glasson, the Australian national Coach and as a coaching educational video  in a short series is probably prepared  for a beginning Lawn Bowls audience. My blogs attempt to suggest to  readers how they can improve their bowls ability, and I attempt to show subject which will make the reader think about how to improve their sport.

 This Video, at first glance appears as if  this is an introduction to a few great  Australia's Jackaroos stars, as  as  Steve Glasson explained the video as it  " is all about pre-shot routines" and "here are some Australian Super Stars showing how it is done". First star is  Aron Sherriff  doing his one bowl juggle from hand to hand, we wonder if the subject matter is worst the watching.

First, I often refer to this part of the Bowl's delivery as "Pre-Mat Routine" although here we hear it referred to as "Pre-shot Routine". The difference is whether you prepare all your mental (Visualization) and physical preparation (Bias, grip etc) before going to the Mat. Yes, you do most of the  shot preparation before your actual delivery or "Shot". Australian refer to "Shot" as all the actual performance of the delivery components that have given those final result. (including bowl's weight and line)

In the detail explanation of the seven Australian athletics we first overlook their nervousness and off-the-cuff comments and look at each individual delivery for what they offer us in their analysis of their own style.  For example,having just finished a blog (4 parts) on "Walking the Mat" (Episode 5 of Coaches den), we find Lisa  Phillips actually explaining a bit of her Post-Mat analysis of her just finished delivery as she plans to " Walk the mat"  in the next shot ( if needed) instead of changing the line.

Aron Sherriff - Bowls Central Coast website writes " At just 25 years of age Aron Sherriff rewrote the Bowls Central Coast record books when he became the first player ever to take out all four Zone Championship titles in the one year.  ie Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours. The “Grand Slam” is a unique achievement and in winning these four open titles he also became the most prolific winner of these Zone championship titles having captured an outstanding 19 titles 

First important fact.. as in the video he says "Once their bowl comes to rest, (the bowl of the just bowled player) I am already preparing myself",  Saying that the Pre-mat Routine is to prepare " yourself Mentally for the delivery. "Bowl in Hand, everything ok." "Know my line" " Point my feet" "Set my self" "Find my weight" and finally ... "Then just delivery the bowl"

Aron Sherriff checks bowl

 

 Remember a video is visual and auditive and we watch we are also incline to be distracted by the details as we listen.  But what did we miss on the visual ?.  Photo at right show his instinctive checking of his finger on the bowl and the verify the wanted bias. This habit, after many years is done so automatically tha he does not think to mention he is doing it in his  Pre-Mat Routine.

Secondly, His comment of "Set my self" "Find my weight" "Then just delivery the bowl" are all short remarks as he does them. They are for some new bowlers a very big job. The video is nice as one can see it is a distraction of his style and although to "getting his point of line"  (photo below) indicates what type of line he uses. (look up Point of Line) He even explains his self- analysis  of his line and weight.) His form  and style of delivery has the unique use of the left hand and fingers on Bowl (I believe this is a subconscious discipline of concentration). On a national Team and instructions of National Coaches is the development of "Mental Controls" and Disciplines. To be talking to the audiance as in a video means he is not in his zone of  "Mental Controls".  As part of leaving the Pre-Mat Routine is to go to the mat and "Get back into the Zone".

  So as you watch this video you must divide the actual pre-delivery and the distraction of the video on the individual bowler's style. You will see Aron do his pre-shot routine (two fingers of left hand on bowl) but we also see his distraction (raised hand to indicate his conversation) and then return to his self-discipline as he does his concentration on his delivery. Watch the face after the delivery for a reaction and you can be sure he is not extremely satisfied with the results... Making a video while bowling does not produce great bowls.

 If at this point of this blog you are reading and have not click on the link to the YouTube Video, please take time to watch the video. Or after reading the blog and watching the video go back and look closely at the fine points of the video.

Robbie Dobbins  won a gold medal in the fours at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane ( with Keith Poole, Bert Sharp and Don Sherman.

In a  2016 special edition of  the Australian "On the Greens"  he  wrote after the death of Keith Poole "Now there are only two of the original team left, Don Sherman and myself." and  "At this present time, I have been appointed the National Team assistant coach to Steve Glasson, where the two of us have once again teamed up to assist the Australian team in preparing for the World Bowls Championships to be held in Adelaide in November". 

Robbie has two important things mention in his Pre-mat routine.  "Wait until call" or instructed to Bowl: and Prepare "Bowl in hand" while his indication of Line is as to his "Reference Point". Interesting is he takes his reference point from 3 or 4 steps behind the mat and then to to the mat.  "From then on my whole concentration is what weight I want to use".

Again we see the left hand fingers to the delivery arm or hand.  Here in Canada we often see the hand on the knee during delivery. But even though the video is a distraction we see the concentration on line and weight which makes great athletics.

With the greatest of the Australia's Jackaroos stars Bowlers a lot can be found in this video if one looks closely. Look beyond the verbal explanation as these greats have habits of delivery which are not likely to be mention. Each clean their bowl, and each use a Post-Delivery Analysis but it is sometimes mixed in their detail.

We have only  looked at two athletics's contribution to this video and if you look at the career and  profile of any of these 6 individuals there are many years of bowls and medals. Some have special things to teach which can not be found in words, like Lynsey Clarke who being seven months pregnant took silver at the 2015 Australian Indoor Bowls Championships and still had a impressive positive attitude  about her performance (as told in the Gold Coast Bulletin.)
The purpose of this blog was to say "Don't look or listen to the obvious but look deeper and you will see small jewels of advice.

Matthew Flapper (and Aron in Background)

This photo capture of Matthew Flapper shows many things. First, no where in the video do we see the jack but I believe this photo of Matthew shows his long step as he deliver to a maximum distance jack.  Also, in the background is Aron Sherriff and his after delivery image certainly was not shown in his section of the above mention video.  I expect that after watching this video you as the viewer at a local competition will began to watch the Pre-mat and Pre-shot routines of the players.  Of course, you will also question your Pre-Mat routine and develop one if you realize that you do not put a lot of importance on it.

Also Matthew says "Feet are RIGHT on the mat" just before delivery.  I think he may have been concern about earlier calls on "Foot Faulting as we see by the photo at left. (very close to off the mat.)

  No... it is not Foot Faulting but the lesson is ... with a long jack and the extended step to increase body movement during delivery (which adds weight to the delivery)  you should be careful not to be too much near the front of the mat.
 .

Walking The Mat Intro 1/3 (NMem)

Cleanup done on March 19, 2026

When a new club member starts Lawn Bowls, we tell them about the important to always have the same feet position on the mat. We explain that changing their position on the mat will mean that their bowl will never finish  in the same position as the previous delivery.

A video series of 12 Tiger Wood's Coaching by Golf Digest shows Tiger suggesting that by changing "Tee" depth in the ground can be used to  changed at "Tee off"  the wanted delivery flight height of the "Off-the-Tee" drive. (Video 2).  In all sports, the player's changes in their starting performance, can  gain an advantage or create a problem. In the same way, a good delivery style depends upon a lot of small detail. Here, I will suggest the new bowler understand and apply their development instructions toward "Walking the Mat" and its results. Where in the golf video above, the athletic may want to keep his golf ball's flight down;  so also the lawn bowler athlete may want to  make changes of his feet on the mat to go around a "Block" bowl or some other problem..

In the first years we should develop a  delivery which is consistence and then maybe work to understand the few variations of where to stand on the mat for a different delivery result.  An experience lawn Bowler may not really worried about a bowl as a "Blocks",  in learning to "Walk the Mat" we will also learn how to simply move a small bit on the mat will change the final placement of their bowl, if we have not changed our "Line of Delivery".

When a bowl has been placed in your line to the jack , often called a "Block"; there may seems to be nothing to do but to change your delivery type (go from forehand to backhand or otherwise).  An experience athletic will tell you that "no Bowl is really a Block" because of these type of tricks which good Lawn Bowl athletics use.

Often called  "Walking the Mat"; the experience athletic will move left or right from their original  position, and there by do a different delivery line. Of course, one is required by the rules which require to always having a foot on  (of over) the mat. (until the Bowl has been delivered and is rolling up the green)

 

Video of Mat Walking

First, one of the few YouTube video on "Using the Mat"  shows Brett Wilkie, Australian Queensland Coach in a series of Coaching Videos called "Coach's Dené  Explaining the trick of using the position on the mat for conditions of play like a "  Windy day" green. This coaching advice, shows the movement of  the feet on the mat to allow for a different final bowl result.

The photo (left) is a screen capture of the video and shows Australian Jackaroos team  member, Barrie Lester; taking his normal stance on the mat.  Immediately afterward, in the video, we see him position himself a bit to the  left (photo below) as he "walks the mat". Also, where Barrie is an excellence player, we see the different of the final result of his bowls.

This video is build by Australian Bowls for windy conditions but, here, I hope to shows that there is a lot more of an advantage for moving "around" on the mat. Also, it is important that a bowler who is "Walking the Mat" to respect his delivery conditions of delivery. Sometimes, a coach has taught to put your bowl to the green on "Center Line". We all should know from  our practice and experience where our bowl will finish as we change something. Later in the blog, I will give an exercise to allow you to know from practice, where your bowls should finish.. Remember, any change that you a player makes, must be with an expectation of the known results. In a game there is no place for guessing what might happen. That is done in practice.

In all games of rolling, (or throwing a ball) a bowl to a target, there is the requirement that all players perform their delivery from the same position.  There are many games like Bowls (Petanque, Bocci, Curling) where as the "game play" advances, the previous bowls (or Balls, stones) seem to block the next delivery to the target. (Jack, Button, Cochon, etc). Part of these games is how to skillfully still play a perfect delivery around these object. Often they are more what we call "In Eye" block than an actual block to our delivery.

 These game have developed, over time with equipment and rules,  to allow the player to go around these  placed blocks.  Lawn Bowls now  have a bias or swing of several feet, Curling (the Canadian equivalent) has a stone which can by rotation and by sweeping be made to swing a couple of feet.  The French Game of Petanque with it delivery modifications allows the player to throw the ball through the air. If the Petanque ball can not be thrown over the block then the block can be removed by doing "take-out" shot.  There is an exception is Bocci (the Italian game of Bowls) where the players does not need to stand tn the same position but must always remain behind a "Fault Line" when doing their delivery.  Also, to go around a "Block", in the social Bocci  came the player can bounce their ball of the rinks wooden boundaries or wall.

  

However, even with the rules  developed  and modified to allow the delivery to get around a frontal bowl, the movement  on the mat (or in the petanque circle)  has always been with certain limitations. The photo at the right is the movement of Barrie Lester (above photo) as he moves to his far left.  The bowls final position can be seen  as they  have been delivered to the same distance apart as the step  "walking" on the mat.

The rules define the size of a traditional  “Mat” of lawn bowls , as ( Rule 7) “ is 600 mm long and 360 mm wide”. In Canada where we still often talk in the old imperial measurement, that is about  2 feet by 1.5 feet where the imperial foot is 304.8 mm. (see note below) So in any size foot, there is plenty of space to move around the mat depending upon your normal delivery style.  For the student or new Lawn Bowler, the delivery should always be done with  feet placement on the mat always the same for each delivery. As you learn and know your movement from your normal Delivery position; so also you must learn the expected results.

If (as photo below of 4 positions by Ryan Bester) your style places you close to one side of the mat, which many great players do so they place their bowl to the green on center line; then you have limited movement away from that tight mat edge stance.  The bowls bias out from it point of contact to the green and then as it slow down come back to the center line at the jack. Of course, you should be easily able to move 3 shoe sizes around the mat. (from side to side of the mat or front to back). Asked why would you move back? The only answer is to do the same delivery and have your bowl finish the length of the mat closer. (probably to follow a bowl which finished a mat length behind the jack)

 

  In Bowls as the speed of the green increase, the bowler`s line of delivery seen to require a wider stance; which means you are not now square on the mat and therefore you will find it harder to move much on the mat. (as per the  photo below of Matthew Ayres who has a acute angle of delivery on a Australian (fast) Green).

A reader wrote recently "The foot fault rule has been changed so that only a part of a foot needs to be on or above the mat. Could you comment on how this change might be affecting how we are using the mat.". In reply

Yes, there is a lot of place for you to place your feet on the mat: as an individual  with an average size foot, (Most feet are  about  6 inches wide by a 12 inches (foot) long). However, when the greens get really fast and you change your delivery angle to almost 40 degrees, (photo of Matthew Ayres, Australia) the advantage of the new rule can be seen. (Note how important the "a part of the foot" on or over the mat; becomes as we respect the rule of Foot faulting).

As we turn ourself away from the Center Line for a wide stance and delivery Line; as often happens when a moved jack is moved off centre line to the side of the head; or necessary for fast greens;  we must be careful of "Walking the Mat". (When talking about faster greens we are making reference to the extremely wide final bias swing on the last few inches as your bowl stops).

Remember, the "Center Line" goes up the center of the green and passes through the jack which is at end start in the center of this line. The back and front edge of the mat runs left to right parallel along the "Mat Line" . (You can not turn your mat toward the jack or have it moved off the center line) 

 If you place yourself too tight to the edge of the mat and the rules of your country does not allow your "mat foot" to be off the mat ( because some countries accepted if over the mat); you are very likely to be called for "Foot Faulting"(foot is not correctly over the mat when your bowl touches the green). 

A close look (front/back) of Ryan Bester's delivery stance

From the 2016 Men's Singles Final Canada v New Zealand and a look at Canadian Bowler Ryan Bester, we can see that his style of delivery is rather tight to the left side of the mat. Front and Back view show his "Mat foot" properly placed and the far right photo show his bowl arm at the "Mat Center Line". 

 Game Rules state that “once the mat is placed”, at the beginning of play, Rule 20-A says “The mat shall not be moved”, and the center of the mat must be in a direct line with the Jack which is on the “Center Line”.  If the jack moves of  "Center Line" and the mat stays on "Center Line" you may find your style of delivery turning your body enough to create "Foot Faulting" problems.  When practicing your delivery from a tight foot-mat position; be sure to practice your delivery from the mat to a moved jack. In this way, if it happens;  your new delivery line will allows for your foot to be "over the mat". Photo right from Blog 2/2 shows how much a green can be damaged.

  "Walking the mat" is a tool intended to allow for fine adjustments when you know the previous line but you need a few inches (or centimeters) adjustment in order to arrive directly on the jack and/or to roll it. (as is explained in the example at the end of this blog) . However, each of us have our style of delivery. Depending upon your method of Line, your bowl will move left or right on it final position. Practice will help you to know but principle is: "If you are a Point Line bowler then the  bowl will move opposite to your movement. If you are using a Visual Line the your bowl will move the same direction as your movement".

 The experience from practice is important as you can move your feet a few inches but if Point Line method, you can not change the point of your line by a few inches. Do not think that you are going to slightly modified a new “line  of roll”. Simple know from practice that your a new  delivery line will give the result it does. As a beginners, you should not be moving around on the mat until you have a good and proper delivery. You can still practice to know left or right on the mat does what to the final bowl position. In time you will see it as a unique tool.

Example of Damage to green

 Another aspect of "Walking the Mat" is to correct your "Receiving Area" for your bowl. Sometimes when the mat is placed by the lead, at the beginning of the end, their absence of "checking the green" in front of the mat and  the "receiving Area" of the bowls is over looked.

The location where the bowl first makes contact with the green, called "Receiving Area" usually changes from player to player.  Often a bad delivery by a player has caused a poor "bowl receiving area"  or debits for you and your bowl.  If when you are about to roll your bowl and  find that your placing of the bowl to the green, arrives in a bad or damaged area of the green; you need to have a way to avoid that damaged green. Ok. Not in competitive games but all greens eventually get damaged due to club games.  We all would like to place the bowl just in front of the mat so it will cross immediate the center line. If you move on the mat, it is good to know what happens to your bowl if you must change your "Receiving area" because of your new position on the mat.  

So let us take an example of "Walking the mat"  We have a photo from the net with bowls all deliver from the left side. ( notice the standing direction of bowls) and I have modified the photo to show a skip doing a delivery from the other side. (Photo right)

As the skip rolls his bowl he finds he has passed the jack a few centimeters to the right of the jack and tapped back the black bowl (Photo 3). As he now sits on the black bowl and only has  the yellow bowl  in the count there is a  chance for a few points to be made. ( see photo 3 further below).

Standing at the mat he notices a signal from the mate, in the head who is holding up two hands with a finger of each hand only a few centimeters apart. He is showing how close he passed the jack. and saying that the skip has missed the jack by a few . If he can adjust that  few centimeters he will touch the jack.  As he does not want to roll the jack very much but a short distance roll of the jack would mean extra bowls in the count. With the same weight as the previous bowl,

photo 2

 the jack movement will add these back bowls to the count formaybe 4 points. You see in photo 3 that the red bowl has taken the place of the black bowl and is now behind the jack and you can imagine how close he came to the jack.  

  Yes if he has less weight on his delivery the finish of the bowl bias will move the jack. But taking weight of the next bowl will cause the finis of the bowl to be too soon and probably touch the frontal block (bowl line in Photo 2  above). To keep the same weight as the last bowl and the same delivery line this is a questionable shot. Is there another way?.

Yes, if he walks the mat to the right, (the same distance that the jack was missed) and keeps the same line of delivery, your bowl will pass the frontal block bowl tight and if the same weight will just touch the jack and move it away from the front yellow. If he has drawn to his last bowl he still has two. Because he has moved left it is possible that the bowl  will  touch the yellow on passing. But touch on the side will not advance the yellow bowl but push it right.

 

photo 3

This is not something to try in a game unless it has been practice  or developed during club games and the skip and mate know what can and might happen. They have worked to use "walk the mat" ( Photo 4) with the final bowl. An example of how a small change which has given a big gain.   A tool in the toolbox of skills and which maybe will only be used once a year, but which has been practiced and  both (skip and mate) know the results of such a movement on the mat.

photo 4

 ( Mat size mention above has an interesting  fact. The English inch is 25.4 mm and  a French inch is 27.07 mm. Since the  French word for inch is “pouce”  and also the same word  in french is used for “Thumb” we could  say that  the French has bigger thumbs them the English.)

(Update March 2026 - I noticed that a comment of this blog was not answered in 2016, so I will now take this cleanup time to answer it.)

Answer to Comment = In the blog Rain and Wind Bowls Play 2//2 where "Walking the mat" might be a solution for the windy condition of play and mention the blog of Green player (discussed the math of bowls); I explain here for the Advance players my understanding of the bias of a bowls construction as:

"However, this also explains what makes a bowl as a narrow bias. If the bowl has narrow running surface, like a car tire or a disk, when it become slow enough to begins to fall to its side, it will drop without rolling any farther. But because on either side of the running surface of the bowl there is another curved surface to catch the green and continue it to roll, the bowl does a "Finish" bend. How wide is this 2nd surface is what makes a bias narrow or wide. The closer this 2nd surface is to the running surface the bias will begin at a faster speed. And if the 2nd surface is wide it becomes an extension of the running surface and prevents the bowl from  falling and is a bowl with a narrow bias."

New Season & Social Media

Two interesting  Lawn Bowls SM (Social Media) messages came to my attention over the Easter Weekend. First, on Twitter, Bowls Canada was attempting to have Lawn Bowler followers to contact Regina city council and ask them to not close the Regina Lawn Bowls Club. Secondly, I received a FB (Facebook) message under Blind Lawn Bowls asking for assistance which I will address in the next blog "Becoming a Blind Bowls Assistance".

Tweet for Help against Closing Club

Yes, Twitter is a communication device but as a National Organization I feel that a better job could have been done by Bowls Canada Boulingrin.  Not to critize the hard work of a few but the request to communicate with the Regina City Council is only available to Regina residence or Regina Lawn Bowls Members. 

 Maybe a petition of Canadian Bowlers would have been better to address the concern of twitter followers, of which @BCBBowls has 620 and certainly more with the retweets but then again there was so much support.  Of the 620 Followers only 8 retweeted the article and 2 retweeted the request to contact the City Council.

Link given is for Regina Residences

 Really..  Does no one care if the club is closed. I would like to know just how many members are registered with Bowls Canada Boulingrin and why such a small support for a club closing.

Several years ago, Twitter followers saw the Welsh Lawn Bowls Association being concerned about Clubs being closed because of Muncipil Council decisions that the cost of the sport and the number of citizens involved in the sport was not sufficient to justify their continual support. 

Around August 2015, I blogged about my New Brunswick Club Manchester LBC in Moncton NB; which was being suggested closed to make place for another Hockey Arena and a few (about 5 members) worked for two years to rebuild the clubhouse and the club.  Last I heard the membership was still less than 20 and fees were $40.

Leaving photo large to impress on reader the nice green

At that time I posted photos on twitter and warned my twitter followers that all lawn bowlers had to be aware of this danger by their city (or town) following the Welsh muncipalities efforts to cut cost. .  Today, Bowls Canada, the Canadian Lawn Bowls National association is asking players to contact the city of Regina about their muncipal decision to close its  local club. In another blog " The "Value of your Bowls Club " at the end of April 2013 I quoted Bowls Canada as saying "
Bowls Canada on promotion writes "How Can We Grow Our Club   By working together as a club to make people feel welcome. Encourage outside entrance and ask yourself would you feel comfortable if you came in on the street to play Bowls for the first time?"

Without cirtizing Bowls Canada, our National Canadian Lawn Bowls governing body, we must look to the top for leadership. I as a Social member participant  and have a Twitter account of 174 lawn bowl clubs or players followers and  I attempt to  keep up on news of over 820 Lawn Bowls sites. I can tweet all I want about clubs closing or a muncipial decision to charge and poste photos of clubs turned into parking lots; but it is because I believe someone is listening.  It got so bad that a muncipality actually began charging joggers for the right to run in their park.

Unless you the reader, and your national or state organization get involved and develop programs to build clubs, nothing will change. 

Two aspects of a lazy society exist. Let someone else try that new idea and we will get involved if they are successful and why fix or change what seems to be working ok for now. Maybe it is now too late for the National lawn bowls association "Bowls Canada" to put together a petition but it is not too late to act.  Start something in 2013 (4 years ago) when I posted the blog on club closing and maybe today that action would be a tree bearing fruit in Regina

Walking The Mat Futurist ?

In the development of a skill in lawn bowls it is necessary to approach it from three directions.  First, understand the physical movement and muscle training necessary to perform that skill efficently each time.

Bowl in Perfect Block Position

Secondly, to know the variation or errors which are possible and the result of such variations or errors. (Learned in the three exercise of "Walking the Mat"). And, Third, making a decision on when to use this skill.

In the previous three blogs I explained the value of "Walking the Mat" and explained it physical movement and use, What to expect is shown in the exercises, which if your tried them you will now understand the limits in using it. But as a "Tool" in your "Tool Box" of  Lawn Bowls Tricks, you must look at the future and when you believe it would be wise to use it.  

Going Around Block not Good

No don't wait until you think it is wise to use it. Think of the various problems suggested in the previous blogs like a block or a difficult rise in the green, and decide if it is the tool to use.

 The dictionary defines a futurist as an writer or artist who projects the future. As a lawn bowler you can be a futurist in knowing the result of your bowl following "Walking the Mat".

Inside Block Does not Give Shot

But I believe you really want to be a Futurologist. ( a person whose occupation or specialty is the forecasting of future events, conditions, or developments.) in that you want it to be a specialty used just when necessary.

To understand the difference between being an artist at bowls with a tool and being a specialist in forcasting the events I would like to give an example of a  futurist who in 1949 wrote about what we know and live today 68 years later..

Moving far left on Mat Gives Shot

Television, although experimental in 1920 became available after the death of "George Orwell" who wrote a futurist novel "1984" about "Big Brother". and published it in 1949. After his death in 1950, the Television became a mayor social media in 1960 with it introduction of color.television, it became part of every household.. This was the Futurist.

  "In his novel he writes "The voice came from an oblong metal plaque  like a dulled mirror which formed part of the surface of the right-hand wall.... The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely."  Today's everyday life of most of us with our Flatscreen which are alway turned on but on a low volume.

In my earlier years, when I married, I began living in a "french community" and raising a french family. I had to think hard to listen to others and understand the french which I heard constantly except at home. Over time and with practice I developed the ability to not listen unless I wanted to hear. Otherwise, I was always translating what people was saying and very tired after a few hours.

 You as a lawn bowler using "Walking the Mat" must think hard when a decision is needed to use this skill. And if the information or decision is not needed you simply forgot about it. Thoughts like  "When I go left, the bowl shifts right". "Can I achieve the same with a different Delivery Line ?" ; should not be a part of your delivery.  It should be done on the practice green. These and many other thoughts which can not be part of your "Pre-Delivery Routine ",

Your Pre-Delivery Routine should be the how's to do the expected shot and not the decision of which method of delivery to use.  The "Post-Delivery Routine" which analysis the previous delivery and result and create the "Feedback" to be used in decision making is not the place either.

Walking Mat View

If you have developed the skill into a "Specialty" you have thought and even practice various aspects of the skill.  If the "Walking the Mat" is to be used against a "Center line" point and "Runner Block" (Photo above) it must be tried and developed.  To know how to do it and actually do it is the different between a skill and a specalty.

As a lawn bowler we want to take this tool of "Walking the Mat" and use it in such a way we can forcast the actual position of the bowls on the greens. Practice makes perfect and several tries will be done before you know and see the result.

Update June 13,2026. Game situration.. Down 6 points and with only 4 ends of play to go, I found my lead's bowls all heavy by 2 or 3 years and at 11 o"clock. The opponent had shot with us having 3 seconds. My first bowl of three (triples) was to play a jack roll or take-out as the shot bowl was a bowl size left of the jack. Weight would put my bowl with the lead's bowls if I was to miss the jack roll or the take-out.

All the right reasons to try this shot and being the first bowl played I felt what I would learn from the shot would be helpful if I had to draw for shot. Now as I write this I realize I am still working on knowing what is too big a step when walking the mat. I had always felt that the difference of the missed shot being the walking distance to move. My delivery is instinctive so there was no question which direction to walk the mat for the successful shot.

My bowl shot passed the jack by inches on the right (shot bowl was on the jack's left), With 2 seconds the takeout was giving 3 if I stayed; and a jack roll also would now give 2 or 3 shots with my missed bowl now with the lead's bowls at 11 o'clock. 

I decided to do step 2 shoe width left accepting the three bowls percentage. (my bowl could touching the jack on the right,(1 bowl) passing between bowl and jack,(a tight squeeze) and touching the shot bowl at 10 o'clock(third bowl size percentage). What was important was weight. only two bowl rolls would be enough to remove the shot bowl or if the jack roll it was enough to collect  a point or two. Because two Bowl roll is on the Bias's "Finsh" I had to play this shot as a "reposition jack draw".  That means "seeing a jack at 10:30 o'clock" and drawing to it. (the hardest walking the mat shot is when the "Bias Finish" is involved as most finish can be a bowl size change as it finishes. I perfer to Walk the mat where the Bias's Shoulder does the jack roll or contact with the shot bowl as the shoulder give only a half bowl size for it complete length of 2 meters.

This update show the thinking as I recall my game tonight.  I took two points as my bowl stayed with the jack and moved enough to count my first bowl played.  (end of update)

Mat Walking Exercises 3/3

As part of this months blogs on the Mat and its usaqge, I give these exercise on the Walking of the Mat" which was just explained in two previous blogs; "Walking the Mat What is it ?" and its followup of "Other uses of Walking the Mat".  

April 5th 2017 Stats

Both blogs were written this week and even though the lawn bowls season is finishing "Down Under" and just about to start in Our Northern clubs; it has received a good reader turnout. 

The two stats (screen captures) show how sometimes stats don't reflect the actual readership of the blogs.  In recent months  the Canadian and Americian news has been heavy about the Russian hacking. There is certainly a high volume of searching by Russian and I doubt if they are going to start lawn bowls soon. The stat (right)  is probably a Russian search because of a blog I wrote about Trump on Nov 9th 2016 about inviting the US president to your club.  The second stats show the actual blog readership stats without the influence of Russian searching.

April 6th 2017 Stats

What is interesting is the most popular blogs read.The two top reads are:  "Measure which Bowl is shot" of 2013 with 1820 reads and the use of the Subconscious mind in Lawn Bowls "Three Subconscious Mind Exercise" written in December 2012, with 1909  reads.  The other three blogs in these two stats are the two most recent blogs about "Walking the mat" and "other usages of Walking the Mat"  and the role of "Being a good Lead"  in the game. 

Now about these three Exercises for Walking the mat. First, It is important to know your ability to get around a block, if one should arrive in the front of your bowl to the head. The first exercise will attempt to instruct you as to your weakness when a block appears.

The second exercise for "Walking the Mat" will help you understand what happens to your bowl as you reposition to the left and right side of the mat. Without theknowledge of what feeet movement does to the new position of your  bowl in the head when you use the same line of delivery; it would be a  guess how your bowls will arrive in the head.

April 8th 2017 Stats.

The third exercise for "Walking the mat" is to develop a judgement of how much to walk the mat to reposition your bowls. Or if you move on the mat to improve your "receiving area" for your bowl what difference to expect in the arrival of your bowl. 

 Although the Australian Lawn Bowls season is coming to a close, I posted the stats (right) to show a new reader. The spike occurs when someone starts reading a blog on something like "Walking the mat" and continues to search throught the 130 blogs of the last 5 years for blogs of their interest.

If you have read a few of my blogs on the mind’s ability to collect experiences and apply them to our sport; you will know I treat a personal Skill development like teaching a child (your subconscious mind) to believe in something new. By teaching the subconscious mind of the facts and then with repeated actions, you allow it (the subconscious) to develop a confidence in how best to do what you expect in your delivery.

If we reconizes we all have a mental attitude toward a bowl in your path, we must know the different between a real block and what bowl is not a block. Often called a "In your Eye" Block these bowls usually are enough intimination to force you or your skip to switch your delivery hand.  As you develop your "tool" of doing a Mat movement,  you will develop a ability of pushing this block's mental fear out of your delivery.

Helping Setup the Green -  As you attempt to roll around a block, in your first exercise you will need an individual or helper  reset up the block bowl on its mark after each time you have moved it.  As a good way to defines  the location of a perfect block, I suggest that that individual  stop your rolling bowl to the jack at the point about 3 meters infront of the house. Putting a chalk mark on the green will allow to reposition that bowl after you have moved it. If you are attempting these exercises with a fellow lawn bowl player, you can each take turns in the head as you would in Pairs Play.

Exercise 1 On an open or empty green with only the jack spotted place a piece of white string or chalk marking) about 15 to 18  feet ( 3 Meters) in front of the jack. As the first bowl is delivered it is stopped as it passes the line and left there as a block. 

Place Bowl where it is perfect Block

The remaining three bowls are bowled in an attempt to go around that bowl (block)  If that block is hit the individual in the head will reposition that bowl.  

Perform this going up and coming back on the same side of the green.  Then when finished repeat the exercise with the opposite hand. The purpose of this exercise is to know your own abilities as you encounter a block and how you feel by the block and as you want to be able to bowl on both hands, Forehand and back hand; you will do four passes.  Two on one side, up and back, and then two on the other side, up and back.

Exercise 2 This exercise is to show you the effect and amount  that a small movement on the mat causes with your bowl in the head.

Two Steps left and One Right

This exercise is done the same as exercise 1 as you go up and back on the same side of the green and then repeat with the opposite hand of delivery.   If you are lucky (or maybe unlucky) you might find a bad defect or run in the green and understand how the mat movement helps you.

You  with simply, using the same line of delivery (reference position off the green or on the green) for all bowls, make a slow movement from your normal delivery position on the mat and “Walk” to the extreme edge of the mat  in one direction. Like Exercise 1, do one direction of movement on the mat for one block going and coming back.

Knowing your “Walking” results from your slowly re-position your mat foot one shoe size left (or right beginning) of your normal stance position and always attempting to  bowl a second bowl with the same weight and line of delivery. 

Going Around Inside does not get close

As you repeats this for the next bowl,  you will eventually find your “on-the-mat” foot is at the extreme  edge of the mat.  If your still have a bowl attempt movement in the opposite direction from the normal mat position. You may find quite a different in your finished bowls caused by that very small movement both left and right.

After your 4 ends (up and back twice) you should know the limits of your movement on the mat from your regular and normal delivery stance. As you are reading this, think.. "If you use the same line and move left on the mat, where do you think you bowl will go ?  right or left of the jack or block.

Exerice 3 Bowling around the Block – Now knowing what your movement does to your bowl try Place a bowl on the mark made by your helper in the first exercise as a perfect block  and try your mat movement to go around the block.. 

Can also move back 3 steps

Note your feelings as you stand on the mat and look up the green toward the jack.  This feeling is your mind has changed from the first exercise when the block was an intimidation and you had doubt that you can bowl around that bowl to the jack  This skill exercise has without knowing,  slowly remove this doubt and create confidence of your ability to bowl around the block.

. As you do this skill  several other times or on other days, you will educate your mind that you can bowl around the block and develop and feel your confidence.

  There is no good in  “Walking the Mat” if you have not the confidence that you can bowl around the bowl which is blocking your approach and know where your bowl should arrive in the head.

You will also make a decision wheather you rather go around the block from the outside and arrive behind the jack or cross over the front of the block and arrive in the front of the jack. 

Moving right allow draw to jack

I personally like the outside-the-block delivery (mat position to go around back of the bowl) rather than the Inside Block delivery. (across the front of the block)

Finish this exercise by removing the block and bowling 4 bowls to the jack from your normal position. 

You probably feel a sense of relief as your mind is more confortable when it bowls your normal delivery.

This state of mind, a feeling of confidence, is what you have began to develop. No you will not use the “walking the Mat” for blocks very often, but you have already started to tell your subconscious mind that you can do it and you feel that satification when it is done.