Previsiization and Instinctive

This blog is a republish of a December 2012 blog because of a recent interest in this subject.\

December 12, 2012  -  During the following weeks I will do several blogs, which willl di-mystic the ability to use previsializing as part of Lawn Bowls Performance. How a Blind individual can Lawn Bowl,  How we defind the variables of delivery and control them in our action.  And what the instinctive ability of Lawn Bowls is in relation to Previalization. There are extremely good coaches who know and teach this, so my blogs will be food for thought. As an training atlethic what actions you can fine tune to create better visualization and even develop the ability of performing instinctive
 This blog could be about concentration,  about yoga, about anything else.. but it is going to be about your mind visualizing or you telling your mind what you want by a visual image given to it.
 How a Blind individual can Lawn Bowl,  How we define the variables of delivery and control them in our action.


Certain sports can offer an insight into Lawn Bowls mental performance. Lawn Bowls requires Bowl delivery weight variables for distance.. but in Archery, the bow sends the arrow with the same force every time and only requires actually aiming to the expected spot.  In Petanque, doing a takeout shot requires not only mental ability or concentration ( because the ball going to the jack is travelling through the air and not affected by  conditions of the playing surface).

An example from Petanque the yellow ball (jack) is hidden in the video of this jack takeout shot.

 Alex was working at shooting  a hidden jack (behind a ball from the camera view in the video) While he was walking back to the shooting circle to do the "Hit the jack" shot,  I tricked him ( and his mind) by picking up the jack as he walked back to the shooting circle where  he would be attempting to shot it and make it fly out-of-bounds.by his shot striking it. On the second attempt, he made the Jack take-out shot and he saw his shot was good and thought he had hit the jack ( if it had been in the original place where it should have been he would have hit it); but  now was not there but in my pocket. Because he had made this shot hundreds of times and had seen it fly out from behind  the Petanque balls; so many times  in the past, he now thought that he had saw it fly out of bounds this time too.  He told me where it had gone and we both went there looking for it..After a few minutes of serious looking for it; I showed him the jack was in my hand. What we saw from this was as I explained that a Alex; was that all the time the jack had beens in my hand and that the subconscious mind had substituted a memory to create this false reality of his brain seeing it fly to the left." Why to the left ? The jack is only 1 1/2 inches and was at a distance of 20 feet (7 meters); but the subconscious in seeing the shot actually say that he had hit the jack on the right side and send it flying to the left. (at least this was the image that the subconscious mind gave Alex to fill that missing image which he would have saw if the jack had been there)  The subconscious mind was able to detect that if the jack was there it would have been hit on the right side.

  As a Archery coach who shoot instinctive,  A Petanque player or a Lawn Bowler: all have similar objectives... to get the send object at a specific target. The centre of the archery target,which may be gold paper (archery) a throw through-the-air 20 feet to take out  target ball (petanque) or roll 25 meters (80 feet to the jack (Lawn Bowls)
As an archer, I  have an instrument which supplies the same energy to the send object (arrow) or as the Petanque player, doing a take out shot, I do not have any objects causing deviation of the thrown ball ( as it is thrown through the air not rolled on greens like in Lawn Bowls). These sports all allow for the individual aspects of the subconscious mind actions to be studied.

 Golf is like four time worst than Lawn bowls because there are so many variables. Playing surface (18 different holes)  play conditions (weather, soil, crowds) and then individual changes which may easily involved changes in  a swing, the club, or some other force _ all giving a different  result;  And of course "technicial"  changes in the sport, from custom material to new types of balls, club heads and may more.. (If I do this.. I previalize that this will happen)

.
 What give me that experience?  If I was a swimmer and asking about body building and certain muscles I would look at health, exercise, muscle building and even scientific advances like material of swim suits.
  As a Archery coach who shoot instinctive,  or aA Petanque player which moved to Lawn Bowls all these have similar objectives... to get the send object at a specific target. The centre of which may be gold paper (archery) a take out ball (pétanque) or the jack (Lawn Bowls)
As an archer has an instrument which supplies the same energy to the send object (arrow) or the Petanque player has not object causing deviation of his thrown ball (thrown through air not rolled on greens); these sports allow for individual aspects of Lawn bowls to be studied.
    Then, as mention in the video of Tiger Wood on Previalization in Golf where so many variables are involved that to change a swing, a club, a force will cause a different result;  we become aware of visualization having a creative nature.. (If I do this.. I previalize that this will happen)
What is previalization...  Think  WRONG BIAS What do you see in your mind.  You have a post vialization of something you have experience.  You can actually remember the bowl going the wrong way. Do your remember all of it...from release to finish ?  Do you have a feeling of disappointment  at the time you realized that the bowl was on a "Wrong Bais".
You have experienced post visualization (the bowl rolling) Post emotional recall  your "Oh I hate that" feeling.  and you know all the tools (mind tools) are there to use in previsualization.
First, know your sport enough to define the variables. My experience with Archery which I do instinctive defines the variables which affect the arrow and those controls which are needed to preform consistancely. Why archery in relation to bowls?
  A Lawn bowl athelic must get away from the shooting to a spot image of Lawn Bowls. One can imagine the jack as the centre of a curling type playing surface wich various distance outward.  Actually, having watched Bowls australia use of a Ring overlay of circles to show individual bowls position and actual shot.
    Bowls atheatic like Ryan Bester, seem to bowl extremely quick from the time they arrive on the mat until final delivery are probably more instinctive than most.
  However, even the learning Lawn Bowler  from the first bowl they view rolling up the green visualizes what their bowl is going to do, They know it will turn inward from the outward side of the green.
    Wrong Bias... What do you see?  What do you feel ?  The two words  bring up a mind image of your bowl not turning into the jack but away from your expected  path.   Actually, you have just experienced a previsialized adjustment.  You remember being on the mat, doing a delivery and then feeling disappointed that the bowl had a wrong bias and rolled away from what you previalized it would do.
    What do you feel with the image and words Wrong Bias? Like hatred or love, feelings you identify; with the thought  and image of the bowl rolling the wrong bias, you have an emotional feeling.. probably memories of disappointment.  Maybe, your most serious Wrong Bias mistake memory.but also a emotional feeling is felt.
You have experience previsialization.  Post Previsialization.  With an mind eye image, emotions and even reactions. (some people say OMG)
  Instinctive.  what is that... Well, a baseball player in the outfield does not calculate the energy needed to throw the bowl to home plate. He simply swings the arm back and lets fly the baseball  and know it will arrive. An rock throwing primative man did the same.. He did not think of the running game he expected to hit for his meal, he simple threw his object and saw it hit the running game.
     Instinctive is the ability to allow the previsialized image of one action to become a reality.  That hunter thought where he must hit the running game. He felt the weight of the stone being thrown, He had thrown many times before and knew he had to aim a bit in front of the running object in order to have the stone arrive at the same time and place.
All of these things were left for the mind to remember, calculate and execute thus creating an instinctive image.  (Instinctive because it was not delayed by the individual thinking of various pass expereience, although part of the memories included the previous misses)
Over the next 5 or 6 blogs I will explain how to exercise your mind's eye to take control of action,  How visualization was part of that instinctive ability development.  And maybe even instruct how to have the mind sort out bad previsualization image.

   How nice it would be if we could make a bowl chute which placed beside the mat and pointed at a direction and with a certain incline to give a certain distance to your bowl.  Actually archery allows for that sort of action because the bow will send the arrow the same distance every time... 120 times (in a 1200 FITA).  The Bow will delivery the same energy every arrow released (correctly) and so it is just a matter of aiming.. If in bowls , would it not be great to have such a constant weight of delivery every bowl and just need to aim the bowl?
   On the other hand, some sports have so many variables, Golf for example that this previsialization can become a creative action.  Tiger Wood talks about this is his video at >>>>>>>>>>>  but what he means is  if he thinks of changing a variable what image of results are previalized.  Of course, he must perform the action perfect to get the result previalization.   And of course, to release the mind from our consious control to allow the mind to do all its things to create the results that follow the previalization.  AA out of body experience of absence or amaze of the minds ability and our ability.

Muscle Memory Changing it Part 2

 "" Changing muscle memory. Now what is muscle memory and why do I want to change it ? What  "muscle memory" is. (It is) the "subconscious action" that we consciously train our body to perform" from a youtube by a PBA Professional millionaire, the 24th in PBA  History.

To a blog writter , the reader stats can reveal a lot of interest in expectation of the reader. It can sometimes be rather discouraging as with today stats which showed no reader access to this blog posted yesterday., (found that yesterday twitter posting of this blog was with a link which was not accessable)  Google in making changes to Blogger has created a new and very long link reference which generated  to readers a   "ERROR 403 "Invalid Security Token". Corrected as you are now reading this.

In the previous blog writing I had mention the stats of Feb 12  which  shows how one reader with a large reading of 148 blogs from my pool of blogs; had made small and unreadable the visual stats of the regular daily readers. (See Stats Photo)

Feb 13 Stats of reader/views

In today's Stats this one reader had made me look deeper into what drew him to my blog and why spend time reading so many blogs.  Some of my blogs are rather long.

However this particular instance of Blog Stats gives some very interesting facts. First, to read 148 blogs, even to scan their titles, is very time committed as some of my blogs are very long. Also from  my stats i am  shown  that the search parameter was "Changing muscle memory in Bowling" and that the location of the reader was Denmark or Norway.

The balance of this blog is about Muscle Memory word for word of the video by "MonkeySee Video on Alley bowling  and instructions on how to Changing Muscle Memory.  In earlier blogs, I wrote about the Subconscious and Muscle Memory ( in  October 2016 Part 1) and here Part 2 and soon the final part 3.

This 2016 look at Muscle Memory is a long blog and I talked about many sports and how one must work at being in the Zone. I wrote about our use of Muscle Memory in Lawn Bowls but unlike the video below I didn't work on changing it but I place more important on the Subconscious mind and how an individual must let the Subconscious mind perform the Bowls Delivery.

Above,  I said the orgin  was Denmark as the residence of my blog visitor, because the dark area of the stats  map  )lower right) although it may show Greenland; we see that the whole of Greenland is not darken as the  source of traffic Therefore. I later discovered that the shaded  dark area to the right of Greenland appear to belong to Norway and is a small area of the coast of Greenlandon some maps is listed as " Jan Mayen Norway" Since my stats show two spots of reader usage it could be the reader send his friend to my blog. Or maybe I will discover that Norway has a second land area on the west of Greenland.

First thing of important is as always I am happy that my blog reaches out to new readers. Here, my blog has brought a Alley bowler to read what I wrote about the subconscious mind and Muscle Memory. In an earlier comment a reader wrote  '
Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your site. My website is in the exact same niche as yours and my visitors would really benefit from some of the information you provide. In some of the blogs we find reference is  to Tiger Wood in Golf  In Seeing the Shot, Visualization and I attempt to suggest how to relax and let your subconscious mind do the work.

The balance of this blog is the text of the video "How to change Muscle Memory"  on Youtube where Randy Petterson explains how Alley Bowlers who  want to improve their scores need to work to change their Muscle memory which the subconscious then uses to do the proper actions afterward 

Randy Pedersen

" Changing muscle Memory. Now what is Muscle Memory and why do I want to change it ? What "Muscle memory is (it is) the "subconscious action" that we consciously train our body to perform."

What raison may I want to change it?  Maybe my bowling scores are too low because I am throwing (my ball)  all over the alley."

"There is only one way to change muscle memory and that is by reprogramming the subconscious mind, This is done by making a physical change on a conscious level" .

To understand how hard it is to change muscle memory Randy then set out an exercise for the bowler to apply.

"And then by practising for 21 straight days.  3 to 5 games a day; before this conscious motion because the subconscious action." 

"This is the only way to change muscle memory/" 

Than Randy goes on to ask the student  by " to reinforce this (change) make sure that you have a friend that could videotape you or maybe you have a goals coach that could work with you throughout this process,"

 Taking a minute to know what he means by process. Maybe the alley bowler is doing a slide which turns his body and he must correct that bad movement.  For the lawn Bowler it would be thing of balance during a delivery where in catching your balance your body is leaning or throwing into the of-ballance side of your delivery.

Who is Randy Pederson ? Wijidepia  defined this Sportscaster as  " a bowler, who won 13 PBA titles, with his last coming at age 40 in the 2002 Pepsi Open. That title pushed him over the $1 million career earnings mark, making him the 24th millionaire in PBA history"

Randy Closes his video with " You want to get rid of the low scores. You want to throw more strikes. You want to have more fun in this great game; than change that muscle memory"

I have included this stats study, in my blog because all the sports have something in common. The individual who spend hours searching the net for something on his sport has ended up on my blog about subconscious development in Lawn Bowls. Also we see that all great athletic in some way uses their muscle memory and need to understand it and develops it.

New Blogs 2019

Many of my blogs have been on three  basic topics.

1- How a reader can improve their Bowls delivery and overall performance

Blog Stats of Feb 9th 2019

2. The need for bowler participation in the local club and the development of their Sport and

3. The various aspects of lawn bowls which is of danger to our sport as it  charges and destroys our sport.

Although getting on in age (74) I will attempt to do these next few months on various topics such as  Coaching and maybe link some of the blogs here from previous years together.

From the Blog Stats (Photo left) I see there has been  a good blog readership although I have not done any new blogs for over 6 to 8 months. Most of these stats are from new readers although sometimes previous readers return to re-visit a blog they liked.

 Looking at the stats of the blogs and what it show, after more than 6 months without any new blogs.. There has always been an "Readership  average " of 30 blogs/read per day. As per the world map, these readers comes from several countries,  However,  from the stats one can see that there are some interesting changes in Lawn Bowls development. Because my new readers are non-English countries. it means that  there new readers are  from Brazil, India and Spain The darkness of the Green (on the map) indicates the volume of reader from that country over the last week.(Of course Australia has always been a strong as has been Canada and USA)

As I write this in February 2019, the Northern Hemisphere Lawn Bowls is slow as we are waiting for spring. Some countries like England, USA have indoor bowls but most Lawn Bowls Clubs are now covered with snow and ice.. However, Australia and South Africa are now in their summer season and lawn bowls very active.

The topic I will tackle this month ( February 2019) will be aspects of Club coaching and why you the reader should get involved in your local Club. Not to suggest that you taking up a  coaching position but  all club members should become a participant in one of the many Club activities and  committees.

One of these committees is the Greens Committee which need volunteers to prepare

Damage to Green caused by footwear

 the greens for club games.
 Often these volunteers become involved in the annual greens maintenance and closure. In the blog "Greens Committee 1" we see suggestions of what members can do to help the club save money on Greens Maintenance.

 Interesting part of this blog is photos of green damage (photo right) done by squirrels who got a smell of food (apples nuts) from footwear which a member had wore throughout the day and then came and wore the same footwear onto the green.

 Every serious Lawn Bowler should have a special set of footwear which is only use on the green and stored in the clubhouse locker.

Although my blogs are sometime rather long, I try to cover all the various aspects of Lawn Bowls. In the blog "Greens Committee 2) I show photos of Clubs which have been closed and lost their greens to parking lots or other sports.  All clubs are in danger of such action unless they are privately owned.

With club membership being evaluated and the cost of land, sometimes we find the club being closed and the land being developed into a housing complex and the Lawn Bowls green turned into a great community Garden.

Club became housing and Garden

Club lost and became Parking Lot

An Article in Friday (Feb 8th) Scottish NewsPaper "The Guardian"  has a similar story of how a club must change to survive.

Scottish Club talks about how need to change exists

ArmChair Bowls Critics

After Seven years and over 110 blogs on Lawn Bowls and various Aspects of our Sport;

"Using the Head" Blog Stats Aug 25th

I believe that the stats of the blog's Readership, ( nearly 32,000) indicate that this blog has a following of want to learn Lawn Bowlers.

What is best in reader's stat is what can be implied. On the 25th Stats the number of readers was less but several readers read several Blogs.  The list of recently read Blogs show rhat 4 individuals read "Walking the Mat" and aspects of that topic and whether Bowls is an "Open or Closed Sport"

Photo (right) from website www.startat60.com and reminds me that the rights of armchair critics has been fought and won by great critics of the past.  (joke) As I was here writing this blog I have missed the broadcast of the Canadian Championship. But because I went to twitter and saw that my neighbouting province has advance to Bronze and playing in minutes I am rewarded for the blog.  (which I announce on twitter)

This sort of blog readership suggest a demand which as always I try to bring forward and maybe today 4 years after the "Walking the Mat" blog, I should address. (Ex: I modified (updated) the blog Feb 2015 :Walking the Mat " to include the recent Mat movement Blog of this month which showed that we all can have bad habits. Of course I added a note to the blog which correctly suggest that "Walking the Mat" is and advance bowlers trick"

Update Aug/2018 - A recent 2018 blog on the fault of experience bowlers being overly dependant on a Delivery Line Reference  during their delivery instead of seeing in the "Mind's eye" where their bowl will go needs me to make clear how this trick helps experience lawn bowlers with their delivery line  If you bowled to roll the jack and passed within inches and you know your properly delivery line; maybe the missing of the jack was because of a small hill or valley which changed the bowl line.  If you do another instinctive delivery the bowl will pass the same place as the previous one.  By walking the mat, (opposite side of missed jack) and double the missed jack distance you will hit the jack this time because the change in your bowl's roll has been adjusted.  (Why double ?? Because your skip will tell you the distance from the bowl to the edge of the jack.  You want to hit the jack in the center to add a few inches in your stepping the mat)

The photo from that Blog of Andrew Thompson of England taken as a Screen capture

from the 2015 Potter indoors Single Final show much which an Armchair critic can see and learn.  I choose the photo because Andrew is placed on the far back corner of the mat.  But remembering that these indoor bowls players have ideal conditions and draw within inches of the jack on their first delivery; there are style points to be learn.  The two hands on the bowl which is on the mat has several reasons.

  First, He does not look up at the jack once he has moved into his delivery stance.  This means his bowl delivery line is in his "mind's Eye and he know from his stance what his delivery line will be.  (A bowler using a point of reference must always be checking his line) We teach.. Step into your line of delivery and do a smooth delivery, which means looking where your line of delivery would be. Also notice the bowl on the mat  Pre-Delivery Routine.

Aron  Sherriff (Aus)

From an earlier blog on "Pre-Mat Routine", We find this same style with Aron Sherriff and a lot of younger bowlers from Australia and New Zealand.  Why.? Hold your bowl arm out in front and it may be found to be anywhere from shoulder to middle body placement.

We should all be on the web looking at the instructive videos from Australia. Some are very good and if you think what is being taught as to what you hear; much can be learned.

Why mention this in Arm Chair Critic type of blog ?  Well, when I look at the blog stats and answer some of the comments which readers pose or correct me;  I am happy to have contributed.  Most of the 188 twitter followers who read this blog are great bowlers. I follow almost 1000 lawn bowl clubs or players and try to re tweet interesting information as it arrives. (handle @Springhiler)  One day soon, I am now 73, I will be called to play my bowls game in Heaven and while there will be happy to look down at some great bowlers who took time to read my blog and applied it.  

It may seem a small thing to watch and comment how a player"s style is  with the second arm being used as a Guide of " Bowl Arm Placement" but maybe now  you have a consistent starting point for your Delivery . This older style of preparation of the bowl is also seen by the style of Robbie Dobbins but a bit longer arm extension.  Starting with your bowl arm in the same position always.

Also on a indoor bowls surface a bounce of your bowl, even only a few inches will remove a lot of the weight so the on the mat pre-delivery style is common and even used here in Canada during outdoor bowls. 

When watching a bowls game there is much you can see and then ask the question why./ 

Learning from Blind Bowls

Do you look up the Green for a point on the Back Bank as Line for your delivery ?  Well you must get beyond that if you have been bowling for a few years. Otherwise, you will never know the use of this as a "Reference Line" in your "Pre-delivery Routine" or part of your "Post delivery Feedback". You should do your Delivery following a line which through years of experience, you know will place the bowl on the Jack (kitty) as a visual delivery line.

Photo (right) of John Tiplady's (of Chalkie) is for a

YouTube  - How to find your Point of Aim

suggestion of  how to find your Aiming Point in his YouTube video of "Aiming Point in Lawn Bowls" . His trick of finding the "Point of Aim" creates two lines to the back bank  (or edge of the green) reference.

Many aspects of  Lawn Bowls and their relatives Games have  teaching points where you learn and advance beyond the  reaching and other method you learn as a Beginner.

Petanque, the French game related to Lawn Bowls game  has taught me to do a Petanque Finish when necessary. Have  you had two or three shots in the head, as you go up the green  to the mat and then the opponent skip  draws his  bowl in for shot.  In the game of Petanque the tactic for the  next to play players would be to take that ball (bowl) out and  recollect the previous points.  (Also this shows the need for a 2nd bowl in the head and teaches that having shot is not as good as cutting  the point in the Head)

A very good friend who bowled out of Australia in the top of the players discovered that his eyesight was slowly going and he decided to remain active in Lawn Bowls; becoming a VI (Visually Impaired) Bowler. He was, as most players who discover they are going blind , qualified as a B4 or a B3, meaning he see some things but not  all that clear. ( similar to tunnel vision or other aspects of  slow lost of one's sight). Of course, he must realize that eventually he will become a B1 or B2 VI bowler and not see anything at all. (B1  is in total blackness, B2 can have Day/night awareness)  Bowling as a B3 he sees the players and maybe even sees the jack on a sunny day, but he must learn to bowl like a B1 VI Bowler and use his limited vision as a reference and help.  (ex: A totally Blind "B1 VI bowler has difficulty pointing their body up the "Jack Line", while a B4 or B3 probably see white of markers, the jack and even  players dressed in white which will help to indicate the direction of the jack)

Photo with Bias Swing and Center Line

As a Visually Able bowler we see objects as a "reference Point" for our delivery. The above Photo from YouTube has a video camera off line but whe we see when the Center Line is (inserted black line) we see that the Bowls Bias Swing , out and back to jack, is almost the same distance between Light Posts.

When we first learn to Lawn Bowl  the Club Coach would suggest several methods of finding and using you "Delivery Line".   As in the photo, if  we aim at a point on the backstop or surrounding area (bench leg,etc) and the approach sides of the green are true..(no strange movement) the same "Reference Point" will put your bowl on the Jack (If the Mat is at the same position).  But what happen if the mat is moved or the Jack is knocked of center ?

Sometime to show the bowls bias, the coach will place a coin on the green and suggest you bowl over or toward that coin, and watch how your bowl comes back to center line. These two methods are teaching basic but also are developing the "Reference Line." which will give you the "delivery Line" of the bowl.   Myself, I point my toe of my mat foot toward the jack and then with the "V: of my feet as I stand in a balance stance; I delivery my bowl on  my delivery line. (Of course I change the foot  when I am used a Backhand delivery )

Drake Bowls Bias Chart

However, after you have bowled for a few years, and  especially with always the same bowls; we began seeing in our "Mind Eye" (imagination) the line that our bowl must take to get to the jack or our requested position in the Head.

When coaching a new bowler, I usually do a early (really early) morning training session  to show this  "Delivery Line" in the morning dew.  I say. "Your reference line will give you the point of aim but eventually you will have to imagine the line of your bowl, the same as the line you now see on the green"

This is a perfect time to also explain the various parts of the bowl "Rolling " or "Delivery" Bias Line,  as it goes up the green. (the straight line, the shoulder,  the bowl's Bend and most important, the Finish). Of course, the speed of the green will affect each section of the Bowl's Bias Roll. (Believe it or not on a smooth surface, (club tile floor) there is not straight, shoulder or Bend section to the bowl's bias roll and only the Finish of the Bias. The bowl will make a small circle. On a really fast green the Straight portion  of the bowl's roll also does not exist and the Shoulder will go from the Mat to nearly 2/3 the rolling distance. (Similar to the white bowl line in the Drake Pride photo)

What does this Delivery Line have to do with Blind Bowls ??   Earlier, I mention that the newly losing sight Blind bowler will see up the green and will  use his partial sight for his delivery.  But if he does not learn; or is not taught, how to bowl all aspects of  being a Blind Bowler; he will eventually have less and less sight and finally abandon lawn bowl because he no longer can get a satisfactory performance. (because he is dependent on his B3 visual support which has been lost as his sight continue to be worst)

   Now, today, I see  a great competitive bowlers who should now have a "Mind's Eye" view of their Delivery Line; but is still  (totally or not) dependant on using their "Reference Line"as his Point of Aim. At this point in his career, he should  know and see the bowls bias and his bowl's delivery movement line. He should only be using the "Reference Aiming Point" for Pre-delivery and Post-Delivery data or evaluation. (knowing if  his last  bowl was well delivered)

Mat placement quite a bit from Ditch

This weekend I did a big money Tournament and in my  first game, my opponent skip who often represent the province at the National competitions was heard  being told by his lead " I am using (something on bank).... as line and that spot on the green is perfect  as a "roll over". This comment revealed to me a weakness of the opponent's team on which  I build my game strategy This dependency on a Line  Delivery point, works great if the mat is always at the same position.  Having previously won the "Coin Tose" and knowing this information at the  game's trail end, I began taking the mat out several meters and always collected points.  (Yes I won that game)

In any game, if the mat is at the same position for several ends the line and green defects are easily spotted.  But with the mat changing position every end, the opponent was usually wasting a bowl each end to discover the proper line.  My lead respected my suggested line and bowled well with effort for distance.  I kept the jack at her "Natural Distance plus 2 meters.  When the opponent got the mat, and placed it at the Mat-line and a long jack, it was my responsibility to get back the mat with a last bowl point.

So the point of this blog. ??.. We learn to bowl with tricks for line and weight of delivery, but when we use these tricks or methods which are suppose to be  a trick in teach to develop our personal style; we make our self totally depend upon these aids.  When during a delivery if we  have bowl bad we tend to go back to thinking that we had the wrong line; and not analysis what happen or think we are doing something wrong.

Remember, every time an opponent wastes a bowl looking for line or weight, this bowl not in the head or proper position become an extra point for you.  Unless bad luck happen  and the jack is moved to their "wasted Bowl.

New Season of Bowls and Blogs

Well I'm back. For many years my blogging has been about various aspects of lawn bowls and read by Lawn Bowler new and developed.  At 72, and a small local club coach.

Blog Stats April 6 - 13th 2018

I often wonder if I should be blogging what little I know.

Today, the Commonwealth Games and the lawn bowls competition. have finished with the Finals of the Singles between Canada and Australia.  So, I am back on my computer and the next several blogs I will be discussing aspects of the Commonwealth Games and what is lost or gained by athletics and players.

First, a bit of detail about the  blog's Stats (at right) because even though, during the last year,  I have written almost nothing it is still very actively read.

The graph show the visits for the week of 6th April to today (13 of April) and the many peaks means several individuals with some reading several (4 to 6) articles.

In the "Traffic Sources"  the Google Search sends some readers  (70 of 200 ) but most readers are lawn bowlers returning or referral from players.  Any blogger is happy when his material brings back readers to the blog site, the reader and especially new readers.  Even if nothing new was written for the past year. My last blog was on June 15 2017 when "Muskoka LBC" was written .

Stats 10 minutes after posting

After Posting this blog I checked the stats and 11 readers accessed the blog in 10 minutes. One reader (long spike) read or checked several blogs. (left) By the way stats does not show my access to the blog or editing done on blogs.

We notice Russia on the map with a volume of 2 visits this past week. It is not that I believe Bowls are becoming a sport but because in one Blog about membership recruitment, I asked if you would invite "President Trump".  Ofcourse,Russia   search regularly "Trump".

Also of interest is the use of devices for Blog reading. we find a higher percentage of Tablets and IPhone which is the reason I will make my blogs shorter and more on the same subject.. We are moving away from the laptop/desk computer for information on Bowls.

Some of my blogs, like "Three subconscious Mind Exercise"  or "Measuring which Bowl is shot"  are the types of coaching or information that were probably read and tried with the reader at Green side with his tablet or iPhone. In the stats of volume the 27,823 Page view are the more than 10 years of blogs. The Reader will notice that the two blogs memtion above, are of the three most common read blogs  and were written over 5 years ago.

Jo Edwards New Zealand

So, with the Commonwealth Games finished, my blogs over the next few months will look at some topics which arise from the Games and the Internet streaming or not of games.

 -  How to become a fast green player when living in club or country where greens are slower.

- Great athletics and their gains in national support and coaching and great success and loses (Left photo New Zealand pairs skip, Jo Edward /Val Smith) after the lost to Canada when 2 ends to go Canada makes 3 points to tie the game 16-16 and win with a 2 pointer in the final end)

- New Development in Bowls to include VI (Visually Impaired) Rule 14.2 (most recent update of Rule book by World Bowls)

- No Game streaming outside of Australia unless subscription paid ($150), Indication of changes and need for National organizations become active.

-Game studies from Score Card and Point Gains.

- Bowls Canada tweeted "Scotland drawing to within inches " on Scotland winning the Singles against our Canadian Power Player Ryan Bester.  What's wrong with  unique country style coaching/learning.

-National Organizations responsibility to help athletics with :Fund-Me" and sponsorship and Mentorships

- Athletics's toolbox of tricks and skills as they advance from local competition to National and International

- Club security of Finance as to Club Closing by municipalities and how to join sports for better club health

- Learning from sports which are the brother or cousins to Lawn bowls. Shortmat bowls, Crown, Petanque etc

To all the great Lawn Bowl athletics who represented their country at the Commonwealth Games, both old die-hard and new-blood; I congratulate your hard work that got you to where you are and I thank you on behalf of all who watched or followed the games.  You are the standards which our new members and athletics will follow.  "Thank You

Although my Twitter account @Springhiler is restricted or closed to membership by individuals or clubs that are uniquely interested in lawn bowls: I welcome all interested  suggestions on subjects or questions from or for the blog.

To my blog followers from Australia and the southern hemisphere; let me wish you a good  closing of your year of competition. And to fellow Canadian and  other Northern Hemisphere readers; my blog will suggest various approaches to help the developing of your bowls skills for the coming season . Most Northern clubs will open within the next few weeks so club recruitment and volunteer is important at this time.

Muskoka Lawn Bowling Club

Central Canada has a new Lawn Bowls club in the BraceBridge (Ontario) area, the Muskoka LBC. A new bowling Green broke ground  in September 2016 at the . Muskoka Highlands Golf Links. 

a nearby Golf Course.

With the green and club expected to open to the public on July 8th 2017, this club  and its development can be viewed as a rebirth and even a push toward seeing Canadian Self-financed Lawn Bowls Clubs.

(UPDATE - April 2018 Muskokaregion.com  announces another Grant of $25,000 for 2018.) 

In the 1989 movie, “Field of Dreams” the expression of

"If you build it, they will come," seems to be the bases of  the construction. After one obtains the land then comes the financing of the bowling green which is probably the biggest fund raising.  Unlike a baseball or soccer field, a lawn bowling green requires a more detail sub-terrian structure of drainage and soil types.


Building a Lawn Bowls Club is not a small or cheap undertaking as noted in their November 2016 club Newsletter. . "We have been working on this project since at least 2010. Thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation the construction got underway in August 2016."  With the high cost of land and  the large size of  a bowling green  with the surrounding clubhouse and storage sheds; there is still a lot required for this new executive. Maybe enough to discourage most builder of their “Field of Dreams”. However, I feel this new tread is important enough to blog.

Muskoka FBook page.

  As one golf course manager said about comparing the club's Putting Green and the expectation of a Lawn Bowls Green. "Where golfers expect putting difficulty between then and the cup, the lawn bowler expect a very level, long smooth rolling surface for their games" . This is often a major difference and misunderstanding in greens maintenance which is usually found with the lawn bowls greens cut lower than a Golf Green.

Public awareness of a new club is all about wise use of free advertising and Muskoka executive have been very busy with the Social Media.  The Facebook page (left) is of a quality which most clubs of over 20 years still don't have.  And other methods of fundraising and advertising is a sign of a great team (or individuals) with a vision.


The Muskuka Lawn Bowling Club is lucky that their financial success is shared with the Muskuka Highland Golf Links and they are able to share the common sport and social facilities like clubhouse, maintenance and kitchen and bar. A second big help to the club is the provincial Lawn Association of  Ontario  OLBA.ca which is the largest in Canada

Photo of Club Activity July 2019 (updated)

 with near 6721 members (2016) from over 16 districts.

 With so many members they have experts in every area of administration  and certainly offers wise development support to their  new club. But of course not all provinces, especially us in the East, can find the expertise for a new clubs developed. I am sure BCB , as the overall Canadian Bowls coordinator, has also spend hours helping new clubs like Muskuka...

Because of the size and a East and West Division of the Ontario Provincial Association, the Canadian Nationals usually see two very well developed teams  entered and in the medals.  Clubs throughout Ontario have been an up and down as we watch great clubs that have gone and new clubs getting  face lifts ; thus giving every year a new image to lawn bowls in Ontario. However, every year lawn bowlers from all across Canada travel to Ontarion for the biggest money lawn bowls competition called Wolba. (Western Ontario Lawn Bowls Association)

This years 3 day WOLBA event which will be July 16 - 18 at the Kitchener's Heritage LBC will see teams pay $400 to participate  in Fours, Triples and Singles. A must see visit to Eastern and Western lawn bowlers.   There has been years where participation has lead to first place  prize money  going as high as $1000for this  Invitation Tournments.  Must similar to the Australian Open it draws the best of bowlers across the country for one big event; however unlike the Australian, the size of the prizes never get that big.

Throughout Europe and the United Kingdom we find sport tours thought the various Lawn Bowls
clubs as a two week Lawn bowls vacation is organized by Travel Agency.  There is no reason why people who are travelling across Ontario or central Canada  or other provinces can not be invited to visit several lawn bowls clubs  while in  route. Such visit as the Wolba competition in Kitchener or the new Muskoka LBC  would make the trip interesting and offer support  to the club or activities.

 Maybe we could see a Canadian Tour of Lawn Bowlers where travellers could have a two or three day stop over  to share relaxing (or competitive) lawn bowls.  Clubs which offer their greens or competition  for such a tour could make the contact for hotels and  the provincial or BCB could in early spring create a package of Beds and Bowls, where breakfast and dinner is at the different  club. In March 2013 I found in the Canadian Archives documents about the 1906 British /Canadian Tour which was a two month visit of Canadian clubs by British, Scot and Irish players who came on a ocean voyage and train trip across Canada.

Such a Cross-Canada Lawn Bowls Tour could change the clubs being visited from year to year and players (especially seniors with time to travel)  could find such an organized tour as part of the trip to the Canadian Nationals as a interesting and relax 7 to 10 day road trip.  Today with the Smartphone and GPS the two or three hours wasted time in finding a lawn bowls club location or Hotel can be reduced to a partial hour..

Over the past few years of blogging about Lawn Bowls, I have been concern about the damage that happens to the sport of Lawn Bowls  when the clubhouse and Greens belonging to the city or  Municipal. And then to surprise of the lawn bowls executive and members a Municipal decision is announced to close the club.  The photo ( left) is a tweet  by a British Lawn bowls club about  a UK club which lost their greens to a parking lot because the land was own by a commercial business.

 These Lawn Bowls Club which are on loan from their elected officials of the town or city; must look toward constant worries of closure or becoming self-supporting.  Had the planners of these club seen this problem when building the membership, maybe their direction  would have been toward self-finance.

 If our sport of Lawn Bowls is to survive we have to look at how other clubs around the world are build..An example of club sponsorship and auto finance is the australian club of Mentone LBC of Australia.  Here in North America we don' t have many private clubs. WHY ?? (We certainly have had a lot of members who died and would have left land, money or material to building a private Lawn Bowls Club)

With more global contact between municipals throughout our country and even between countries, their evaluation of the cost of maintaining Lawn Bowls as an  active sport is a " dollars / cost "evaluated against the number of  participants. I have not said "Membership" because they are concern about all the muncipal residence using the facilities and we have to find way to give them access and want to visit the club.
 Consider also, the number of months of active sports involvement; compared to other team sports which show a better  total annual cost per participant.  And all they ask of the muncipility is an open field and goal post.

 Throughout Canada almost all sports are seasonal and sport facilities to be profitable must develop a year round administration. If we evaluated the actual sport season and membership against actual cost we can not blame the muncipality.  Heck, I saw a blog about a British muncipality charging $5 to Joggers in the Local Park as a fund Raising for Maintenance of the Park.

"We were approached by the local golf course who offered the available land near their clubhouse" said Sally Mills the Muskoka LBC president. With a 10 year $1 annual rental agreement the search for funding for the construction of the bowling green was started.The Golf Link administration beside the land also offered the club advertise Lawn Bowls product (photo below left) as part of the Golf Clubs services, and the mention it development on their webpage blog;  this year as the club prepares for their first season we see the public and new bowlers discovering the sport on the Golf Clubs putting green. (Photo right)

Muskoka Open house on Putting Green

In many Canadian clubs now active , the club's Green keepers and Lawn bowls club administrators know that their bowling green has a  short life span of between 15 and 20 years with proper maintenance. Therefore they  are always planning for the next major rebirth of their greens and looking toward new ideas of keeping the club active and into the future.. Maybe some of them will seek out  a similar partnership with their local golf Course as the club's  future solution.

  Certainly the rebuild of ditches is not as expensive as the initial development of the total greens. One should see that  some of the idea of this new club, from locals and others; could help finance their own future development.  We all know the difficulty of approaching the muncipility for repairs or changing the lighting. or ditches around the green..

As more clubs find that municipal decisions on the club  future is a view of questionable expense; the Lawn Bowls club must look for new approaches to  future finance and development. Eventually the executive may even consider method of moving their club toward  a private ownership system or consider sharing the facilities  with other sports in a private partnership  Photo right of Middlesbrough Croquet Club in UK and a video by the Assoc for British Croquet players (with greens maintenance)

In Montreal, the Westmount Lawn Bowls which has been active since June 1903 has found that the greens can be used by the sport of Croquet.  The Westmount Croquet Club announces the following in french "The Westmount Croquet Club, which runs from May to October, invites all citizens of Westmount to explore the croquet on Tuesday night at 7 pm on the lawn bowling ground next to City Hall. Beginners can use the equipment of the club" (translated by Internet site)

Even in the big city like Montreal where the club , Westmount LBC (mention above), is muncipial supported club: the Lawn bowl administrative staff is  always  busy with  education of city staff and their own volunteers as to what makes a good Bowling Green.

 Because the City hall and the Mayors window overlooking the club greens, it  has lead to city employees thinking that they are cutting the city hall front lawn. The Lawn Bowling greens look great to the public but not all that great for a fast and level club bowling green. (The late Richard Myers did wonders with these green but also spend hourswith  the city staff on their support and the club needs).

 The greens and quality of the grass (bent grass) can be like a family garden in that the soil can be depleted of its richness  very quickly if not maintained with scientific care. Clubs with volunteers cutting the greens and reading such Internet authors as John Quinn and his Bowls Central e-publication; can only do so much toward a good health green.

Bowls Central

His articles instruct on how green care and even the lack of or too much watering can cause a high micro culture which show as different patterns on the green but also slowly  does  damage to the life of the lawn bowling green.  It is not just a simple question of a great green grass appearance. A very good source of information for a new club as well as blog of A greenkeepers gift.



Unlike many Lawn Bowls Clubs the Muskoka LBC has their own webpage at Muskokabowls.ca  which is under development waiting the club schedule activities. We however read "We are a new non-profit club situated at the Muskoka Highlands Golf Links in Bracebridge."
Using  the Golf Course website (photo below left) to advertises lawn bowls and sell memberships, indicates a trend where lawn bowl clubs can have several item and courses for online purchase by members and the public..

Golf Club Online Sales of Lawn Bowling

   Looking at the "Non-profit" club administrative structure has been one the major cause for failure of many lawn bowls clubs.  When several well meaning lawn bowler accept to administrate facilities, finances and the sport schedules from year to year, we lack the commitment which is success. Would you turn your children care and education over to different good intention volunteers ?  With a financial investment in  club development of from $50,000 (greens only) to $150,000 (clubhouse and land) or more; can you the lawn bowls enthusiast depend upon the good will of good intentions volunteers. Get involved yourself.

Some Volunteer committees can and should be developed as part of the club executives to ease the burden on the Executive Committee and the Greens keepers. But to hire a Club administrator and Greens keeper means to find the finance to pay them and expect them to protect the interest of the club and the lawn bowling Greens as part of a career responsibility.

 Two previous blogs on a Greens Committee was written earlier in the year and intended to suggest how a club can open opportunities for volunteers to become active while helping the Game Coordinatorr and  to help the Greenskeeper.

 Both, the club manager and the green keeper,  have a large job and although at most clubs the greenkeeper usually is paid the club would go broke if no green development and maintenance commettee of volunteer was not created.  As an example look at the early season weed (dandelion) cleanup. Although only a couple of days for the greens keeper; this work done by 4 or 5 volunteers can be finished it in a few hours (two days of Greenskeeper pay saved). Similarly preparation of the green each day, like  boundary markers changes; which are rotated  ever day; is a Green committee volunteer work load as well as creating a daily work schedule and even  prepares members  to volunteer and later accept further executive responsibilities.



Lawn Bowls clubs should find ways to find more and more participation of activities and eventually be able to work to becoming a private business  like in Australia.  There may always have to be a rental of land and facilities by the club as these are major investments, but like a Bowling alley who develops leagues of alley bowlers;  so also maybe clubs can easily  develop Lawn Bowls League which pay greens fees, coaching and umpire fees and even develop social activities with the club kitchen and bar.
 Club revenue from a in-house bar and social activities is difficult with  a "Non-Profit" volunteer structure, which now exists with  most  Canadian clubs. Unless the club is active in sport development with courses and clinics for members and visitor; the club is losing a major part of revenues Maybe the cost of "Learn to Bowl" courses can be applied to the annual membership fee. As a non-profit club moving toward total self-financing, and eventually becoming a profitable they

Open a Youth League

be more active in "Selling the Sport".
.  Schools and youth organizations should see the sport as a fun and activity. like " Saturdays Bowls" should be a "Kids Day" where activities are more than rules and Youth League  are developed.  In the CBC News of yesterday  (photo) Saskatoon Nutana Lawn Club "is attracting a lot of young adults with the Wednesday night recreational league" as they look toward the development of Bowling Leagues.

How many local business have social activities for their members and would love to spend the after work hours outdoors in a league of Lawn bowls.  I could see the club eventually making a lawn bowling league much like the winter alley bowling leagues we see throughout the winter in most cities.

With Greens fees, League members are introduced to the sport and it is certain many will become club members and work toward their perfection and local and provincial competitions.

Maybe there is the direction of a club becoming  a charity organization so older members could leave large sums to the club as donations or support in developing the club's social vision . As a non-profit charity there exist   the opportunities of  past members leaving in their will  funds. Or certain fund raising activities which the club supports and promotes become a regular public awareness and yearly activity.

Yes,  in a  lot of our Canadian clubs the  membership are seniors who find lawn bowls a afternoon activity when others younger members are busy work the 9 to 5 grim. Clubs must  learn to move away from the few days a week of club bowls and the occasional weekend competitions toward a full 7 day of activities from 9am to 10pm while still allowing proper green maintenance time. 

There are other sports which would be very happy to have a fast and smooth green. Take for example the game of  Croquet which only requires small tubes to receive the hoops ( or markings on the green for their location. In the Open Day photo of  the Muskoka  Lawn Bowling club we see the public being introduced to lawn bowls on the golf course putting greens. The revers is also as the local lawn bowls club can organize Golf Putting clinic on a smooth green.  

No club can live on good will of it members.  Greens keeper,  Bar /Social Administrator and even Club Manager and other employees must be paid to perform tasks which finance the club. Club members with special skills can be promoted by developing a "Support a Club Member".  Insurance discounts  on and other discounts for members give a club membership more meaning than the use of the greens during the club activities.

There are some readers who would welcome such suggestion  in the promotion of the club and its future; while others would see their own lost of their free greens time. As a blogger I can express these views with the hope of helping my sport.

However, I sincerely believe, the attitude of the clubs must change and  all Lawn bowlers must realize that a  lawn Bowls membership a privilege to use the  club facilities. For those who use it more than others, the green fee system keeps the overall membership fees down.  If projects and activities are not created to improve the financial stability, then some of the profit must be directed towatd fees and taxes charged to the club by the muncipality.  Become strong and self-supporting