After the first few paragraphs (or several) which suggest a method of knowing the "Jack Distance" by using "Markers" of distance surrounding our green; this blog will suggest future possible areas of memory Visualization for the developing athletes. This idea of forcing our "Muscle Memory" into our direction of development, means I must identify this blog as an "Advance athlete (AMem)) development blog.
We are all in one of two groups of Lawn Bowl's athletes; either doing an "Instinctive" delivery and waiting as it is improving every day or the athlete with a developed "Muscle Memory" delivery style and believe that our "Muscle Memory" performance can still be forced beyond that slow "self learning" method as we work hard to advance it's developments by visualization. Working toward a goal of being able to change a previous delivery for as little as 4 or 5 inches distance.
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| Single Step Delivery |
To those readers with a developed "Muscle Memory" and feel and know the "Void" or "Zen Moment" of their Delivery performance, this suggestion of allowing the subconscious to further build "Muscle Memory" with the data of previous deliveries seems far fetched. When we see an athlete's "5 or 10 second delivery", you can be sure that their Muscle Memory was developed by using memories of previous bowls rolls to the jack and now we are seeing the result as a very quick "Total Instinctive" delivery.
As for the new bowler, with a delivery style and wanting to incorporate a thought or image into their delivery, as more than a "one time instruction" to a successful delivery, but to further develop their "Muscle Memory".
Each time that a "Muscle Memory" is interrupted, but done quickly, it will advance your subconscious acceptance of these interruption and slowly we will see this extra "Performance ability" toward a more precise shots. If in practice, you are feeling your "Void" or "Zen moment" after the "Muscle Memory" performance, you know that your interruption was done right. In the same manner, when we know we have done a bad delivery, it is because of the absence of this feeling after the "Muscle Memory returns control to the conscious mind.
Because the internet opens everything to everyone; some things read or viewed are best to be identify as "Not for me at this time". Today's lawn bowler student may not understand everything but needs to see this idea as the long trip to another level of delivery development. A r career made of many short steps forward every day, week or month of practice and performances, with each step a realization of success.
Many years of personal development has made our delivery style and performance successful ; but as we grow we also become ready to attempt changes which "may" improve our delivery. Our national athletes have taken years and sometime decades to reach their saturation point where they have stopped changing their delivery.
Others are still working on new parts of their delivery, seeing it as a quest to perfection of style. One problem is that it is sometimes best to stick with what we know works well. When in a competition and going to the mat and knowing the shot; we may often feel that we have the ability to now include our most recent delivery improvement into this delivery. "Surprise or Success", what is important is afterward as we review the decision we learn something new on when and how to use that improvement.
When first I saw the separation of these two levels of athletes I was amazed. When I began working on reaching that advance Delivery level, I was in doubt if I should even mention it in these blogs. That was in December 2012 when I introduced the blog Seeing the Shot Visualization . As we approach the end of this blog we will see a Petanque player and a Lawn Bowls elite (in the world bowls finals) using the same method of "projection visualization". The petanque player is in practice but the Lawn bowls athletic is in a world class competition and we see how the muscle memory turns on and off this "Projective visualization".
As a developing athlete, one must have confidence that during the changing of one's delivery that shows signs of progress forward, we witness that we can use an image to help (or if possible) instruct our Muscle Memory. As I began a delivery of Projected Visualization and saw the hard mental work and the results I accepted that it was possible, I felt with each success that the subconscious and "Muscle Memory" could be influenced. Today, I can ask "How much short am I ?" and then put 5 or 6 inches more distance with what I see as an image of a tape measure "tape" showing from the front end to the 6 or 7 inches area.
When at that section of the blog (near the end) showing the petanque player and Lawn bowls athlete in her competition take the time to watch the videos suggested.. both videos show what is needed to be seen at the beginning. However, as you view Angela Boyd (NZ) game you also can see how to maintain focus after a long game, she has certain tricks to relax and keep a sharp focus which is needed to still compete "Muscle Memory" performance.
We teaches that the bowl delivery weight is influence by three forces. First your physical development of a delivery movement, then your "body Movement Speed" of your forward step and "Conditions of Play", all which may change the result of th e expected delivery.
The third force includes "green speed" and in another blog on "Changing Green Speed" we saw how my club's green speed changed three times in just a few ends. That blog was introducing a "Curling Trick" to read green speed changes, but because our club's location is near a large body of water and game play was in June; those conditions caused dew to form on the green as the sun set.
The third part of a Bowl delivery influence, "Condition of Play" which we have no influence over will always be part of your Lawn Bowls game in the same way as does rain or bad greens.
The photo (right) shows a Blind Bowler's Distance marker on the side bank of the green because the individual who will be centering the jack will also be telling the blind bowler the distance that the rolled jack has arrived from the mat.
The Jack Distance that the assistance gives the blind bowler is from the Mat Line and the bowler calculates the difference if their coach has not told them the distance. If the jack distance is 21 meter when the mat is at the "Mat Line" then the Jack is just over (or at) the "Hog Line". If the mat is brought forward 5 meters the centered jack will be announced as 26 meters even if the jack is again just at 21 meters.
Unlike blind bowls games, where the mat may remains at the mat line for the entire game, the Lead who has just thrown the jack must calculate the actual "Jack Distance" with consideration for "Forward placed Mat" and the "Green's Jack Distance". The Lead, after rolling the jack and it being spotted, must use various trick or distance markers to identify this actual Jack distance. Also, when off the mat and before returning to the mat for their delivery.
A legal jack can be between 21 meters and 31 meters with the "Re-spot mark also at 2 meters from the back ditch. In the photo (above) it is showing "29 meters because the "Re-spot" or "T" mark is at 31 meters. The Mat Line and Re-spot Marker are both 2 meters from their ditches. As the mat is brought forward from the "Mat line" this maximin distance decreases from 31 meters to 21 meter. (when the mat is brought up all the way to the opposite direction Hog Line)
So "Jack Distance" requires to be calculation, how far above the Mat Line the mat has been placed and how far up the green the jack has been rolled. Be subtraction of the "Mat Line distance" from the "Up the Green Distance" you have the Jack distance for your delivery.
In developing your Delivery for a "Jack Distance" which no longer is seen as "Close", "Far", "Very Far", you must use this exact distance in your delivery. If your delivery is fairly well developed, and you have reached a level of "Natural Distances and "Muscle Memory" awareness; you now must teach yourself how to do a delivery thinking and decisions which use that distance information without interference or destroying your developed Delivery. ("Muscle Memory")
We will no longer "Guess and Roll" the bowl and based on how close we arrive to the jack, then prepare for our next bowl to be closer. This "Guess Distance" of the jack becomes a thing of the past as no longer accept that first delivery is really a "Trial End" to know the newly rolled and placed jack. "Jack Distance" is now a precise distance in meters. In a later blog I will attempt to show how each change made to delivery for a jack distance become a "Natural Distance" for the delivery. Then small "Muscle Memory" changes will add on or take off the needed difference.
"Skip's Assistance" often is not seen in major competitions because it also instructs the opponent of information like the "Jack Distance".
However, a good skip will develop their team and may even be using signals to indicate the "Jack Distance" to their lead. These quick signals only occur once per end, after the jack was centered, and usually intended to help the lead's performance. Photo left is the world Finals of Women's Pairs and Wales skip Jess Sims indicating to Lead Laura Daniels she is 4 meters short on the 29 meter jack.
The most common Skip Assistance is their body movement after the placement of the jack on center line. Sometimes we see the skip walk to the "Hog Line" or the "Back Ditch" and then walk back to the jack. (the 2 steps to a meter walk). Such signals are intended to help a team's "Lead" without give that same information to the opponents. Therefore are done fast or with a hidden objective.
My first skip of a money competition would put his fingers to his chest, which was for my first "Natural Distance" and showed me how much more (in feet) I needed. In another competition, and another team, I saw him used that same signal for his "Mate" to indicate the points in the head. Signals are a big part of Lawn Bowls for spectators and fellow team members.
Since that time, I have developed the use of the same signal to indicate the jack distances of 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 green distance. Sometimes, I still use it to show points in the head which I am sure has confused the opponents if they saw the same signal on the "jack centering". Hell sometimes I even lie to my players about the number of points. (They know it is a lie if they are following the game).
Indicating the "Jack Distance" or other such help knowledge during a club or local games will help the player as lead to develop their skills in Jack Distance evaluation. Especially at times when the skip has asked the "Lead" to bring up the mat. There are several methods of creating "Distance Markers" if the mat is not at the "Mat Line".
The jack will always be between 21 meters (the "Hog Line") and 31 meters ("T" 2 meters from back Ditch); unless the mat has been moved forward. Since this distance of 10 meters is the playing green between the Hog Line and the Re-spot or "T" spot; a player can identy the jack distance with reference to these two limits.
In those first walks up the green I often take a lot of notice of furniture or buildings at various distances surrounding of the green which I can use when on the mat as a "Distance Marker".
Thoughts like "the front of that bench is 1/2 green", or that "miss-colored sport on the green is 1/4 green". Notice all of these sign as you go up the green and then back after the next round of play and let them become your distance markers. The benches at my club are two meters apart so I can say 23,25,27,29 and 31. Likewise, the clubhouse's windows are also the same distance apart.
Having the "Jack Distance" now is the time that distance is used. No we do not have the precise delivery to all possible jack distances which is why "Multiple Natural Distances" are developed. A Natural Distance is the distance a bowl rolls with your "Muscle Memory" performance, and if you have made a change to your muscle actions it will then create another "Natural Distance".
Going to the mat after having done your Pre-Mat routine (verify bias, decide on method of weight control, etc), you prepare your delivery. At this point, each of us have a different introduction to our "Muscle Memory" delivery. With the exception of the advance athlete who has worked and practice to have a "Projected Visualize Jack Distance",your delivery and "Muscle Memory"starts as you step to the mat. You do a few last minute check and then just allow your instinctive delivery to happen.
When I first started a "Projected Visualization Delivery" (PVD) I had to use a "filler image" to separated my mental visualization, but eventually I could feel my start of "Muscle Memory". That "Filler Image, (like a cloud or flag flying) became a seperation of the practice of using mental images of previous Jack Distance.
As in SSD where we decide on how to modify the muscle actions fo that "Jack Distance" for the conscious mind; so I had done those "Pre-mat actions. I was now doing a "Pre-Delivery Routine". I was on the mat and doing mental tasks (remembering previous bowl roll to the jack) which would be completed before I initialized my "Muscle Memory".
In the Single Stepping Delivery where my thoughts before delivery was to instruct the muscle changes needed to perform that distance's delivery; so also my mental image was being done before initializing this Muscle Memory Delivery. Because we do not want these thought of distance ( the image) to interrupt the "Muscle Memory" I introduced a small action to my delivery to say "Finished Visualizing" and "ok to start Muscle Memory" delivery.
In the Lawn Bowl Video the athletic looks down at her foot which is her start of Muscle Memory Performance "Tag" (action) where she then moves mental control and enters her "Void" of thought and allowed "Muscle Memory" to start and go until it's finish.
Remember, it will take practice and you will know you have inserted the distance by that image. (the bench, the car in parking etc) because you will feel the presence of that "Void" after your finished delivery. But practice, because it will take time for this to be automatic as each time we interrupt the subconscious mind with the thought ( image) it wants to return control to the conscious mind for an instruction for muscle performance
Later as "Muscle Memory" see these mental actions as part of the "Pre-Delivery" routine, the Muscle Memory will wait until that action which indicates the Pre-Delivery" end and the "Start" of "Muscle Memory" delivery. As with the Pre-mat Routine of the "Single Stepping Delivey" happens before actual delivery, so also the Pre-Delivery Routine ends your visualization work when you feel you have that proper Jack distance. (Angela looks down at her feet, I tap my toe because in Petanque it is also my "Start" of Muscle Memory)
As you train you subconscious mind to include that memory data as part of your instinctive delivery, you will eventually not need the "Start " thought or action as the "Muscle Memory" will know your feeling of having the proper Jack distance and begin the "Muscle Memory" Delivery.
Seems a strange or doubtful action, but it is the same way that in a Single Step Delivery that "Muscle Memory" adds extra weight to your delivery when it guess at a Long Jack Distance. In this Projective Visualization while using a memory of having previously seen the bowl roll to a Jack at this same distance, it has decided the amount of delivery weight needed.
One problem, the distance image or calculation has to be always part of your Pre-Delivery routine and Delivery movements because even if you are not calculate the distance Muscle Memory "Start is after those movements. After the first bowl roll when the newly rolled jack was center we and the Subconscious knows the "Jack Distance"; so the next delivery are corrective or repeat deliveries.
Where in the walking to the mat we have the separation from Pre-mat routine thinking and the Delivery "Start" muscle action is the Pre-Delivey Routine action to indicate its end and "Muscle Memory" starts.
So it is important that the muscle movements (if any) that are incorporated in that first Bowl "PVD" action is also part of the second or third bowl's delivery movements. These following bowls don't need the Visualized distance and if you watch in the video you will see from Angela facial expression and eyes she is not doing a mental visualization but a Pre-Delivery routine before the Muscle Memory..
Muscle Memory will eventually stop automatic using the Visualized distance data if a muscle movement, like an arm swing, was removed from the Pre-Delivery Routine. After the subconscious know the jacl distance from the collected visualized distance data of the first, "Pre-Delivery" it accept on to the next deliveries to continue to use that distance. Doing the same thing with muscle actions even if mental actions are not included in the Pre-Delivery routine.
During the time of the long wait for the delivered bowl to arrive at the jack allow yourself to always attempt to feel the "Zen Moment" or "Void" as Muscle Memory returns control to the conscious mind as this is your first "Feedback" that your "Muscle Memory" was performed completely. It is hard to stop watching the the Bowl roll to the jack as we want to see the result, but to seek this feeling is important to your successful "Muscle Memory" modification. No feeling then the conscious mind did the action because your thought has interrupted the instinctive delivery with a "too long" a thought. Feel the "Void" and return to watch your bowl roll finish
In an earlier blog, I indicated that you could put a few inches more on a delivery by thinking of feeling your foot (toe) on the green as you step forward (a though of moving your body weight forward a bit more). Or that it was possible to take a few inches off your delivery by feeling your heel on the ground behind you. Again a thought not a feeling. Introduced as interruption then gone.
These are just a thoughts but to move your delivery from a "Single Step Delivery" of arm swing, forward step and lay down the bowl action; to the subconscious mind being taught to learns an instruction which will become part of the "Projected Visualized Delivery".
This improvement of your delivery, is to place interruptions into the "Muscle Memory" delivery in such a way it does not interruption the "Muscle Memory" delivery. And then later, when it is easier to insert thoughts, to use a Projection Vision of the delivery bowl rolling to the jack as an extra action of the delivery. "Muscle Memory" delivery of a SSD has then began to move into a PVD delivery where the instinctive performance has become a thought produced delivery.
Each time you practice a Muscle Memory interruption it is the same. An image or thought during your start of delivery and quickly leave it.. At the beginning you will use your filler image to occupy your thoughts after that interruption because you want a nothing thought.
There is two things I will introduce here. Each is an split second interruption of the "Muscle Memory" or subconscious control of the delivery. Both must be developed through practice until the subconscious mind incorporates the new change in delivery without interference to the Delivery.
The first is where a players whom is beginning to see a "Muscle Memory" and feel that absence of thought returning; and now ,second is wanting to introduce a image or thought into Muscle Memory with out interruption and then allow the delivery to continue being performed by "Muscle Memory".
The second level of "Muscle Memory", which I have after almost 10 years only a success of about 40 to 50 percent of the time. It is called "Projected Visualization Distance" (PVD) and involves allowing the subconscious to use memories of previous deliveries roll-up to jack at other distances. The subconscious mind's use of learned information is how "Muscle Memory" is developed. We did the proper delivery so many times that now it is instinctive. Likewise, we can introduce other thoughts and with practice they will become part of our "Muscle Memory".
In Archery, Projective Concent-ration happen when an archer at the shooting line follows the "Zen instruction" of "Be the target, pull the arrow to you". An introduction to Visualization was a blog of 2012 titled "Seeing the Shot, Visualization; where a Youtube video of Tiger Wood talks about "Being in the Zone". I could go back and update that blog but my ideas on Visualization may also be how an inexperience reader see this topic, so I will leave it like it is with all its errors.
In the Youtube video of Tiger Wood he said he does not see the ball between his golf back swing and when it was already in flight in front of him. There is also other blogs to help the reader to discover the subconscious feeling of being "In the Zone" but over the next few months as I do blogs on "Multiple Natural Distance" it is best to just know what level of "Muscle Memory" usage you are at today and become aware of the feeling of its presence.
The Lawn Bowls blog of "Three subconscious mind exercise" of December 28 2012; was at first, an attempts to identify to the reader the presence of the Subconscious mind in the athletic's actual Lawn Bowls delivery. This small exercise to feel the presence of a "Void" of thought after the delivery made by your "Muscle Memory" is important. Knowing the difference of the conscious mind giving muscle instructions and the subconscious mind having learned from experience how to do a delivery is valuable in understanding what else we can achieve.
Your memory data. collected during the past several years of delivery to a jack at difference distances is like a DVD bank fill of different Music DVDs. Over your career, you have seen every distance between 21 meters and 31 meters being bowled, and watched your bowl go to the jack. More a memory of the long time it took to get to that distance. But these memories are what the subconscious seeks out when you see a jack and guess at its distance and use the proper delivery weight for that distance. If, with your Music Bank of DVD, you were to remove a DVD and check the music and it was not the correct music; you would put it back and take another.
The visualize of deliveries is the same thing before your delivery. Your seeing and remembering the rolling a bowl to the jack is like the DVDs but you memory data is not something we retrieve often. As you progress to use this data to find the right jack distance; your feeling that the chosen memory has a lack of roll, and therefore you do another retrieval of another memory of a longer distance. Yes, Muscle Memory can be taught to visualizing the exact jack distance and with practice to change the memory and push a longer roll to the jack image.
In practice of this "Muscle Memory" development you will eventually feel you have the distance on the first few "Pushes". But the practice like learning your "Single Step Delivery" will take a lot of mental practice as visualization is a mental exercise. Myself, now I am restricting my self to three memory visualization but because we are lazy on mental task performance, in the beginning the "Muscle Memory" often reverted back to the Single Step delivery type of Muscle Memory.
What is the difference between the two Deliveries? (SSD and PVD) In the simple Muscle Memory of a Single Step Delivery it is a total of muscle movements for the delivery actions. We hear coaches say that the Pre-Mat Routine is the place to do all the other thinking which are decisions or remembering to check things. But not until you come to the mat does "Muscle Memory perform all those practice muscles actions that have created your delivery.
The identification of the "Start of the Muscle Memory" is almost after you step to the mat. If your Muscle Memory gives you a Natural distance at 25 meters and the jack is at 26 or 27 meters, it is off the mat (Pre-Mat) that you are deciding to do a longer arm swing for that 2 meters or maybe a longer step (which increase the speed of the Forward movement). You step to the mat and tell yourself, "Muscle Memory" will do it. And see how your separation of thinking and performance has actually done that longer swing or step automatic.
Now the Projective Visualize of the Jack distance Delivery. After much practice of mental work to visualize and the subconscious using that information a "Muscle Memory. is now developed. You have now inserting mental performance into your "Muscle Memory", and that reteival of a stored memory of a bowl rolling to that distance is apart of the PVD "Muscle Memory" (physical and mental) performance.
As the subconscious or instinctive delivery makes a modification for that distance you can no longer not have that image there for the "Muscle Memory" to use. You are just seeing the roll and then letting the "Muscle Memory" do the delivery. Not a single step Delivery with a suggestion to change one of the muscle's performance this time, but a total commitment to allow the Muscle Memory do everything because that quick remembering the image is saying "Same Distance".
Yes the athletic still will modify their delivery but not for 4 or 5 meters but for 2 or 3 feet because "Condition of Play" or something else prevented their delivery to be on the jack. Myself, at 80+ years often find "Balance" is the cause so my placing my open hand on my non-stepping knee is fixing that. My Muscle Memory performs the same but now I have done something which changes the previous results.
Think of an office employee who has in their work load the task of sending 5 or 6 faxs to head office every day. (Muscle memory task). The employee often tries to use the fax at different times and find it often busy but now decides at 4:30 it is always available. So the employee changes their work schedule (the Muscle Memory sequence of mental tasks) to collect the faxes and be prepared at 4:30. Every day always the same routine (Delivery of a Projected Visual Image (the fax) is now part of the Muscle Memory and that last image is what the instinctive delivery is always performing. The employee goes back to his work schedule, finds the best time for his fax sending and then for the next couple of months always the same performance.
The image used to fix a PVD delivery may not be muscle movement changes but maybe a "focus" or other mental distractions. Years ago, I had a fellow club member who had a problem of holding his delivery performance concentration when something was happening around him. Then, 10 years or more ago, I told him when he is distracted to remember his feeling of calm , he just ahd to look at the big elm tree at the corner of the green. That image was his fall back to relax image and allowed fixing and destroying his memory distractions. To insert a interruption of the "Muscle Memory" to fix a delivery problem is the next step for an athlete which has "Muscle Memory. I was so proud when he went of to the Nationals and did well because his difficulties and control of "focus" is like visual disabilities: and does not change the athlete's performance if they have the developed the skills or tools needed, like Muscle Memory.
What would happen if the Muscle Memory wanted to use that last memory image you saw and your accepted of a bowl roll and it is not there because they were not feel you needed that part of your "Pre-Delivery routine.. The thoughts before our "Muscle Memory" starts are important as without that image it would force a return to Conscious mind muscle instructions. A total cancellation of that specific Muscle Memory performance.
Angela Boyd, the New Zealand lead for the Finals of the 2016 world bowls is explained by the announcer as: "Very deliberate on her delivery, Half a dozen motions of the arm, then a look down at her feet, then a look back up and now a delivery". And of course the first bowl of the game, a forehand delivery which rolls to the 29 meter jack and stops less than a foot behind.
Above I talked about a Projective Visualization and this Youtube video (below) with her several arm swing for the feeling of the bowl to jack delivery; is a perfect example of a Lawn Bowl athlete being required to do muscle movements which are only done as to not interrupt the Muscle Memory" performance.
This Visualization of Distance in the Youtube video Mark Wildoboer Petanque practice, which is the same trick of Angela's Lawn Bowl Back hand delivery. Same toe tapping as he looks toward his target ball for his Pétanque takeout as Angela top tapping as she feels the distance of 29 meters.
. Because the jack (cochon) or target of an opponent's ball, is a lot closer than a Lawn Bowl's Jack is the same Mental projection of distance. Mark only need 3 "Projective Visualization because of the distance, (between 6 and 10 meters); while the 29 meter jack, travel, of Angela i is a different in that it is difficult to project to 29 meters. Maybe Angele needs more "go and come back" projections to capture the feeling of the distance..
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| Angela Boyd (NZ) forehand |
In the Lawn Bowls blog of "Talking to the Subconscious mind 2/3" , it discuss this same mental visualization as Angela Boyd, the lead for New Zealand performs a Visualization of the Jack distance before her first bowl's delivery. The 2016 World Bowls Final .video viewing is important as it shows the multi-movement delivery needed for this Jack Distance.
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| Backhand and Same "Void" |
To understand these movements we can imagine that the half dozen motions of her delivery are memory recalls of bowl rolls until the feeling that distance the is detail.. Because this mental action is outside the "Muscle Memory" and the delivery; the looking down at the feet is to identify to the subconscious "the start of Muscle Memory delivery" and the look back up the green is the start of the "Muscle Memory" performance (the delivery).
It is important to watch the 2nd and 3rd bowls of her delivery and her body language. You will see the same 8 arm swings but she is not doing any serious "projective" thinking as she is just feeling the "Jack distance".
When the SDV players has decided how to go that extra distance. they have released poeple detained with reason. Later, when he a reserooreve tp 2 meters) the Visual image of the jack distance and roll of the bowltomatic and done by the Muscle memory. The employee will always return to the fax sending at 4:30 until it happens a couple of time the expected condition is not there. (the mental distance and image visualized was not created)
In these first bowls of Angela, forehand and backhand we see how she separates this pre-delivery action so as to have no interruption of the Muscle Memory's subconscious performance. Having the distance from the first PVD she has a feeling and her arm swings "reproduce the feeling of distance" for future bowls. I must thank Angela for allowing this great example of Distance Visualization of the Jack, and the separation of Visualization it from the "Muscle Memory" Delivery as she looks down and rolls her bowl.
Also we see the problem created when we add an Muscle Memory interaction as a extra movement like the arm swing which gives a feeling of the distance before allowing "Muscle Memory" to do the delivery. In time and with practice this will be like a SSD (Single Step Delivery) Muscle Memory and not need the many arm swings. we teach students to have a Pre-Mat routine and them a "Delivery" performance.
Advance athletes with a well developed Muscle Memory must always check for the feel their "Zen Moment" after the delivery. This feeling of "return awareness" is a confirmation that the delivery was a "Muscle Memory" and performed correctly (uninterrupted).
The Pre-mat Routine or the Pre-Delivery routine (as in Angela delivery) can be changed but not without an "Let Muscle Memory Happen" action. To Angela. the "Looking Down" action identify the start of the "Muscle Memory"delivery.
In SSD where "Muscle Memory" exist, so also the Pre-Mat routine must be seen a separate action. Walking to the mat is definately a separate action. But to interrupt the "Muscle Memory" with a thought is so sharp and quick that it does not interrupt the "Muscle Memory" Delivery.
You can see that Angela is not projecting a vision of the jack distance in all of her "Pre-Delivery" arm swinging movement after her first bowl. Myself I don't have a movement as the PVD distance is found because I am doing a mental thinking or visualization. But I agree with Angela's use of the arm swing for the delivery weight feeling as she repeats her bowl's delivery swing, and this summer I will attempt to include a single arm swing (for feeling of distance). However, I do not know if I will need her "Identify Start" of the Muscle Memory. I will know as I discover that in my new practice this summer.
. In a SSD the Muscle Memory still does an adjustment of the Delivery weight, so if the SSD interruption is a thought and brief, the Muscle Memory will not be interrupted. Although, the several arm movements can be a type "Identify the Jack Distance" movement, I have seldom seem it done off the mat. As in Angela performance, it does not change the PVD "Muscle Memory" delivery; I doubt it would not change the SSD Muscle Memory Delivery if done off the mat..
Myself I don't do competition much any more and this will be my 4th year working on and practice adding Visualization to my delivery. My efforts of staying in the "Zone " and not interrupting the "Muscle Memory" is not easy during the first 15 minutes of practices where I have 4 jacks at different distances. But because you are interrupting the "Muscle Memory" I suggest only one (4 x 15 min) practice per week on this because too much interruption of Muscle Memory (this type of practice) will damage your Muscle Memory performance. It is easier for the subconscious to simply return muscle control back to the conscious mind.
A good coaches will advise a student of 15 minute practices and then relax or something else for the mind, especially on this type of practice. To the medium level lawn bowler this blog is probably confusing. I will attempt to do another blog to explain the many complex things that the Subconscious mind can and does do in our life. Remember some things like this are for athletes more advance but are still working on their development. They may try it or accept it as something to discover or build. If it is strange or too advance for you, stay with your present SSD Muscle Memory as it can and will build to the same level.
Thank you for your patience and read this extremely long blog. Some of the stats of the blog may be of interest. Like I say in the Header "the reason for the blog is to promote discussions". 
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| January 2026 stats before this blog |
