AI and DATA Centers Why ? (2017 Chat GPT)

 Rewritten by Chat GPT on July 16, 2026 with the old 2017  blog still on my blog site. Longest Continuous Game  by ABC News on January 6, 2017

 At this time throughout the United States, where  "Data centers" Building is being refused by governments because of the electricity and water usage (cooling) needed. One would wonder about storage of this blog which I wrote 10 years ago and today almost 10 years later,  the original newpaper text is still available online.

 Stored in some Data center probably in Australia  - 10 years later. Lawn bowler attempts 73-hour game at Cloncurry Bowls Club after misreading world record - ABC News

Longest Continuous Game

A man in outback Queensland endured blistering sun and heavy rain to set the world record for the longest continuous game of lawn bowls. The obvious question is: how do you extend a game of lawn bowls for that length of time?

Cloncurry Bowls Club manager Shayne Barwick began playing on Friday morning and continued for 73 hours, delivering his final bowl at 10:00 a.m. today in front of a cheering crowd of supporters.

The phrase "continuous game" raises an interesting question. What constituted the game, and what caused the delays between the rolling of the bowls? Under the Laws of the Sport, a game can consist of 18 ends. If an end is burned, it must be replayed, so I wanted to examine the possible calculations behind how such a record could be achieved.

I would suggest that the game was played as Pairs, with a skip capable of delivering a very accurate running bowl. It would be necessary to burn ends deliberately to prolong the game. Presumably, the opposing team would also have been playing pairs and would have needed a similarly skilled skip to achieve the same result.

Why was it only Shayne who officially broke the record? This would suggest that the other players were replaced by as many substitutes as the club could find during the attempt. I am not aware of any rule limiting the number of player substitutions in this type of record attempt.

With the record rules allowing a 10-minute break for every four hours of play, a 72-hour attempt would permit 180 minutes, or three hours, of breaks. That means the actual game had to involve approximately 69 hours of playing time.

Australian rules define delays during play quite clearly:

"Players shall play their bowl without delay and when players are changing position as part of the play of an end this change of position shall occur without delay." (Rule 55, Bowls Australia)

Next, consider the time taken for each bowl to roll and the effect of green speed. Fast greens in Australia typically produce a bowl roll of around 20 seconds or less. Even on a longer green of approximately 33 metres, the rolling time does not increase significantly because the bowl must simply be delivered with greater pace to reach the jack. Regardless of the length, the bowl still comes to rest after roughly 20 seconds.

The next question is: how long could the game realistically be stretched?

Suppose we allowed three minutes between each bowl being delivered. In an 18-end pairs game with 16 bowls per end, there would be 288 bowls. At three minutes per bowl, that equals 864 minutes, or 14.4 hours, to complete the game. Adding the three hours of permitted breaks gives a total maximum duration of approximately 17.4 hours.

However, the record lasted around 72 hours. That still leaves roughly 55 hours of additional playing time that must have been created somehow. The obvious mechanism would have been burned ends that had to be replayed.

Using the same assumptions, 16 bowls at three minutes each produce a 48-minute end. If we assume the end was burned before the final bowl—perhaps after the 13th or 14th bowl—the average wasted time per burned end would be about 40 minutes before the end had to be replayed.

If approximately 55 hours, or 3,300 minutes, of additional playing time had to be created, then more than 80 ends would have needed to be burned and restarted before the record could reach its final duration.

The calculations may not be exact, but they provide an interesting perspective on what may have been required to achieve such a remarkable record.

Regardless of the precise numbers, it was an impressive feat of endurance and an effective promotional event. Those involved reportedly raised around $20,000 toward the construction of a verandah over the club's disability access ramp.

Perhaps my calculations are incorrect, but however you analyse the attempt, it remains a remarkable achievement.

Blog of March 28, 2017 "New Bowls Season Attitude" which still exists at the 2017 list of blogs to be compared with this Chat GPT rewrite if you wish to compare the two. Eventually it will be erase. 

Unless you travel south (or north) of the equator for an off-season bowls tour, your Lawn Bowls season generally begins in the spring and finishes in late summer. In an earlier blog, "Catch Up Bowls," I featured a Canadian bowler, Clark, who travels to Portugal every year to enjoy winter bowls.

At the Vilamoura Lawn Bowling Club in Vilamoura, he is able to continue playing while Canada is covered in snow.

Some of us are fortunate enough to bowl year-round because indoor facilities are available. Others participate in similar sports during the off-season to maintain their fitness and keep their delivery sharp.

The Canadian sport of curling is often described as Lawn Bowls on ice because it uses many of the same delivery movements as a proper bowls delivery. The main difference is that the target—the house—is always located at the same distance, approximately the equivalent of a short jack of 21 metres. Personally, I play the French game of pétanque during the off-season, which presents its own unique challenges and requires different techniques.

As the opening day of the local Lawn Bowls season approaches, many of us begin searching the internet for articles, news, and results from major Lawn Bowls competitions around the world.

Today, while searching for the scores of the 2017 Blind Bowls Championship in South Africa—where I am proud to say that Daniel from our club will represent Canada 

I noticed that one of my earlier blogs, "Preparing for the New Season," published in May 2016, continues to attract a surprisingly large readership. That article described my experiences while attempting to rebuild my former Lawn Bowls club in New Brunswick and shared my thoughts on preparing for the 2017 season.

The daily readership statistics can vary dramatically, as the numbers below demonstrate. I certainly do not believe that Russia has suddenly discovered Lawn Bowls. More likely, there was simply a spike in online searches that directed readers to the blog.

The continued interest in that pre-season article explains why I decided to revisit the subject. Preparing for a new Lawn Bowls season involves much more than getting physically ready. It should also include reflecting on your attitude toward both your club and the sport itself.

My years as a coach are now behind me, but I have observed that after every club coaching clinic for new members there is often very little ongoing support for bowlers who wish to advance beyond the beginner level and compete locally, provincially, or nationally. For that reason, this year I plan to develop and promote a Friday Night Skills Evening to encourage members who want to improve their game in a supportive environment.

However, your preparation for the Lawn Bowls season should always involve more than physical practice. I would suggest that you also prepare a renewed attitude for the coming season.

Every club has members who simply pay their annual membership fee and participate only occasionally in club activities. Perhaps they feel that paying their dues gives them the right to enjoy the club whenever they choose. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Clubs depend on membership fees, and we must also recognize that not every member wants to develop their skills to compete at the local, provincial, or national level.

Over time, many of these "pay-to-play" members become primarily social members. We may only see them once or twice a year during major social events held at the club, but they remain valuable members of the organization.

Perhaps during the off-season your club organized social gatherings or activities specifically for these members. Now, as another Lawn Bowls season begins and new members arrive, those of us who have belonged to the club for many years should take time to evaluate our own involvement in both the sport and the continued development of our club.

(Update – March 30) - As the new season begins, I sometimes wonder whether I should continue blogging or perhaps slow down a little. Yesterday I published this blog, and today I noticed that 22 readers arrived after seeing my Twitter announcement. I suppose that means the blogs are appreciated after all.

Every one of those new members needs a mentor. I still remember my own first year at the club and how Jim and Mo made me feel genuinely welcome. They often sat on the clubhouse porch, sharing stories about the past and reminiscing about the many medals they had won over the years. No, I am not suggesting that everyone simply pull up a chair and tell old stories, but I do believe that every club loses members each year, and sometimes something as simple as your friendliness, encouragement, and support can make the difference between someone staying or deciding to leave.

Why did a member—or perhaps a group of members—leave the club? Did they raise concerns at the end of last season that were never addressed? Did they identify problems that ultimately influenced their decision to leave?

As membership numbers continue to decline in many clubs, these are important questions that deserve serious thought. Supporting your club means more than maintaining the greens or organizing tournaments. It also means reaching out to former members, listening to their concerns, and making a genuine effort to correct problems whenever possible.

Lawn Bowls has never attracted widespread public attention except in a few countries where the sport enjoys significant popularity, particularly Australia, Great Britain, and South Africa. In those countries, televised Lawn Bowls competitions are common, attracting large audiences and inspiring players to move from their living room couches onto the greens.

As you prepare for another Lawn Bowls season, ask yourself one important question:   "What am I going to do this year to help develop and secure the future of my club and the sport of Lawn Bowls?"

Comment - Where that blog question what we can do to save our clubs the following two blogs of 2017 will look at what was happening to clubs in the UK and a success story of How Muskako build a Lawn Bowling Club in Ontario. Canada

Chat GPT redoing a Blog (Info)

My daughter suggested that I study and look into  "Chat GPT" which she uses a lot in her work and maybe  I would like to use it in my blog writing. Below is an example of a Chat GPT development of my  2017 Blog "Catch Up Bowls" for you, the reader's evaluation.

The AI changes of  the actual blog first paragraph and my comments follow.  (below is the total Actual AI text), My comment on these changes, show what I think the changes may have done to the creative intentions of the original text. (although I don't consider myself creative) Your decision and opinion on the use of AI  in this context, may be helpful to others as I hope these, my comments has value.

My first original paragraph of this blog written 10 years ago read as:

"Various parts of a game of Bowls require different mental disciplines and controls.  The first few end of play of a game of Lawn Bowls should be an information gathering part of the game for the whole team.  I would like to say this information is "for the skip" but if a team works together; then these first few ends should be carefully studied by all the team members." 

AI changes were "

The game of Bowls demands a range of mental disciplines and controls, and different stages of play call for different kinds of focus. The first few ends of a game of Lawn Bowls should function as an information‑gathering phase for the entire team. While this information is often considered “for the skip,” a well‑coordinated team benefits most when every member studies these early ends carefully."

There are many older blogs which still have a large viewing and maybe I will look at letting AI do a re-write and replace them. A decision to come as the season ends in a few months and winter puts this old man behind the keyboard.

So back to my opinion of Chat GPT and it's re writing of my blog. ( hope you take the time to compare the differences that I mention and what you feel and leave a comment (if you wish to share with your fellow lawn bowlers); or e-mail to (Springhiler@gmail.com) ty.

In this the first line I find objection with the expression "Different kinds of Focus" as my meaning to "Focus" in Lawn Bowls has been when I am on the mat for my delivery and follow the "What do I want to do ?" and "How best to achieve that goal? ". Where to many readers, their goal of Bowls may be to win the game by the collection of points; my belief is that each game played should be an education for all the players. Yes, AI inserted "Focus", but my use of that word and it's meaning and aspects of applied mental use in the Lawn Bowls game; is a "Different kinds of focus" and when inserted here, ot seems to me to defeat the meaning of a word, because of it importance, I used only in specific blog's topics.

The expression "Focus, focus, just focus" says "Get it together" which I might say to a team mate; and it has only one objective, get rid of all those other thoughts".

While AI choice of the word with a "different kinds of focus" being expressed, may not be good. As an Example, this placement of "Focus" brings to mind for me, my previous professional News photographer career of early years, At that time, "Focus" as a word, was my fingers playing with the camera lens to get a clear picture.The finger ready to click the shot at the right moment. All my thoughts were to the "meaning of News" and "Does my picture relay that meaning" while watching changing events with purpose to take that moment of perfect documentation of the "News". In this sense of thinking, I feel my meaning of my blog text has lost something although not destroyed. I must wonder if such an expression created by AI would also changes the train of thought which I was attempting to build in my reader. Once lost it can't be recreated.

I think the AI intention of a good choice of words and improved grammar may be wise academically, but also maybe it is a distraction of thought to the reader with a train of thought as they read. (and my intention as the writer to build)

With AI's choice and use of words like "different" and "Focus"; maybe the text is becoming, rather than a sorting of "wanted" and "not wanted" thoughts about bowls, but more a passive relax drama reading or a classroom textbook. Which is not what as a coach, I would be attempting to express to a student or an athlete with a problem.

I would think that the purpose of my blog or writing a blog, is like a painter's working on their creation as they build the meaning of their painting. The painter's expression of his want of an image, begins with their own want to create a feeling ( maybe the expression of beauty of the flowers), and then build the painting to forces the person's mind into a direction of thought which, by uses of the choices of colors, shadows and even background lines; there is an expectation that it has created that wanted feeling.

My writing and thoughts, seem to have chosen the words of "Range of mental disciplines" as the word "Range" to me is my thought of "a point of starting" (the range) and going toward the end (of that range). For this reason I start at the beginning of the game and opinions on what information that the players can collect. My readers may not have the same thoughts as I do towards words but if I write "a long jack" any lawn bowler reader will see the image of the jack at 29 meters or very near the ditch. AI in being concerned with grammar may replace that phrase with "distance jack".

In this same sense of meaning the word "Range" falls in the reader mind as several words. To the country raised reader it may even refer to a large open grass land with cattle. My ideas were more of a controlling nature. "Concentration" One (thought), Keeping thoughts directional (not in several directions) and probably end the range with the thought of "No that is beyond the "Range". Yes, with the word "Focus", we in Lawn Bowls live and die emotionally after every delivery depending on what happen during our delivery. Any choice of words which destroy the readers memory of those feeling as they leave the mat, is also a lost to what I would attempt to want them to feel or remember.

If I was shooting an arrow at the Archery target, in a competition, and a word or sound made me think elsewhere, or with a different thought; then it becomes a lost of "Focus" not an increased "Focus". I feel strongly it would destroy rather than build a commitment toward the object and reason of my and the readers Lawn Bowls focus. "The Perfect Delivery".

Maybe too find a point which is unique only to me. I certainly do not like the insertion of Bold and larger Text as if titles to catch the intention of allow the reader to quickly find a subject. If my reader is not interested and continue to read I feel they should stop and even seek and change their topics. However, at the end of Chat GPT modification of text there was the following comment I will explore a bit.

If you want, I can also create a more formal version, a more conversational version, or a version tailored for a coaching manual. You can choose formal rewrite, coaching_manual_style, or more_concise_version.

I shall allow AI to redo this blog here and leave the January 6, 2017 original blog   "Catch Up Bowls" for your reading and judgement of this new technology in our online life. Also of interest is I noticed my website (blogger by Google) now seems slower in response to my typing since I invoked Chat GPT. Maybe not but type something and wait for the keyboard finished text to appear on the screen is slower..

The Blog "Closing Bowls" as modified with Chat GPT now 16th July 2026

  Mental Discipline, Strategy, and Patience in Lawn Bowls

The game of Bowls demands a range of mental disciplines and controls, and different stages of play call for different kinds of focus. The first few ends of a game of Lawn Bowls should function as an information‑gathering phase for the entire team. While this information is often considered “for the skip,” a well‑coordinated team benefits most when every member studies these early ends carefully."

The lead should be identifying the best draw lines, judging the green's pace, and noting any weaknesses the opposition has with different jack lengths. The second, or mate, should also be gathering information about both the green and the opposing players. The skip may already have some knowledge of the opposition, particularly if the teams have played against each other for several years. However, every game is different, and every green places different demands on both teams.

By the end of the first four ends—two played in each direction—the skip should have established the most effective strategy for the remainder of the game. By this stage, the skip should also have a good understanding of the opposition's strengths, weaknesses, and likely success rate when attempting different types of shots.

In an earlier blog on patience, a reader and fellow blogger, Clarke Siemon, who writes that he and his wife bowl out of the Vilamoura Lawn Bowls Club in Vilamoura and the Balerde Lawn Bowls Club in Almancil, Portugal,  Clarke asked an excellent question. 

"As a novice playing on teams with much more experienced bowlers, my number one complaint is that my teammates usually feel they can only get back into a game through their own extraordinary shots. Won't steady play and a gradual comeback sometimes cause the opponents to 'choke'? Trying for a big end and failing lets the other team relax and this can produce better bowls for them, n'est-ce pas?"
— Clarke Slemon, Greenbowler

A significant part of Clarke's question centres on the phrase "through their own extraordinary shots." This often reflects ego rather than good strategy. Team members should continually keep this tendency in check. It can be difficult to tell a skip or mate that an ambitious shot was motivated more by ego than by sound judgement, but honest discussion is necessary if the team is to improve together.

Even highly skilled players will miss difficult shots because every difficult shot carries a percentage of failure. Lawn bowls is fundamentally a draw game. A skip who cannot consistently draw, or deliberately overdraw when required, may need to reconsider the way they are directing their team.

Before attempting any difficult shot, calculate both the probability of success and the possible consequences of failure. Always ask yourself the "What if?" questions.

As the game progresses, most players actually improve their general performance. Both teams become more familiar with the line and speed of the green, provided the playing conditions remain reasonably constant. Rain, morning dew, or changing winds are obvious exceptions.

For this reason, experienced players generally do not expect either team to "choke." Instead, they expect both teams to improve as the game develops.

Many novice bowlers wonder why a skip or mate will sometimes attempt what appears to be a very difficult shot in an effort to score several points. The answer usually depends on one simple question:

Can they do it?

Jack Rolls — Can They Do It?

Although the lead and second should be reading the green throughout the game, they should also observe the deliveries of both skips. Watching your own skip and the opposing skip provides valuable information about whether a calculated gamble, such as a jack roll, is actually a high-percentage shot.

In fours, where the skip has only two bowls, a successful jack roll is generally more difficult than in pairs, where each player has four bowls. More bowls provide more opportunities to learn, adjust the delivery, and develop confidence with this type of shot.

Certain "delivery tools" also improve the likelihood of successfully playing difficult shots. These are techniques that experienced players develop and keep in their personal toolbox for use when needed.

One example is walking the mat. Special mats, such as the Hensalite mat with alignment holes and markings, allow a bowler to adjust their stance by very small amounts. If a previous attempt missed the jack by only a few inches, the player may simply move their starting position slightly across the mat while maintaining the same line and delivery. These small adjustments can significantly improve the chances of success.

A Balanced Head — Can They Do It?

When the head is balanced, with each opposing bowl closely matched by one of your own, it becomes much harder to create a large scoring end simply by moving the jack.

Naturally, you cannot expect to have three or four bowls around the jack if you are also concentrating on matching every opposing bowl. However, if your team already has a comfortable lead and only a few ends remain, there is no need to chase large scores. Winning each remaining end by a single shot may be all that is required. Even conceding one or two shots over the closing ends may still result in winning the game.

Controlling the Opposition Skip — Can They Do It?

As the game approaches its final ends, the skip should have developed a clear understanding of the opposing skip's strengths and weaknesses.

If the opposition skip regularly plays accurate runners, do they always favour the forehand? Many skips do. If so, placing an effective block may greatly reduce their options. Even a block that is not perfect can sometimes be enough to interfere with the opponent's preferred line or create doubt in their mind.

A good skip should always be asking whether they are controlling the opposition's strongest attacking options.

Returning to Clarke's Question

"Won't steady play and a gradual comeback sometimes cause the opponents to choke?"

The answer is yes—but only under certain circumstances.

Steady play is extremely important, but it also requires each member of the team to improve steadily throughout the game. If the skip recognises that the team is actually losing ground rather than improving, and that the same weaknesses continue to appear, then the skip must look for opportunities to recover quickly. Those opportunities should be taken when the percentage of success justifies the risk.

For example, if the opposition has not balanced the head and has underestimated your skip's ability to play a jack roll, then your strategy may be to continue building the head while watching carefully for any dangerous imbalance.

If the head eventually depends on a single opposition bowl that is cutting the count, then a gentle overdraw to remove or move that bowl may produce a valuable multiple score. If the attempt misses, it may do very little damage. By comparison, a full runner that destroys all of your carefully built position is often a much poorer percentage option.

The success of the skip's decision should not always be judged by whether the spectacular shot succeeded. It should be judged by whether the team maintained control of the end and continued moving toward winning the game.

Does Failure Help the Opposition Relax?

Clarke also asked:

"Trying for a big end and failing lets the other team relax and this can produce better bowls for them."

This is an interesting observation.

Yes, a team that survives a dangerous situation may feel less pressure. However, the word relax can be misleading.

If relaxing means abandoning your normal pre-delivery routine, then performance may actually become worse rather than better. Relaxation should not mean becoming careless.

Good bowlers develop a consistent pre-delivery routine that prepares both the body and the mind. During the actual delivery, they relax enough to allow their trained movements to occur naturally. In that sense, relaxation is an important part of successful performance—but only after the proper routine has been completed.

The real question is therefore:

Does allowing the other team to "relax" actually improve their delivery?

Not necessarily. It depends on whether their relaxation allows them to trust their practiced routine, or whether it causes them to neglect it.

Comment Added – July 12, 2026 - 

In one of my recent blogs, I described an interesting example involving a lead player who normally played as a "Skip". Between games in this, a major tournament, she had a few glasses of wine. The change in her level of relaxation altered the trigger point of her muscle memory during delivery.

When we perform a skill through muscle memory, there is a point where the subconscious takes over from the conscious mind. In that earlier article I compared the brain to a computer. In her case, the trigger point shifted back to the moment her foot stepped onto the mat.

As a result, every time she attempted to deliver the jack, her muscle memory automatically initiated her normal bowl delivery instead. The jack repeatedly followed the line of a bowl rather than a proper jack delivery and finished out of bounds—not once, but three consecutive times.

Being overly relaxed had effectively bypassed part of her normal pre-delivery routine. Her subconscious no longer recognised the difference between delivering the jack and delivering a bowl because the trigger point had shifted too early in the process.

This demonstrates that relaxation is valuable only when it supports good habits rather than replacing them.

P.S. Clarke's Greenbowler website contains nearly ten years of thoughtful articles and observations on lawn bowls. If you have not already visited it, it is well worth taking the time to explore

Disrespect - Your gun to Save Bowls

 Let me give you the gun needed to kill Disrespect, which is slowly killing Lawn Bowls and Lawn Bowls Clubs. As culture changes with new generations and new technology creating  a society of total disrespect, so also does this disrespect affect our sport and fellow player. What we accept in daily life results in changes of our more agreeable character strength. A sincere respect for others.. 

First lets understand why the recent "Lost of Respect" in society has reached the point where the U.S President attacks and name calling of individuals as well as disrespect attacks on countries and allies is acceptable. Today, with our computers and cellphones,we are at a distance from the individual behind them. On a bus everyone is with their phones and like reading a newspaper or watching TV, it does not concern other around them. But it does, because as it is introduced into our society and daily life it also bleeds into our the sports. We see more acceptance of really bad disrespect of rules, laws and other individuals.

In this week World Cup Soccer play, we saw a "Red Card" was given to a player for putting his hand over his mouth. He was expelled from the game (or the next game) and could have been expelled from the complete tournament. WHY ?. Because it is ok to swear, insult and attack others, as long as you are not caught. It is ok to rob a Bank as long as you are not caught. In Lawn Bowls where we has rules (much like laws) and controlling individuals like umpires (much like Police) and club executives we do or say things, and accept similar things which are now becoming acceptable in our daily life... If we are not caught.

My wife uses the computer to play Scrabble and when I saw 5 games of scrabble on her gaming website, I asked "Why 5 ?" to which she replied "I have had as many as 10 waiting to be played. She explained that sometimes she will wait several days for a player to make a move.  Disrespect to those you're playing with.  I play Domino late at night and often someone of the 4 players to a game has moved and then gone off to do something else. We sit and wait for several minutes for them to move. Disrespect for us waiting and for the game administrators as when the game is over and we have all left the table; those individuals are still sitting at the table 10 ro 20 minutes afterward because they are away from the game..

Last year while coaching a Novice doing her first Novice Single Finals I was not aware that the Provincial Federation President and the Provincial Chief Umpire sitting within a few feet of this Novice Player on the mat. They were doing a loud discussion or private conversation and although both of these individuals are elite players and are expected to respect the rules of the game. But their lack of  "Respect" for the player on the mat, a unknown novice, directly in front of them; only show that they didn't care how their "Loud conversation" affected her game and performance. Showing their total lack of respect, they felt that their conversation was more important which I believe is a common change  happening  in society, A change, which if allowed toward our sport and toward our fellow players, will lead to the lost of membership and clubs in our sport.

. In the photo (right) from "Youtube video " of the New Zealand Regional Single's Final, where are the spectators. A lot of empty seats behind the two players (Look down at the 2nd photo (below) or check out the video (of that screen capture) and see all the people presence but off to the left and right of game play.

When after the game, this Novice explained the problem I explained that although they were provincial executives deserving of respect; she should have confronted them. How ?.. (Take her Bowls Gun and Blast them. What Bowl's Gun ? Answer - "The Mat"  When a player leaves the "Mat" for a problem it draws everyone attention. Like saying "Bang, Bang look here at what is happening").   Last week a neighbouring skip yelled "Who got Shot ?" and because her voice is very loud (needlessly) and I was on the mat  and neighboring green; I stopped my delivery and also yelled "Who got Shot ?" but quite a bit louder than her.  I don't remember her doing it again in that 3 game competition. We don't needs to yell but such actions as stepping of the mat draws attention.

Because a player has only 2 minutes to perform their delivery and if in stepping off the mat, because of a distraction. the time limit is exceeded;  the player or their coach should also expect an extension of the game time limit. (Often I now use a timer at such times)  I explained to my Novice that she should always expect that the game officials and club executives will address the problem. This week at that same club, I noticed that the spectator benches were now not 2 feet by 3 meters behind the rinks.

I explained to her that she should have step off the mat, turned directly to them and waited until they stop talking and then return to the mat and did her best delivery. I explained that if the game umpire saw her standing there, it would be the responsibility of the umpire to come over and address the two individuals and warn them that they could be requested to move or leave. Yes the  Game Umpire is expected to do that.

The "Mat" is the Gun to kill "Disrespect"  In our game, as new members learn the rules of play; they certainly also see a total lack of respect when certain things happen by fellow players or by club members. Do you think that their opinion of our club and our sport also receives a lacking grade of respect ?  Certainly with them being proud individuals I am afraid that they would seek out another sport the following year.  It is the same if sitting at a table with an individual who is always using foul language (Fuck, Shit etc) and we eventually get up and move to avoid those people. Did my use of those two words caused a reaction  in You; yes, so also an incident of disrespect on the green causes a reaction and opinion of our new members to our sport or club.

 The rules of the game of Lawn Bowls request that the club executives and game officials (club and umpires) not allow spectators within 3 meters of the boundries of the game in play or the mat's location, and that all players respect the player who is on the mat in the middle of a performance.  Even players who are on neighbouring rink, but in the Line of Delivery of a player on the neighbouring rink is expected to not move.   When you are on the mat and your delivery is interrupted by something you should step of the mat and redo your Pre-Mat preparations.(check bias, decide on weight, placement of feet on the mat..etc),

 Very often the skip is giving instructions to a player while they are doing their delivery. This lack of respect by skips is the same as a player having done a good delivery and moved the jack to give their team a point or two not seeing the skip gives no indication of a "Great Shot". (if not verbal then with a sign of point gained or body language)

Yesterday while travelling home I was told of an incident where the skip was talking to their players between ends of play and a player from the neighbouring rink (or green) came over to their rink and said "Would you two stop talking so much", I explained that this individual is a winter curler who bowls during the summer and expect the same rules of respect that applied in Curling to also apply in Bowls. Actually both games have this rule of Respect.

 However, I believe that in the sport of "Curling' it is the club or rink  administration  that is addressing this problem. Probably warn the individual of removal from the club or refused membership in the following year.  In Lawn Bowls the  game rules expect the umpire to address this problem.  However, the problem is two sided as the individuals should have notice the player was on their mat.

 In another sport , Petanque, because France wants the sport of Petanque to be included as a demonstrattion sport in the next Oylmopic in Paris, they have introduced the Red, Yellow and Green cards. (Green is used for a stop timer). Maybe we will see it in Bowls... Like stepping of the Mat which everyone sees and judges the offence, so also the umpire giving a card to a player will indicate what warning applied and what had been said to the player.  Often we have no idea what the umpire said to a player.

Because in this incident of  a "Club Invitation Tournament"; there were a lot of newer players doing their first year of club game play and them not knowing about what is expected by experience lawn bowler. If they had been told in their coaching I am sure they may have done things differently as to not be a distraction. Also the clubs need to build this education as a part of their bowl's education.

 However, the method and words of the offended player also show a lack of respect. The player probably indicated how the distraction caused a lack of concentration or focus.  Competitions are meant to teach us what we are lacking and with our next practice, we can work to correct those problems. Also, that individual should have stepped off the mat and waited or looked at the offence.

As an example, this year, because I had not done competition for several years, I discovered my mind wander to sounds. a bowl pick-up device metal click behind me, a long voice on the neighbouring green. for one week in my daily life when I was interrupted I stop (walking, or what ever I was doing) and re-did my thoughts. This was my week of training to stop my delivery and step off the mat with a distraction.  It was hard and strange but it worked and the following week I did the Provincal Singles the best and performed well. 

Muscle Memory, the Lawn Bowls Computer (AMem)

 To understand the use of "Muscle Memory" in Lawn Bowls by an athlete who has created a performance with precision, we must compare the athlete's Brain actions (conscious and subconscious) to what we

understanding of Home Computers. Like an action requested on the home Computer to go get your "Email" by the click of a mouse. The computer program executes all the necessary actions and we wait for the mail to appear on the screen.

Also, if the Lawn Bowls Student after much practice has creates an action of a delivery of their bowl to the "Jack"; it is eventually  a subconscious action which when activate by the individual, will action the expected performance. Instead of a click of the mouse, the "Lawn Bowl Athlete" simply activate the trigger action (like imagines their bowl beside the "Jack") and allow the brain's Instinctive mind to perform the action which is called "Muscle Memory".

Have you ever been watching a Lawn Bowls Competition and the "Lead" in throwing the jack to start the end of play, threw it badly and it went out of bounds. So the opponent received procession of the jack and placed it at their distance. But this continues to happen in the next two or three ends as they win the points and procession of the jack again.

The game has been started and you can not change the position of the Players to have a new "Lead". (In the french game of Petanque it is permitted to change the Lead) All you can do is continue as is and hope to win the points and jack each new end of play. 

.However, afterward I certainly hope that the skip works with the "Lead" to help fix the problem. It is a common problem as several years ago when I started my Lawn Bowls at the club we had a Husband and Wife who went to the Canadian Nationals almost every year and He could not throw a straight jack. As he got older and no longer a club skip he tried a game or two as a lead but with their age both stop playing and we have not seen them for years. 

So, with this player of many years (maybe 10) who can't throw a straight jack is a great club skip but what can be done to correct this problem. The solution is the same as you would do with your home computer. You reload the program and fix what is causing it to not perform as expected. Yes, you reprogram their Delivery "Muscle Memory". First, understand what is wrong and Second to reprogram what the Brain is expected to do.

I would like to do this blog in two parts as this problem is an "Advance Member" (AMem) problem. So as a second blog (part 2). I will address the important of teaching correctly new member to throw the jack in another blog.

Understand the problem. As this individual learned to do their delivery, they developed a routine of going to the mat, looking up the green at the "Jack" and after some sort of "Distance identification" simply performed a perfect "Bowl Delivery."  Sometimes this action is trigger by stepping on the mat which is the first action of the delivery. The athlete is surprised of their performance and precision which is usually to within inches of the jack and any of several distances.

With this incident, listed above, which happen in the third "two hour long" game, the skip was heard to yell down the green "Did you have wine to drink during the break ?".With everyone laughing.. a serious tournament but a fun moment of sharing a mistake in the game.

 Yes, the 'Team Lead " who in the previous two game has maintained a good focus on her game and her delivery; was now relax (because of the wine) and  was now allowing the "Muscle Memory" or instinctive delivery to do what appears to be a "Bowl Delivery" of the jack. Yes this can  happen and shows how much power "Muscle Memory" has

. In many of the bowls which  this lead played in the previous two games, the bowls often finished within inches of the jack but now when she step to the mat the subconscious say a request to do what is a "Delivery" and as for the "Jack roll; she simply looked up the green and saw where she wanted the jack and threw it.  In the same manner, her looking at the jack and imagine her bowl beside the jack.  The muscle memory did with the jack throw the same it does with the Bowl delivery. Ir took the needed line of delivery needed for her bowls to go to the center line , calculated the distance to the jack position and did a "Delivery". (as if it was a bowl's delivery).

 The jack was thrown on the actual Delivery line and out of bounds. The brain saw the stepping to the mat as a request of a Bowl delivery and did all the necessary corrections for a bowl to arrive at the jack on center line.  (happens to a lot of relax players)

Now knowing the problem how do you fix it. First, the brain has to be trained to not think that because you are on the mat, that it only apply to a Bowl Delivery. A different routine when on the mat will indicate what is expected and coming. The following exercise of 20 minutes performed for four or five sessions will re-program the brain because now it has different  trigger actions. (looking at the jack in hand, looking at the foot of the skip).

Lets look at this from the Home computer example. The mouse clicked "Gmail" and the computer went and got the program and all the mail in the storage website of Gmail. A different mail like Yahoo Mail would be the same example as the Bowls / Jack problem, How then would you go about to create and access the mail of Yahoo Mail.  You would register as a user with Yahoo. (with the brain you would identify the jack and bowl routines differently).  Yahoo Mail would registered you then open your mailbox and created a "Link"  for your "Yahoo Mail" (with the brain now seeing different routines and similar actions, when the jack is to be thrown the "Muscle Memory" does a different routine but still use similar data)

The following exercise is done with 4 or 5 jacks for four different distances (up and down the green) for about 20 minutes.  It is important to rest after the exercise for 10 or 15 minutes as with the Yahoo you had to wait for Yahoo Mail to register and identify you; so also the brain stores your training. Part of this problem is also the fault of the skip as most often the raison for the wrong thrown jack is when the skip does not indicate a wanted distance. (often the skip lets the lead choose their jack distance,)

In the photo (right) the skip is not indicating where he wants the jack (white spot drawn in) and it is important for the jack throwing player to aim at the shoe of the skip. (otherwise they are imagining where the jack should be) and seeing the jack for a bowl delivery and seeing an (imaginary) image of a jack are the same to the subconscious mind, So in the exercise the lead will practice throwing the jack to a shoe on the green.

In the second part of this blog for the teaching of the Jack roll to new members it will indicate the important of the Pre-mat routine for the Jack as it would suggest teaching the new member a Pre-mat routine for Bowl delivery.

Exercise: (seems stupid but it works)

A mat, 5 jacks,a timer (20 min) and a bowling shoe. If a coach is offering assistance, Then the shoe can be on the foot of the coach standing where the jack is to be thrown.

Logic of Exercise: Because the communication of this player to their Muscle Memory during a "Delivery" is her (his) image of their bowl at the jack; it is necessary to build another image which tells the "Muscle Memory that it is a "Jack roll". With two different routines the subconscious (Muscle Memory) will not use stepping to the mat as the trigger action.

 Since a new member learning to bowl would be shown the skip standing with their foot sideways where the jack is to be delivered; part of this problem is a club which does not teach new members about the start of an end of play. (mat placement, jack roll, skip instructions, etc.) For the lead, the seeing of a foot on the green is bio;d as the image (with the jack in hand) which becomes the visual image to work with in practice while developing the Muscle Memory .

Now the 5 jacks exercise - The practice should be to hit the shoe (of the skip or lone shoe on the green). This distance should be only a few meters at the start of each practice. (The jack distance from the mat.)  Finish your 5 jacks, take the mat and go to the shoe and pick up the jacks. turn the shoe for the return direction and go place the mat at double the distance that you just practice.  Roll the jack to the shoe for this longer distance.

 Each time you roll a jack you look at the jack in your hand, you look at the shoe on the green and like a bowl roll you do a false jack roll swing of your arm and then do a actual jack roll to the shoe (or skips foot). In practice you are building the routine while in a game you allow "Muscle Memory" to execute after your false jack roll swing.

Important - You are building an image of the shoe as object to hit

This exercise will creat over a week of practice an image for a jack roll which when on the mat and  looking at the jack in  hand and aiming up the green at the skips foot your "Muscle Memory" will use all it information which is used with a Bowl Delivery (like actual distance and arm energy needed for that distance) and do a good jack Delivery.  

Prior to this modification of "Muscle Memory" actions, the bowler just lets it happen, which is why the jack was thrown out of bounds. Now, as one learns to communicate changes to "Muscle Memory" and still allow it to be an instinctive performance; the athlete can make changes. Always let the subconscious perform without a thought of doing an action. When the conscious mind see a request for a muscle performance it take control.

Now with two performance images as triggers to "Muscle Memory" don't mix them. Allow your performance to better by knowing what you want to change as a result.  (As an example, the jack you bowl to, can be an imaginary location (for a block) or along a path on your Bowl's bias (like a jack roll); as long as you allow "Muscle Memory" to perform un-interrupted. All new possibilities of performance. 

No Burnt Ends Discussion (NMem)

 Over the last 15 years of Lawn Bowls Blogs some older blogs keep getting a surprising large volume of Views/Visit. The photo of Barefoot bowls (Australia) is the relax bowls rules and social side of Lawn Bowls. But a competition should always be as per Lawn Bowls rules. Social and Competition are different and with respect to the players involved should each have their own standards of respect.

This is a redo of a 2012 Blog where probably at a club coaching session it was discussed and drew a lot of visits by New Lawn bowls members. 

 In a club Tournament play, the term "Burnt ends" means that if the "End of play is not "nil point end" or the bowls are "of equal distance" during a final measure; it must be allowed to continue and replayed unless because of a condition which does not allow for it return to play. Maybe there was a situation where "all of bowls to be replaced (as near as possible to the original position) and then play continued". 

Sometimes the bowls can not be returned to as-it-was prior to the stop of play. Very often this happens by error. When the jack goes out of bounds during play, and it can be spotted on a "Re-spot" as per the 'Condition of Play" and afterward the game play is allowed to continue. The condition of play are required by World Bowls Rules to be announced by the tournament Direction, or written in the "Condition of Play" prior to the game. Very often in the announcement of  the Tournament 'Condition of Play" it simple says - "No Burnt Ends" and "Single Re-spot" or "Duel Re-spot".(which is frequent for indoor bowls). Under these conditions a "Burnt End",  must be replayed and the jack re-spotted as per rules.

   Now, I present a situation of the weekend Triple (social-wise) Tournament.  I say social wise because, although organized and presented by the Provincial Bowls Organization, it did not have an on-greens official and it was made up of 12 teams with several Social Players.  (Social, in that they seldom play in the organizated tournament games)
 

  First, a Burnt end usually means no score and is considered to have been played.  How do you replay an end of play ?? It could played as "continual play" which continues in the next direction of play: or It could be, that all the bowls played are returned to the starting "Mat" position for replay. (This usually happens when there are still bowls at the mat to be played)  Yes, onr would think that "a replay end"  usually happens when the jack is knocked out of bounds.  However,  a "Burnt end" occurs when the score is 0 for the measurement and at this time the scorecards are so been marked. Most accident or actions of play which resulted in the End being restarted and replayed can be performed without problems by using the re-spot or the skips agreeing on a solution.  (ex: An opponent player interfered with the jack movement during a jack roll) Generally, the skips do not agree on a solution like where to place the jack or bowls and therefore that end of play is simple replayed.

Situation as it occurred.    Our neighbouring "Green" team called for a Umpire and there was no Umpire allocated to the game. Because ny opponent skip was an Umpire, he was asked to make the decision  but because he was playing in our game; he said.. "No I don t get involved when I am playing in my game"  So the organizer did the measuring.. She just had an eye operations a few weeks earlier and not being able to make a decision and no umpire available; she declared  that the measure was the same.

 When asked about not able to make a decision by one of the skip, "Do we we replay the end" to which she replied; "No just mark zero on each scorecard"  (This decision by the organizing person would have  cancelled a " No burnt end"  condition of play which was generally used in Provincial competition. If a condition of Play announcement had stated "No Burnt Ends", then to mark a Zero for an end in a tournament would have created a problem.

There may occur times that you have to  mark a "burnt end".(mention above) Generally, when a jack  is not  playable for some reason there is an indication of how or when the game will be restarted.. (If weather was to have stopped play without the instructions of how to stop) Often the stopping of a game for lighting or storm will be followed by  "Finish your end" or "Leave Bowls and Stop Play Immediately". Such actions happen and identify how to stop play for the moment.

I advised, after the game, one of the skip involved,  that he had the right to ask for another official (or individual if no official was available) to measure; when the person could not defind the actual point..  Of course, suggested  that at the time of measure,he word his request like "Do you mind if I ask ...so and so... to measure?"  Also, I suggested that it was not a burnt end and should have been replayed. (which has always in the past been the condition of play for these tournaments)

In the asking of an umpire, it is automatically recognized that it means the acceptance of the decision by the umpire at the end of the measure. Otherwise any decision must be agreed by both skips if no umpire is available or defined by the organizing committee of the tournament.

  However, in no umpire is available, and the organizer, in attempting to do their best to solve the problem has overstep their role as organizer; the skips discuss that decision and know that they can refuse that person as umpire and ask someone (experience skip) to measure, 

Bowls Bias and Off-Bias Delivery (AMem)

About 20 years ago when I was coaching the Blind in Lawn Bowls I crossed a common problem  of the 90s where coaches believed that there was only one way "Method" to holding and the delivery of the bowl up the green to the Jack.  My first blind student had been instructed by a National athlete who was also a coach. Many individual with a visual handcap also has other physical difficulties and I was surprise to find that this blind student had been build a wrist strap to keep her delivery hand straight.

If it had been a weak muscle problem and this leather wrist band was created to offer a muscle support, it would have been easy to accept; but it was more a "keep your fingers straight" instruction of the coach device. Yes the way the bowl is held in the had make for a good and natural delivery. My self, having come to lawn bowls from archery and over those 15 years, when I had developed my archery and my arrow release; created wrist muscles changes.  Although I won gold at Nationals competitions, the Arrow release and arror grip had resulted in a wrist "Relax Muscle" of  a 45 degree angle. Therefore, my lawn bowl delivery wrist and holding of the Bowl  required me to develop a "Bowls Release" much more like a common United Kingdom bowl grip and delivery.

The common mistake, this coach made, is to try to change the natural delivery of the student to what the coach would call " the perfect textbook delivery grip". By using this leather wrist brace, what the coach had done to that blind student, was, in my opinion, WRONG. Instead of finding a proper delivery with the physical limitation, but natural wrist limitations; the coach showed the limited view of her role as an instructor.  Very often as we encounter problems on the green and we attempt to change what we feel is wrong; instead of understanding the difficulty of the student and then creating a "Bowl's Performance" for them, which accepts or uses that physical problem.

Back to the topic of this blog. " Bias and Off-Bias Delivery". Since we can only alter the bias of a bowl in our hand in one direction, we often hear this called a "Reverse Bias" grip.  One of the most common problems in a delivery performance is a "Ridge" or "Slope" which seems to  pull the bowl quickly off line or across our normal "Delivery Line". In other blog I explained "Line of Delivery is the direction you aim your bowl for it's delivery: while "Line of Delivery" is the direction your bowl actually rolls up the green as it leaves your hand. (This line is what you see as your bowl begins it roll and is part of a Post-Delivery analysis of your delivery)

As a solution to having a Ridge or Slope influence on your bowl as it rolls up the green in your "Delivery Line"; we can sometimes "Walking the Mat" for those few inches needed to have our bowl pass just inside (our outside) of the problem area of the green.  When beginning to play that direction, the next time when placing the mat, we can bring it up from the "Mat Line" a few feet which will not change the "Line of Delivery" for the  Jack positioned on center line. But, then again there are times that a  "Ridge" or "Slope" can not be avoided.  And for me it does not help being a left-handed bowler, as my right-hander opponent delivers their bowl almost two feet further right. I guess this same happens on other occurances when being lefthanded avoids areas of play which the normal righthanded playes can not actually avoided. 

Then again, I love my old 1960's Hensilite Classics IIs with their wide bias (#3). Always perfecting my deliveries, over the years I have developed an "Off-Bias Draw" Delivery which some years I seldom  needed to use.  But this last weekend, it was a end-green on which I did my local competition. Normally as an "End-Green" which gets a lot of traffic because of Mat palcement; it would run to the ditch if a wide bias was to take the bowl outside of the "out-of-bounds Line. But this green was so bad that as my bowl roll which needed to approach the out-of-bounds limit (on the "Ditch side" ); my bowl returned, then crossed "Center Line" and continued and finally stopped on the opposite "out-of-bounds" line. Ofcourse, although rarely used I had my ability to use the "Off-Bias" Delivery.  I was glad to have developed my "Off-Bias" Draw. (A Off-Bias Delivery may slow the bowl's delivery speed ( a light wooble), and it is there important to know this weight loss and adjust needed for it to be used correctly)

This Delivery type allows my bowl run Straight for 2/3 the distance to the jack before it has slowed enough to begin the bowl's Normal Bias to the jack. In the past the use of this delivery allowed me to work around rises and falls of the greens in early spring. Often referred to as  "Ridge" or "Slope" by players, the normal bias of a bowl without a "Straight Bias";  often fights with the green in spring and might need at least a three feet off the jack line . In an earlier blog I had show how to "Finger Jack" my new line when wanting to know if the new jack position has creates a  delivery line which must run through a  "Ridge" or "Slope". In this case I did not have a the same problem but the Ditch beyond the limit was to be avoided. I could not simple play a Out-of-Bound and return Delivery.

This trick is not for beginners but allows a player to know their new "Delivery Line" after a jack had been moved.   I would want to know that my bowl would still pass inside of the "Fall to Ditch" limit.(ultsded to see if "Line of Delivery" allowed the Bias "Shoulder" to start 2/3 distance up the green. I ofcourse,have a visualize image of where the bowl's bias takes the it's "Shoulder" of the Bowl's Bias. (The belly is the first start of a Bowl's Bias swing which I wanted to avoid having to use.(as it would have taken my bowl to the Ditch.)  A bowl which runs Off-Bias" can avoid  the top of a ridge and is staying straight because the "Reverse Bias" is forcing the bowl to stand straight and eventually when the speed is slow enough to pull the Bowl onto it actual Bias Line. This trick to see the new line, if done properly will not be seen by others but will allow you to know how your bowl will run with that line you are expected to use. Otherwise, we would roll a bowl as a "Trial End Bowl" and waste it to know something needed for the performance. (A wasted bowl which be saved as most problems can be thought-out and adjustment properly made.

I would want the Bowl Delivery Line to show that my bowl will actually pass straight toward that  "Ridge" before the bowls speed becomes slows enough to work the Shoulder of the Bowl's Bias. By using the Off-Bias delivery, you would want to have your bowl stay straight for about 2/3 of the  jack distance which would then passed the top of the ridge .  Also because the off-bias draw will wobble for that 2/3 "Reverse-Bias", you must know the lose of  speed due to the bowl's wobble. A 1/3 Reverse-Bias has less delivery speed lost because it only is attempting to re-position it's apex (center) before beginning it bias to the jack.  To know how much more weight is needed is a lesson to be learn on the Practice green as you still want a good draw to the jack with your off-bias draw,

In using the finger diagram above, to know the new line after the jack has been oved is for each individual to find their own reference on their hand.  Myself, I go from halfway between thumb and kunkles and just to the bend of last joint. Someone else might use upper joint/wrist or tip of finger. As it is just a reference of the new Line of Delivery", you don't need to hold your hand up as if finding a point of aim. It is your knowing your bias of your bowl to the jack and the purpose is to know if the ridge or problem area of your "Delivery Line" needs a worry as your bowl rolls up the new green. It is a trick which maybe will be used only one or twice a season, but better than wasting a bowl guessing the affected by the  "Ridge" or "Slope" you are wanting to avoid.

For the beginner wanting to understand "Bowls Bias",  I suggest the Colemans Hatch Bowling Club web page from which I took the following Bias Chart and edited by removed several bowls to explain the different types of Bias. For the Youtuber there is also a "Everything you want to know about Bias. video which is 

helpful. The Bias Chart (suggested) has be modified with a 2nd chart  added  to show the  three bias of bowls. On the older manufactured bowls this could be seen by the circle lines on the outside of the bowl, but several of the newer bowls are now appearing without these lines. 

I have not seperated the chart bowls into Outdoor and Indoor Bowls bias although the straighter bowls may be consider indoor carpet bowls. The last time I had to use the Off-Bias Draw was on a boundry green. Normally with my wide bias Hensilite Classic I had to go from mat-line to the out-of boundry line for the bowl's bias. But on this competition my bowl after approaching the Out-of-bound Line would swing back, cross center line and even go out-of-bound on the other side.  My only choice was to use my Off=Bias Draw and after moving as far right (lefthanded me) as possible on the mat I check if my line stayed inside the top of the ridge. The inside side of the rink was often blocked as it was used to attempt to get a bowl near the jack.

When you arrive to start a game, you should take the time to know the bowls of your teammates and the Opponent. Most all manufactures make three types of their bowl's Bias. Although certain manufactures have a bias with less Finish or Shoulder the principle is the same. Narrow Bias bowls of the Name type are usually with very little shoulder or finish and intended for fast greens or indoor bowls. The bowls Bias Chart will show the "Medium" bias of their bowl and may even be marked with MB in the "Stamp". The "Wide" bias bowls are seen to have a good shoulder and finish and if you find a older bowl (Henslite) of the 60s you may even see a "Candy Cane" type bias which swings more then today's Bowls.

As per the photo of the bowls (right) we see three different bowl's Bias and two Manufacture. (white Aero and Black Henslite). The Narrow Bias bowl (white) will have some bend but only about 4 to 6 inches and not finish. This bowl of Aero is usually a good bowl for a lead as no bowls are yet on the green to prevent a direct line to the jack. The brown bowl (top) with two lines is a Medium Bias and if you look at a Bias chart for the manufacture this bowl's line will be what is shown. It has some finish. The Black bowls (bottom) with three "Bias Lines" show a more wider swing as the shoulder swings almost a foot to 18 inches of the center line. Also with a green of good speed (16-10) or an indoor carpet it will have a good finish curve as it stops.

Below is photo of my grip which is not standard because of muscle changes from Archery over many years. The white lines drawn on the photos is to indicate the bowl is in it correct line of delivery.  The edges of the bowl or the nipples or sides of the bowl should be such they parallel the sides of the arm. The photo below show the delivery grip I had to adapt and use for a smooth delivery. It is to indicate that without changing everything in a student or new members delivery style; a good delivery is possible.

 Also a photo of my 1/3 off- bias delivery grip. The 1/3 makes reference to what part of the bias which is being removed by the delivery. One third of the total length to the jack is not much of an "off-bias" and the bowl will roll of the mat with very little wrobble. But there is still some bias in the "Straight" of the bias.  

Where  the wobble and action of the "Off-Bias" Draw is noticable is on a 2/3 Off-Bias draw (not shown). Here you will see the wrobble more as the bowl rolls up the green. A 1/3 off-bias would be used for a shorter jack, and a 2/3 Bias Draw for a longer distance to the jack. The greater the noticable wobble the more delivery weight that will be lost. You will see the bowl  roll almost straight and then take the last two parts of the Bias after nearing the jack.. A full off-bias delivery (3/3 of the distance is all the way to the "Jack"; and is usually used for "Runners" and very heavy takeout shots. Remember, the bowls Bias starts at a very slow speed and with a runner it will spend all it green time attempting to re-dress to the standing Bias position. 

In Video of "Heavy Over-Draws" you will often hear the expression of "Let your Bowl Work the Bias" which is very important in planning a "Off-Bias Draw". It is certain in times of slow greens (spring, Rain, Dew,etc) the "Finish of the Bowl" will be very little as a good "Finish need time to work"  which will only happen on a fast green. Bowls is a "Draw, Draw Game" and these once in a difficult time performance skills are there when you find that everything else has failed. A good smooth roll delivery is always the best results to be expected.

 Very Strange stats yesterday.. Glad someone is asking the right questions.