Google Ai clean up Nov 11.
A Novice's Journey Toward Self-Awareness
The Novice who is ready for their next step toward the podium will stand like this lone tree (photo above) on a lawn bowling green, watching their bowl follow its "Bias line" to the jack. As their bowl stops in the head, they will see a performance as bright as these autumn colours, feeling "Alone" yet filled with a beautiful self-awareness of the shots they tried and made. This two-part blog will map out that journey over the many years ahead. Some readers will read this now and plan changes for later, while others—who have been travelling this path for many years—now need only a little help to complete the transition successfully.
Year-End Reflections and Asking the Right Questions
As the Lawn Bowls season ends, most of our members have completed another year of play. I say most, because some took a month off for a travel vacation, while others, like myself, have been off the greens due to an accident. Regardless, as the year-end approaches, many of us seek out the more experienced players to ask meaningful questions.
Last week, a club member with a very well-developed delivery asked me a common question: "What Line do 'YOU' take?" This member, who has won many competitions in a similar sport (curling), was on the green practising when I arrived. He listed several points of reference and even gave examples of his understanding of Muscle Memory. After several minutes, when he inquired about the performance of our best provincial elite, I shared a bit of what is in these two blogs. I replied that this individual—who has only a five-second delay between picking up his bowl and delivering it—does not take a line at all, but simply sees where he wants it to go and bowls.
The Value of Post-Novice Coaching
Since I recently changed clubs, I do not yet know if my new club offers Post-Novice instruction at the end of the season. Offering Post-Novice courses to advancing members as the season wraps up is crucial for helping them plan for the coming year. If they had a good season, they are already thinking about what they could improve if the season were longer. For the first time in many years, our Provincial Organization promoted three-hour seminars led by an elite player. Armed with these new ideas, the serious player will plan for the year ahead. However, if this season was just a repeat of the last few years with no major growth, that player might consider trying another sport next spring.
Moving Your checking "Line" to a "Pre-Shot"
Because this club member's inquiry happened before the seminar date, I did not reply with a question of my own: "Which Line? Do you mean Line of Aim, Bias Line, or Body's Directional Line?" Sometimes, when advanced players ask such questions, they are referring to a "Pre-Mat Routine Line." Seldom, however, have I heard anyone ask about what these two blogs will discuss: "Pre-Shot," and how "Line" becomes a part of a "Pre-Shot."
To some readers, perhaps yourself, this topic may not align with where you are in your current Bowls development. Not ready for this yet? That is fine. What this blog aims to do is map out a path of development where "Pre-Shot" is the final stage—a stage we will all eventually become ready to develop.
The Five Sections of the Delivery Routine
So, what is "Pre-Shot"? In their beginning years, many club members ask "which line is best" because they have tried several and ended up returning to what they were doing before. They are not looking for an advanced bowls development answer; they simply want an opinion on what you are using.
Perhaps this blog is something to save for later development if your delivery has not yet become a multi-tasking routine that is perfected and left to Muscle Memory. Actually, the delivery routine can be divided into five sections. Over the coming years, you will move closer to using the most important of these five sections: the "Pre-Shot." This is a part of your delivery routine which eventually becomes just a few seconds, right before "Muscle Memory" is instructed to takes over, used to quickly verify your delivery's variable like direction and weight.
Each of us, in seeking to perfect our delivery, should place these five sections into our long-term development plan, even if the Pre-Shot and Post-Shot are years away. This is not a plan for next year alone, but for several years into the future, as mental and physical improvements work together toward that tight "Dead Draw" or "Perfect Roll." to the jack.
Sometimes, it is best to wait a few more years before attempting the major changes suggested in this blog. If you cannot yet imagine "Dropping the Aiming Line" and trusting your "Muscle Memory," it is okay to simply be aware of the concept and wait. As another Bowls season passes, you will gradually realize how important that few-second "Pre-Shot" is to your delivery and overall performance.
Evolution From Novice to Post-Novice
New Members, or "Novices" learning to bowl, need a specific direction of Aim to roll their bowl. As they learn how to deliver the Lawn Bowl and watch it bend toward the "Centre Line," managing both weight and line is already a lot to perfect.
However, more experienced members with three or four seasons under their belts—whom we often call "Post-Novice"—are still trying to figure out the best "Line of Aim." This blog explains how bowlers (including the Post-Novice reader) will eventually abandon the "Line of Aim" and learn to rely on Muscle Memory performance and delivery. Once we have used the same bowls for a few seasons, we advance beyond the crutch of "Line Aiming." Instead, we actually see or visualize our bowl's bias bringing it from our delivery back to the "Centre Line."
What Experienced Readers Are Searching For
Even my 232,725 blog views show that readers' topic choices shift as the bowls season ends,(or begins as in Australia) trending more toward subjects for Advanced Members (AMem). After several months of rolling bowls, their focus turns to "what to work on next," and they search online for answers to the questions.
The photo of Blog Stats (above) shows an increased interest in topics like Wind, "Green Speed," and "Conditions of Play," alongside performance techniques like "Walking the Mat," using your Natural Delivery distance, and adding or taking off "Delivery Weight." After several years of bowling—and shifting their "Line" from the "Distance Bank" to a "Spot on the green," or even the "Bias Curve's Shoulder"—these players are looking for a better way.
Why Post-Novice Development Matters
If you have NOT been rolling bowls for more than three years, this lengthy blog may make no sense to you. It is intended for more experienced members, and to a beginner, it might just sound like someone rambling on about LaWn bowls ('LaWN' being my acronym for the three-second Delivery). During these closing months of the season, many of the better clubs begin offering Post-Novice coaching and courses. If your club start lawn bowls with someone with no prior knowledge of bowls and only offers them coaching during their first year; I am sure they also experience a significant loss of membership with every new season.
Over those first four or five years, as newer members hear people talk about "Muscle Memory" and how a delivery becomes instinctive, they begin asking more serious questions. While they have been busy developing their delivery, they have also progressed to participating in one or two serious competitions. By playing alongside better athletes, they are now ready to understand what truly makes a top Lawn Bowls player.
Bridging the Gap From Novice to Competitive Athlete
Although an old photo taken many years ago, it clearly does not depict a beginner's clinic, but rather a "Post-Novice" discussion and game study. Here in Canada, players with three to five years of experience are still officially classified as "Novices," with special competitions designed to let them compete against peers at the same level. At this stage, advancing players are actively fine-tuning their mechanics, picking up "Performance Tricks," and learning how to break their delivery down into distinct, purposeful routines.
Structuring Your Routines and Mental Focus
For a bowler with several years of experience, Post-Novice courses are of major importance because they introduce the concept of breaking a single delivery down into distinct, purposeful "Routines." By using each preliminary routine to properly prepare before stepping up, your actual time on the mat becomes dedicated solely to executing a "Perfect Delivery." At this stage in your career, you have likely heard discussions surrounding mental restraints, concentration, focus, and the need for positive self-talk—all critical questions that experienced players must learn to answer for themselves.
Decoding the "LaWn" Pre-Shot Routine
Mastering these subtle mental adjustments represents a more advanced side of "LaWn Bowls," where every small detail directly impacts your final delivery performance. Even "LaWn"—my acronym for the three-second "Pre-Shot" thinking routine—assigns a specific meaning and level of importance to each of its four parts, indicated by capitalization:
- L (Line): Capitalized because establishing your line is more critical than what comes immediately after.
- a (Apply): Lowercase because it represents what you are attempting to apply—a fleeting thought that may not even consciously register at that moment.
- W (Weight): Capitalized because judging and committing to the proper weight remains essential to the shot.
- n (now): Lowercase because the trigger to release the thought and bowl "now" is deeply personal and unique to every individual.
Just like the teams in the photo on the right—and just as we still see today—players often linger on the green after a match to place bowls and hold long "Team Discussions." These post-game "Skip Talks," alongside formal club coaching seminars, are invaluable learning opportunities for Post-Novice members to understand shot selection and strategy.
Once you are ready to drop the beginner's crutch of a "Point of Aim" line, your next step is to structure your time on the green around three foundational phases: the "Pre-Mat Routine," the "Delivery," and the "Post-Mat Routine." Mastering these three ensures that your time on the mat is dedicated solely to executing a "Perfect Delivery," without yet worrying about the split-second mental triggers that come later in your career.
Expanding Into the Five Routines
For the seasoned athlete with another five years of competitive experience under their belt, their delivery evolves from these three routines (the Pre-Mat, Delivery, and the Post-Mat) to also integrate two new parts to their Delivery Routine;. The "Pre-Shot" and the "Post-Shot." Over the coming years addressing several mental actions, these two actions will eventually develop into a rapid, three-to-five-second mental part of your delivery.
At the Post Novice level of your career, you have likely encountered discussions around mental restraints, focus, concentration, and positive self-talk. The corrective actions to these mental interference to Muscle Memory are addressed and evaluated in the Pre-Shot and Post-Shot part of delivery. In advanced Lawn Bowls, every subtle mental "Cue" directly impacts your physical execution. and in Part 2 I will explain a TicTax Video of "Wall Touch or not" which show you how our subconscious is always doing something it should not. Correction of these actions before Delivery and their presence being detect in the Post-Shot is important.
Yes, we are aware of many of these mental interruptions to our delivery, and we find ourselves using the period of time between the Post Mat analysis and waiting for the next Pre-mat Preparation routine to try to address them. Although we learn Positive Self-talk or breathing exercise as performance mental aids; before going to the mat we still need the Pre-Shot mental checklist as part of our Muscle Memory delivery. As we continue to analysis and identification the many interference in our delivery and communicate to the subconscious; we perfect what we can do with the conscious and subconscious mind.
Where the Pre-shot and Post-shot are mental actions immediately before and after releasing the bowl. these two short mental (thought actions) periods allowing an athlete to know and control his mental stability. If it is our Muscle Memory performance without interference as it should be; then it is also allowing us to use suggestions or important collected data to improve through practice and game play. Please be amazed as you discover what can be done with our Muscle Memory and subconscious communication.
However, the "Quick Pre-shot/Delivery" does not come over night. The more competitive an individual becomes the more likely team sport psychologists will be involved, especially if you andvance and become part of your countries National teams.
The three to five seconds "Pre-Shot checklist" has it's importance because if you linger too long with some types of thoughts before delivery; your conscious mind steps in and attempts to micromanage your concerns. We learn to let "Muscle Memory." uses Pre-Shot thoughts strictly as quick reminders to your subconscious, and to let the Post-Shot feelings be a review of performance. Quick thoughts which never become conscious instructions dictating your muscles performances will make an instinctive "See and Place" Delivery.
Discovering the "Post-Shot" Feelings
Once your Pre-Shot "LaWn" thinking is complete and the "N" of "Now Deliver" has approved your Muscle Memory performance; the subconscious has taken over and your next thought is feeling the return of Conscous thought as you see your bowl on its way up the green. Now, immediately upon release, you are entering your three-to-five-second "Post-Shot" (or Post-Delivery) period of thought. This brief window is developed though practice following your Pre-shot and is vital because it is the few moments when you can physically feel many feelings - good or bad - about the delivery you just executed. These feelings might indicate errors made (balance etc) or give confidence of a well performed Muscle Memory Delivery. Following the Post-Shot few seconds your Post Delivery should be to watch carefully and read you bowl's performance for the next 10 to 15 seconds of it roll to it stop. (these 15 to 18 seconds are your green speed which in the past was wasted as you waited for your bowl to stop it roll)
An "Elite" in his Post-Shot Thinking
To see just how fleeting and decisive this Pre-Shot window is at the highest level, I have taken four screenshots at the end of this blog from the YouTube video of the
2025 Musgrave Easter Open Singles between Ryan Bester and Michael Burgess. As we watch Ryan Bester's decision-making process, which clearly illustrates why the Pre-Shot wanted action ("A") and Line ("L") and Weight ("W") must be no more than a micro-second thought. Also, a good decision and Muscle Memory execution of a difficult shot require confidence in one self. There is no doubt that Ryan Bester has that confidence.
The decision of the shot was made as Ryan walked back up the green to the mat and his Pre-Shot communication confidence, which was right before Muscle Memory; took over to perform the shot. Also from the screen shots at the end of the blog, we see the danger of what a bad decision or a "Pre-Shot interruption" would have cause in the bowl's roll. Even a miss is acceptable because the decision and Pre-Shot had allowed for "Percentage" of what might have happen and if it was acceptable chance and percentage.
So we see in this 2025 Singles game how a "Pre-Shot" "Action" ("a" in LaWN) is a small thought after all the Post-Mat analysis (and the in-the-head analysis) was finished. The photos (edited screen shots) at the end of this blog show Ryan's shot decision
Post-Mat Analysis and Shot Decision
.Why the Post-Mat Analysis ? During the previous deliveries, Ryan watch his bowl rolled to the head and he collected (conscious or subconsciously) information about the green speed and other playing surface facts. You collect it consciously when you watch and analysis and the subconscious collects it because after years of practice collecting it know to watch and read. Yes the subconscious does it own adjustment as you will see in Part 2 with the ""Wall Touch or not" subconscious analysis. He was seeing and the subconscious was collecting it as data to be used with the next shot. When he was visiting the head and as he did his "Head Analysis" for his next shot; he saw the head as he saw it with his "A" of "LAWN" asf what was possible. His thinking was done when he was collecting the head and bowls information. He could see the danger of what a mistake would do and so Ryan saw, not only how to play the shot in a safe manner, but also how not to be too loose with his "L" (Line) and give away 4 shots to Michael Burgess, his opponent.
The subconscious saw and remember all these thoughts because of Ryan's mental practice and visual (or audio) collected data during his pass practice and games. It all lead to his decision for a narrow a line and his self-confidence. It there was something in the green's effect on his bowl's roll, he was confidence he had considered it and his "Percentage of shot" was such that he had confidence in his Muscle Memory performance.
All of this analysis was following his prevous delivery and his visit to the head after his opponent's bowl and is called "Post-Mat Analysis,"; but after his return to do his delivery, he removed his thoughts of his visit to the "Lawn Bowl Head", When he is on the mat doing his Pre-mat Routine before delivery, and before doing his Pre-Shot; he had all mental skills in balance. His "Action" or expected shot was now just a thought as if he was at the club doing a practice. Remember, without the conscious mind interruption the subconscious would play back all the previous thoughts and know what was expected. His "A" was an image of seeing the bowl touching the bowl as he wanted or a or miss.
I once did a shot like this in a money competition and Scotty my partner said, "If you can do a shot like that you can do anything" to which I reply "The delivery was good". I was simply saying that Muscle Memory had performed as it should. Doesn't always but sometime it does.
The 4 screen shots of Ryan Bester's decision are at the end of the blog; but this example is only to show how important the "Pre-Shot" must be only a micro-second thought before Muscle Memory Delivery performs the shot.
So we see in this 2025 Singles game how a "Pre-Shot" "Action" ("a" in LaWN) is a small thought after all the Post-Mat analysis (and the head analysis) was finished. The end of blog photos are placed to show the decision of Ryan's shot. During the Post-Mat Analysis as his previous bowl rolled to the head, Ryan learned information about the green speed and other playing surface facts. When in the head he did an analysis of what he could do; and he sees the danger of a mistake. Ryan saw not only how to play the shot in a safe manner but also how not give away 4 shots to his opponent, Michael Burgess with too narrow a line or green effect on his bowl's roll.
All this was what is called "Post-Mat Analysis", and Ryan's shot decision of seeing the possible shot of removing the one bowl of Michael, which is shot that with luck might be more than a single shot gained. He felt that with a lucky rebound his bowl could remove the other bowl to give himself 4 points. However, he also saw that if his line is wrong (photo #4) he could be sending the jack back for a lost of 4 points. So his decision is "Better to be wide than to be too narrow" (my self I would be visualizing the target bowl as a flat clock and wanting to hit the bowl at "7 o'clock".
As Ryan walks back to the mat for his delivery his mental focus is positive and confidence and without doubt of his decision. Players who know and understand Muscle Memory and subconscious communication knows that these thought during the walk prepare for the "Pre-Shot". They know that on the mat a long thought of the action to be attempted would invite the conscious mind to get involved. He has everything right as he steps to the mat (Mental and physical) and does his few second "Pre-Shot" where he know the action ("a") is a remainder to play safe and his Delivery will be perfect.
Myself, being visual and not auditive in nature, I would simply think of "image of a clock at 7 O'clock" (The auditive individual may think "7") and move immediately to "W" (weight) and NOW (delivery). Most important that thought of the "action wanted", if it is part of the "Pre-Shot", is only a split second image and is a remainder to the subconscious "better wide". So Ryan does his quick delivery with "Line" ok, "Action" ok Weight and Now. (LaWN) The screenshot image (photo above) has at the end of the blog, 4 other screen shots; which helps the reader better understand the thought..(skip there now to understand).
The "Post-Novice player, will at this point in their development, no longer just be learning to bowl or do a good Delivery but learning skills of mental control. Sometime our personal character has an influence on our performance and to go further in our self-perfection we look "Inward". The best we can be may mean handling more than just some sort of distractions. (like fear of Losing). On Youtube, a sport psychologist Eli Straw has over 150 short videos on many mental problems like a quick "Reset of your Mindsets" after a bad performance or game.
An extra few screen shots at the blog end will give as example above of the Too Long a Thought during the game of Ryan Bester explained abovein the example above.
I will say that now over 80, that in all my bowls performance during a big competition game; now I find that all this detail thinking is just too much for a 2 hour game.
Yes, the habit of step-by-step is still there but not for a two hour game. Sometime in Pairs, I will do a two-bowl Complete "Five Point Delivery" and the remaining two other bowls during that end will be a "let it happen" Delivery. The question then becomes which of the four bowls are most important.
You are learning to build a confidence performance with a structure like "Shot Routine" with "Pre-shot" and "Post-Shot" thoughts and actions. This detail and basic instruction of the two "Shot Routine" is probably what you sometimes do already. But now every time you go to the mat these two extra thought and action routines are a part of your Delivery. The "Pre-Shot" just prior to instruction you instinctive Delivery and the "Post- Delivery Routine" consisting of a "Post-Shot" collection of feelings and the "Post-Mat" Routine being your thoughts and feelings as you wait for your next delivery.
A normal weekly (7 days) Viewer/Reader Stats as the end of the month arrives.
As it took several years to get that near perfect performance it will take several years to fine-tune it or sand-off the rough mental edges.. Enjoy the game.. Practice at Practice Sessions not during games.
Ryan saw the shot and analysis when he was in the head. As he walked to the mat he thought of the danger if he is too narrow. So he had decided to accept a miss wide then the error too narrow and give up 4 points. His Pre-Shot was seeing his bowl (orange) as a clock and wanting to hit it at 7 o'clock. The shot being tried (#2) is to roll the bowl of the jack and get shot but if a bit wider could rebound onto the other brown and give himself 4. Certainly can't draw for shot so accept to miss and give up one or try the tap-back and hope on a rebound to push the 2nd bowl a few feet to count the front bowls.
Actually the final shot as seen in the video of the 5th end was to pass in the hole between his bowl and the 2nd brown bowl of Michael.
The danger was if too narrow he would have hit Michael bowl and thrown the jack back toward the re-spot. You see only 3 brown bowls because Michael has a bowl near the re-spot mark. This is call playing the percentage. Accept the miss rather than narrow and make a mistake.
In preparation for Part 2 I would like to leave here an idea. A kindergarden teacher showing a child to multiply 7x8 will first show how to say or see it and the result. Example "Seven times eight is 56", Here is the same "When on the mat, "Line ok?, Attempted shot, Weight needed, Now (release)", but because I am visual in nature I see those four things. Same as I have shown, a fast (3 to 5 second) Pre-shot.Next blog I will show you how you get to that point on each of the three parts of the "LaWN" Pre-shot. (the "a" is not always implied as it is just a remainder thought).
So how does the teacher probably explained her math to the child ? They probably start simple. with "8" and "0" is "80". which is 8x10 times. but it is not "10" it is "7" or 3 number less. My self with my grandkids I would make 8 lines of 3 black pennies on the table and have them count them. Of course, they would then tell me it was "24" pennies. I would then explain "ok the "80" less "20" is "60" and "60" less "4" is "56"." With one grandchild which does not accept everything made me had to put out "8" lines of "7" pennies. She took time to count them. and as she was in a minute of deep thought I said. "which is easlier the total counting of "56" or the counting "24"? This will be important in Part 2.
In the second part of this blog, after I having explained briefly the five parts of the Delivery Routine quickly; as well as how each country has a different way of their teaching Lawn Bowls to new members. In some elite athletes from Australia, we longer Pre-shot as Preparation to find the "W" of weight having a "multi arm swing" to feel the "Delivery Weight". In dealing with the Post-Shot feelings and "Post-Mat Routine" (after your Delivery), I will show the "Post-shot" feelings, the "Post Mat Routine", the "Post Mat Psychologic Healing" and even "The Head visit" Routine".
