Rain and Wind Bowls Play 2/2 (NMem)

Updated March 14,2026 

As mention in the first of these two blogs, the  similarity between condition of play for rain and for days of a strong wind address the same problems a Lawn Bowls athletic must work to overcome.  As often said in these blogs. There are three aspects of Lawn Bowls perfection. Delivery development ( Line, Weight and Bowls), Mental Development (Focus, Muscle Memory and Game strategy) and last  Condition of Play (what nature give us as a new day)

Condition of play involves the speed of the green, the equipment used (type of bowls) and the difficulty which the environment offers. All of these will influence the game as we develop our perfect delivery, choose the various type of bowls and equipment and build through practice an instinctive performance. But what we can not control is  the weather unless we decide to alway do indoor bowls. 

 We would all love to go to the club on a nice sunny day and roll bowls, but when a competition of major level of players is scheduled; we often find the conditions of play very demanding as we can not order the weather as we would like for that important game.

As  I would like to finish an important aspect of Bowls in the rain by bring forward a previous August 2012 blog and  for a bit discuss some problems or nightmare of Lawn Bowls in the Rain. Before Covid (2020 to 2022) most Canadian club executives and green keepers were concern for the large size debits made in the greens by new members learning to bowl, but in money competitions players bowled an open green.

2024 photo of Club practice

The blog  was written 6 years before the Covid, and at a time when we saw "Protective Screens"being only used in Club games for Coaching. But with COVID and clubs losing volunteer, their Green Committees in trying to keep clubs with playable greens, continued to use the screens during major money competition.

 Even today in some parts of Canada, (Here in Montreal Quebec) ; the "Protective screens are still used. In the blog we see a reference to "Lonnie" size debits and suggestion that during rain condition of play; one should be concern for their best delivery style.  (Lonnie is the name of the Canadian dollar coin because the image a Canadian bird, called a Loon, on the coin face and "Lonnie Size Debits" is still a expression hear at clubs and competitions).

Updated Blog of August 2012 "Rain and Green Debits" deeply editted.

The nightmare of Lawn Bowls in the Rain is not the wet clothes but the wet greens and the "Lonnie" size Debits.  
There are two basic debits types   Those caused by the dropping of the bowl at the front of the mat, and those caused by not bending low enough and thus having a long throwing bounce at about 3 feet from the mat..  Both cause damage to the green because the bowl is not rolling as it hits the green and then the surface of the green is use to begin the bowl's rolling movement.

   A good delivery will have a finger flick or the bowl will roll of the finger. This  type delivery will make the bowl roll before it  hits the green.  Otherwise, the soft wet green will be one debit for each bowl delivered. (With 100 rolls per team even 20% bad delivery mean 20 or 30 debits at both end of the rink)

 On rainy days, the player's thought is, "I am short because of the rain" so we throw the bowl (not roll it) harder and  hear someone say "oh a debit" and we think "Oh  that happens because of the wet green". 

And because we know why, we easily forget that last bowl and it debit, as others are rolled and new debits made. Immediately instruct your self of the  need for a smooth rolling delivery, and be concern for the green.  Remember, when you need to catch your balance after a heavy delivery and a  "long stride" delivery that the side of your footwear may causes quite ugly debits. 

Henselite #5

WHAT CAN YOU DO ??  

 First, if you have more than one set of bowls, use the smaller bowls as you will find  a better grip and delivery easier when your hands are wet. If you Bowls  have "grips" it may help you to grip better, but also it may cause bad debits when you have one of those off-bias rolls because of forcing your delivery. (Update added) The photo right is a #5 by Henselite from the 1960's and the bowl's grip is less than you will find today on 2025 bowls (end)   

Use a different type of Gripoo.. (there is a sticky wet weather type)  If Gloves are allowed... try those Kitchen rubber gloves with grip ridges.  Maybe even change your grip... The Claw grip requires your finger grip the bowl where cradle grip requires a  rolling bowl movement.

Second, Move the mat a lot. It does not need to be always at the same placement. When the mat stays at the 2 meter mark and end after end replaced to the same spot it can cause damage.  A lead, when laying down the mat, should look at the delivery area of the green where the bowls will be deposited.  Remember, you may have left handed team member.

 And Third, although, we do not want to tell an opponent that they have made a bad debit; we can still before rolling our bowl, walk forward and repair that last debit. (Just a light foot push back of that crescent moon shape grass rolled out) This will show the player their debit and eventually the repaired debits will recover.  Rather than close our eyes to opponents marking debits, if we repairs that last debit made by the opponent; it shows and tell them to be careful. 

  Strange, in Petanque, the french sport of throwing and rolling the metal balls to the jack, rules prevent a player from arranging the receiving area of their delivery but a players is allowed to fixing the last debit made. (The game is play in sand or gravel so the full moon indent is best fixed before your ball rolls over it).

 Interesting fact of Boccie, the Italian bowls game now being played in the 2012 London Paralympics games  this week.(August 2012) Players can have different hardness of balls in their six balls team group. Soft balls for hard to remove when hit and once at the jack and hard balls for those throwing shots which will be a slam takeouts. That year British boccia player David Smith took Gold I believe.

(End of 2012 Blog)..

Returning to Bowls and condition of play with Wind.  The last month blog  Analysis 2026 Australia Classic Singles (Info)  has a good video commentator about the choice of Bowls for windy conditions of play. The final is played by two of the best (World bowls Ranking ) players and Irish Gary Kelly as tech commentator is # 6 WB ranking. At the video 7-7 Gary explains why the choice of the narrow bias bowl by Corey Wedlock (# 2 ranking WB) is an advantage where there is such a heavy cross wind.

Bowls with wind behind mat

In the Atlantic International Challenge which happen last summer in Windsor Canada and brought together Scotland, England, United States and Canada we see a strong wind behind the mat and bowlers bowling into that wind. The photo right show the  bowls placement in the head when the wind was face on or east to west (see the flags behind the players) and the photo below show the bowls in the head when the wind was  west to east (behind the bowlers)  A  completely different collection of bowls in the head at these two back to back ends. The players found with the wind behind them that the bowls were blown off line more than the bowling heavier bowls (into the wind) which stopped quickly without much bias.

A May 2, 2021 blog titled "Bowls in New Zealand Wind (AMem) has a good insight into how the wind can change the bowl's bias. But as noted by the (AMem) classification this blog was intended for Advance players who have a good Muscle Memory and are still developing advance aspects of it  Some of my ideas are so badly expressed the an un experience bowler might see them in a manner as too much detail for a beginning lawn bowler.

Bowls with Wind behind Lawn Bowler's Mat

 From this point on this blog touches on more advance information as in the following paragraph I will discuss how the wind affect the bowl's bias. Discussing how a Bowl is today constructed and depending upon the curvature of the running surface, how the bowl's bias  will  defines the bowl's "finish" bending; is too detail for the beginning years of Lawn Bowls.

Another Lawn Bowls Blogger "The Greens Bowler" who as a retired scientist does a mathematical description of a Bowl's Bias with diagrams and mathematical equations. His blog objective is to explain why the bowl keeps the same bias as the mat is moved forward. The reason is your delivery weight. So if the mat moved up making a shorter jack, and therefore forces you to delivery with less weight; then the bias which starts to be performed at it normal Bias starting speed;  as the bowl is rolling slower it starts it bias sooner with the less weight and will perform the same as the longer distance.

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

 I once had an old set of "woods" which has such a wide bias and finish curve that it seem to hock like a walking cane handle. Actually place your bowl on a hardwood or tile floor with a very small movement and you will find it actually doing a complete circle before it fall to its side.

In the photo above, I have marked the bowls of the "Lead" (L), 2nd, and Skip and there is an interesting study of the photograph's bowls. The Skip's forehand delivery we see the bowl keeping its bias (and standing still) while the Skip's Backhand (near the Jack) has almost fallen over. (because of the wind and slow green 12.8 seconds). The same with the two bowls of the third (in the square box) the bowl have a different stopped standing bias because of the player's forehand/backhand  delivery.

Let now understand this as to how the wind affect the bowl during it's roll. A fellow bowler said to me "Don't tell me that with the weight of the bowl, the wind is going to push the bowl over and off line". No, the bowl is not pushed over. but on a narrow running surface it is pushed enough to actually go to the 2nd curve surface and that start of the bias will pull the bowl off it's delivery line. On a wide running surface or narrow bias the 1st and 2nd surfaces are almost as if only one running surface; (the bowl is like a car tire with the running surfaces together wide and flat like) and will roll straight until the last minute before falling.

 Like Clark, In the blog of the mathematical study (above link) the author, if he had continued his study he would have found that for each 2nd running surface of a lesser distance from the main running surface you would have a quicker change in the bowl's Bias. (start to change it's direction of roll).  If a wide bias bowl (narrow running surface) is pushed a bit by the wind its small main running surface shifts to the 2nd surface as the wind  push the bowl to start its Bias sooneer then with no wind .

 In the above photo there is a small cross wind although  the wind is basicly from behind, you see how the bowl has a completely different curve finish for each delivery hand.   You can almost tell if the bowls are wide or narrow bias by how the bowl stopped or fell over (came to rest on the slow green). Compare this to a strong cross wind like the  suggested viewing Video of the New Zealand game in a strong wind.  A lot to think about, maybe too detail. Certainly not the detail for a beginning lawn bowler and maybe even not a subject for an elite who simply thinks. "Play into the wind push with wide bias" to push the bowl back straight and "Play with the wind's assistance to increase the bias of the bowl."

Because we must change the "Delivery Line" to allow the wind to change the bowl's bias, (more or less) I have over the years developed a "Oof-bias Draw" delivery for the wind. Normally "Off-bias" grip on the bowl is used in "Runner" deliveries, but with practice you can take a lot of speed of a "Draw" Delivery.

 The advantage is that with the extra delivery speed needed on the "Off-Bias" Draw one finds that  the Bowl's Straight Line part of the Bias is extended beyond where the bias starts (its "Belly") and allows for getting around blocks or pass "Falls" in the Green. 

Interesting week of Stats on my blogs.  0ver 4000 read visit a week.

Stats of 2 week period March 2026

Update March 20, 2026  -  Of interest on World Bowls participation of Blog readers is this following Blog Stat of 2018. When Blogger started by Google it was concern to supply the blog creator the knowledge of what blogs were of interest and the country from where the visitor came.  Also in the graph of usage it does for each viewer an indication of how many blogs that visitor/reader visited during that visit.

End of March Stats

 (Finish Cleanup and Update. except to date the above blogs.. March 14/2026)

.

Blog Stats in April 2018 (good detail)

Rain and Wind - Bowls Play 1/2 (NMem)

This blog is a redo of starting to blog in August 2012, wanting to help on knowing how to judge the Green's speed in "Rainy" play condition.

The best of Canada and United States with windy conditions

I  It can be difficult to know what effect rain, whether heavy rain or light drizzle; has on our Delivery..  But there are tricks which used wisely will allow your first bowl as lead, to be on or near the jack. I have combined this blog with another on Windy conditions of play because if the video  of the last blog was watched; we see those Australian elite players doing many of the same things suggested in this blog. Wind and Rain conditions of play require the same delivery calculation and mental discipline.

First, if you are rolling  the jack to start the end of play, you have a sort of "Green Testing" opportunity. Certainly,  the skip's requested distance is your objective, your efforts and how they are affected by the rain or water on the green; can tell you a lot of how the speed of the green has changed.

Normally. as a lead with a good ability to roll to the skip's  foot, your "Jack roll" should not be modified for the conditions of the rain. Thinking of a heavier roll because it is in the rain, is a "Buzz kill", If you want to know the speed of a car you compare it to something going at a speed you know. Your own speed as it passes you. Likewise, rather than change the "Jack Roll" for the rain, do a normal effort to deliver it to the skip's foot. If the jack has stops 3 to 4 meters short this is a gauge of how much the conditions of play affect your roll. Not just your "Jack Roll" but also your "Bowl Roll".

First, your subconscious mind knows that the conditions of play will slow the "Jack roll" and when you attempted to roll to the skip's foot, it will instinctively made an adjustment. But this lost of distance which happens is the "Error of Subconscious correction" which occurs even after your subconscious mind has done a heavier "Jack Roll". 

BumBum, a friends pet

Unless all the spectators are in the clubhouse, there are others sharing the rain with you. Find things to relax your mind between your deliveries.  Do not rush your game because of the conditions of play which may only mean a lost in "Focus". Keep your mind on the game. Sometimes a thought of something funny like this photo will bring a bright focus into your delivery.

The 3 or 4 meters short of the jack that happen with the "Jack Roll", now allows you to make an adjustment of your Bowl Delivery. Very often we think of an addition and the Muscle Memory of the "Jack Roll" adds something more. Other than thinking where you want your bowl to finish, don't see these calculation as added delivery weight. (think "more weight" is a conscious thought which destroys Muscle Memory performance) The jack may not have lost it distance because of "green speed" but maybe a lost of speed due to other conditions. (wet hands, slippery footing or maybe just discomfort due to the rain).

 
  -  Learn by watching the jack roll each time, whether you are lead, second or mate, because the collective information will be used for all your bowls in this end of play.  Read the "Cock Tail" or standing spray of water behind the jack as it rolls. It will indicate areas of your green which have more water than other areas.

An Australian Finals

The higher spray of water behind the jack is because it is passing through deeper water. The photo (right) is from New Zealand Championship final and within 15 or 20 minutes players were on the green starting their morning game. Good drainage is a major part of a good construction of our playing greens.

The green speed may have changed by what you believe is your bowls "Rain Resistance". Because you have practice in these rain conditions and have build your knowledge of how certain rain conditions will change your "Bowls Speed", Of course your club's green conditions during your practice have given a value. My term for this calculation and measure is "Green Quarter" because I use a thought (image or word) to tell Muscle Memory my expected resistance that the rain causes to my bowl roll.

  If you have not rolled previously in the rain you may have to calculate that a wet green requires a certain distance increase in your delivery weight. However, if you have build a "Condition of Play" knowledge base, from information collected from a rainy day "Cock Tail" study: you can  now added to this knowledge your known "Water Resistance" distance increase. 

Pointe Claire LBC after downpour

The photo (right) is the water map of my club last year after a heavy rain fall. It is in my Log Book to remind me of where the green is high and low (now dark area or water soak green)

My calculation adjustment term of "Green Quarter"  is based upon the legal 10 meter distance that a jack can be played. (21m to 33m) Dividing the Hogline Jack to the Max Distance Jack into 4 areas of play. The 1st Quarter (hogline to 23 or 25 meters), Halfway. (26 meters). 3rd Quarter(28, 29 meters) and Full Length (from respot to the Ditch). Also, since we all have weak delivery distances, if you play a "redefined Jack" for a jack distance then add that too to your "over delivery" jack decision.. (redefined jack is playing a visual jack behind or in front of actual jack position because of a condition of play)

The idea of changing your "Jack Distance" is similar to the skip asking for a bowl 1 meter behind the jack. If you need 2 "Green Quarters" adjustment than you are bowling as if the skip is asking for a bowl 2 meters behind the jack. This mental calculation is a "Focus" point because you accept the ability to play to a requested position by the skip and as your accept the skip's knowledge you also accept your success or failure of delivery. When your adjustment of weight results in your bowl being on or near the jack; you accept your focus was not lost by questioning the reason for the extra delivery weight.

This stats photo shows how sudden a volume of readers might decide to search or seek out a type of blog information.

Blog Stats days later

Sometime, such volume occurs because at the beginning of a bowl's season a coach suggest a subject and discussion which send students to this blog.

Also sometimes it might be because of the use of a particular word. With Trump again in the news and countries like Russia searching the WWnet for that name; it will result in an increase in blog reader volume stats. Where my blogs are not short, to have over 2000 read/visit in a week may mean hours of bowls knowledge being distributed.

Also, as I have done here by insert photo and stats; sometimes the change of subject is a pause of reader attention and only relax the mind. (take a break). Such pause or break prepares readers to better understand the following text.

If you watch the video suggested in the previous blog on the  2026 Australian Classics Singles game; you will have seen several times Barrie Lester often waiting for the wind to decrease before playing. You can also pause yourself during an increase in the rain volume.  Often we take a pause in play to improve our clothing or get a drink. If you are in a pause it is important you do it by leaving the mat so as not  to affect our delivery or Pre-mat decisions. Standing on the mat drops us out of our "Focus" zone.  In doing a pause, if your Delivery routine had a decision making aspects, then it is necessary to restart your Delivery Routine from the "going to the Mat" step so everything involved, from "Focus" to the instinctive rolling of your bowl can be finished in one complete "Delivery" and you can get out of the rain.

 If you feel guilty doing a pause in your delivery, I suggest you look toward the officials as if to be asking "Are you going to pause the game". The reason for this pause is that prior to coming to the mat (Pre-Mat Routine) you did your calculations and now you are ready to do your delivery to that spot.  Your change in "Focus" by the distraction of the sudden down pour of rain; does not now need you to decide to make an adjustment in the middle of your delivery.

      Under rainy conditions, there are many things that will slow your bowl.  Many new bowlers think that these conditions of play problems  is a "Trail and Error" part of the game of Lawn Bowls.  (Roll the first bowl and see where it goes.. then adjust your delivery  to get closer with idea that by the third bowl you should be on the jack). 

 Can you afford to waste 2 bowls (or 3 in singles) to get one bowl close to the jack.  A  "Trial and Error" approach to your delivery is wrong and you are better to go work in the kitchen or be on the club's Social Committee than be in a Lawn Bowls Competition. Your bowls' "Rule one" is "Every bowl counts" and  your thinking is "My Post Delivery analysis where I am in preparation for the next bowl is where I do thinking and analysis. Like the "Skips Expectation", your expectation of your self and your delivery should be at a high standard.

  Other helpful hints.

  -  Know what effect your raingear has on your delivery. Do you hear the movement of your raingear during your bowl delivery. Does it restrict your movement, balance or even destroy your "Focus".

    - Watch and learn from your opponent. If he/she is has difficulty doing a good  roll to the jack, and their bowl is 3 meters short then you know to add 3 meters for  the jack when you bowl. (Of course, have they that "Trial and Error" attitude ?) If yes, then make no adjustment because the only bowl which matters is their last bowl.  Every bowl you roll matters and your focus and calculation are all good.

 -  Virgin Greens are worst with Rain. A "Virgin Green" is an area of play where no bowl has yet rolled. Often in the first few ends of play or when the jack has been moved away from center line. In rainy conditions your new "Line of Delivery" following a movement of the jack may require a delivery when you do not have the information on the amount of water at various parts of that green on your that line.

 On a "Moved Jack", where possible, change your hand of delivery (forehand/Backhand) so you roll using more of the center of your rink where you have  knowledge of the conditions of play. Remember that previous delivery line have had the water removed from the grass leaves (laid down like which happens with morning dew). If you took an approach line, you can after your opponent has wasted a bowl and shown  the conditions; expect a fruitful delivery. Your "Focus" after "Calculation" in the Pre-Mat Routine is of major important, as to a quick to the mat and bowl because of the disconfort of the rain.

  -  Bias is depend on the speed of the bowl... Faster roll gives less bias,  and be aware that the quick stop of your bowl in rain may mean your bowl has little or no final bend (finish). Your bowls will only swing in the last few meters when it has slowed to  a normal Bias speed.   Even with wide Bias bowls do a narrow line draw for those heavy delivery on rainy greens.

   -  Watch the water spray behind your bowls..  This "Cock tail" will indicate low green areas with more water and if you can avoid them. Decide on your "Point Radius" (how far from the jack and still be a point) which might allow you to change the delivery line or even the Delivery hand (forehand/backhand).

   - Roll the same bias each time.. using the previous line now showing in the wet green. By using the same delivery line your expectation of your delivery will offer more confidence and success.

   - Fast delivery bias (with a finish type bias) greens are found when  the jack is placed around where the mat was previously placed several times; the traffic of  the bowlers as they stood waiting their turn on the mat. (usually behind the mat) packs the green. If your bowl has a wide bias then this trick might mean a proper bias finish.

   -  Listen to your skip.. He may be adjusting for the weight ( by asking for a back bowl) or giving a narrow line (accepting the frontal bowl being a good block on a dangerous "Runner line").

Analysis 2026 Australia Classic Singles (Info)

It is rare that all my blogs and lawn bowls instructions can be grouped into one game's analysis but this happens (January 6,2026)

Players Photo

with the 2026 Australia Classics Singles between Barrie Lester and Corey Wedlock (# 2 World Bowls 2025 Rating). Beside great players, also we have commentators who know their bowls and  their Special Guest commentator Gary Kelly who is one of the world's best players. (#6 World bowls 2025 List)

The first part of a single's game after the trial ends and handshakes is the first bowls of end number one. A great example of how this first bowl is suggested to be played. We see on their first end that they both do a  "foot over weight delivery" with an attempt to do a "Jack Trail". 

 You probably have two questions at this comment. "Why ?" and "Why do I think that was their objective. Is it not better to put the bowl on the jack and pressure on the opponent. ". Yes, true. but a good "Jack Trail" will also have the bowl with the jack.

 First, a single's game is "You and Them" (all those you must play) and if it was just who is the best lawn bowler we can ask the members of the club. But even a beginning bowler who puts thought and planning into his game can win over the best bowler. To do this we must quickly evaluate our opponent and their strength as well as do our best performance. We will make mistakes but so will our opponent.

We learn the the green quickly and our opponent's playing weakness. Starting with the Trial Ends, your opponent has shown you their ability with a jack on centerline. Move the jack on the first end of play and see how your opponent handles that new condition of play. If your opponent cannot handle a moved jack, or "Open Jack"  weakness, an advantage which is best not used until the end game when you want to pick up points. 

Second, Corey is left handed and Barrie is right handed and as per the photo we see that each have chosen to play their backhand. From your "Club Coaching" sessions, we learned that "Backhand" is easier to precisely perform. When Barrie missed his jack and his "Behind the Jack" bowl had stop; we get our first lesson from the video. Why did he miss by so much his weight? The answer might be the wind, because he played "Up-wind" and with changing wind speeds it is possible your bowl is send to it Bias quickly. Maybe the player's intention and his is just learning the wind. 

 Corey probably would have likewise missed the jack except the wind kept his bowl out and on line for a Jack roll. Corey is using a narrow bias bowl which is ideal for windy conditions.

Aero Bias Chart

If neither player had touched the jack, they would both still have had a  good back bowls.  Sometimes a player will change his bowls for the condition of play as we see with Corey who is using a "Aero Dymanic" with a narrow bias probably has an advantage over Barrie who in using a wider "Aero Optima" which has a wider bias. 

This information was asked of the commentator by a viewer (in comments at end 5) because this is part of "Playing the Conditions" and some athletes do watch and learn from these videos. Later following the Mid-game interview where the players mention their different in their Bowl's bias; Gary, the guest commentator takes time to explaining the raison why a player would change their bowl for a windy condition of play. (End 11 with score 7-7)

The photo below shows the frist end play with before and after the jack trail. Photo #1 as Corey's Backhand bowl is about to trail the jack and photo #2 the final jack and bowls position afterwards. Also the photo is a good opportunity to show how to trail the jack by bowling to a "False Jack" but learning it also requires much practice. 

First Bowl of Singles

There are tricks for a toucher, or jack roll and the photo (right) show how these great lawn bowlers (Barrie Lester & Corey Wedlock) do such a shot. So often we see the first bowl of a Single's game played like Barrie's bowl was played here, and so we think "not a great shot". But if we take time to think what it was that the player was trying; we realize it was a hard shot and a good effort. The trick is to know the clock position for the over weight of the bowl being played for the jack Trail, False jack always between 1:30 and 2 or 11:30 and 10 depending on delivery weight. 

These clock number is for my Canadian greens of around 12 seconds meaning not much "Finish". For each reader going to the practice green, they have to find their clock hour for their club's green. Also as the days heat up and greens get faster your specific time for the weight of your delivery will change from month to month,  Practice will define for your % ratio and you will know your percentage of success for different jack distances. 

As your jack distance approaches one of your natural distances for a delivery; you may find a 30% success. (3 out of 10 tries). Success ratio should be defined as toucher or trail Jack. Actually I have seen a 5/10 ratio but practice and pressure of a game play is a lot more on "Focus" and "Stability". Remember, this is a skill and may be used only a few times per season of competitions. Bowls is still a Draw.

Because these players have and use a well developed  "Muscle Memory", they are not thinking of a heavy bowl for a jack roll, because this type if thinking becomes a conscious instruction to the muscles and interrupts the "Muscle Memory". We use a 'False Jack' to allow our Muscle Memory to performance without interruption because a 'false Jack' is like a 'block' simply a bowl placement without an instructive thought. As seen in the photo (above) which shows "False Jack" at 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock this trick allows your bowl's finish to move the jack, If you are bowling to a position, False Jack or Block, your  Muscle Memory just doing a delivery. 

By playing with a foot or two heavy we get a jack roll and if we play toward those "False Jack" the "Muscle Memory" adding weight asneeded for a toucher or jack roll. However, a different time (10:30) is needed for wind as a cross wind increases the roll to the jack after the bowl has passed the shoulder of the delivery.  (Play to a jack 10 inches heavy at those positions) I used the word "Trick" for this performmance because we have tricked our "Muscle Memory" into performing what they want, In any modified delivery if we don't want to interrupt 'Muscle Memory' by thinking  a muscle instruction to the conscious mind we must trick the subconscious mind like with false locations of where we want the bowl. This will even work with wind but you have to learn about wind on your bowl. A strong wind will stop your bowl from taking bias. Most changes in bowl direction are done in the shoulder and finish. The hardest adjustment for win is a 45degree as it has increase distance and swing. Practice and learn.

In viewing good Youtube game videos it is important to have good game announcers as with this Single game. The three game commenators are Peter Susovich, Sammy Atkinson and Gary Kelly, and they offer excellent detail evaluation of the players' abilities and performances. Gary Kelly who is from Ireland but living and playing Bowls in Australia has made the top 10 of the "2025 Male Player". In the over 5000 players listed, including the "2025 Female Player"  List, you will be surprise of whom from your country is listed. Hell, I played last summer a Club Single's game and my opponent is in the top 100. With Youtubes now catching most every countries competition you can now know and watch your best players on the internation scene.

In an earlier blog I said that there are three conditions which influences our Lawn Bowl performance. "Delivery" (Muscle Memory and Line) Mental Strength (Focus, Zen, and Knowledge) and Conditions of Play. This Single's game is a great teacher of "Condition of play" as we see by the photo (right) Corey Wedlock checking the wind with his bowl wipe towel prior to his delivery or maybe he is waiting for the wind to decrease in strength. Remember, a different level of wind, means a different line for that strength of wind. The video sound is bad because of the wind on the announcer's mike. 

 The photo (right) suggest a blog written in June 2019 about playing with wind. "Natural Distance Bowls and the Wind" suggest if you are going to study the effect of a windy day you should practice or study at your natural distance. Someone once said to me in a course that the bowls are so heavy that the wind will not affect them that much. This is not true but you should know how to check for the wind and play accordingly.

Blog on New Zealand Wind Play

A good blog and Video for seeing the effect of the wind on a Bowl is " "Bowls in NZ strong Wind" because the bowl just runs across the green. Written in May 2021 it looks at the Wellington Men's Pairs.

In the 9th end of play with Corey holding two, Barrie attempts to kill the end with his last bowl but missing he leaving Corey to draw for a third point to make the score 7-4. Gary Kelly as guest commentator and #6 in world Bowls Ranking is from Ireland but playing in Australia. His experience and knowledge (2nd part of Delivery) is from northern UK Lawn Bowls teaching and sharing what he was taught. Gary express how he expected Barrie to draw backhand and trail the jack to his bowls behind with his last bowl. His surprise as  to see Barrie goes heavy and speaks of his views of this decision.

Missed Takeout Shot

Sanny says. "One each to play" as Corey walks up the green behind his 3rd bowl which stops short and Sanny continues  "Bend's (nickname for Corey) hold two". Then like a professional announcer want the opinion of the guest  Sanny asks Gary Kelly  "What do you think he will play here?"

 Gary began to explain his opinion as Barry walks back to the mat for his last bowl of this end.  "I think he will play some sort of weight". "The hand will be similar" (backhand into wind). "Maybe a fraction more" (weight). "Yea, he will be trying to trail that jack. He's got two just waiting bout a yard pass". As they wait for the delivery Sanny is surprise of the heavy runner Barrie has just send down the green.

After Barry missed the take out or burning the end and a long silence after Sanny finished with "He's Miss, He's got nothing", Gary says "I don't blame him for that". Once again, these conditions. You know". He has obviously opp for what he believed was the easlier shot".

One of my blogs which talks about "Playing your Successful Percentage ", written in April 2021, looks at your shot choices. As Corey walks to the mat for his last bowl, Gary continues his comments. Gary  feels the important of explaining what just happen as he is aware of the viewers need for an explanation. Gary says:

"Just for our viewers at home. The textbook way, he probably would have played a yard (pass) to trailed the jack but in these conditions, once again, it all the "Percentage play". " It's what you play and trust". "So, what you can achieve". "Maybe not the maximum outcome, but (you try for) a positive outcome". "So Blost (nickname) opped for what he believed was the easier due to the wind".  "Taking the elements out of it, considering the wind"

Sanny also followed with "Couldn't agree more. With the bigger weight, you take the bigger weight, you take the variable of the wind and green out of it  a bit". "Compare to a yard-on shot", Gary - "The game is always about "Percentage Play". "In my mind, in my opinion" "You got to consider the conditions and what is a good shot and get a positive result there".

(Stats show viewer's interest in similar Blogs in past week.)

The Second part of the photo above, is the reaction of Barrie. His surprise to his missed "Takeout drive" and his disappointment is an important part of the game.  A good  performance at the mat requires "Focus", and his reaction is a release valve after such a shot. It is important because Barrie has to go back to the game with "A Total Focus".  Not thinking of regrets or disappointment.  Yes, he has a few minutes while the mat is placed and the jack is rolled, and centered, but to hold emotions is bad management, even if his visual reaction is not agreeable to the spectators.  Every athlete needs a method for the necessary outlet of emotions, without which he could pass 2 or 3 complete ends of bad play before recovery. 

Before one last subject... Measuring; I wish to say thank you to my readers. This blog is 8 pages (when printed) and quite a read of maybe an hour if you access also the other blogs mention.  However, looking at the stats of today, one week after posted; the  top 6 blogs are those 6 suggested or linked. Thank you.  To read is one thing, but to do the link to reference blog is another. 

Good discussion for a reader who will be playing their singles in a windy conditions and the need to take the time to consider the factors which give the best result.

Earlier they were playing minimum distance jacks which make takeout easier; but after several umpire measures in a single end of play they when to the longer jack. 

In a blog on "Measuring which bowl is Shot"  there are a lot of different methods and devices mention, even a Sonic Measure (before 1950s and Lasers).  This request for a measure in the 12th end shows a  "Measuring Extension" for the bowls' measure of over 3 feet distance from the jack and needed the use of calibers. Although the 4th point was refused, this end-to-end head and the heavy wind gave Corey  3 points and permitted a  catch up on points to a 6-7 score from 3-7.

Web Links suggested: 

 Game Video 2026 Australia Classic Feb 2026           www.youtube.com/watch?v=egXAOFniM5c

Blogs references :

Natural Distance and Wind Practices - June 2019             www.ishi-in-sn.blogspot.com/2019/06/natural-distance-usage.html

Bowls in New Zealand Strong Winds  May 2021                    www.ishi-in-sn.blogspot.com/2021/05/bowls-in-nz-strong-wind.html

2025 WBowls Men's Rating  www.worldbowlsseries.com/male-rankings.hrml

2025 WBowls Female's Rating www.worldbowlsseries.com/female-rankings.html

Present Blog activity - March 2026 - New Season of Bowls beginning in Canada in a few months so now doing a clean up of older blogs for new members coaching.

March 5, 2026 - Green's committee  Part 1.   Protecting your Greens as a member. Written October 2016. Updated

Your Jack Distance 2/2 (AMem)

 This blog will in the first few paragraph will suggest  to the new lawn bowler a few trick or method of knowing the "Jack Distance" by using "Markers" of distance which are surrounding our green. But this blog will also suggest how advance athletes can use possible areas of "Memory Visualization" to identify the Jack Distance. For this reason the blog is classified as AMem (for advance Members) with the hope that the suggestion will show the developing athletes ways to progress into Muscle Memory modifications.

 To understand how our "Muscle Memory" has develop and/or also extend into discussion of future Muscle Memory development; the reader must be concern to not cause an  interruption of the subconscious (or Instinctive) performance of "Muscle Memory" when attempting changes. If we see from our regular life experiences that the subconscious mind (like an AI program) gathers data and stores it into memory to be used later as part of it's wanted development; we can use these examples to encourage such changes during "Muscle Memory" performances.

To understand this interaction lets take an example from the first part of this blog of two parts. I use the sport of Petanque as an example here because the distance between the athlete doing their performance and the finished  "Muscle Memory" action is so short; and the individual can immediately view the result of the performance. With such a short duration between events, the subconscious mind may often jumps ahead to view the result instead of finishing the "Muscle Memory" actions.

 In the attempt to do a take-out shot, the petanque athlete must know that his performance is good and completes the Muscle Memory feedback of feeling the presence of the "Completion Void". Instead, the athlete in looking toward the target ball, often thinks of the results he wants to see. That thought when it happens  causes an interruption of his  subconscious mind doing the shot performance. To correct this problem the athlete must teach his Muscle Memory to wait for the "Void" feeling or feedback.

Focus is the mind's thought or direction of thought. Thinking to feel the "void", keeps the athlete in the "Muscle Memory" action. Is it harder to think for the "Void" or not to think about wanting to see the "take-out" result as it happens. You can understand that this problem does not occur or happens in Lawn Bowls where the green speed of 14 to 18 seconds means the athlete has to wait for the final action to finish with the stopping of the Bowl's roll.

 Concentration is often confused with focus but like focus of a camera or light beam it has nothing to do with the flashlight remaining on; which is concentration object toward the mind. One would say that being at peace, or of a mindset is the goal of concentration. With this difference in meaning and knowledge of how to strength the two, Focus and Concentration; we can attempt to develop the correct actions during the performed "Muscle Memory".  For the Petanque player it may mean confidence in knowing that the result should be a perfect shot or performance and give the ideal result. Focus on feeling the "Void" and concentrate on confidence of the action thus allows the athlete to develop the ability to wait.

 However because the athlete's lack of patience. his "Muscle Memory" is interrupted as he seeks to see what has happening and the result of his take-out. The building of this "Wait Routine" on to the "Muscle Memory" Routine will take much mental practice and patience, but eventually the feeling of the "Void" and seeing the result will be one after the other. In lawn bowls this same type of action may be watching the bowl roll and collecting data for the "Post-Mat" Routine. How can you evaluate the delivery performance and bowl roll if you did not see all the aspects of the bowls' roll?

To teach the conscious mind to not interrupt the performance is hard and it is just sometime as simple as feeling something as to thinking something. For the new player who is learning of their "Muscle Memory" and feeling the "Void", this extension of that need to feel it forces the Muscle Memory to   finish the action.

Beside understanding what happen and Why, it becomes a mental progress of practice to force the full duration of the "Void" before allow return of control to the conscious mind.  In earlier blogs I showed that the visual projection to the jack by the lawn Bowl athletic was several memory retrievals and viewing. 

When is it best to suggest to the subconscious mind to do something else before its performance and until you feel the "Void" ? Some would suggest before because after the "Muscle Memory starts a thought can become an interruption. Done very carefully is also import, because too much thinking of the change or addition and the thought become a (conscious) muscle instruction. 

So now we have our "Muscle Memory" developed and with excellent results we are working to make changes without causing an interruption of the "Muscle Memory"action. Also, where the subconscious mind may accept a quick thought without interruption, too many such interruptions will create mindful doubt on how the interruptions is intended to affect the Muscle Memory performance. To have consistancy in this mental practice, the  "Advance" athletes (AMem) must understand this lack of focus which interrupted the established Muscle Memory and even assign blame to a non focus thought which destroys the concentration sending the start of the Muscle Memory action.

For that reason. this type of subconscious modelling is an advance mental development this blog is (AMem) and dense for the (NMem) (normal Member). If "Muscle Memory" is "Mind less" or instinctive performance by well developed muscles, how do we create changes if we encourage it to develop into a different data analysis action. The above three AI inquiry photos explain building Muscle Memory but also this blog will attempt to push the athlete to modify it a bit.

Ok now back to the Blog principle information on knowing the Jack Distance for the beginning or normal Lawn Bowl Member. Toward the blog's end we can discuss how to  change what we want the Muscle Memory to do extra before allowing it to do it delivery.

  We are all in one of  two groups of  Lawn Bowl's athletes; either doing an "Learned" delivery and waiting; as it is improving every day with perfection or the athlete with a developed  "Muscle Memory" delivery. These athletes have their style developed and believe that their Muscle Memory's improvement can still be forced beyond that slow "self learning" method of daily practice. Like daily practice build "Muscle Memory" now daily exercise of mental forcing a change will take time but will see success in time.

 I will suggest some very hard work for this advance developments by teaching the subconscious to use visualization.  As we work the mind toward a goal of being able to change something in our previous established delivery, we can gain that extra 4 or 5 inch addon. 

Single Step Delivery

Ninety percent of  Lawn Bowlers see their delivery as a "Single Step Delivery" (SSD) and the remainder  which are World Class athletes see a Delivery as an "Projection Visualized Delivery (PVD). Later, we will see this visualization of the "Jack Distance" by Youtube videos.

 If we are able to give the subconscious the precise measurement to the Jack Distance by  a "Mental Visualization",  we can teach our subconscious through practice to use a memory (for me it is an image) to draw tighter to the jack. And we know that the mind has in memory all the previous rolls of delivered bowls to jacks at different distances, if age has not prevented us form retrieval. It is just a matter of what image to seek and how fast the subconscious can be taught to choose the right one.

 Yes, after we have established our "Muscle Memory we still get some improvements in our "Muscle Memory" because Delivery improvements happens naturally. But slowly because our deliveries are in that "void of thought" and we are afraid to attempt improvements to our muscle memory as we know we can lose focus and the thought become a conscious commands or actions.  Over time, Muscle Memory will make it's own changes as we are consciously trying to make changes. With the failure of these decisions of play; we find that our muscle memory will add "Modified Muscle Memory" movements to our delivery in the same way practice prefects our delivery. 

 

These Muscle Memory delivery improvements are generally because we had quick thoughts and our thinking was before delivery action started and did not interrupt the "Muscle Memory Void". But from this we see how to indicate to our subconscious mind the changes we want to our performance; and if done properly without breaking the "non-mind delivery, the muscle memory will include that action.

Now, because we believe that we can have the subconscious mind respond quickly as a changing situation occurs, it is  automatic. In the first group we eventually see something  and decide to maybe changes. In the other group we teach the subconscious to identify the needed change and immediately use our  memories to make the change.  "Focus all the time not just once and a while"

 This second group, know a lot of work is required to develop the visualization delivery, and because this work is intense and personal, it is seldom mention, except maybe in very advance coaching sessions. When the topic of visualization's ability to support "Muscle Memory is mention, it is then probably more a suggested  action with the intention to develop in the athlete a feeling of  the  jack's distance; and not as the ability of the subconscious (your Muscle Memory) to use the memory data (images) to perform tasks such as measuring the Jack's Distance or make other similar minor changes. 

To those readers with a developed "Muscle Memory" and feel and know the "Void" or "Zen Moment" of their Delivery performance, this suggestion of allowing the subconscious to further build "Muscle  Memory" with the data of previous deliveries seems far fetched.  When we see an athlete's   "5 or 10 second on the mat delivery", you can be sure that their Muscle Memory was developed by  using memories of previous bowls rolls to the jack and now they are seeing the result as a very quick "Total Instinctive"  delivery. 

As for the new bowler, with a delivery style and wanting to incorporate a thought or image into their delivery, as more than a "one time instruction" to a successful delivery, but to further develop their "Muscle Memory".

Each time that a "Muscle Memory" is interrupted, but done quickly, it will advance your subconscious acceptance of these interruption and slowly we will see this extra "Performance ability" toward  a more precise shots. If in practice, you are feeling your "Void" or "Zen moment" after the  "Muscle Memory" performance, you know that your interruption was done right. In the same manner, when we know we have done a bad delivery, it is because of the absence of this feeling after the "Muscle Memory returns control to the conscious mind.

Because the internet opens everything to everyone; some things read or viewed are best to be identify as "Not for me at this time". Today's lawn bowler student may not understand everything but needs to see this idea as the long trip to another level of delivery development. A r career made of many short steps forward every day, week or month of practice and performances, with each step a realization of success.

Many years of personal development has made our delivery style and performance successful ; but as we grow we also become ready to attempt changes which "may" improve our delivery. Our national athletes have taken years and sometime decades to reach their  saturation point where they have stopped changing their delivery.

 Others are still working on new parts of their delivery, seeing it as a quest to perfection of style. One problem is that it is sometimes best to stick with what we know works well. When in a competition and going to the mat and knowing the shot; we may often feel that we have the ability to now include our most recent delivery improvement into this delivery. "Surprise or Success", what is important is afterward as we review the decision we learn something new on when and how to use that improvement.

 When first I saw the separation of these two levels of athletes I was amazed. When I began working on reaching that advance Delivery level, I was in doubt if I should even mention it in these blogs. That was in December 2012 when I introduced the blog Seeing the Shot Visualization .  As we approach the end of this blog we will see a Petanque player and a Lawn Bowls elite (in the world bowls finals) using the same method of "projection visualization".  The petanque player is in practice but the Lawn bowls athletic is in a world class competition and we see how the muscle memory turns on and off this "Projective visualization". 

 As a developing athlete, one must have confidence that during the changing of one's delivery that shows signs of progress forward, we witness that we can use an image to help (or if possible) instruct our Muscle Memory. As I began a delivery of Projected Visualization and saw the hard mental work and the results I accepted that it was possible, I felt with each success that the subconscious and "Muscle Memory" could be influenced. Today, I can ask "How much short am I ?" and then put 5 or 6 inches more distance with what I see as an image of a tape measure "tape" showing from the front end to the 6 or 7 inches area.

When at that section of the blog (near the end) showing the petanque player and Lawn bowls athlete in her competition take the time to watch the videos suggested.. both videos show what is needed to be seen at the beginning. However, as you view Angela Boyd (NZ) game you also can see how to maintain focus after a long game, she has certain tricks to relax and keep a sharp focus which is needed to still compete "Muscle Memory" performance.

We teaches that the bowl delivery weight is influence by three forces. First your physical development of a delivery movement, then your "body Movement Speed" of your forward step and "Conditions of Play", all which may change the result of th e expected delivery.

 The third force includes "green speed" and in another blog on "Changing Green Speed"  we saw how my club's green speed changed three times in just a few ends. That blog was introducing a "Curling Trick" to read green speed changes, but because our club's location is near a large body of water and game play was in June; those conditions caused dew to form on the green as the sun set.

 The third part of a Bowl delivery influence, "Condition of Play" which we have no influence over will always be part of your Lawn Bowls game in the same way as does rain or bad greens.

The photo (right) shows a Blind Bowler's Distance marker on the side bank of the green because the individual who will be centering the jack will also be telling the  blind bowler the distance that the rolled jack has arrived from the mat. 

The Jack Distance that the assistance gives the blind bowler is from the Mat Line and the bowler calculates the difference if their coach has not told them the distance.  If the jack distance is 21 meter when the mat is at the "Mat Line" then the Jack is just over (or at) the "Hog Line". If the mat is brought forward 5 meters the centered jack will be announced as 26 meters even if the jack is again just  at 21 meters. 

 Unlike blind bowls games, where the mat may remains at the mat line for the entire game, the Lead who has just thrown the jack must calculate the actual "Jack Distance" with consideration for "Forward placed Mat" and  the "Green's Jack Distance". The  Lead, after rolling the jack and it being spotted, must use various trick or distance markers to identify this actual Jack distance. Also, when off the mat and before returning to the mat for their delivery.

A legal jack can be between 21 meters and 31 meters with the "Re-spot mark also at 2 meters from the back ditch. In the photo (above) it is showing "29 meters because the "Re-spot" or "T" mark is at 31 meters. The Mat Line and Re-spot Marker are both 2 meters from their ditches. As the mat is brought forward from the "Mat line" this maximin distance decreases from 31 meters to 21 meter. (when the mat is brought up all the way to the opposite direction  Hog Line) 

So "Jack Distance" requires to be calculation, how far above the Mat Line  the mat has been placed and how far up the green the jack has been rolled. Be subtraction of the "Mat Line distance" from the "Up the Green Distance" you have the Jack distance for your delivery. 

 In developing your Delivery for a "Jack Distance" which no longer is seen as "Close", "Far", "Very Far", you must use this exact distance in your delivery. If your delivery is fairly well developed, and  you have reached a level of "Natural Distances and "Muscle Memory" awareness; you now must teach yourself how to do a delivery thinking and decisions which use that distance information without interference or destroying your developed Delivery. ("Muscle Memory")

 We will no longer "Guess and Roll" the bowl and based on how close we arrive to the jack, then prepare for our next bowl to be closer. This "Guess Distance"  of the jack  becomes a thing of the past as no longer  accept that first delivery is really a "Trial End" to know the newly rolled and placed jack.  "Jack Distance" is now a precise distance in meters. In a later blog I will attempt to show how each change made to delivery for a jack distance become a "Natural Distance" for the delivery. Then small "Muscle Memory" changes will add on or take off the needed difference.

 "Skip's Assistance" often is not seen in major competitions because it also instructs the opponent of information like the "Jack Distance".

However,  a good skip will develop their team and may even be using signals to indicate the "Jack Distance" to their lead.  These quick signals only occur once per end, after the jack was centered, and usually intended to help the lead's performance. Photo left is the world Finals of Women's Pairs and Wales skip Jess Sims indicating to Lead Laura Daniels she is 4 meters short on the 29 meter jack.

The most common Skip Assistance is their body movement after the placement of the jack on center line. Sometimes we see the skip walk to the "Hog Line" or the "Back Ditch" and then walk back to the jack. (the 2 steps to a meter walk). Such signals are intended to help a team's "Lead" without give that same information to the opponents. Therefore are done fast or with a hidden objective.

My first skip of a money competition would put his fingers to his chest, which was for my first "Natural Distance" and showed me how much more (in feet) I needed. In another competition, and another team, I saw him used that same signal for his "Mate" to indicate the points in the head. Signals are a big part of Lawn Bowls for spectators and fellow team members.

Since that time, I have developed the use of the same signal to indicate the jack distances of 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4  green distance.  Sometimes, I still use it to show points in the head which  I am sure has confused the opponents if they saw the same signal on the "jack centering". Hell sometimes I even lie to my players about the number of points. (They know it is a lie if they are following the game).

 Indicating the "Jack Distance" or other such help knowledge during a club or local games will help the player as lead  to develop their skills in Jack Distance evaluation. Especially at times when the skip has asked the "Lead" to bring up the mat. There are several methods of creating "Distance Markers" if the mat is not at the "Mat Line".

The jack will always be between 21 meters (the "Hog Line") and 31 meters ("T" 2 meters from back Ditch); unless the mat has been moved forward. Since this distance of 10 meters is the playing green between  the Hog Line and the Re-spot or "T" spot; a player can identify the jack distance with reference to these two limits.

 In those first walks up the green I often take a lot of notice of furniture or buildings at various distances surrounding of the green which I can use when on the mat as a "Distance Marker". 

 Thoughts like "the front of that bench is 1/2 green", or that "miss-colored sport on the green is 1/4 green".  Notice all of these sign as you go up the green and then back after the next round of play and let them become your distance markers. The benches at my club are two meters apart so I can say 23,25,27,29 and 31. Likewise, the clubhouse's windows are also the same distance apart.

Having the "Jack Distance" now is the time that distance is used. No we do not have the precise delivery to all possible jack distances which is why "Multiple Natural Distances" are developed.   A Natural Distance is the distance a bowl rolls with  your "Muscle Memory" performance, and if you have made a change to your muscle actions it will then create another "Natural Distance".

 Going to the mat after having done your Pre-Mat routine (verify bias, decide on method of weight control, etc), you prepare your delivery. At this point, each of us have a different introduction to our "Muscle Memory" delivery. With the exception of the advance athlete who has worked and practice to have a "Projected Visualize Jack Distance",your delivery and "Muscle Memory"starts as you step to the mat. You do a few last minute check and then just allow your instinctive delivery to happen.

 When I first started a "Projected Visualization Delivery" (PVD) I had to use a "filler image" to separated my mental visualization, but eventually I could feel my start of "Muscle Memory". That "Filler Image, (like a cloud or flag flying) became a separation of the practice of using mental images of previous Jack Distance. 

As in SSD where we decide on how to modify the muscle actions fo that "Jack Distance" for the conscious mind; so I had done those "Pre-mat actions. I was now doing a "Pre-Delivery Routine". I was on the mat and doing mental tasks (remembering previous bowl roll to the jack) which would be completed before I initialized my "Muscle Memory".

In the Single Stepping Delivery where my thoughts before delivery was to instruct the muscle changes needed to perform that distance's delivery; so also my mental image was being done before initializing this Muscle Memory Delivery.  Because we do not want these thought of distance ( the image) to interrupt the "Muscle Memory" I introduced a small action to my delivery to say "Finished Visualizing" and "ok to start Muscle Memory" delivery. 

In the Lawn Bowl Video the athletic looks down at her foot which is her start of Muscle Memory Performance "Tag" (action) where she then moves mental control and enters her "Void" of thought and allowed "Muscle Memory"  to start and go until it's finish.

Remember, it will take practice and you will know you have inserted the distance by that image.  (the bench, the car in parking etc) because you will feel the presence of that "Void" after your finished delivery.  But practice, because it will take time for this to be automatic as each time we interrupt the subconscious mind with the thought ( image) it wants to return control to the conscious mind for an instruction for muscle performance

Later as "Muscle Memory" see these mental actions as part of  the "Pre-Delivery" routine,  the Muscle Memory will wait until that action which indicates the Pre-Delivery" end and the "Start" of "Muscle Memory" delivery.  As with the Pre-mat Routine of the "Single Stepping Delivey" happens before actual delivery, so also the Pre-Delivery Routine ends your visualization work when you feel you have that proper Jack distance. (Angela looks down at her feet, I tap my toe because in Petanque it is also my "Start" of Muscle Memory)

  As you train you subconscious mind to include that memory data as part of your instinctive delivery, you will eventually not need the "Start " thought or action as the "Muscle Memory" will know your feeling of having the proper Jack distance and begin the "Muscle Memory" Delivery.

  Seems a strange or doubtful action, but it is the same way that in a Single Step Delivery that "Muscle Memory" adds extra weight to your delivery when it guess at a Long Jack Distance. In this Projective Visualization while using a memory of having previously seen the bowl roll to a Jack at this same distance, it has decided the amount of delivery weight needed. 

One problem, the distance image or calculation has to be always part of your Pre-Delivery routine and Delivery movements because even if you are not calculate the distance Muscle Memory "Start is after those movements. After the first bowl roll when the newly rolled jack was center we and the Subconscious knows the "Jack Distance"; so the next delivery are corrective or repeat deliveries. 

Where  in the walking to the mat we have the separation from Pre-mat routine thinking and the Delivery "Start" muscle action is the Pre-Delivey Routine action to indicate its end and "Muscle Memory" starts.

So it is important that the muscle movements (if any)  that are incorporated in that first Bowl "PVD" action is also part of the second or third bowl's delivery movements. These following bowls don't need the Visualized distance and if you watch in the video you will see from Angela facial expression and eyes she is not doing a mental visualization but a Pre-Delivery routine before the Muscle Memory.. 

Muscle Memory will eventually stop automatic using the Visualized distance data if a muscle movement, like an arm swing, was removed from  the Pre-Delivery Routine. After the subconscious know the jacl distance from the collected visualized distance data of the first, "Pre-Delivery" it accept on to the next deliveries to continue to use that distance. Doing the same thing with muscle actions even if mental actions are not included in the Pre-Delivery routine.

During the time of the long wait for the delivered bowl to arrive at the jack allow yourself to always attempt to feel the "Zen Moment" or "Void" as Muscle Memory returns control to the conscious mind as this is your first "Feedback" that your "Muscle Memory" was performed completely.  It is hard to stop watching the the Bowl roll to the jack as we want to see the result, but to seek this feeling is important to  your successful "Muscle Memory" modification.  No feeling then the conscious mind did the action because your thought has interrupted the instinctive delivery with a "too long" a thought.  Feel the "Void" and return to watch your bowl roll finish

In an earlier blog, I indicated that you could put a few inches more on a delivery by thinking of feeling your foot (toe) on the green as you step forward (a though of moving your body weight forward a bit more).  Or that it was possible to take a few inches off your delivery by feeling your heel on the ground behind you. Again a thought not a feeling. Introduced as interruption then gone. 

These are just a thoughts but to move your delivery from a "Single Step Delivery" of arm swing, forward step and lay down the bowl action; to the subconscious mind being taught to learns an instruction which will become part of the "Projected Visualized Delivery". 

This improvement of your delivery, is to place interruptions into the "Muscle Memory" delivery in such a way it does not interruption the "Muscle Memory" delivery. And then later, when it is easier to insert thoughts,  to use a Projection Vision of the delivery bowl rolling to the jack as an extra action of the delivery.  "Muscle Memory" delivery of a SSD has then began to move into a PVD delivery where the instinctive performance has become a thought produced delivery.

Each time you practice a Muscle Memory interruption  it is the same. An image or thought during your start of delivery and quickly leave it.. At the beginning you will use your filler image to occupy your thoughts after that interruption because you want a nothing thought.

There is two things I will introduce here. Each is an split second interruption of the "Muscle Memory" or subconscious control of the delivery. Both must be developed through practice until the subconscious mind incorporates the new change in delivery without interference to the Delivery. 

The first is where a players whom is beginning to see a "Muscle Memory" and feel that absence of thought returning; and now ,second is wanting to introduce a image or thought into Muscle Memory with out interruption and then allow the delivery to continue being performed by "Muscle Memory".

The second level of "Muscle Memory", which I have after almost 10 years only a success of  about 40 to 50 percent of the time. It is called "Projected Visualization Distance" (PVD) and involves allowing the subconscious to use memories of previous deliveries roll-up to jack  at other distances. The subconscious mind's use of learned information is how "Muscle Memory" is developed.  We did the proper delivery so many times that now it is instinctive. Likewise, we can introduce other thoughts and with practice they will become part of our "Muscle Memory".

In Archery, Projective Concent-ration happen when an archer at the shooting line follows the "Zen instruction" of "Be the target, pull the arrow to you".  An introduction to  Visualization was a blog of 2012 titled "Seeing the Shot, Visualization; where a Youtube video of Tiger Wood talks about "Being in the Zone".  I could go back and update that blog but my ideas on Visualization may also be how an inexperience reader see this topic, so I will leave it like it is with all its errors.

In the Youtube video of Tiger Wood he said he does not see the ball between his golf back swing and when it was already in flight in front of him. There is also other blogs to help the reader to discover the subconscious feeling of being "In the Zone" but over the next few months as I do blogs on  "Multiple Natural Distance" it is best to just know what level of "Muscle Memory" usage you are at today and become aware of the feeling of its presence. 

 The Lawn Bowls blog of "Three subconscious mind exercise" of December 28 2012; was at first, an attempts to identify to the reader the presence of the Subconscious mind in the athletic's actual Lawn Bowls delivery. This small exercise to feel the presence of a "Void" of thought after the delivery made by your "Muscle Memory" is important. Knowing the difference of the conscious mind giving muscle instructions and the subconscious mind having learned from experience how to do a delivery is valuable in understanding what else we can achieve.

Your memory data. collected during the past several years of delivery to a jack at difference distances is like a DVD bank fill of different  Music DVDs. Over your career, you have seen every distance between 21 meters and 31 meters being bowled, and watched your bowl go to the jack. More a memory of the long time it took to get to that distance. But these memories are what the subconscious seeks out when you see a jack and guess at its distance and use the proper delivery weight for that distance. If, with your Music Bank of DVD, you were to remove a DVD and check the music and it was not the correct music; you would put it back and take another. 

The visualize of deliveries is the same thing before your delivery. Your seeing and remembering the rolling a bowl to the jack is like the DVDs but you memory data is not something we retrieve often. As you progress to use this data to find the right jack distance; your feeling that the chosen memory has a lack of roll, and therefore you do another retrieval of another memory of a longer distance. Yes, Muscle Memory can be taught to visualizing the exact jack distance and  with practice to change the memory and push a longer roll to the jack image. 

In practice of this "Muscle Memory" development you will eventually  feel you have the distance on the first few "Pushes". But the practice like learning your "Single Step Delivery" will take a lot of mental practice as visualization is a mental exercise.  Myself, now I am restricting my self to three memory visualization but because we are lazy on mental task performance, in the beginning the "Muscle Memory" often reverted back to the Single Step delivery type of Muscle Memory.

What is the difference between the two Deliveries? (SSD and PVD) In the simple Muscle Memory of a Single Step Delivery it is a total of muscle movements for the delivery actions. We hear coaches say that the Pre-Mat Routine is the place to do all the other thinking which are decisions or remembering to check things. But not until you come to the mat does "Muscle Memory perform all those practice muscles actions that have created your delivery. 

The identification of the "Start of the Muscle Memory" is almost after you step to the mat.  If your Muscle Memory gives you a Natural distance at 25 meters and the jack is at 26 or 27 meters, it is off the mat (Pre-Mat) that you are deciding to do a longer arm swing for that 2 meters or maybe a longer step (which increase the speed of the Forward movement). You step to the mat and tell yourself, "Muscle Memory" will do it. And see how your separation of thinking and performance has actually done that longer swing or step automatic.

Now the Projective Visualize of the Jack distance Delivery. After much practice of mental work to visualize and the subconscious using that information a "Muscle Memory. is now developed. You have now inserting mental performance into your "Muscle Memory", and that reteival of a stored memory of a bowl rolling to that distance is apart of the PVD "Muscle Memory" (physical and mental)  performance.

 As the subconscious or instinctive delivery makes a modification for that distance you can no longer not have that image there for the "Muscle Memory" to use.  You are just seeing the roll and then letting the "Muscle Memory" do the delivery.  Not a single step Delivery with  a suggestion to change one of the muscle's performance this time, but a total commitment to allow the Muscle Memory do everything because that quick remembering the image is saying "Same Distance". 

Yes the athletic still will modify their delivery but not for 4 or 5 meters but for 2 or 3 feet because "Condition of Play" or something else prevented their delivery to be on the jack.  Myself, at 80+ years often find "Balance" is the cause so my placing my open hand on my non-stepping knee is fixing that. My Muscle Memory performs the same but now I have done something which changes the previous results.

Think of an office employee who has in their work load the task of sending 5 or 6 faxs to head office every day. (Muscle memory task). The employee often tries to use the fax at different times and find it often busy but now decides at 4:30 it is always available. So the employee changes their work schedule (the Muscle Memory sequence of mental tasks) to collect the faxes and be prepared at 4:30.  Every day always the same routine (Delivery of a Projected Visual Image (the fax) is now part of the Muscle Memory and that last image is what the instinctive delivery is always performing. The employee goes back to his work schedule, finds the best time for his fax sending and then for the next couple of months always the same performance.  

The image used to fix a PVD delivery may not be muscle movement changes but maybe a "focus" or other mental distractions. Years ago, I had a fellow club member who had a problem of holding his delivery performance concentration when something was happening around him. Then, 10 years or more ago, I told him when he is distracted to remember his feeling of calm , he just ahd to look at the big elm tree at the corner of the green.  That image was his fall back to relax image and allowed fixing and destroying his memory distractions.   To insert  a interruption of the "Muscle Memory" to fix a delivery problem is the next step for an athlete which has "Muscle Memory. I was so proud when he went of to the Nationals and did well because  his difficulties and control of "focus" is like visual disabilities: and does not change the athlete's performance if they have the developed the skills or tools needed,  like Muscle Memory.

 What would happen if the Muscle Memory wanted to use that last memory image you saw and  your accepted of a bowl roll and it is not there because they were not feel you needed that part of your "Pre-Delivery routine.. The thoughts before our "Muscle Memory" starts are important as without that  image it would force a return to Conscious mind muscle instructions. A total cancellation of that specific Muscle Memory performance.

Angela Boyd, the New Zealand lead for the Finals of the 2016 world bowls is explained by the announcer as:   "Very deliberate on her delivery,  Half a dozen motions of the arm, then a look down at her feet, then a look back up and now a delivery". And of course the first bowl of the game, a forehand delivery which rolls to the 29 meter jack and stops less than a foot behind.  

Above I talked about a Projective Visualization and this Youtube  video (below) with her several  arm swing for the  feeling of the bowl to jack delivery; is a perfect example of  a Lawn Bowl athlete being required to do muscle movements which are only done as to not interrupt the Muscle Memory" performance. 

This Visualization of Distance  in the Youtube video Mark Wildoboer Petanque practice, which is the same  trick of  Angela's Lawn Bowl Back hand delivery. Same toe tapping as he looks toward his target ball for his Pétanque takeout as Angela top tapping as she feels the distance of 29 meters.

. Because the jack (cochon) or target of an opponent's ball, is a lot closer than a Lawn Bowl's Jack is the same Mental projection of distance. Mark only need 3 "Projective Visualization because of the distance, (between 6 and 10 meters); while the 29 meter jack, travel, of Angela i is a different in that it is difficult to project to 29 meters. Maybe Angele needs more "go and come back" projections to capture the feeling of the distance..

Angela Boyd (NZ) forehand

In the  Lawn Bowls blog of   "Talking to the Subconscious mind 2/3" , it discuss this same mental visualization as Angela Boyd, the lead for New Zealand performs a  Visualization of the Jack distance before her first bowl's  delivery. The 2016 World Bowls Final .video viewing is important as it shows the multi-movement delivery needed for this Jack Distance. 

Backhand and Same "Void"

To understand these movements we can imagine that the half dozen motions of her delivery are memory recalls of bowl rolls until the feeling that distance the is detail.. Because this mental action is outside the "Muscle Memory" and the delivery; the looking down at the feet is to identify to the subconscious "the start of Muscle Memory delivery" and  the look back  up the green is the start of the "Muscle Memory" performance (the delivery).

 It is important to watch the 2nd and 3rd bowls of  her delivery and her body language. You will see the same 8 arm swings but she is not doing any serious "projective" thinking as she is just feeling the  "Jack distance". When the SDV players has decided how to go that extra distance (up to 2 meters) the Visual image of the jack distance and roll of the bowl is automaticly done by the "Muscle Memory". 

 In these first bowls of Angela, forehand and backhand we see how she separates this pre-delivery action so as to have no interruption of the Muscle Memory's subconscious performance. Having the distance from the first PVD she has a feeling and her arm swings  "reproduce the feeling of distance" for future bowls. I must thank Angela for allowing this great example of Distance Visualization of the Jack, and the separation of Visualization it from the "Muscle Memory" Delivery as she looks down and rolls her bowl.

  Also we see the problem created when we add an Muscle Memory interaction as a extra movement like the arm swing which gives a feeling of  the distance before allowing "Muscle Memory" to do the delivery. In time and with practice this will be like a SSD (Single Step Delivery) Muscle Memory and not need the many arm swings. we teach students to  have a Pre-Mat routine and them a "Delivery" performance. 

Advance athletes with a well developed  Muscle Memory  must always check for the feel their "Zen Moment" after the delivery. This feeling of "return awareness" is a confirmation that the delivery was a "Muscle Memory" and performed correctly (uninterrupted).

 The Pre-mat Routine or the Pre-Delivery routine (as in Angela delivery)  can be changed but not without an "Let Muscle Memory Happen" action. To Angela. the "Looking Down" action identify the start of the "Muscle Memory"delivery.

 In SSD where "Muscle Memory" exist, so also the Pre-Mat routine must be seen a separate action. Walking to the mat is definately a separate action. But to interrupt the "Muscle Memory" with a thought is so sharp and quick that it does not interrupt  the "Muscle Memory" Delivery.

You can see that Angela is not projecting a vision of the jack distance in all of her "Pre-Delivery" arm swinging movement after her first bowl. Myself I don't have a movement as the PVD distance is found because I am doing a mental thinking or  visualization. But I agree with Angela's use of the arm swing for the delivery weight feeling as she repeats her bowl's delivery swing, and this summer I will attempt to include a single arm swing (for feeling of distance). However, I do not know if I will need her "Identify Start" of the Muscle Memory. I will know as I discover that in my new practice this summer.

. In a SSD the Muscle Memory still does an adjustment of the Delivery weight, so if the SSD interruption is a thought and brief, the Muscle Memory will not be interrupted. Although, the several arm movements can be a type "Identify the Jack Distance" movement,  I have seldom seem it done off the mat. As in Angela performance, it does not change the  PVD "Muscle Memory" delivery; I doubt it would not change the  SSD Muscle Memory Delivery if done off the mat..

If this subject matter about Muscle 

Memory is your point of personal development there is presently about 145 short videos on Youtube by Eli Straw a sport psychologist and founder of Successstartswithin.com. This sport psychology site covers most of the same topics as a Level 4 or Level 5 coach would discuss with athletes. Bowls Australia and Bowls New Zealand as well as United Kingdom lawn bowls organization usually have these professionals on staff.

 Myself I don't do competition much any more and this will be my 4th year working on and practice adding Visualization to my delivery. My efforts of staying in the "Zone " and not interrupting the "Muscle Memory" is not easy during the first 15 minutes of practices where I have 4 jacks at different distances. But because you are interrupting the "Muscle Memory" I suggest only one  (4 x 15 min) practice per week on this because too much  interruption of Muscle Memory (this type of practice) will damage your Muscle Memory performance. It is easier for the subconscious to simply return muscle control back to the conscious mind. 

 A good coaches will advise a student of 15 minute practices and then relax or something else for the mind, especially on this type of practice. To the medium level lawn bowler this blog is probably confusing. I will attempt to do another blog to explain the many complex things that the Subconscious mind can and does do in our life. Remember some things like this are for athletes more advance  but are still working on their development. They may try it or accept it as something to discover or build. If it is strange or too advance for you, stay with your present SSD Muscle Memory as it can and will build to the same level.

Thank you for your patience and read this extremely long blog. Some of the stats of the blog may be of interest. Like I say in the Header "the reason for the blog is to promote discussions". 

January 2026 stats before this blog

If t he athlete can remembers a previous lawn bowl's delivery and watch it happen (visualizes the memory), they can follow it the distance it rolled. If in their memory they see that it does not reach the full distance to the jack you are now playing then you must get another memory. With this next memory, the athlete attempts to push it that extra distance needed to get to our jack distance.

 Aware of this mental exercise when watching game videos, we may see the athlete never feeling comfortable they have the proper distance (data from memory). 

For this reason, if after three such retrieval and viewing during the preparation for the muscle memory ii is not feeling right; I force myself to allow the "Muscle Memory performance. This need for  a focus performance means you must have your limit of working the subconscious mind.  So my Pre-Muscle Memory Routine is "Looking, verifying if the right memory, two times and after the third is my "Go" on the Muscle Memory. On the final pass I usually find the feeling, whether that it is or not. I often feel the work so demanding mentally that the right distance or else is my Muscle Memory Routine or I accept to simply follow the execute of  the last  played bowl.