Quite Directions to Lead

Been trying to pull together a team and this lead seems to be all over the place.. So I give her grass, encouragement and everything.  But, she says... "I have been bowling for 25 years"  I know what I need to do. 
   Well tonight, my mate, in the inter-province games, skipped.. He said nothing... nothing.. and did she bowl.  Three on or around the jack.  Maybe, I am trying to hard to help..  Maybe, a good night or maybe I need to build confidence.
  So waiting for the next time.. Provincial Triples (Mixed) and will try that... Let her do her thing.. It is true, we get what is given and we do the best we can with what the Lead and Mate can give.
   Lesson.  Let the rains fall and let the player show the stuff... worst can happen you will have to work to collect the point.

Standing Bowls

Have you ever noticed how some bowls seem to lay flat when they stop and others stay on their running edge,  These "Standing Bowls" can be very valuable in getting good results without a great deal of extra weight.
  Now, beside discussing using "Standing Bowls" it is good to discuss Preventive actions against "Standing Bowls.  Forehand or Backhand, it is important to remember how these "Standing Bowls" were delivered, because they should be tapped with the same line or delivery style.
    Imagine a Standing Bowl as a Guard out about 3 feet from a bowl on the jack.  It is standing with a line directly to the jack.. If tapped with the same delivery line it will roll to the jack. If the bowl is that of the opponent's it can not necessary be used as a "Takeout Raise" but will become another point later in the game.   Do what you can do to lay it down.. Ex: a wick to the jack from the opposite hand will move it away from the jack and lightly tapped will lay it down... Try them... they are not that hard.
   A "Standing Bowl" which is in contact with another bowl will bounce to the jack with little or no effort and does not depend upon using the same delivery line as it was delivered. Actually, a reverse delivery wick, coming from the opposite hand to wick to the jack; will cause a double point. It and the bowl used for the wick.  Yes both will go to the jack with equal speed. (Draw about 4feet through weight for this "Wick Raise"
   Develop a hand signal for the skip or mate communication which indicates a Standing Bowl.  Maybe a flat hand under a downward open hand.  Because of the advantages of such bowls, you will began to either use them or be defensive against.  Remember... "If you can do it so can the opponent"  so use wisely these "Standing Bowls"

Using Patience as Team Glue

Looking back, one can see where bad decisions may have caused a Skip the game.  Patience is a part of Lawn Bowls which should be exercise freely.  What looks bad may only be for the moment.
    Playing an important game against the number 1 team, it was decided early; that that opponent's skip was dangerous as a heavy (takeout) and light (draw) bowler. As the game progressed they marked deuce after deuce in the first 5 ends.
   By the 6th end the score was 9-1, and it was obvious that the opponents with their choice of jack position was not going to let up.   Our immediate strategy was to take the jack and go long, which was their teams weakness. But after 5 short jack ends, we fought to discover this new long jack, while the opponents put everything within 2 feet of the jack.  We had cutting point bowl, but with a single shot removal, I could see losing 3 points. Draw or roll into a steal of points ??
    We had 4 back and another 4 on a forehand jack roll of 2 feet.  Put a second shot into the head and maybe gain point or pick up a handful.  With a 12 end game and approaching the half way point, it was felt the opportunity could not be refused.  Go for the jack,  heavy and enough for back bowls or the roll.
    Well, of course, we again lost that end with a deuce and as if the skip was allowing us the opportunity with his lack of concern on a balanced head; I tried a steal of 3 or 4 again the next hand.
    PATIENCE would have been wise back 4 or 6 points ago.  Taking one point or maybe two and cutting that 9-1 lead down to a 9-8 game would have been a better decision than grabbing a handful.   But now, as skip I was committed to "Steals" of 4 or so points because of the lack of remaining ends to play.
    Of course, the game was lost in points and ends.  Some competition, the ends won carry an important, and in this one total ends counted toward a tie breaker.  Back at the 6th end Patience and getting the end and point would have been wiser then what seems like an opportunity.
     Like the Rabbit and the Turtle race,  maybe a point by point recovery gains more and builds the team confidence.  Of course, after two attempted steals, the team began to show signs of discouragement as we saw the no-return score and attempted to just bowl a good game.
   PATIENCE  would not only have allow us to gain point by point and show a fairly good performance;  but it also would unite the team with satisfaction at having played well even if lost.  A big score lost might have even played into the following game.   The final score was 19-5
   

Lead, Mate, Skip Views

These short blogs of the Head Usage are often views as "not for me" information. Yes as a lead, you will say that is more advance than a Lead's need-to-know.  It is not intended to teach you more than the skip or mate; but the ideas may help you understand what they might be thinking.
   "I have been bowling for 25 years, I don t need someone telling me what I should do" is a comment skips hear when they try to develop a team into competition status.  Often, the reply from the skip is " And I know I can t teach you, if in 25 years you have not been interested in knowing more.
   On the other hand, remember that as a skip develops a team, it becomes necessary to know the limitations of each members.  If a lead can only bowl forehand and has no draw or line on the back hand, as Skip, you may decided a tactic which develops around that restriction of your lead.  Tactics, are usually defined as the method of reaching a goal by following a plan. 
   If as a lead, or mate you wish to better understand your game, and eventually become a powerful (tactic wise) skip; than ideas of what happens or can be done can be your building blocks of learning. 
As as example:  Lead building a head.  Yes the skip decides each bowl depending upon each bowl of the opponent.  But where do you put the first bowl, the second, the third. and even 4th if playing pairs or singles. 
   Lawn Bowls can be like Archery or Darts in that you throw toward the target and attempt to be near the center or at a position.  But certainly if your 2nd bowl is not better than the first, you are not helping your team.  You should learn from that previous bowl... or previous two bowls.  Also as you switch ends and return in the opposite direction.. do you remember what you learned the last time you bowled this direction. Yes, the jack is at a different position. The mat may be at a different placement. The bowls in the head may be different.. But, from bowl to bowl and end to end the team should improve and learn more about the green and bowls.
      Last week, in a raining game, I watch a triple team throw the first bowl 4 to 5 meters short on the first bowl,  then two to three meters short on the 2nd bowl and then finally within a foot of the jack on the last bowl.  In reality, this team had only three good bowls.. the third bowl of the lead, the third of the mate and the skips.  They did not learn from their opponents bowls or their team mate bowls.  If your lead can bowl to the jack when it is 25 meters  (their natural heavy) and they are short 3 meters; then you know the greens are restricting their bowl by 3 meters.  Your first bowl should be heavy by 2 meters and accept maybe even be in front by a few feet.  Learn from the other players.

Be SMART as a LEAD

Leads, the first player on a Lawn Bowls Team have always had their position defined as "Do what the Skip asks".  Being Smart, or using your Head, does not mean to out guess the Skip' but to make wise decisions.

 The role of Lead is to Place the mat and delivery the jack as a new end of play starts. Each are of major importance.
  Placing the mat is defined in the rules as being on the "Centre line" and  being at or beyond the "Mat-line". Know these two terms and their meaning, even if a Green does not have a Mat-line marker on the side boards. Ex:  How does the Mat-line apply when the green protecting "Screens" are being used.
Of course, when the mat is brought forward the "Centre line" can be hard to identify so ask the skip to verify it.
     Placing the mat, allows some freedom of choice and after it has been placed (and before jack is rolled) take a look at the "Receiving area" where your team will be rolling their bowls.  Do you have left or right handed playing teammates. Do they bowl from the "center-line" or are they bowling off the "mat's corner". Do they "Walk the mat" or have a delivery which is several feet in front of the mat.  If the "receiving area" you have choosen are fine greens, and their bowls are rolled, there is a good chance they will delivery a good bowl.

     "Rolling the Jack" means putting it where the Skip has asked for it.  "Unless, he says "Your Choice" which means to put it where you can bowl best. Probably your "Natural Distance". It does not mean, Second guess the Skip and decide the distance best for the team or best against the opponents. Although, some competition teams will allocate these decisions to the lead.
     The leads responsibility is to start a good Head, and sometime "Your Choice" means.. "Where ever you can start a good Head.
Watch the Jack roll, and read its changes in direction especially as it starts to stop.  Your bowl will be played to the jack and eventually that small change in direction may be the change in the head you did not want.

Rain and Green Debits

The nightmare of Lawn Bowls in the Rain is not the wet clothes but the wet greens and the "Lonnie" size Debits.  Yes, good lawn bowlers should not cause debits but "should", "would" and "could" are three little pigs which love to destroy the greens.
There are two basic debits  (hole in the lightly rooted grass surface)  The dropping of the bowl at the front of the mat, and the long throwing bounce at the 3 foot from the mat distance.  Both cause damage to the green because the bowl is not rolling as it hits the green and uses the surface to begin it rolling movement.
   A good delivery will have a finger flick or roll of the finger type delivery which make the bowl roll before hitting the green.  Otherwise, the soft wet green will be one debit for each bowl delivered. (over 100 per team)
If on a beautiful sunny day someone made a debit because they did not roll their bowl; we all will see and say that the bounce or digging into the green has removed delivery weight which caused the shot bowl. We immediately do a better delivery as we fight to get into the head.
 On rainy days, the thought is, "I am short because of the rain slowing the bowl" and "oh a debit 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.  Your bowl will be better and you will stop making debits.
   Footwear also make rather strange debits.  Over the past years more and more clubs accept flat sole footwear like sailing shoes or sandals. But there is more to the right footwear than a flat sole shoe. When you need to catch your balance or break  that forward movement made with that front "long stride" delivery;  does the side of your footwear causes quite ugly debits?  If weight adjustment means changing your step.. be sure your footwear does not cause debits.
WHAT CAN YOU DO ??   Yes, see the debits,  see the need for proper footwear.  But what about your bowls or how you bowl.. can you adjust and still bowl well.
      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 hands are wet.  Use a different type of Gripoo.. (I have seen one which is so sticky that in wet weather it still grips)  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.
 If you Bowls  have what are called "grips" it may help grip better, but also it might  cause bad debits when you have one of thoseoff-bias rolls as the debits from "Bowls "grips can be  the cause of Green damage.

      Second, the mat does not need to be always at the same placement. Learn to find the line with mat placement in different places.So often the mat stays at the 2 meter mark and end after end replaced there.  As lead laying down the mat. look at the delivery area of the green where your team's bowls will be deposited.  Remember, you left handed team member and also as you move the mat forward your jack distance stays the same.  A short jack or medium jack is still 21-24 meters and medium 24 - 27 meters.
      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.  Eventually the debits will become a point of concern.
             Remember, if the greens keeper see a team is making a lot of debits; he will call for the screens to be placed and that changes the games as rule says the mat-line must be at the edge of the screens.  Mat always at same location. Skips have a responsibility to tell the opponent about their player's debits.
         Strange, in Petanque, a french sport of throwing and rolling the metal balls to the jack, rules prevent a player from arranging the receiving area of their delivery. The exception is that players are allowed to fixing of the last made debit. (They play in sand or gravel so the full moon debit must be fixed).
  So if at a club, rather than close our eyes to opponents marking debits, if every player before delivery repairs that last debit made by the opponent; it shows and tell the advice to be careful.    Interesting fact of Boccie, another bowls like game now played in the 2012 London Paralympics games played this week... Players can have different bowls in their six balls. soft balls for hard to remove once at the jack and hard balls for those slam takeouts. http://paralympics.channel4.com/inside-stories/newsid=1232776/index.html#Talking boccia tactics by David Smith the Canadian Gold Medallist.

Rolling in Rain

Judging the Green's speed in the rain can be difficult.  But there are tricks which used will allow your first bowl to be on the jack even if the rain has changed.
       The rolling of the jack is a Green Testing experience for the lead bowler.watch and know how your lead is able to roll to the skip's requested distance.... Normally the lead is good enough to roll to the skip's  foot, but in the rain, it stops 3 to 4 meters short.  This lost of distance,  is the green lost of speed due to the rain... 
  -  Learn by watching the jack roll each time, wheather you are lead, mate or skip. The green speed  will change with the volume of rain falling and/or has fallen since you last played this direction on the green.
      Under rainy conditions, there are many things that will slow your bowl.  Many think it  is trail and error.  (Roll the first bowl and see where it goes.. then add on more to get closer.  By the third bowl you should be on the jack).  Can you afford to waste 3 bowls to know the green speed.  Skips... Ask for the first bowl 4 meters behind if the speed lost is 4 meter. Your lead will try that position and be on the jack.  Other helpful hints.
  -  Know what effect your raingear has on your delivery. Do you hear the movement of bowl and raingear. Does it restrict your movement.
    - Watch and learn from your opponent. He/she is good enough to roll to the jack, therefore if their bowl iis 3 meters short then add 3 meters for jack when you bowl.
 -  Virgin Greens are worst with Rain.  If the delivery line is rolled the water has been removed (laid down).  If not add more weight. for every off center jack foot left or right.(think how much it rained since your last back up the green this way)
  -  Bias is depend on the speed of the bowl... Faster roll gives less bias... Your bowls will only swing in the last few meters when it has slowed to Bias speed.    Do a narrow draw for the heavy delivery on rainy greens.
   -  Watch the "Cock tail" on bowls..  It will indicate low green areas with more water and you can avoid them by changing delivery line or forehand/backhand.
   - Roll the same bias each time.. using the previous line now showing in the wet green.. Green speed will be faster because water has been laid down on that line..
   - Fast greens happen if the jack is placed around where the mat was previously and where bowlers stood waiting their turn on the mat. 
   -  Listen to skip.. He may be adjusting for the weight (asking for a back bowl) or line (going narrow on line)

Team Head "Skip or No-Skip"

Being a Skip

        In some clubs new members are taught to do as the skip instructs. Also, in some clubs in large bowler areas, a skip is approved after many years of Lawn Bowls experience. Likewise, in the game of Bowls you will find good Skips and "Want-a-Be" skips. It is not because you have lead teams to game wins; that you are the Skip.
         It is because the rest of the team wants to follow you onto the green and has choosen you as leader you Skip this game.  When you realize that the best players are amoung those on your teams, you are proud.. 
Respect is not something which rules of play cannot define.  If as a leader you inspire "Respectable Support" from your team mates; you are becoming a team leader and their Skip. Self-respect usually generates team respect.
      Use your head. Be wise.   Those playing with you are there because they enjoy the game and are doing their best.  A good and honest compliment when one is due, will build team spirit. Also, no matter how good you may be on draws or various types of shoots; you will make a mistake.
    . Giving up a point after a hard fight is not easy; but to make a bad shot and give up several points.  Be graceful, admit your bad judgement or bad performance.  Yelling at players,  Placing Blame, Not expressing satification when a game is going bad but all the team are playing well. The sign will show a good Skip as " the Head of the Team" and also reveal when there is an Ass on the green.