Instinctive and Previsualization (NMem)

October 17,2025 - This blog update for a Lawn Bowls "Pre-Shot" teaching blog will not have changes made but simply cleaned up.  

The previous Blog mention the Video of Tigar Wood  on Youtube.com "Sport Psychology - Want  to Visualize like Tiger " and I will reference it from Blog to Blog.

Have you seen this delivery scenario ?   The bowl was rolled up the green and when that bowler returning to the mat for the delivery the next bowl,  he called up the green to asks the marker or skip "How much short am I ?" This often heard question can defines the player as being  "technical restricted" in their bowls development. If the bowler remains here at this stage of development he is stuck with a seperation between bowls without any opportunity of improvement of his delivery. 

Yes, he will get better in his game strategy but always be blocked from advancing into a game where each delivery improves on the previous

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 When we start our sport a  good technique is necessary. The photo left, is from a Bowls Australia Video where a great teaching of  technique is shown but in "previsualization" we put all the importance on physical development and letting the mind and body do the delivery.   This is best said in the video where Tiger Wood's coach  in the video above says   "Letting the performance happen rather than thinking or helping the performance to happen"

When teaching a new bowler to add on distance, various techniques are suggested. Maybe a wrist flick, maybe a larger step, some new members even try with a longer swing or other types body movement;  believing that the method will give the extra difference in footage that is needed. As with any sport, we all begin by techniques which develop a great performance. But once we are master of those techniques. we are like the pre-schooler who has stop thinking about how to drive the bicycle and just let the riding happen. This is where visualization and  the mind influence make our sport really a big joy. We have  developed in our delivery a habit of doing the same things over and over until we are able to watch the same results if everything is performed properly.
   
 You think, "ok just a little more"  and deliver the bowl, which seems to arrive as we wanted. Without thinking how you have made a change, we find  that an extra little force was added and  we discovers that some that extra added did as we expected.  This is an INSTINCTIVE performance.  After you have rolled  so many bowls. over the many years, you don't think any more like a new lawn bowler with the mental instruction of "ok a longer step". The mind know  you want a extra distance how to do it. As you have just told the mind what you want and it was done.  Previsualization is a bit much more than that. (You will learn that you can concentration to the point that you are not thinking at all)

  Now to understand Previsualization; Try this as you do your  "add-on practice". The objective of the practice is to roll a bowl, then the next at 18 inches further and then the 3rd at another 18 inches further. (a common skill exercise for adding on a foot or more weight)
    If you throw the first one as a natural distance you have began your practice with a distance you know using the delivery technique you learned as a new member. because you know how to build a foot onto your natural roll distance. That is ok.. except  the problem is and have chosen a starting distance which you can easily reproduce. Your method of adding on will be your only change as you bowl your next bowl.

  Now, lets try something a bit more difficult; with a specific distance in your mind, Think of "26 meters" (the number or the location on the green) or some other random distance. Now instinctively you go and roll the bowls as you want to that distance you wanted. Maybe it is not 26 meters but when you roll to that second distance and them to the third distance until you have finish this practice.. Your body learned from the previous practice limits (a foot more) and will adjust each shot. If you have missed then you will analysis your mistake and think of what you should have done. (Hopefully, you are seriously thinking because you are now passing this correction as a communication thought to your mind).

First we must accept that this exercise has many parts all which require "Thinking". Think again.. and more,, always thinking. For example, in doing your pre-mat routine (thinking) of how to get to that distance; you are telling your subconscious what you want. You may even remember a trick on how you do it. After much mental practoce. you will at one point just stop thinking of how to do it, and just tell yourself (your mind) the distance or increase distance and just let the body do the shot.  Or should  I say " Just let the mind do the shot after being told of the change."

 When we are thinking all the time, there is so much baggage in your thoughts, that we are only fight with your unconscious mind on what you want it to do. Think that your conscious mind is like the boss in the office and your body and unconscious mind want to do the job. But your  continual thinking and control is like having a boss which come back every few minutes to watch you do the job.

 Your unconscious mind only hears him saying "No not that way... do this or do that."  eventually you (you unconscious) have not idea what you should do. Like an employee. Your body and most important, your unconscious mind is lost

 Previsualization is am instruction (though or action) to the unconscious mind and then the ability of letting it do its work. This action is made up of two parts.. "One seeing the shot" and then "Doing the shot." But most important is letting the mind doing the shot without your constant control of each movement. Sort of the Boss going away and letting the person do the job the way they know how to do it.

Previsualization is seen everyday in the sport baseball when a outfielder throws the ball to the 2nd baseman or the short stop.  He never thinks I got to take two steps and bring my arm back tp  certain distance to throw such a long way. He simply see where  he is throwing the ball and at the same time or nearly the same time let it  fly.  Most important, he did not think "now I will throw the ball".  He simply WANTED it and did it. In some sports, like Basketball to use a similar method in a sitting practice. The athletics is to do mental baskets for a set time before starting their  actual physical practice.
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  A practice exercise to do on the green and understand the difference between Instinctive and Previsualization is to try this the next time you are on the green..

               Instinctive..  Roll the bowls so they arrive in the 18 inches apart. do it up and back
               Previsualization   Before rolling the bowl  see the bowl rolling in your mind.. see  its bias ..even see it falling over on the spot where you want it.. maybe do  1, 2, 3  where 3 is the actual delivery of the bowl and 1 and 2 are the eyes following the imaginary bowl up the green..

           Actually, Karan Murphy the Australian Gold Medal World Bowls 2012 winner does a sort of practice swing in her delivery. You can not know what she is thinking but you will see her do two or three arm swings before her delivery. (added Oct 2026 - In a blog on Pre-set, it is suggested that  some coaches in Australia use this false swing to feel the distance to the jack before the athlete's delivery)

Is she visually seeing her intended bowl roll?? (the memory of her bowl roll)             We must note that this is not previsualization yet) it is just the visual training exercise for it)

Quickly... and to yet  come.in these blogs.. Previsualization is combined with concentration. which is the ability to remove the conscious thoughts of instructing  the bowl and instead letting the unconscious mind simple do what it knows.

Webster Dictionary defines Conscious as "With a degree of controlled thought" and "marked by thought"  means we are consciously talking to our bowl, (in our mind). to their position. we are thinking the changes that we need to do to have our bowl  performance. " Yes we need  to use our knowledge of changing weight techniques, or correction of faults but once we have made the changes we send the job to be done to the unconscious mind and let it happen".

(Quotes added because this same idea is express in the Oct 2026 blog "What line are you taking")

. In the video of Tiger Wood the important statement of " Letting the performance happen rather than thinking or helping the performance to happen" means removing the Conscious control.. 

Clean up done Oct 21, 2026 with a few lines removed.