New Season & Social Media

Two interesting  Lawn Bowls SM (Social Media) messages came to my attention over the Easter Weekend. First, on Twitter, Bowls Canada was attempting to have Lawn Bowler followers to contact Regina city council and ask them to not close the Regina Lawn Bowls Club. Secondly, I received a FB (Facebook) message under Blind Lawn Bowls asking for assistance which I will address in the next blog "Becoming a Blind Bowls Assistance".

Tweet for Help against Closing Club

Yes, Twitter is a communication device but as a National Organization I feel that a better job could have been done by Bowls Canada Boulingrin.  Not to critize the hard work of a few but the request to communicate with the Regina City Council is only available to Regina residence or Regina Lawn Bowls Members. 

 Maybe a petition of Canadian Bowlers would have been better to address the concern of twitter followers, of which @BCBBowls has 620 and certainly more with the retweets but then again there was so much support.  Of the 620 Followers only 8 retweeted the article and 2 retweeted the request to contact the City Council.

Link given is for Regina Residences

 Really..  Does no one care if the club is closed. I would like to know just how many members are registered with Bowls Canada Boulingrin and why such a small support for a club closing.

Several years ago, Twitter followers saw the Welsh Lawn Bowls Association being concerned about Clubs being closed because of Muncipil Council decisions that the cost of the sport and the number of citizens involved in the sport was not sufficient to justify their continual support. 

Around August 2015, I blogged about my New Brunswick Club Manchester LBC in Moncton NB; which was being suggested closed to make place for another Hockey Arena and a few (about 5 members) worked for two years to rebuild the clubhouse and the club.  Last I heard the membership was still less than 20 and fees were $40.

Leaving photo large to impress on reader the nice green

At that time I posted photos on twitter and warned my twitter followers that all lawn bowlers had to be aware of this danger by their city (or town) following the Welsh muncipalities efforts to cut cost. .  Today, Bowls Canada, the Canadian Lawn Bowls National association is asking players to contact the city of Regina about their muncipal decision to close its  local club. In another blog " The "Value of your Bowls Club " at the end of April 2013 I quoted Bowls Canada as saying "
Bowls Canada on promotion writes "How Can We Grow Our Club   By working together as a club to make people feel welcome. Encourage outside entrance and ask yourself would you feel comfortable if you came in on the street to play Bowls for the first time?"

Without cirtizing Bowls Canada, our National Canadian Lawn Bowls governing body, we must look to the top for leadership. I as a Social member participant  and have a Twitter account of 174 lawn bowl clubs or players followers and  I attempt to  keep up on news of over 820 Lawn Bowls sites. I can tweet all I want about clubs closing or a muncipial decision to charge and poste photos of clubs turned into parking lots; but it is because I believe someone is listening.  It got so bad that a muncipality actually began charging joggers for the right to run in their park.

Unless you the reader, and your national or state organization get involved and develop programs to build clubs, nothing will change. 

Two aspects of a lazy society exist. Let someone else try that new idea and we will get involved if they are successful and why fix or change what seems to be working ok for now. Maybe it is now too late for the National lawn bowls association "Bowls Canada" to put together a petition but it is not too late to act.  Start something in 2013 (4 years ago) when I posted the blog on club closing and maybe today that action would be a tree bearing fruit in Regina

Walking The Mat Futurist ?

In the development of a skill in lawn bowls it is necessary to approach it from three directions.  First, understand the physical movement and muscle training necessary to perform that skill efficently each time.

Bowl in Perfect Block Position

Secondly, to know the variation or errors which are possible and the result of such variations or errors. (Learned in the three exercise of "Walking the Mat"). And, Third, making a decision on when to use this skill.

In the previous three blogs I explained the value of "Walking the Mat" and explained it physical movement and use, What to expect is shown in the exercises, which if your tried them you will now understand the limits in using it. But as a "Tool" in your "Tool Box" of  Lawn Bowls Tricks, you must look at the future and when you believe it would be wise to use it.  

Going Around Block not Good

No don't wait until you think it is wise to use it. Think of the various problems suggested in the previous blogs like a block or a difficult rise in the green, and decide if it is the tool to use.

 The dictionary defines a futurist as an writer or artist who projects the future. As a lawn bowler you can be a futurist in knowing the result of your bowl following "Walking the Mat".

Inside Block Does not Give Shot

But I believe you really want to be a Futurologist. ( a person whose occupation or specialty is the forecasting of future events, conditions, or developments.) in that you want it to be a specialty used just when necessary.

To understand the difference between being an artist at bowls with a tool and being a specialist in forcasting the events I would like to give an example of a  futurist who in 1949 wrote about what we know and live today 68 years later..

Moving far left on Mat Gives Shot

Television, although experimental in 1920 became available after the death of "George Orwell" who wrote a futurist novel "1984" about "Big Brother". and published it in 1949. After his death in 1950, the Television became a mayor social media in 1960 with it introduction of color.television, it became part of every household.. This was the Futurist.

  "In his novel he writes "The voice came from an oblong metal plaque  like a dulled mirror which formed part of the surface of the right-hand wall.... The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely."  Today's everyday life of most of us with our Flatscreen which are alway turned on but on a low volume.

In my earlier years, when I married, I began living in a "french community" and raising a french family. I had to think hard to listen to others and understand the french which I heard constantly except at home. Over time and with practice I developed the ability to not listen unless I wanted to hear. Otherwise, I was always translating what people was saying and very tired after a few hours.

 You as a lawn bowler using "Walking the Mat" must think hard when a decision is needed to use this skill. And if the information or decision is not needed you simply forgot about it. Thoughts like  "When I go left, the bowl shifts right". "Can I achieve the same with a different Delivery Line ?" ; should not be a part of your delivery.  It should be done on the practice green. These and many other thoughts which can not be part of your "Pre-Delivery Routine ",

Your Pre-Delivery Routine should be the how's to do the expected shot and not the decision of which method of delivery to use.  The "Post-Delivery Routine" which analysis the previous delivery and result and create the "Feedback" to be used in decision making is not the place either.

Walking Mat View

If you have developed the skill into a "Specialty" you have thought and even practice various aspects of the skill.  If the "Walking the Mat" is to be used against a "Center line" point and "Runner Block" (Photo above) it must be tried and developed.  To know how to do it and actually do it is the different between a skill and a specalty.

As a lawn bowler we want to take this tool of "Walking the Mat" and use it in such a way we can forcast the actual position of the bowls on the greens. Practice makes perfect and several tries will be done before you know and see the result.

Mat Walking Exercises 3/3

As part of this months blogs on the Mat and its usaqge, I give these exercise on the Walking of the Mat" which was just explained in two previous blogs; "Walking the Mat What is it ?" and its followup of "Other uses of Walking the Mat".  

April 5th 2017 Stats

Both blogs were written this week and even though the lawn bowls season is finishing "Down Under" and just about to start in Our Northern clubs; it has received a good reader turnout. 

The two stats (screen captures) show how sometimes stats don't reflect the actual readership of the blogs.  In recent months  the Canadian and Americian news has been heavy about the Russian hacking. There is certainly a high volume of searching by Russian and I doubt if they are going to start lawn bowls soon. The stat (right)  is probably a Russian search because of a blog I wrote about Trump on Nov 9th 2016 about inviting the US president to your club.  The second stats show the actual blog readership stats without the influence of Russian searching.

April 6th 2017 Stats

What is interesting is the most popular blogs read.The two top reads are:  "Measure which Bowl is shot" of 2013 with 1820 reads and the use of the Subconscious mind in Lawn Bowls "Three Subconscious Mind Exercise" written in December 2012, with 1909  reads.  The other three blogs in these two stats are the two most recent blogs about "Walking the mat" and "other usages of Walking the Mat"  and the role of "Being a good Lead"  in the game. 

Now about these three Exercises for Walking the mat. First, It is important to know your ability to get around a block, if one should arrive in the front of your bowl to the head. The first exercise will attempt to instruct you as to your weakness when a block appears.

The second exercise for "Walking the Mat" will help you understand what happens to your bowl as you reposition to the left and right side of the mat. Without theknowledge of what feeet movement does to the new position of your  bowl in the head when you use the same line of delivery; it would be a  guess how your bowls will arrive in the head.

April 8th 2017 Stats.

The third exercise for "Walking the mat" is to develop a judgement of how much to walk the mat to reposition your bowls. Or if you move on the mat to improve your "receiving area" for your bowl what difference to expect in the arrival of your bowl. 

 Although the Australian Lawn Bowls season is coming to a close, I posted the stats (right) to show a new reader. The spike occurs when someone starts reading a blog on something like "Walking the mat" and continues to search throught the 130 blogs of the last 5 years for blogs of their interest.

If you have read a few of my blogs on the mind’s ability to collect experiences and apply them to our sport; you will know I treat a personal Skill development like teaching a child (your subconscious mind) to believe in something new. By teaching the subconscious mind of the facts and then with repeated actions, you allow it (the subconscious) to develop a confidence in how best to do what you expect in your delivery.

If we reconizes we all have a mental attitude toward a bowl in your path, we must know the different between a real block and what bowl is not a block. Often called a "In your Eye" Block these bowls usually are enough intimination to force you or your skip to switch your delivery hand.  As you develop your "tool" of doing a Mat movement,  you will develop a ability of pushing this block's mental fear out of your delivery.

Helping Setup the Green -  As you attempt to roll around a block, in your first exercise you will need an individual or helper  reset up the block bowl on its mark after each time you have moved it.  As a good way to defines  the location of a perfect block, I suggest that that individual  stop your rolling bowl to the jack at the point about 3 meters infront of the house. Putting a chalk mark on the green will allow to reposition that bowl after you have moved it. If you are attempting these exercises with a fellow lawn bowl player, you can each take turns in the head as you would in Pairs Play.

Exercise 1 On an open or empty green with only the jack spotted place a piece of white string or chalk marking) about 15 to 18  feet ( 3 Meters) in front of the jack. As the first bowl is delivered it is stopped as it passes the line and left there as a block. 

Place Bowl where it is perfect Block

The remaining three bowls are bowled in an attempt to go around that bowl (block)  If that block is hit the individual in the head will reposition that bowl.  

Perform this going up and coming back on the same side of the green.  Then when finished repeat the exercise with the opposite hand. The purpose of this exercise is to know your own abilities as you encounter a block and how you feel by the block and as you want to be able to bowl on both hands, Forehand and back hand; you will do four passes.  Two on one side, up and back, and then two on the other side, up and back.

Exercise 2 This exercise is to show you the effect and amount  that a small movement on the mat causes with your bowl in the head.

Two Steps left and One Right

This exercise is done the same as exercise 1 as you go up and back on the same side of the green and then repeat with the opposite hand of delivery.   If you are lucky (or maybe unlucky) you might find a bad defect or run in the green and understand how the mat movement helps you.

You  with simply, using the same line of delivery (reference position off the green or on the green) for all bowls, make a slow movement from your normal delivery position on the mat and “Walk” to the extreme edge of the mat  in one direction. Like Exercise 1, do one direction of movement on the mat for one block going and coming back.

Knowing your “Walking” results from your slowly re-position your mat foot one shoe size left (or right beginning) of your normal stance position and always attempting to  bowl a second bowl with the same weight and line of delivery. 

Going Around Inside does not get close

As you repeats this for the next bowl,  you will eventually find your “on-the-mat” foot is at the extreme  edge of the mat.  If your still have a bowl attempt movement in the opposite direction from the normal mat position. You may find quite a different in your finished bowls caused by that very small movement both left and right.

After your 4 ends (up and back twice) you should know the limits of your movement on the mat from your regular and normal delivery stance. As you are reading this, think.. "If you use the same line and move left on the mat, where do you think you bowl will go ?  right or left of the jack or block.

Exerice 3 Bowling around the Block – Now knowing what your movement does to your bowl try Place a bowl on the mark made by your helper in the first exercise as a perfect block  and try your mat movement to go around the block.. 

Can also move back 3 steps

Note your feelings as you stand on the mat and look up the green toward the jack.  This feeling is your mind has changed from the first exercise when the block was an intimidation and you had doubt that you can bowl around that bowl to the jack  This skill exercise has without knowing,  slowly remove this doubt and create confidence of your ability to bowl around the block.

. As you do this skill  several other times or on other days, you will educate your mind that you can bowl around the block and develop and feel your confidence.

  There is no good in  “Walking the Mat” if you have not the confidence that you can bowl around the bowl which is blocking your approach and know where your bowl should arrive in the head.

You will also make a decision wheather you rather go around the block from the outside and arrive behind the jack or cross over the front of the block and arrive in the front of the jack. 

Moving right allow draw to jack

I personally like the outside-the-block delivery (mat position to go around back of the bowl) rather than the Inside Block delivery. (across the front of the block)

Finish this exercise by removing the block and bowling 4 bowls to the jack from your normal position. 

You probably feel a sense of relief as your mind is more confortable when it bowls your normal delivery.

This state of mind, a feeling of confidence, is what you have began to develop. No you will not use the “walking the Mat” for blocks very often, but you have already started to tell your subconscious mind that you can do it and you feel that satification when it is done.

Other Walking the Mat Usage 2/3

Watching a game of bowls is more than what is seen as the bowl stops in the head. I have seen bowlers adjust their placement on the mat to get the best result for their bowls. This "Walking the Mat" allowed  the skip (last bowls) to be able to change from 1 point (draw point) to 5 as his bowl drew the jack back to waiting bowls.

Line of Delivery References

We don`t all take a line for the delivery, but if you do use a line; I must ask how accurate can you modify that line.  Using a distance point off the green, you certainly can't adjust your bowl by a few centimeters as you change the line object.  If using a "On The Green" point (in front of you) as your delivery line, you may find more accuracy by a small change but not a few centimeters.

So in conclusion, if you use a point of reference for taking your line, it should be just that. "A Point of Reference".  And if your bowl depends upon your pre-bowl delivery reference then you are also guessing at where your bowl will arrive in the head. I say `Pre-Bowl Delivery" because many players use their line of reference as a Feedback "Post Bowl" reference.  After having released the bowl a Post Bowl Reference is when you look at that point of reference to judge how good a delivery was made.The walking the mat can also be used in indoor bowls as with the blog "Walking the Mat" of the 2015 indoor bowls.

In an earlier Blog, I suggested that you stand at the mat and do four fast "relaxed" deliveries to find your natural distance.  If you did such an exercise and did not wait to see where your bowl stopped before doing the next delivery you will probably find that all four bowls would have been together on the green.  Probably touching or within  a few centimeters or inches (in Canada) but maybe not at the jack.

The ability to make very fine adjustments to your line, or point of reference does not give you a close change in bowl position at the head.  But if you use the "Walking the Mat" as the very fine adjustment you want, while keeping the same point of reference; you will be amazed by what you can do.   In the photo right we see a rain soak green which shows the high sports. Imagine if you were bowling left to right the ridge these high make.

Following are some of the applications which a bowler may find the use of his "Walking the Mat" technique will help with difficulties other than just making that fine adjustment suggested above.

We all have found that difficult green where we have noticed that our bowl has continued to follow a straight line rather than take it bias as we expected it to do. Somewhere, half ways up the green, when the bowl  should have been starting it bias swing or “Arc” (the small curve after the straight line of delivery) we are surprised by the lack of swing on the bowl.

 Often referred to as "a small run" or raise in the green,  you saw your bowl as it cross over  to the opposite side of that rise and then  remain on the opposite side as it attempts to come back over the top of the "rise". In the photo above, the collection of bowls is probably such a raise as weight (draw) is lost as the bowl fights with the return over the rise.

 Until NOW, there was nothing you could do but try again with the next bowl and watch as again it seems straight off bias.

  

NOW, your knowledge of “Walking the Mat” will keep your bowl from passing over the top of the rise as you move on the mat and keep the bowl below the top of that rise. If you have the opportunity to replay the end with the mat at the same location a solution is to "Place the mat forward" to prevent this Straight run. (Why not place it back a bit ??)However,  maybe the mat was placed by  the opponent to get you and your teammates caught on the “Run of Green” difficulty 
Knowing and using the  “Walking the Mat”  will be a useful “tool” in the  Bowls trick or “toolbox  of knowledge" .  Note, also that such a rise and you not going over the top (running straight) also has an "increase Bias" as it runs down the side of that rise.

Secondly, your knowing this trick of position of your feet on the mat  will  also increase your confidence. You have a decision to make in your "Pre-delivery Routine" where going around a blocks or avoiding a bad green rise has resulted in  a good draw to the jack.

This trick has also improved my delivery and appreciation of a game. If I am watching  a quality game of Bowls, and  detect a  players on the mat; who  actually know and uses  a “Walking”.  

Thirdly, as discussed in blog "Being a Lead Player", with a good lead, who knows the delivery styles of their teammates we find the mat placed in such a position that all players on the team can lay their bowls to the green and find a clean "Receiving area". 

The photo (right) shows what could be expected if the mat was placed at 2 meters from the ditch in the left-to=right direction. All players have a different method of delivery and if you, as lead,  know that your team mate is placing their bowl on the green at the center line then you should be careful to place the mat at such a location as they have  the center line with a good “Bowl Receiving Area”; as a bowl which falls into a debit just as it is placed to the green will certainly not finish where it is expected.  

On the second side of  this problem is that maybe the mat was placed by the opponents and you have a bad "receiving area"  of green where you plan to place your bowl,  Now your   “Walking the mat” ability may be need to give you a  better “Receiving area” for your bowl, and  avoid a bad section of the green. 

If the problem is caused by your lead, rather than always being required to do a  “Walking the mat” as part of your delivery routine;  talk to your lead about the mat placement. A good team will teach their lead  this aspect of bowls and have them always check the area in front of the mat. 

So, next time out at the practice green, build your knowledge of how and when to use the "Walking the Mat" as a  tool of delivery. Do the following blog exercise to learn how the bowl changes it location in the head as you "walk the mat".

  Like any tool, household, carpenter or Bowls, if it is not always needed then don`t use it.  It is something you decide in your Pre-Delivery routine as a helpful tool for a problem..  Not a part of your regular Delivery Routine.  However, you may find that to develop the most of "walking the Mat" you will want to use a different "Normal Feet Placement" as part of your Delivery Routine.

Next blog.  A drill or skill development to help with “Walking the Mat” and avoiding “Bowl Blocks”.