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.

Update June 13,2026. Game situration.. Down 6 points and with only 4 ends of play to go, I found my lead's bowls all heavy by 2 or 3 years and at 11 o"clock. The opponent had shot with us having 3 seconds. My first bowl of three (triples) was to play a jack roll or take-out as the shot bowl was a bowl size left of the jack. Weight would put my bowl with the lead's bowls if I was to miss the jack roll or the take-out.

All the right reasons to try this shot and being the first bowl played I felt what I would learn from the shot would be helpful if I had to draw for shot. Now as I write this I realize I am still working on knowing what is too big a step when walking the mat. I had always felt that the difference of the missed shot being the walking distance to move. My delivery is instinctive so there was no question which direction to walk the mat for the successful shot.

My bowl shot passed the jack by inches on the right (shot bowl was on the jack's left), With 2 seconds the takeout was giving 3 if I stayed; and a jack roll also would now give 2 or 3 shots with my missed bowl now with the lead's bowls at 11 o'clock. 

I decided to do step 2 shoe width left accepting the three bowls percentage. (my bowl could touching the jack on the right,(1 bowl) passing between bowl and jack,(a tight squeeze) and touching the shot bowl at 10 o'clock(third bowl size percentage). What was important was weight. only two bowl rolls would be enough to remove the shot bowl or if the jack roll it was enough to collect  a point or two. Because two Bowl roll is on the Bias's "Finsh" I had to play this shot as a "reposition jack draw".  That means "seeing a jack at 10:30 o'clock" and drawing to it. (the hardest walking the mat shot is when the "Bias Finish" is involved as most finish can be a bowl size change as it finishes. I perfer to Walk the mat where the Bias's Shoulder does the jack roll or contact with the shot bowl as the shoulder give only a half bowl size for it complete length of 2 meters.

This update show the thinking as I recall my game tonight.  I took two points as my bowl stayed with the jack and moved enough to count my first bowl played.  (end of update)