Thinking outside of the box

 Just back from the clubhouse where an invitation competition of "5-a-teams" was being played. No, I was not playing but I spend a lot of time watching games and evaluating the potential of new bowlers. Sometimes a simple mis-understanding of a regular action can cause one to "Think outside of the Box"

As my 2023 bowls season draws to a close I guess I am back to blog writing a bit.

The first sets of games had just been completed and the 2nd set of games were to start. But, unlike the first games which start after a  "Trial Ends"  now with the new greens were assigned to all six teams there was no Trial-ends. The skips of the green just in front me  (number 1, an end-green) was questioning the previous team's skip on the green and their experience. With not much time for much information; I heard the skip  said "The ditch size is extremely wide and if you miss your line or the jack is moved toward the ditch; then  all your bowls will finish out of bounds".

As I listen to the skip talking to his lead as he prepared to start on this green; he was telling her (Kim) that she would have to take "Line, like on the corner where both ditches met. His thought was on her first bowl and how to play it, but  Kim, was a lead I had not seen before; was only thinking about to throw the  jack. As often happens; the skip was explaining the greens and needing a  "head ditch Line" while the  lead was thinking that the skip instruction were her instructions for rolling the jack.

I laster learned Kim was a first year bowler, and that as such  she was confusion. She was thinking of the Jack which she was to throw. So she asked "You want me to throw the jack toward the out of bound marker ?" The skip replied "No, No, Up the centre-line". First thought I had was she was an experience lead and had often thrown a jack off-center to learn something of the green. I later learned that she did not understand what the skip was suggesting. However, the Skip also did not understand what she was suggesting. Her suggestion of off-center Jack throw, if used here would have given him a lot of important information about  that side of the green. 

 After many years experience I had learned that on the jack throw to watch the jack and read how the jack is affected by the green during the roll. And now after several years of bowls and major competition I know skips do ask "Study Information" from the leads.  Especially in "Bowls Fours" where no bowls can be wasted. With no trial-ends and the team now coming to this new green; her question was extremely interesting as if she had previously been instructed on this subject of "of-center Jack rolls".

Because of the absence of a Trial end in this 2nd set of play I thought that the skip's thoughts were "if the jack is throw "off-center" and the team players were  watching the jack roll;, we have some very good information.  Also, as I had just returned to Quebec after several summers playing away; I saw this suggestion by a Skip a change in game strategy and even some clubs doing " Lead developmen"t which was badly needed before. 

To not throw the jack up the center of the green but off-center was first introduced to me at a early 2000 Atlantic Bowls game where the Jack has caught the ridge of a depression in the green and change it line by 20 to 30 degrees.  If a lead is to roll the jack up the green without going out of bounds and closely watch the jack; the watching team members would see how that side of the green would draw the bowls off.  Of course, after the jack throw, the Skip would bring the jack back to centre line if it did not go out of bounds. 

 I had been instructed many years ago that is Bowls Fours the Lead and Second should study the green and the opponent players delivery habits to advise the Vice (for the skip) in helping develop a winning game play strategy. (Seeing an opponent with a weak Backhand  and forcing the oppponent player to play backhand may remove a few bowls from the head)

 Last friday, I watch a jack which was thrown up "Center Line" go right,  across the center line then after a few yards began to coming back across the center line and finished at least 6 inches of center. This type of jack reaction can mean a "finishing Bias" bowl would stop or "reverse-bias" Yes, here in Quebec we have some clubs with really difficult greens. Ofcourse, a bad center of the green will not affect the bias of your delivery (rolled bowl) unless the jack was moved extremely off-centre and now your delivery passes across this section of the green. (center-Line).

 Over the years I have often done a "off-centre Line" jack roll to collect this sort of information.

 Yes, this thinking "outside the Box" of a regular habit of throwing the jack up center-line, would given a lot of insight into what to expect as the team starts it first end.  Even if the jack had gone out-of-bounds, I, as a skip and coach; would have consider the knowledge more important than the lost  "First-Jack".