On March 2nd 2014, ten years ago and a couple of years after starting my Blog history I wrote a blog about positive Thinking and how valueable it is in Bowls. In Canada, as with many countries in the world, Bowls as a summer game leaves many of us searching for a similar game throught the winter months.
This blog discussed the French game of Petanque which is a roll close to the target ball (jack in bowls and Cochon in Petanque); and the lesson learned in a fast game. Normally a Petanque game is about 45 minutes to play as the rules allow each player one minute for their performance after the opponent's ball has stopped. So a game of 20 minutes, as discussed here would require a quick pace and very little wasted time on decisions. In recent blogs now in 2025 I have been writing about "Muscle Memory" and the "Subconscious"; which is best performed when it is a quick pre-performance activity and a rapid execution of the performance.
Hope this redo of an older blog is of interest and enjoyed. The older blog is still listed in 2014.
The growing popularity of Lawn Bowls is that it is a game for everyone. As a social game, it can gather friends and club members out onto the green for a friendly game. No special dress, just a fun time together.
(photo Teeswater Lawn Bowling 2012 , Photobucket,)
These games can be fun and also educational. Some clubs, like our club here in Montreal, Canada insist that there is ¨No Coaching¨ during club gathering games to promote enjoyment and remove the often seriousness of winning. However, sometimes, we are serious about our practice and want to learn and perfect our abilities. 
Here, in right photo, we find a serious played game where the rules all being applied and the bowlers in their whites are clearly doing their best. Whether they are at the local club level, at a inter state or province level (here in Canada) or at a international competition; these players work a routine of excellence and performance with success the goal.
The difference is clearly seen as dress becomes parts of their the presentation. Like a business man in a suit or lady in smart business dress finds success in a well dress performance. This blog is about the ability to enter into such a challenge and always showing a pride in your performance whether sports or business.
Very often club members look for the social aspect of the club with only a few people seeking to develop into this competitive level of their sport. We as club members must respect those of both groups, but when we do enter into such a challenge, we sometimes feel that our game is pushed beyond our present level of skill. Such expectation only lead to a heighten level of performance.
First, in such games we don't have the choice of our opponent, and sometimes we are matched to what the club calls ¨the Club's champion¨. Often at these times we tell our self that this opponent is beyond our skill level and with the negative attitude we are often beaten before we have rolled the first bowl.
This negative and destructive train of thought, that the opponent is too good; only leads us into an acceptance of LOSE before we even have start the actual game.
The following story tells of one such occurrence where I was totally unaware of the strength of my opponent and although he was the best of this competition; I entered into my best performance. And before long the first game was over and I had won. The Positive belief in myself had allowed me to surpass his ability and with a rule of a short time limit, which became his preoccupation; I was surprise with my "'Great Performance"
(Note of 2025) - Two years ago, now nearly 80 years old I entered a competiton which in the final game for the cash I was matched to the best in the province and his wife; both international athletics. However, the club has given us the worst green of their club by random draw and these two were use to exception good Lawn bowls greens and during the first 7 or 8 ends we matched them point for point. Finally as is the case with exceptional athletics they adapted and ran away with the points. Always something which may be to your advantage. Find it.
I had entered a "Head-to-head" or "One-on-one" Petanque competition. Where in Bowls the roll to the jack is always a questionable expectation of results; In Petanque, if the ball is very close to the Jack (cochon) and the point, it may be removed with a thrown through the air "takeout" shot. Therefore, where Bowls is a Draw game, Petanque is a "Takeout". In such a game the successful takeout is called " Carre" because afterward the shooting ball has remaind at the point of the contact with the target ball. Where in Lawn Bowls a takeout is a overweight type rolling shot; in Petanque, the thrown ball through the air, has creates a different takeout strategy. (Shooting Competition on Youtube) In this video we see the strategy of Petanque where the ability to continually remove the close ball is repeated by each player until one has a missed shot.
This game was with a Time limit of 20 minutes per game, and as I had never played such a game; I was not aware of how tight the time limit would be a cause on how the game advances. I therefore performed quickly on all shots and quickly stepped up to the pointing circle and did my pointing shot or takeout shot.No strategy thinking or building of or pre-performance routines pep-talk. I have over the years learned that my experience in playing Petanque had been good for my Lawn Bowls as I had developed an overall common game strategy. As an example, once,in Bowls, I discovered that the 4th point Bowl position of the opponents was their only bowl in the head and if it was removed from play it gave me 6 points, Who, in Lawn Bowls, would bother to try a removal or back-off of a far left out of the head bowl. I had learned that we must always evaluate the options, and not just do the shot which seems so obvious. When it comes to the end of the game, often 3 or 4 point end is not enough for the win and a few extra points might mean a different strategy.
Back to the game. My "Play Routine" was.. My turn, Position myself, Do the decision of which shot to play, Do the shot, and exit the Pointing circle. (saving as much time as possible) However, seem every shot I did was a perfect or near perfect execution of what I was attempted. By the time the game was within a few points of the finish, (13 points is game in Petanque); I discovered that only half of the time limit had been used. No pressure was really needed and I could have relaxed. The game ended 13 - 2 with plenty of time but if I had been aware of not needing to rush my performance I probably would not have played as well.
As the Competition continued through the other 5 players which I had to play that day; I realized that my opponent that I had beaten in that first game was one of the club's best. As the final games of the day approached, it was clear; for he had won all of his games, as I had also. For the prize money, I had to play him again At this point he was not a stranger and as I reconized him as a great player, I began thinking and the pressure felt. Told my self to just relax and go for the win; but of course he won this our 2nd game because I knew of his potential and skill.
To me he was a nobody and if I had been playing Thomas, or Bruno whom I had seen in many international competitions; I would have doubted my abilities to give them a good game.
I had created a Positive expectation of myself in the first game and I just performed without any "Mental baggage" based upon my opponent ability. Having memories of previous games I had viewed or played as well as those negative thoughts of my abilities; I would never have performed as well as I had in that first game.
Going into a match with a Positive attitude means a lot toward the winning of that match. Terry Orlick in his book "In pusuit of Excellence" writes of a mental readiness as " Develop an action plan and a way of think that brings you to an ideal state of readiness is essential for... consistance high level of performance."
Developing your abilities to generate Positive mental attitude before, during and after a game is important as Orlick writes.
"The world's best performances ... depend upon positive memories and recall the feeling of previous success" As I have been a continual writer about the "Being in the Zone", writers like Terry Orlick and his ideas are of interest to my blog readers.
