Our Lawn Bowls Fours - Little changed

 This Blog was written  10 years ago, in , August 2015, and now  I am adding to it and updated it for today, 2025. Yesterday I watched our Interprovincial Men's and Women"s competition between Quebec and Ontario (Governor General and Rose Bowl (women)); and following the original reposting of this blog, I will extend my opinions on the changes which did nor didnot happen over the last 10 years.

Original Blog -  Every club which  has works hard to promote Lawn Bowls has eventually developed an athletic whom made the Canadian National Team.

We are so proud of them as fellow club members, but if we have coached them a  bit it is an even greater satisfaction. If not, we wait, hopefully for that one day when they will ask us  to bowl with them, so we can learn from them.

 
      The last Canadian Nationals I watched, in 2011, a  young lawn bowls student of mine was playing at the Canadian Nationals on our Provincial Fours team. I was proud to have worked with him and even more proud of our team who started him as lead and developed his knowledge of how to be a member of the Provincial "Fours" .  He had gone many times to the Nationals on "fours", since that first time as a 18 year old junior, where he played with a club's National Team athletic.  As a new bowler, he was given the chance to play  and although he lacked experience, After his team won the provincial Roll-off and qualified he was excited to have gone to Western Canada for the Canadian Nationals.

     In Lawn bowls we make the Skip a "god" and let him play his game.  { I used a small "g"in "god" because many skips take too much  importance in being Boss and not enough in  their leadership role.  In the rest of this Blog I will attempt to show how a skip can delegate responsibility, especially in the Bowl's Game of "Fours"; and develop a great team and still play his greatest game.

    On the mat, where performance counts, we have to do our best and the skip is probably the most skilled bowler of the team. But strategy is also playing a great game "off-the mat" and most skips only analysis the Bowls game from the "Head"  A good skip develops his team with all team members having a part in the " Game strategy".

    On the front end, as we sometimes call the Lead and Second, (if given the responsibility by the Skip), these two players with their four bowls should  be working together, as they analysis the opponent front end. These two members of the team would be expected to provide the same controlling head as the "lead" in a Pairs competition would be expected to create. Some of the possible tasks assign are:
   -  Analysis the preference of the opponent and discuss with the 3rd, their views of the opponent's frontend skills and weakness.
   - Provide Bowl placement which may control the opponent's access while also offering that important counting shot that is point, or that  short blocks which is requested by the skip.
   -  Close the short or straight side of the green as requested by the 3rd ( given to the front end from the skip instruction) unless the opponent's weak fore hand is also  your teams preference to use that side of the green as it's draw side

A Canada Social Bowls (Usually Fours)

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  -  Move the mat (within a few feet) to give their team members the best Bowl's receiving area. This requires knowing your team member's delivery style and their  actual delivery's receiving area. (on center line, or along a side of  the mat, or even if a member is lefthanded). Looking at the delivery style in the photo (right) we see how the front foot placement and  bowler's weight distribution can easily create damage to the green and make for a hard to play "receiving Area" and offer a very bumply receiving area for the bowl. (Receiving Area is that area where the bowls is put to green during a delivery) 

 -  Know the opponent's most advantage  delivery hand (forehand or backhand)  which is the first bowldelivered and thus destroy their lead's confidence.

   -  Follow the Skips request as he attempts to balance the head with matching bowls and remember, if not asked, to leave one in the back or as a "Jack Catch Line" bowl if the opponent has a 'Toucher".
   -  Analysis the weakness of the opponent's "Front End"  and communicate it to the Third, permitting the skip and Mate to make  decisions and strategy changes.  (in Jack distance, gsme play and even watch and called faults)
   - Show the maximum sportsmanship and team spirit at all times.   Most important, save time on a time game by being quick with next end setup. Also remember that when the mate (3rd) comes to the mat to bowl that your team has possission and it is the best time to go to the head. Also allows an Skip's player exchange.

    The Back end of "Fours", which consists of both the Mate and Skip, should know the forces and weakness of all their team players.  Personnally, I believe the best Fours Team has a skip with unbelievable draw ability, with nerves of steel and a 3rd with good complex skills set. (Complex shots like tap-back, jack roll , blocks or even tight draws passes done regularly).

The 3rd, or Mate on a Fours Team is the moving team's communication and is responsible to keeps the team finely tuned.  He can be playing from either end the green, as he is with the "Lead End" in a 3x1 distribution or be in a 2x2 as the Skip and Mate are in the Head (helping the skip in strategy)/ Believe me, in the "fours", a 3rd makes or loses the game by his ability to keep the team working together as a team.  As the Skip stands alone in the head, he know his 3rd or Mate is working with the Front End, When the three players are all in the head as the skip bowls.  it is important to be one behind the other without any movement. 

A look at Team Spirit (Red Team) and
High 5's to Skip (winners)

The 3rd, should be insisting that the lead and second are in the head with the skip during his time on the mat and his delivery. A good 3rd will be asking the opinion and reason that the lead is making certain decisions of shots or bowls as their understanding of the Skips request for their draws.  If the 3rd is really busy in his act of communicating, the team will usually always win as a team.  There are a lot of facts that can be analysis and seen by all four players and these tasks done by the lead, 2nd or 3rd can although the skip some freedom. But in the end  the final decision in a good "fours" belongs to the skip who will use the gathered information.

    I remember in a national competition, the Second told the Third that on two previous occasions that the mat was short of the Mat line.  Third told the skip and two end away from the game end, the skip read the sign of the 2nd for a short mat and called the official on it.  The umpire gave the position of the mat to us, as a  illegal  delivered jack (strange call),  and our skip, redefined the jack distance and picked up an advantage.  (yes it was a physiological point, and not very sportmanlike, you say, but it teached the  2nd to know and  correct these sort of problem)
    Actions of the Third in helping the skip.
   -  Reading the head, seeing the balance of bowls,  knowing the weakness of opponents and balancing the  strength and weakness of each position.  Does the opponent lead (or second) out bowl the team's player ?
   -  Suggestion of Offensive or Defensive actions to build and win the game.
   -  Keep the three pats of gameplay together (first 4 ends to analysis, next 4 to build lead, and last four should be such perfection of play that it means a win.)  A third becomes a third because he now everything.
   -  Take of the shoulder of the skip the pressure of a great shot by decreasing the lost to one point.
   -  Communicating the wishes of the skip to the Lead/Second in a manner which keeps team harmony.
   -  Building support for the skip when that great shot did not happen.  Keeping the team spirit.high.
  
"Fours" are the most team spirit game I know and it can be a very strong game.  Four minds each respected for their ability to see and analysis aspects of the game which is best suited to their position.

Comments today - First photo from Internet (thanks to all players shown). Of the three photo, this is probably a local Quebec game photo and one would be thinking it is a Pairs or Triples game as we see only one skip in the head. Yesterday, the Ontario Fours arrived here in Quebec to play the interprovincial competition of Governor Generals and started their first game with a 2x2 division of players. (The skip and mate in the Head andLead and Second on the mat). Quebec has for many years, and yesterday was no different, always played three at the mat and the Skip alone in the head.  One Skip of a team I coach suggested it was too complex to think of  the 2x2 division. I even placed a question on the Ontario Bowls Chat Forum asking if over the past years the distribution of players had changed because of new rules.

This is what Lawn Bowls fours was in the early 21 century. Players all in white and bowls all black and 2x2 division. (count the men and there are only 8 on the two greens next to the women's game) Also, yesterday it was a rainy day and so the protective screens were down. However, since CoVid in 2020 the protective screens have always been used in Quebec.

Prior to 2020 and in most major competition; it  was  the Greens Keeper or Greens Committee of the Host Club with the refere's ear for the controlling decision to place a protective screen. If a player was doing debits on their delivery it was sure their Skip would be warned and with the next debit the protective screens would be brought out. It is time we all return to the pass and do our bowls on open greens. If you're good enough to qualify for the National team or playing Interprovincal Competition you should not be using Screens.

It is hard to lose but this photo shows a lack of good sportsmanship as the losing team are together  and winners over excited. I am sure minutes after this photo the teams came together for the end-game handshake.

The last fours which I played at the Interprovincial level, I was upset with our skip for his attitude. The total points was how the 2 game competition was decided and we were well ahead in our 2nd game and had also won our first game with a large win. My skip in "Showmanship" decided in the last end that instead of leaving the losers a 3 or 4 point head; that he would throw a runner. It was not necessary for the final win but more reflect on him and his ability.But this decision reflected on the whole team and even a attitude of our Provincal Sport. I never played with him again.

 Be proud to win but let the opponents lose with grace is a sportsman's way of playing Bowls. 

Lets looks at Yestereday's Governor General Game of Fours. Above I talk about the division of Players and when Ontario's Fours went to the green they had a 2x2 division while the Quebec's Fours had a 3x1 division with the skip alone in the head.  In sportsmanship and probably to save time which was wasted on the removal and placement of protective screens; the Ontario team changed to a 3x1 division of players.

Where the first game saw our Men's Team win by a big lead of points; the 2nd game saw our Men's Team fall apart. Above I talk about the work of the Mate or 3rd in keeping the team together; with the 3x1 disvision of players, the 3rd did not have the ability to re-organize or fix the broken team. The 2nd game was a bad lost in points and the Ontario team won with a total points difference of a couple points and competition and trophy.

There was no reason why the 3rd did not switch from the 3x1 division to the 2x2 and went to the Head with the skip during each new end of play and  Jack roll. If the two teams were broken (a 3x1 team and a 2x2 team) it only meant that the Mate or 3rd went to the mat when it was their turn to bowl.  It should be always considered that the skip can be helped by the 3rd in the head as he is receiving and centering the Jack. Even receiving the bowls of the front end if the 3rd had been working with them (in a 3x1 division) to improve a broken game play..

If the 3rd was communicating with the front end as to the discussion in the above reprinted blog; he had. with the skip been working  to build a good head for the strategy of the Skip or game pkay.  As the first ends progressed  he was able to be at the mat with the lead and 2nd player. If he was in the head with the skip he should have receive the bowls of the Front-end and allow the skip to take some time to relax.

 I believe a skip knowing his three team members and their ability should relax during these last four ends of play. Why ?? If when during the first half of the game the skip is deciding on each player's strength and weakness; then he is very busy with all three types of play of his team mates and their performance. As the last 4 ends of play arrive he should see this as a period of  assistance by the 3rd. With time to evaluate and plan a recovery Action or Defensive strategy if leading in points; he also has time for to Focus or Concentration.  I believe it is important that a Skip can take these few minutes in each end of play to relax.

Not to comment as to a critizism as the games were really good game and with a 12 ends of play and scores of 10-11 it means there were no big ends of points. But in Fours the game is a team playing as a single unit of 4 elements.