Strategy - Play the Percentage Success Shot

Level 2 Skip Strategy

In the YouTube video of Tayla Bruce interview we hear Tayla say the importance in Singles to play the percentage with the fourth and last bowl of play

Tayla Bruce of the New Zealand "BlackJacks" (Elite Lawn Bowls Team) won the 2023 World Bowls Singles and was later in 2024 declared  as the 2nd ranking World Lawn Bowls athletic.

 To night following a singles game my opponent said, "It is so hard to find information on Strategy" and I took time to explain a "Percentage Strategy" By reproducing the before last end  of play by building the Bowls layout and explaining the actual shot; I express my thoughts on this shot just an end ahead of that last single point end.  At that time of play, the score was 4 points from the end and I had 2 points counting  and with last bowl I could see a possible 4 points. The bowls of the head (as  per the created  photo below) showed my "standing frontal ball" which could be rolled to the head and count.

The seven Bowls setup were as to the bowls in the photo. (those without the "X White mark"), but if missed with a foot or two "Over weight". there was the danger that could result in the lost of the point. 

There are "Shot options" and there are "Shot Percentage". A "Shot option"  is where we see the shot and then go to the mat and do the shot. As with the rolling of the  "Raising the Standing Bowl" was a good option except for the "Missed Shot Danger" of either hitting the Shot Bowl or  "over weight" and the delivered bowl not have time to "Finish" and then raise the opponent's bowl. (Bowl "B"). If the "Bowl Roll" was Bowl #1 or Bowl #2 then that error could lose the game.

 A "Shot Percentage" is where by using a different line or weight there are several good results possible. The photo below shows 4 bowls delivery options (due to error in delivery weight) which will give that 3rd point.  What you should get from this blog beside the proper study of your head; but also to  know what is important ? " To have the line right" or "to have the right delivery weight".

 Always, a "Percentage shots" depends on your choice of how to get the best result by letting the bowls work for you and give the best possible shot. The black arrow in the top of the photo (near the Shot option #2) show the actual Bowl Line for this Percentage shot success. However, the "Shot Option" of contact with the "Standing Bowl (white) would be Shot option #1 which if missed left or right is dangerous and could result in actually removal the shot bowls.

The 4 bowls with "X White mark" bowls are the 4 possible shot which was possible to make 3 points or even a 4th points. Yes, a draw for 3 is the natural play but because a miss is always possible; to use a Percentage play means a less dangerous point. The photo show how, by as much as 3 bowls  left of intended "Shot Option" still gave a successful shot and this setup, known as being  a "400 Percent Success" shot also shows the "Delivery Line" for a good result..

Bowl Shot #4 has 2 possibilities for the 3 points as it can also kiss the opponent's frontal Bowl and then wick to the jack or it could pass opponent's frontal Bowl and remove the opponent's (blue "A") or 3rd shot.  Bowl Shot #3 will pass the frontal bowls and  also remove the opponent's (Blue "A") 3rd shot.  Bowls Shot #2 and Bowl Shot #1 will each hit my standing frontal white (and blue) bowl and hopefully raise it to kiss the Blue "A" (3rd shot) for  a result of 3 points. To collect a 4th point would be depending on how that delivered bowl continues to roll toward the head after contact.

 The space between the Bowl shot #4 and the Bowl shot #3 is the "Failure Percentage";  as a bowl passing there, it would  raise the opponent's frontal bowl (" A ") and maybe knock out my first "shot" bowl. ( This is a 25% failure possibility).

In another blog of March 2021 "Lawn Bowls - Percentage of Success on Bowls", (www  ishi-in-sn.blogspot.com/2021/03/percentage-of-success-on-bowl-delivery.html). I show that a shot with a low percentage of Success can be a good decision to made because of the "High Percentage of Failure". Using the youtube video of the 2016 World Bowls Triples final between England and Australia; Aron Sherriff tries a Runner which had a "High Failure Percentage". There is the possibility of hitting the frontal block which could make the shot a success but any hit other than perfect center on the block would not cause damage and a "Miss shot" had no danger of removal of  his 2nd point bowl. With a miss he is only giving up 1 point.

To understand and develop an eye for reading such a "Percentage Success Shot",  I suggest that you set up during a practice session the 7 bowls as shown. After you have  tried the shot 4 or 5 times (one at a time and go to head) you will see what can actually happens. Not only will you know about "Percentage Success" but also you will have confidence in your viewing of the actual " Percentage Options".

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 Remember that your weight is important as the slower bowlroll (Jack draw weight) will give a proper "Bias finish" to your bowl,  while if the delivery is  too heavy, it will cause a miss or "Pass Through". In viewing the shot without the added Option bowls (x and white bowls) as you stand on the mat; you can see that the  suggest Line of Delivery is not the right (1 o'clock) tap on the White frontal bowl but a delivery line to give a wick (10 or 10:30 o'clock) on the left side of that bowl. (as per the drawn Black arrow near the #2) Very often a Percentage Line of Delivery is in the center of the possible bowl lines.

The question was "What is more important, Line or Weight" In this example, it shows that you have more than 4 bowl width of possibilities as "Success percentage". But if the delivery line is taken toward the Bowl #3, then any extra weight on your bowls will keep the bowl right (as per bowl #1 and Bowl #2). And what happens if your delivery weight is too little weight ? The bowl need sufficent delivery weight to allow it to finish (use it's Bias)  as seen if the option Bowls of  the left happen. (Bowl #3 and Bowl # 4).

If under normal play, you were trying to remove the blue Bowl (the opponent's 3rd shot) instead of  using the percentage Success option, then the shot that you would be required to played a full bowl right.  (The earlier blog of visualization means you would  see the shot) So the line is there at the Bowl #2 position (Black arrow) because depending upon the weight and how your bias runs; you will do one of the four shots and collect the point. 

Yes, we could try the accurate takeout shot to remove the blue 3rd Bowl but if we are not all that accurate then we might want  to use the "Percentage Success" as the better method to remove  the opponent's bowl.  With the "Percentage Success Shot"  we know that a miss on the left of the chosen  line of delivery; will still has 2 possible "Good results". This thought will also give you confidence that you have a really good chance to make the takeout of that third shot. And in bowl study of a shot, we must always realize the danger which exist and how not to try  Bowl #1 shot, as it is the less of a chance of success. 

If the  bowl is too much right on such a shot, or even a whole bowl right; there is the possible shot that it may even raise the opponent's frontal blue bowl "B" to becoming shot. So "Line" is more important if the "Success percentage " is to be 4 bowls widths. Why ? If your delivery is with too much weight (6 to 8 inches) then Shot 1 and Shot 2 happen and if the delivery is too light; then the lack of weight may even result in the bowl finding it's bias and still doing the removal of the opponent's  third point  bowl. 

I live here in Quebec, Canada and every minute of every day we make a decision to talk French or to talk English and after that decision we do it. This is the same with the Percentage Success Shot. You make the decision and then do it. (Don't Second Guess yourself. Doubt will result in not making the shot.

 If one was to try the removal of the opponent's third shot with a well played weighted shot as "Shot Option";  it might happen by a little change in Delivery weight, that you actually did a removal of the actual Point  or "shot Bowl" ("White/Blue" at 9 o'clock to the jack) .

 In using the "Successful Percentage" shot we don't have to worry about the played bowl's weight because if it actually pass the frontal bowls it will give a good result. The "Shot Option" has the danger of not having the exact delivery weight and such an error would mean the lost of the point. (In end game any error can lose you the game)

I played the percentage shot with the line (Bowl option #2) that I knew as important for the best percentage and because I am playing at the end of this game. ( In the last few points of a Singles we must be comfortable with line and weight.) Actual result - I missed a bit left and did a Bowl Option #3 but with the right weight I did tap back the 3rd shot and wicked a bit toward the jack.  

The modified Shot photo shown above was created with bowls from the first or 2nd end of play of 2025 Australian Open Men's Single which is still available on Youtube. A very good video to learn and see Singles strategy)

 So what happen ? I was a bit light in weight and the bowl roll therefore ended as  actually being the "Shot 3". Because of  the under weight delivery (by 18 inches) it saw the bias finished a bit more and just tapped (hit) the opponent's Blue 3rd shot. If I had had more weight on the delivery, the bowl it would not have finished so much bias and which only moved their about 2 inches to give me the 3 shots (score was then 11-17 as condition of play was for game to be played to 18 points). What is important is with this shot my trying was rather safe as a miss still gave me the extra point as long as my draw weight was near to perfect.

What is important is that we will often miss a little and if you play a large percentage shot it will still be successful even with the miss. What is important in reading "Percentage Shots" is to decide if "Weight" is important or if "Line" is more important and making that decision apply the importance to your decision.

Visualization As Creative and Instructive Part 3

Level 3

Cleanup started March 22, 2026 

In Sport Psychology, we find the science of psychology being used to help athletics with their performance, where in medicine, the psychologist is busy helping individual with mental problems as intense as memory lost. For us, who in our daily sport are always trying  to understand what influence our subconscious mind has on development; we work to have an instinctive and strong mental performance. In psychology of a victim of violence, whether an accident or a live changing event, the need a psychiatrist it to help them  interpret the event. In sport, we wish to know and control the various mental interference which occur during a game and attempt with practice to avoid their impact on our game.

(Update March 2026) On  "The Mental Game Clinic"  website blog (March 16,2026) under the title of "How to Master your Motivation and Outperform the Competition" which is intended for Business executives although it is promoted with a topic layout of  " Focus, Preparation, Performance, Sports, Motivation". This website explains the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a theory which "focuses on what drives people to take action and stay committed, and its insights helps athletes who are looking to sustain high levels of performance."

This blog website articles has many topics which are intended to help athletics, like the  "How to Develop Concentration and Focus for Competitive Sports "  as seen with the insert photo below  (End March Update) 

Because an athletic's goals and those  goals of business executive are similar in that each work toward a successful achievement of their goal, we find in these  many new websites on the use Visualization being more directed toward business success. (Probably because the author who also does seminars as part of their professional career see the financial value of Business clients.

www.checkup.com/Blog

 Almost, as if there is a new   Business  approach or science which can be called "Visualization", a web search results of the word might find you some topics on Sports development which can be very helpful to a competitive athlete.  What I am suggesting is, if you go surfing the web for Visualization or Focus, there are probably more topics on Business and Medical application then sports.  

Visualization as suggested in part 1, is explained under the Association for Applied Sport Psychologic by Jennifer Cumming in an article of " Sport Imagery Training".  Jennifer in her article (linked) suggest how

  " the best athletes use imagery,(and how) imagery is most beneficial when it is

 - Vivid and detailed

 - Incorporates all senses (see, feel, hear, smell, and taste)

 - Occurs in "real-time, 

-  Has positive focus"

Because of my experience and work with the instinctive or Subconscious ability in our Performance, the second blog, showed how I had tricked the subconscious mind into revealing one of the many secret  or methods it has in helping us survive or interpret our memories.

 Yes, we can force our subconscious to use our memory data in area of instinctive performance to provide precise information like the distance to the jack.  In an example of a Petanque player training for an international competition I tricked the subconscious mind to convince the athlete he had seen something which he though had just happen but was a memory.

The reason for this deception was  to show the athletic just how precise the subconscious mind can be with data it had collected. This time it saw and interrupted an action which it then measure to a 1/4 inch at 30 feet precision and provided the memory which was required. 

In the same manner, in another blog, at  a World Bowls Competition the athletics were using a developed type of "Projection Visualization" to know the actual jack distance which in Lawn Bowls can be up to 30 meters away or almost 100 feet.

In this, the third part of this three part blog, I will mention three advance aspects of visualization, which are possible but should always be attempted under the guidance of a Certified and qualified coachs of Level 3 or higher.  Why ? Your "Muscle Memory", the instinctive performance is developed over much practice and effort and to now modify the subconscious constant performance can result in actually destroying your "Muscle Memory".  You can have the subconscious take and use a memory but in doing so, you are on the edge of Conscious mind instruction and if the subconsicious is interrupted to long it will perform the thought as an instruction to the muscles.  ( The level of coaches is generally 1- Club coach, 2- Competition (corrective) Coach, 3- National Team Coach 4- International Coach and 5 - Specificity.Coaches (like Sport Psychologist) and not all sports have these 5 levels.) In Canada in past years our National Lawn Bowls Federation has invited Coaches from other countries like Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom to introduce their athletes to these topics.

 For  "Interruptive Visualization", where working in a Mental Training of our Subconscious;  we interrupt or introduce an instruction to the subconscious mind just prior to its instinctive  performance or 'Muscle Memory'.and the  "Corrective or "Recovery  Visualization",( where for an injury recovery involves  educating the subconscious; ( "Recovery Training" practice and Psychologic Recovery"),

And the  third Visualization type is, "Total Visualization" of our sport. Here we find a Totally "Blind" player who actually sees the complete Lawn Bowls Game and all action as a "Self created Vision".

In the photo above, what you see is a Level 3 or 4 "Lack of Vision" view; which is why we dress in white in Blind Lawn Bowls (BLB) where an individual with Level 1 "Lack of Vision" would hav a Total Lack of Vision and Level 2 and 3 players having a more partial "Lack of Vision". The bottom circular photo is  the delivery style of a Level 1 or Level 2 VI player style of delivery. This totally blind individual will work with their Visual Aid Coach in their delivery, bowl's roll to the head and the final position of their bowl. The Assistance or Coach will also explain all aspects of the athletic's bowl roll and even the opponent's success and bowl position in the head. Of course, this athletic must create a "Total Vision" in their mind as they are seeing an image created from all the verbal description and details of their  Assistant Coach.

Each of these Total blind visualization of the Bowls Head by a blind lawn bowler take a lot of mental training as the subconscious is taught to seek out and use all information which it receive and create a detail image. Some times the mind is using information which one would not normally collect like the opponent assistant Coach information about the head to their athletic. 

In the "Total Visualization", I often use it myself to study my performance errors. More so in Petanque which I play during the winter, than Lawn Bowls because of the delay between delivery action and the result. In petanque  the second or two between action and result is extremely short. In Lawn bowls the 12 or 13 seconds of the bowl roll is a long period of  "Empty Data" when coming out of a closed eyes performance. 

 When I am in training for  doing a Petanque Take-out" Shot;  I will sometimes in studing my performance, create the mental image of the distance to the target as a vision and then closing my eyes do a "Projective Visualization" while then following it with my actual take-out shot and then  only open my eyes after I have released the petanque ball. I can see the raison for missing a shot in my actual take-out shot which now allow me to identify a corrective actions of my performance. So now I am working on an action which is being modified by my subconscious to remove the action and thus the subconscious does not interfere with my "Muscle Memory". 

 Yes, it take a lot of practice to accept this as a training tool and even in a game I will use it in Lawn Bowls to identify the raison for my delivery not being at par to normal..

 When doing a Lawn Bowls delivery, our balance is important and because any balance change our body preforms  as an instinctive actions (or subconsciously modified); can effect our final performance and if I can be aware of this instinctive(subconscious) action: I can make corrections.  Not only must we not allow the subconscious to change things during Muscle Memory, but we must always check  and correct what our body is attempting to correct.if it has done it without us being aware.

For example, if our body is correcting our balance and our delivery is going left because of this correction I may need to do something to not have the balance problem. Like putting my hand on my forward knee and pressing down with a little pressure. This action has two effects, one it is a "Tag" to the subconscious or Muscle Memory and also it is pressure pushed to the opposite side which correct the balance movement which caused the body to correct a lost of balance.

Being diabetic and knowing when my blood sugars are low I experience balance problems I sometime use a "Total Visualization" delivery to see the result of my bowl. Yes, it is not difference than an athletic changing your hand of delivery to study the green and it's effect on your bowl. (usually done in the first few ends of play).

So once I have gone to the mat and got my line and body position,  and after looking carefully at the bowls in the head to create a detail visual image, I simply do a total blind delivery or "Total Visualization" Delivery.

With my eyes closed now, I visualize the head as if I was standing there within a few feet looking at it. I visualize it and then see myself coming back to the mat and seeing myself (feeling myself) on the mat. I then visualize myself doing a perfect delivery as I do my first arm swing of a my regular delivery style and then do a knee bend down low roll to the Jack.Delivery. Because I don't want to see the roll up the green I often just wait (eyes closed) the 10 seconds and open my eyes to see the final 5 seconds of the bowl in the head.

 The running forward of Lawn Bowls athletics which we see with some United Kingdom athletics as they follow their delivery,  is the same sort of Corrective action as they continue their formward movement up the green with their three or four steps.

 During delivery development and training of a new lawn bowl player,  various action are  inserted to counter the changing balance action of the Subconscious or "Muscle Memory". Some coaches suggest a hand on your knee or continue your forward movemnt as you continue up the green a few steps. Here we find the UK athletic has felt a change in their performance  and their "Muscle Memory" instead of shifting left or right (the normal corrective action of walking) they make a correction of this problem it became a part of their delivery and performance. (Run forward when feeling a change in Balance).

 If a  "Interruptive Visualization" was used when the event was to happen our subconscious would be restricted until the bowl is rolling on the green. Likewise,  to increase your body movement speed forward for a long jack; if you  find your body movement being adjusting with an instinctive corrective balance; you would need to introduce a "Tag". A small movement as part of you delivery, ( a "Tag"), which interrupts the subconscious enough to correct the mistake without the need to go back to the conscious mind's learning and Practice stage.  Using  a "Tag" means that eventually when the Subconscious "Muscle Memory" has been modified,  to activate with a   trigger action and after the bowl is rolling; the use of the "Tag" is lost from your performance routine or "Muscle Memory". 

To often an athletics will  return to Conscious Practice Training to fix such a problem action  which could have been done by mental training and then return to their natural delivery. This causes a lost of Visualization Recovery because now subconscious freedom has becomes distracted by the Conscious instructions and the subconscious drops it instinctive performance of your delivery.

What has happen here, is you were  introducing a small thought (if vocal individual) or small muscle movement with a vision (if visual); well prior to the "Performance Visualization". The subconscious would be interrupted enough to allow you to make that correction as a thought. For example, take the basketball player that has a habit of a missed shot because of a side step movement of his body step; might think (Centre Basket" just prior to his visualization of his shot (if a vocal individual)., The visual individual may actually see the image of the welding of the metal rim at the centre of the basket for the subconscious to correct that mistake in his shot. Likewise, eventually, the "Tag" would no longer be needed after the Subconscious Mental Training period.

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In "Ccorrective Visualization", there are various aspects of psychology involved. If we were like a gymnast doing a routine and made a mistake and caused an injury. We would, of course be afraid to make the same mistake and caused another injury. Psychologically we would be hesitant to do that movement again. This corrective recovery would require a psychiatrist who would not only understand the mental burdon but also know the medical work the athletic needed to perform to return to the previous "High Performance" level of their performance.

At this point I wish to identify the level of Coaching which exist in Sports to show the reader and develop a respect for the quality of Coaches and blog opinions. Here in Canada we have an federal organization called Coach Canada and it website of Coach.ca. With various programs and their continual reconstruct of the standards of Coaching in Canada they reconiize, I believe 5 levels of coaches.  These coaches are certified as to Coach Canada teaching and are: 

Level 1 - Club Coach teaching the basic of the sport to Club members, As in Lawn bowls, especially in Quebec and Eastern Canada there are few coaches above this level of development; Lawn Bowls beginners find a large range of club members which act as coaches.  A Club Ambassador is usually club members or an executive who welcome new members or the public to the sport and the club. Introduction to Bowls Trainers are usually club members who will take individuals to the green and roll bowls to introduce the sport with the hope of recruiting a new member. Sometimes there are Game Coaches which during club games attempt to introduce the rules and finer points like measuring the shot or even suggestion technique errors to be corrected.  And finally there are the Certified Club Coaches or the Coaching Committee Instructors. A good club will offer a new member a 10 session training with a qualified coach and the new member will slowly over a period of several week gain the necessary instructions toward developing a good delivery.

Level 2 - Coaches are usually more directed toward Competition Coaching and developing the individuals performance into a good delivery, game attitude and understanding of game play and strategy. 

Level 3 - Coaches are more toward the International Competition preparation of athletics and in Quebec, in the past, if provincial (or Federal) moneys were available to sport Clubs that club had to have a qualified "Level 3 " coach working in developing and had successful participating at National and interprovincial competition. These "Club Elite" would probably participate at the National Competitions and even International with the hope of making the Canadian National Team.

Level 4 and Level 5 coaches are seen more in sports with large participation and even International participation like Commonwealth Games or the Olympics.

Recently when our Quebec Petanque Team was preparing for their World Competition I gathered from Coach.ca the e-teaching for an International Coach as there was in that sport only athletics who had participate but no Certificated coaches.  The e-sesson was given by a Soccer Level 4 or 5 coach and I discovered that Soccer even had enough of this level of coaches to classificate them into "A", "B" and "C" coaches due to their experence and National Participation of their teams.

 

Visualization As Creative and Instructive Part 2 (AMem)

 Level 3 - Mental Perfection

Clean up on March 2026

The difference between Conscious and Subconscious mind activities in sports, is about the instruction to the muscles and subconscious or instinctive muscle action as a performance develop through practice. When we are learning the basis of Lawn Bowling, and developing these new muscle movements, our conscious mind is instructing our muscles with instruction and thoughts of what we are expecting.

 The first "Image Visualization" a new Lawn Bowler develops is his "Bowl Bias Image". Where in the first year of training they are using some object (foot of  his skip or mark on back ditch) for their new delivery line. But by the end of his first season, he begins to see a image of the actual path the bowl will take to the jack because of the delivery weight he has chosen and the bowl's Bias. (If he has not changed his bowl and it's bias several times)

A blog written in December 2012 about "Three Subconscious mind Eercises" is a good step into the working toward Visualization. Although the blog is long you can learn to have confidence in your Subconscious mind's ability and your Cognitive ability to control it.

 The more you work at your ability to allow the subconscious to perform without it doing  uncontrolable actions; you will discover a  developing of Visualization where you think (or visualize the action) and instinctively your muscles perform that action. With practice your "visualization to performance" or what often referred to as "Being in the Zone", become easier each new time you perform your delivery. 

To tell a story as you remember the event is to relive the actual event memory and describe it to the listener. You see it. That is Visualization.  You do visualization several time a day from remembering where you left an object, like your keys; to remember something you say or read.  Using these memories, your next step is to be passive about developing the ability to use those memory (or visions) into mental muscle performance. Like a practice develops your muscles, so also to exercise your cognitive ability to build these images of performance memories into a  instinctive performance, or what is called "Muscle Memory"; we must stop thinking of how to perform our sport action or performance and just let it happen.

What Are Cognitive Abilities? - HappyNeuron Pro

 Because many of our body actions during an average day are not Conscious muscle actions but Instinctive performance like breathing, heart beat or sudden actions in time of danger. Beside these brain actions we have cognitive abilities which are a major part we used in our sports as we grow our performance. Walking did not occur in a few seconds. It involved many instinctive actions which we developed as  a toddler and these  "Muscle Memories" worked to keep our balance while lifting the foot and as we stepped it instinctive was moving our balance forward. 

Some body functions like breathing and coughing or a chocking reactions are Instinctive Survival  actions. Yes, we can force a cough when asked by the doctor which is a conscious instruction to muscles which are activated when a cough is needed for our health. This instinctive cough is a reaction to sometime the bodies feels like something stuck in our air passages. Muscle Memory is the same actions in a sport and was developed from continual practice and wanting a performance result. 

A common daily  "Instinctive" action is what are called "Danger Reactions" where without thinking the subconscious mind instructs muscle to perform, Like putting on the brakes of the car, that seem to happen before we realized the danger arrived; and similar the quick move out of the path of a fallen or thrown object. There are still many tricks our Mind performs to give us the information we need to survive. For example, we have heard of having extreme power in time of danger or the need for a quick reactions to prevent damage during a fall.

In the question of how we find the need for an action, we without thinking first  question the action as dangerous and then do a sort of comment or reply as a thought of what is happen.  In our sport, there is a suggestion of Visualization all the time. With the pickup of your bowl until several seconds later when you leave the mat and have done your delivery; we realize all was done by a thought of want. In this understand a reader left the following comment in a similar blog.

Anonymous Febuary 11, 2023 10:45 am

" What do you think about turning around and picking up your bowl as soon as you know you're finished ? Often as soon as your bowl leaves your hands."

My reply was

Love BowlsFebruary 12, 2023 at 1:46 AM

A good club coach will have told you early in your bowls training that to each sport (bowls including) there are three activites to be completed before the action is finished. "Preparation", "Action" and "Results" (feedback) Preparation starts the first day as your coaching and training which introduce you to what you can do. Even years later, the "Pre-delivery routine" is still a routine being modified to give a better bowl's " performance and result". 

The "Action" is the delivery, both physical and mental. (of which this blog speaks about  as the final mental control which you can develop). This mental control is as difficult as weight control or delivery line. But as your "Pre-delivery routine" continues to improve so also does all aspects of that "Action" (physical and Mental) The third, Results, as seen in "Post-Delivery Routine",  some would say  that it is the most important. Because, to improve the other two actions, you must see, analysis and understand all the information that is being returned to you. Watching as the bowl rolls up the green, as it stops and as you evaluation the Results of your performance, the green, and your opponent/yourself. As well as errors, needs and expectation created in the Pre-mat Routine. Then you walk away from the mat. Yes some people turn and walk away, but are they " Seeing or Not".

So to ask about going and picking up the next bowl as if everything is done when only one half or two thirds is done means you will grow an old man on club social greens rolling for the fun. To be a good bowler means every bowl must be a teacher in all three areas of bowls. Don't hurry as there is a lot between picking up your bowl and returning from the mat. And even more if your "Post Delivery" and "Post-Delivery Routine" is performed. Often we are tired by the end of a few ends of play because of all the thinking. Even to be learning from others mistakes or success must be included.

All athletics from Golf to Table Tennis have and use Muscle Memory performances because they have eventually stop consciously instructing their muscles on how and what to do. They have developed the ability to allow the muscles which  now has an instinctive ability    to perform that action.

When we stop thinking (conscious thought) and give control to the Subconscious mind; we often speak of being in a "void of thought" because the conscious mind was shut off as instinctive instructions by our "Muscle memory" was performs. In the above mention Blog we see reference to  a Tiger Wood Youtube video  and his explaining the experience with his "Void of Thought" 

In reading the very long blog of October 2024 called "Talking to the subconscious Mind 2/3) we see at the end of this blog  that  Alex, who was preparing for his International Competition in Europe go looking for his  petanque "cochon". In his training he learned that the mind had showed him what he expects to  have happen. He believes that by his perfected performed hit of his "Cochon" by his takeout shot, he expects to see what he has seen thousand of times before. "His cochon being send  flying"  because of the hit. The blog reads "The reason that Alex went off to the left to locate his "cochon" which he saw fly after his shot was that the subconscious had seen the take-out shot would had hit the "cochon"  on one side and Alex needed data to satified his subconscious performance " 

In 2006 in a Petanque training session for Alex in preparing to go to an international World Petanque Championship, I show him that the subconscious mind had collected many memories of  "Result Vision" (mention in part 1): and the subconscious mind may at times  actually show us  these "Results instead of what we did not see. In that case, of a previous good shot which was not seen, the subconscious may replaces what we did not actually see with a memory. This is because the eye in capturing images at 1/60 of a second and may not be able to show the actual incident and to forefill the individual's need for information, the subconscious shows an image from memory.  ("Result Vision"). 

 Because of the short time between a Petanque  take-out" shot being thrown and the shooter seeing the result (which is less than a second), the subconscious mind  may sometimes shows us a memory from a previous practice it has stored. This is what happen in Alex's "Result Visualization" or image of his Take-out shot having hit a hidden "Cochon".

 The subconscious had shown Alex where his "cochon" had gone had it actually been there. I had tricked his mind by removing the "Cochon" when Alex was not looking. Imagine how you would feel and the problem which we experience  if the mind had not shown an image of the flying "cochon or something similar to Alex.

As for Lawn Bowls (the reader's real interest) in the blog of the  photo left, from the 2016 World Bowls Pairs Finals we have both of the female leads ( Angela Boyd and Laura Daniel) each have different methods of using a type of Visualization which is a "Distance Projection  or "Projection Visualization". We see in them as many Lawn Bowls athletics an arm movement which indicates they are viewing a memory of a previous delivery. Also we see how once they have the proper feeling of distance they then allow their communication with the subconscious to switch into the "Zone" and let "Muscle Memory" roll their bowl to the jack. Because they are in this "Void" and  they seem to look away while doing their delivery and then quickly look back, they are in that "Void".

As mention, we see Angela Boyd and Laura Daniel in their Lawn Bowl Final of a International competition use a "Projection Visualization" to know the distance to the "Jack".    The same would be for the baseball player throwing to home plate in an attempt to catch a runner going home; or a table tennis player putting spin on a slam shot.  Just happens because they allowed their "Muscle Memory to do it.  Or, as you say, "you visualized it happening".

Like with your computer or Iphone where you have a collection of photo in memory, the athletic also has a collection of memories of previous successful performances. As you would choose the photo to be seen on the screen with a simple touch; we, the athletic, can also can choose the memory of previous deliveries to be remembered and use it to evaluate our jack distance before we do our bowl roll and "Muscle Memory" performance.

Projection Visualization is seeing a memory of a previous bowl roll to the jack and using it for your delivery. Why use this memory? First, Result Visualization is seeing the result of this memory and allowing it to happen. But the calculation of distance is difficult for our eyes. As an athletic perfects his delivery he began having a feeling for his distance which can vary by 10 meters (about 100 feet) in Lawn Bowls. (21 meter to 31 meters). 

This is the same "Next step in learned performance" where the Bowls athletic  in getting his delivery line has now stopped taking a point of reference and simply now see his delivery line of the bowl's roll to the jack. Likewise, the "Delivery Weight" as a feeling of distance is the eye trying to "Guess" that distance. Because the athletic is wasting a bowl or two to guess, this type of delivery, which is often wrong about the distance; the next mental development toward performing a better bowl roll is to like with Line of Delivery to see in the subconscious ability..

Projection Visualization is seeing the remembered video action of a memory and watching it to the end. If the memory visionn was a memory of a previous roll to a jack at 25 meters, as you view that memory in time, it would stop at 25 meters. If you were  playing a jack of 27 meters you feel that it doesn"t  feel right as. Projection Visualization. Like an athletic feels the void of "Muscle Memory, so also by practice an athletic will  starts feeling and knowing the delivery weight is right to arrive like in your image memory. You feel it and you let it happen.

 Yes,in a Projection Visualization and with practice you can feel the memory have ended and your action does or does not see the bowl as yet arriving at the jack. So you teach yourself and the Conscious mind  to get another memory of a longer jack memory distance and do another "Projection visualization". 

 When you feel and see the image all the ways to the jack you let your "Muscle Memory" do the bowl roll. So now you have three mental tools. You see the bias Delivery Line of your bowl to the jack. You allow your Muscle Memory do the proper and perfect delivery after you have established the Jack distance with a Visualization.

Properly done, and usually on the first bowl to a jack instead of wasting guest with bad distance roll and correcting that next delivery: you now use "FeedBack" and make adjustment for the next bowl to be that foot more or less. 

 This  "Projection Visualization" is a feeling that the distance is right and with confidence this mental projection  becomes part of your delivery routine because it is the "you see it" before the "you do it" part of your Muscle Memory. In some of the other blogs you will see reference to a "tool box" of tricks to allow you to do adjustments like toput a little distance on a bowl roll.

 

To understand this in your daily life experiences do you remember this following incident having happen to you.  You had a certain accident (car or event) and as you told someone about that car accident (or event) you clearly  see all the event as a memory. Because you actually see the memory vision in great detail and explain it in word by word story everything you are seeing in that memory.

 In the same manner you can see the bowl roll of a memory up the green toward the jack and feel a feeling of that memory not being far enough. (because it is not the right memory)

 Remember the eye can not judge distance accurately because of all the false reference it receives or has as influences.. A big building or club house behind the jack makes it seem closer and an open field or a 2nd bowling green behind the jack will make it seem farther. Projection of memory and the ability of feeling the wrong distance is a skilll developed with practice. You will feel the distance is right and switch to "Muscle Memory" and like when you started developing Muscle Memory it will not always be there but with practice you will know the feeling.

  If you see that a bowl is blocking and that your bowl roll will not get around that bowl your "Muscle Memory of a "Walk the mat" will get you into a better position for your bowl delivery without you thinking  to do it get around it. Here we have a memory of 'Result Visualization" which allows you  to see how close you must pass that bowl which was discussed in the previous blog. You see your bowl with a space between it and the block and feeling all is ok sp you go into the  Subconscious void and just do the delivery and forgot about it. 

In the same way, a basketball player may think about his common error of hitting the left of the rim of the basket because he is moving to his right as he shoots, that thought is only a "Result Visualization" of what has happen and what to do or not to do.  The actual "Muscle Memory" shot is done in a void of though. 

In the video of Tiger Wood, he says his void or Muscle Memory occur when he swings.and that  "Between my back swing and seeing the ball in flight up the fairway, I have no idea or thought what happen" (Check out the Video on youtube of Tiger's Mental game ) I  put it here a 2 nd time because you probably passed over it earlier. It is important a s you hear from the best athletic  telling you to learn to be in the "Zen Moment" of your performance.

Above,in the story of Alex, I tricked the Subconscious to reveal it's ability to retreive memories and present them as real "Result Visualization". Another blog of interest is the March 2025 blog of "Communication with the Subconscious 3/3" which shows "Tags" and "Tells" which are tools of showing the subconscious and how various athletics are using small observations unconsciously and communicating with the subconscious. In a recent 13 year old Petanque takeout shot, I saw the tell of his Projective vision but it was just his little finger moving about 1/2 inch off the ball as he did 3 or 4 distance projections.

A blog stats of shortly after posting visitor/reader actions

Visualization As Creative and Instructive Part 1

Level 3 - Mental Development 

In asking Google "what is visualization in sports psychology" we get the following answer of " In sports psychology, visualization is a mental technique, also known as imagery or mental rehearsal, where athletes mentally rehearse a performance using all their senses to create a vivid and detailed mental picture of themselves succeeding."  Of course, AI collected this quote of information from PeakSports.com.  and the article on the Important of Visualization in Sports where they also write, 

"Athletes use visualization to improve confidence, sharpen skills, enhance focus, and prepare for high-pressure situations by programming their minds and bodies for success."  Because I write about Lawn Bowls which does not have the level of coaching of Swimming or other Olympic sports; my readers may find this level of Sport Psychology a far reach from our club house or the club coaching. But my blog is always intended to invite discussions between club members and their coaches on such topic of interest in our quest and goal of success.

Interesting enough, I was stunned when a first year bowler in a qualification game to be on the Provincial National team did an amazing draw to within inches of the jack while going around a frontal opponent's bowl .  I later talked to this individual and discover that he was an International Swimming Athletic and had simple brought his ability of Visualization to Lawn Bowls, his new interest. (Yes, he had been introduced to the sport less than a few month earlier at my old Club)

In blogging about "Muscle Memory" and the Instinctive Abilities of the athletic allowing the Subconscious mind to take charge of their performance; this performance had puzzled me because I could not understand how a sport like swimming could offer such an influence to a Lawn Bowl Delivery. Questioning his "Muscle Memory", which had not had sufficient practice time to be developed,  and not seeing any similar muscle performance between these two sports; this feat seem impossible. In the act of drawing his bowl around a frontal bowl (guard) and doing such a shot on his first delivery, certainly seem impossible.

 As we all learn in our sports, nothing is impossible if you work hard to development of our skills and believe in our abilities.

Over the last few weeks, after a couple of short conversation with this new Lawn Bowler, I discovered that he had simply "Visualized" his bowl's action and  has used a previous perfected skill of entering his "Muscle Memory Zone". He believed in his ability and allow his small amount of training in delivery of a bowl, to achieve what he visualized as happening.  (By the way, later in the month, he and his Skip won first place at the 2025 Canadian National Championship).

 

This was a great achievement for Quebec, as our province never had a level of coaching or athletic development since Mr Larue many years earlier. Always the better athletics have been  developed in our western provinces or Ontario. Of course, it helped that his skip had been a member of a United Kingdom National team prior to coming to Canada. And in a "Lawn Bowls Pairs" team, both players must perform at an extremely high level, if Gold is to be won.

Under the Association for Applied Sport Psychology we find a detail explanation of research into Visualization. Jennifer Cumming has been working for more than 20 years, and with 181 publications on her research; she is a leader in this field,  For the reader who has a further interest in this area; I leave her work as another source of reading. I will attempt in the next three blogs, to join the dot in this area of Sport Psychology and how it applies to Lawn Bowls and  "Muscle Memory".      ( Now back to the blog)

How he achieved such a quick and unique switch to Lawn Bowls  involved his Visualization Mental Development from his years of International competition and training.

The above PeakSports.com article reads " Elite athletes utilize the power of guided imagery or visualization. Imagery has long been a part of elite sports and many Olympic athletes have mastered the skill with the help of Sport Psychologists and Mental Game Coaches.

Guided visualization or imagery for athletes is consciously controlling the images or directing an athletic script in your head. One example of guided imagery that you having unknowingly used is when your coach was teaching you a new skill. You created an image in your mind of how the skill should look or the successful execution of the skill."

So the athletic "Creating an image of their expectation and with this mental training, creats the proper instructions and direction toward their performance.  a "Mental Development" and  an aspect of training which international athletics work to develop.

In a previous blog I explained how in my Archery perfection I had developed such a strong mental image of guiding my competition "arrow shot" to the 10 spot (target center); that I had actually experienced  a "Mental image" of seeing myself at the shooting line from above. My memory of this event and visualization was so detailed that as an experience of a "out-of-body" imaget that to this day, I can even recall that memory of that shot being seen from above. I am sure many athletics see themself doing their performance as if watching from a distance.

Visualization is not unique to Sports.  Another similar visualization is probably best called "Perfection Visualization" because the individual know what the result will be and works toward creating it. An artist in wood, stone or even furniture has an idea (view) of what the finish product will be and progress slowly toward that point of perfection.  However, unlike in sports, where the delivery or performance of the athletic is completed and they (the athletic) then waits for the result; the artist continues their action until they are satified with the result.

A photographer wanting to get that "Perfect Sunset" or the Painter wanting to get that "Perfect expression" or "feeling", must visualize the image they are to create. The photographer waits and waits as the sunset become more and more beautiful. However, his visualize image is his patience as he compares what he see with what he has just seen. If he was to wait too long as the sun sets, the maximum beauty of the moment will have passed. It is lost.

 Of course, I did news photography in the 1960s when the camera was the 4x5 Graphic with a 4x5 inch sheet of film in a removeable film holder.  So when I took a picture it took minutes to change the film cassette and be ready for the next picture with a new film cassette.Yes many years ago.  In the sunset image example, if you were to miss that exact moment of perfection; you knew it was quits for  the day as you hoped for the next sunset if it came. Or standing all night in the rain to get a perfect Lightning shot or two or three flashes.

 As a News Photographer in my youth I had some of those perfect shots. My wife, who is a professional painter often produce very unique painted images which create emotions in the viewer, but also she often scraps her work because as she added more and more paint to the image, she has also passes that "Point of Prefection" and missed her perfect sunset.

In Lawn Bowls this "Result Visualization" can be simply seeing the image of your bowl in the head and believing in your ability to allow the "Muscle Memory" to create that performance. But what athletics develop through Visualization is more complete than a "Result Image" or vision. To maintain Focus which involves concentration and a discipline of thought is more about pushing distractions aside and only having the actual performance occuring as expected.

In "Result Visualization", I can imagine the Lawn Bowl skip or single player projecting his view of the score as he decides his path to catching up in the score. (two points here, a long jack and two ends of 2 points). 

Much like a Soccer player seeing his path of running up the field as he goes  toward his goal making shot. I would assume a swimmer wanting to close a lead that the opponent beside him has gained, would see his advance location at each turn of his swim with the object or "Result Vision or Image"  being that of the opponent being behind him. Even if just a few strokes but still an image of winning.

Last Months Blog Stats show over 126,000 readers over the last 10 years and I am showing the most popular blogs. Listed with their total views on that day of taking the stats and the date when created. 

With 3256 readers this month, which is half of July; it is because the bowl season is ending  in Australia and  in the North I get readers who are starting their season of Bowls and  search out blogs.

In the second part of this blog I will move into "Projection Visualization" where having a memory of the actual bowl rolling to the jack in another previous time you use that visualize bowl roll from your memory.  Because it is hard for new and experience lawn bowl athletics to read their distances to the Jack and everyone is trying to simply to feel that distance; this  use of an image of memories of previous jack distances and to be able to project it  and change that image until you have the correct  distance requires a lot of mental teaching. But Mental practice for "Projection Visualization" is like physical practice for "Muscle Memory"; where the memory you view is changed until you have chosen the memory image of the correct distance of the jack you are preparing to roll.