Rain and Wind - Bowls Play 1/2 (NMem)

This blog is a redo of starting to blog in August 2012, wanting to help on knowing how to judge the Green's speed in "Rainy" play condition.

The best of Canada and United States with windy conditions

I  It can be difficult to know what effect rain, whether heavy rain or light drizzle; has on our Delivery..  But there are tricks which used wisely will allow your first bowl as lead, to be on or near the jack. I have combined this blog with another on Windy conditions of play because if the video  of the last blog was watched; we see those Australian elite players doing many of the same things suggested in this blog. Wind and Rain conditions of play require the same delivery calculation and mental discipline.

First, if you are rolling  the jack to start the end of play, you have a sort of "Green Testing" opportunity. Certainly,  the skip's requested distance is your objective, your efforts and how they are affected by the rain or water on the green; can tell you a lot of how the speed of the green has changed.

Normally. as a lead with a good ability to roll to the skip's  foot, your "Jack roll" should not be modified for the conditions of the rain. Thinking of a heavier roll because it is in the rain, is a "Buzz kill", If you want to know the speed of a car you compare it to something going at a speed you know. Your own speed as it passes you. Likewise, rather than change the "Jack Roll" for the rain, do a normal effort to deliver it to the skip's foot. If the jack has stops 3 to 4 meters short this is a gauge of how much the conditions of play affect your roll. Not just your "Jack Roll" but also your "Bowl Roll".

First, your subconscious mind knows that the conditions of play will slow the "Jack roll" and when you attempted to roll to the skip's foot, it will instinctively made an adjustment. But this lost of distance which happens is the "Error of Subconscious correction" which occurs even after your subconscious mind has done a heavier "Jack Roll". 

BumBum, a friends pet

Unless all the spectators are in the clubhouse, there are others sharing the rain with you. Find things to relax your mind between your deliveries.  Do not rush your game because of the conditions of play which may only mean a lost in "Focus". Keep your mind on the game. Sometimes a thought of something funny like this photo will bring a bright focus into your delivery.

The 3 or 4 meters short of the jack that happen with the "Jack Roll", now allows you to make an adjustment of your Bowl Delivery. Very often we think of an addition and the Muscle Memory of the "Jack Roll" adds something more. Other than thinking where you want your bowl to finish, don't see these calculation as added delivery weight. (think "more weight" is a conscious thought which destroys Muscle Memory performance) The jack may not have lost it distance because of "green speed" but maybe a lost of speed due to other conditions. (wet hands, slippery footing or maybe just discomfort due to the rain).

 
  -  Learn by watching the jack roll each time, whether you are lead, second or mate, because the collective information will be used for all your bowls in this end of play.  Read the "Cock Tail" or standing spray of water behind the jack as it rolls. It will indicate areas of your green which have more water than other areas.

An Australian Finals

The higher spray of water behind the jack is because it is passing through deeper water. The photo (right) is from New Zealand Championship final and within 15 or 20 minutes players were on the green starting their morning game. Good drainage is a major part of a good construction of our playing greens.

The green speed may have changed by what you believe is your bowls "Rain Resistance". Because you have practice in these rain conditions and have build your knowledge of how certain rain conditions will change your "Bowls Speed", Of course your club's green conditions during your practice have given a value. My term for this calculation and measure is "Green Quarter" because I use a thought (image or word) to tell Muscle Memory my expected resistance that the rain causes to my bowl roll.

  If you have not rolled previously in the rain you may have to calculate that a wet green requires a certain distance increase in your delivery weight. However, if you have build a "Condition of Play" knowledge base, from information collected from a rainy day "Cock Tail" study: you can  now added to this knowledge your known "Water Resistance" distance increase. 

Pointe Claire LBC after downpour

The photo (right) is the water map of my club last year after a heavy rain fall. It is in my Log Book to remind me of where the green is high and low (now dark area or water soak green)

My calculation adjustment term of "Green Quarter"  is based upon the legal 10 meter distance that a jack can be played. (21m to 33m) Dividing the Hogline Jack to the Max Distance Jack into 4 areas of play. The 1st Quarter (hogline to 23 or 25 meters), Halfway. (26 meters). 3rd Quarter(28, 29 meters) and Full Length (from respot to the Ditch). Also, since we all have weak delivery distances, if you play a "redefined Jack" for a jack distance then add that too to your "over delivery" jack decision.. (redefined jack is playing a visual jack behind or in front of actual jack position because of a condition of play)

The idea of changing your "Jack Distance" is similar to the skip asking for a bowl 1 meter behind the jack. If you need 2 "Green Quarters" adjustment than you are bowling as if the skip is asking for a bowl 2 meters behind the jack. This mental calculation is a "Focus" point because you accept the ability to play to a requested position by the skip and as your accept the skip's knowledge you also accept your success or failure of delivery. When your adjustment of weight results in your bowl being on or near the jack; you accept your focus was not lost by questioning the reason for the extra delivery weight.

This stats photo shows how sudden a volume of readers might decide to search or seek out a type of blog information.

Blog Stats days later

Sometime, such volume occurs because at the beginning of a bowl's season a coach suggest a subject and discussion which send students to this blog.

Also sometimes it might be because of the use of a particular word. With Trump again in the news and countries like Russia searching the WWnet for that name; it will result in an increase in blog reader volume stats. Where my blogs are not short, to have over 2000 read/visit in a week may mean hours of bowls knowledge being distributed.

Also, as I have done here by insert photo and stats; sometimes the change of subject is a pause of reader attention and only relax the mind. (take a break). Such pause or break prepares readers to better understand the following text.

If you watch the video suggested in the previous blog on the  2026 Australian Classics Singles game; you will have seen several times Barrie Lester often waiting for the wind to decrease before playing. You can also pause yourself during an increase in the rain volume.  Often we take a pause in play to improve our clothing or get a drink. If you are in a pause it is important you do it by leaving the mat so as not  to affect our delivery or Pre-mat decisions. Standing on the mat drops us out of our "Focus" zone.  In doing a pause, if your Delivery routine had a decision making aspects, then it is necessary to restart your Delivery Routine from the "going to the Mat" step so everything involved, from "Focus" to the instinctive rolling of your bowl can be finished in one complete "Delivery" and you can get out of the rain.

 If you feel guilty doing a pause in your delivery, I suggest you look toward the officials as if to be asking "Are you going to pause the game". The reason for this pause is that prior to coming to the mat (Pre-Mat Routine) you did your calculations and now you are ready to do your delivery to that spot.  Your change in "Focus" by the distraction of the sudden down pour of rain; does not now need you to decide to make an adjustment in the middle of your delivery.

      Under rainy conditions, there are many things that will slow your bowl.  Many new bowlers think that these conditions of play problems  is a "Trail and Error" part of the game of Lawn Bowls.  (Roll the first bowl and see where it goes.. then adjust your delivery  to get closer with idea that by the third bowl you should be on the jack). 

 Can you afford to waste 2 bowls (or 3 in singles) to get one bowl close to the jack.  A  "Trial and Error" approach to your delivery is wrong and you are better to go work in the kitchen or be on the club's Social Committee than be in a Lawn Bowls Competition. Your bowls' "Rule one" is "Every bowl counts" and  your thinking is "My Post Delivery analysis where I am in preparation for the next bowl is where I do thinking and analysis. Like the "Skips Expectation", your expectation of your self and your delivery should be at a high standard.

  Other helpful hints.

  -  Know what effect your raingear has on your delivery. Do you hear the movement of your raingear during your bowl delivery. Does it restrict your movement, balance or even destroy your "Focus".

    - Watch and learn from your opponent. If he/she is has difficulty doing a good  roll to the jack, and their bowl is 3 meters short then you know to add 3 meters for  the jack when you bowl. (Of course, have they that "Trial and Error" attitude ?) If yes, then make no adjustment because the only bowl which matters is their last bowl.  Every bowl you roll matters and your focus and calculation are all good.

 -  Virgin Greens are worst with Rain. A "Virgin Green" is an area of play where no bowl has yet rolled. Often in the first few ends of play or when the jack has been moved away from center line. In rainy conditions your new "Line of Delivery" following a movement of the jack may require a delivery when you do not have the information on the amount of water at various parts of that green on your that line.

 On a "Moved Jack", where possible, change your hand of delivery (forehand/Backhand) so you roll using more of the center of your rink where you have  knowledge of the conditions of play. Remember that previous delivery line have had the water removed from the grass leaves (laid down like which happens with morning dew). If you took an approach line, you can after your opponent has wasted a bowl and shown  the conditions; expect a fruitful delivery. Your "Focus" after "Calculation" in the Pre-Mat Routine is of major important, as to a quick to the mat and bowl because of the disconfort of the rain.

  -  Bias is depend on the speed of the bowl... Faster roll gives less bias,  and be aware that the quick stop of your bowl in rain may mean your bowl has little or no final bend (finish). Your bowls will only swing in the last few meters when it has slowed to  a normal Bias speed.   Even with wide Bias bowls do a narrow line draw for those heavy delivery on rainy greens.

   -  Watch the water spray behind your bowls..  This "Cock tail" will indicate low green areas with more water and if you can avoid them. Decide on your "Point Radius" (how far from the jack and still be a point) which might allow you to change the delivery line or even the Delivery hand (forehand/backhand).

   - Roll the same bias each time.. using the previous line now showing in the wet green. By using the same delivery line your expectation of your delivery will offer more confidence and success.

   - Fast delivery bias (with a finish type bias) greens are found when  the jack is placed around where the mat was previously placed several times; the traffic of  the bowlers as they stood waiting their turn on the mat. (usually behind the mat) packs the green. If your bowl has a wide bias then this trick might mean a proper bias finish.

   -  Listen to your skip.. He may be adjusting for the weight ( by asking for a back bowl) or giving a narrow line (accepting the frontal bowl being a good block on a dangerous "Runner line").