The Five Psyschologic Parts of Delivery

 

Being Developed Patience plse

It is 5am and because of a medical problem in the family, I was not able to sleep last night; so I am here where my mind gets occupied and rid of worries. Writing a Blog about the lastest occurence of something of interest to my readers. 

  Last weekend, as watching the Provincial Pairs Competition I was asked advice from a fellow club member and the problem is of interest on how sometimes we develop our "Delivery" but we still have not completed all the steps of development.

The question from Sharon was " There is something I don't understand. What is your explanation of it ?' Louise just finished a delivery and being a bit heavy she rolled the jack back several feet. However, with the next bowl she was about 5 or 6 feet short. What do I do to help her?  What is happening ?"

The title says "The Five Psychological parts of a Delivery" and we all normally think of only three; the Pre-Mat Routine, Delivery and Post-Mat Routine. the problem here suggested is that Louise has developed only her  "Muscle Memory" Delivery. 

The Delivery, which is the mid-point of Delivery (third) with a Muscle Memory. The other two are communication with the Subconscious before and after the "Muscle Memory" Performance,  These Pre-Delivery and Post-Delivery are short communication with the Subconscious mind with the intention of remanding the "Muscle Memory" to avoid personal weakness in the physical Delivery.

For example, immediately after competition of the "Muscle Memory" Performance, it is possible that you're aware of various events which may have happen during that instinctive performance. Could be physical, like feeling your balance or your fingers on the bowl; or it could be psychological like a lost of Focus thus allowing the "Void" of Muscle Memory to be lost.  Aspects of these delivery feelings are easy to detect as "Muscle Memory" finishes.

However, we must realize that as an athlete's development and uses "Muscle Memory" there are many psychologic aspects which will interfere with their performance. Physical performance is easy.. just do the muscle action.  But subconscious communication take time to develop correctly.  The Pre-Delivery while on the mat is more a instructions to the subconscious mind to avoid a pervious. difficult to control habit.These psychological traps can play with our focus as we get caught up, All the self-talk which I suggest that we see Louise's feelings are creating because of  a bad bowl is nothing more than a lot of self-shame and guilt.

We all should know about the need for a Pre-Mat Routine before going to the Mat. Us coaches repeat it over and over. The Delivery is for a perfect performance not all the different things which players do while on the mat. If we have our physical performance finally developed as a "Muscle Memory" Delivery, we will find that there are still  a lot of mental practice before the performance of our delivery is a continual physical performance.

I think he problem of Louise, was that with her "trail of the jack" and then a "very short bowl" was she came back to the mat several minutes after her first bowl, and had probably a lot of self-talk about that bad bowl. Without a Pre-Delivery  Routine (second aspect of the  five) where she tells herself the jack distance; she simply bowled to the old "Jack Position" with less weight because she was still thinking how she was too heavy the bowl before. Self-talk can be good as is major psychological self-evaluation but also cause a lost of focus and a lot of emotions and feelings of  the previous bad bowl. We all can have a bad bowl, accept it and go on.. Don't get caught up in guilt and a  lack of self-confidence.

 As previously explained, "Muscle Memory" is done in absence of "Conscious Thought". When learning we found the conscious mind instructing the muscles and after much practice the delivery became like breathing or walking; just an instinctive performance. At this point of our development there is a lot of work as we work on psychological happenings which may require practice to control.. So lets look at Louise's problem as to the thinking behind her inability to repeat her performance.

"Oh crap, too heavy" as she see the bowl rolling the jack back a few feet. "The jack is not as far as I thought". "I know I can do better". My skip is not going to be happy with that". I wonder if I gave them the shot". "Maybe it is our bowl there behind". If you are watching the body language of Louise as she walks away from the mat you would have seen her turn a couple of time to look back at the skip for his reaction. The harder we play the harder we fall into this trap. As we are discourage to read these negative self-talk suggestions; we can be sure at one point Louise also is disappointed at all the thinking she did.  Just move on after such a bad bowl.

How long Louise keeps this feeling is important and I have to mention that the skip's attitude is important. If a lot of information is usually given by the skip when the player come back to the mat; Louise would know her skip would tell her about the result of her "Jack Trail". However, like all of us, Louise is probably  watching  the opponent's delivery or the opponent skip indication of what the head and points are now after that "Jack Roll". To develop patience and wait for her skip to tell her the new situration of the head; Louise will be trying to learn from the opponent skip. Her "Self-talk" has been all that she could think of until she goes back to the mat.

With all this psychologic damage, Louise goes to the mat with no Pre-Mat Routine decision of how she will bowl. She is still in a self-talk saying " Ok that was too heavy, I got to do a good delivery this time with the right weight", as Louise steps to the mat. Maybe, she even forgot to check her bias with all that baggage of guild and self-talk thoughts".  What happen to Louise can happen to any of us without or Delivery routine having space to do psychologic recovery and return quickly. 

Let look at what is missing in Louise's Delivery Routine. First her Post-mat routine, should have gave her "Positive self-talk" like. "Ok, when I return to the mat, my skip will tell me what is happening".  And with such a Pre-mat Routine  her psychological baggage about the last bowl would happen. But as she is carrying these thoughts and will maybe carry for several bowls later; this simple mistake can destroy her great performance  for the remainder of the game. If Louise has figured out what happen to make that bowl so very very short she may be make a Post-Mat Decision to fix the mistake as she looks at the Jack. "It new position"

The instruction of a coach to a new member on their delivery is usually to simply advising them to stand behind the mat while the opponent is doing their delivery. We are with our Bowl in hand and preparing the bowl with some this is a physical actions like our grip or cleaning the bowl. This time should be more for the Post-Mat Routine of understanding what just happen with that last bowl roll.

After the Bowl has left our hand and is rolling up the green we probably stay on the mat and watch the roll until it has stopped. This is the fifth aspect of our delivery and probably the most psychological thinking during our delivery as we study every movement of the bowl as it rolls that 14 seconds before stopping.

the first, third, and fifth psychological parts of Louise's delivery needs a study but  more likely they only have the physical parts of the delivery performance. Once the " Muscle Memory Delivery is finished and the bowl stop Louise probably steps from the mat. What we have just seen is the physical part of the delivery. But in these three parts we often have psychological action with the exception of teh Muscle Memory (the third); which should just be instinctive physical performance.

Yes you are doing a lot of thinking before going to the mat and after the delivery is finished but these actions and thoughts are all part of the Delivery without too detail of any psychological problems or habits. If you communicate with the Subconscious before your muscle memory this is a "Pre-delivery" and likewise if you want your bowl roll and analysis the perfromance we have a Post- Delivery. So the five pshchological parts of the Delivery are 

1- Pre Mat Routine to prepare the bowl and ourself before our Muscle Memory Delivery

2- Pre-Delivery thoughts or images as communication of what is expected from the "Muscle Memory". This may also have "Tags" which are physical actions which do not affect the performance but remainds the subconscious of something. An example is holding the bowl up infront of you and placing the image of the bowl and Jack (up the green) together. Intention of where the bowls should finish it roll.

3 - Muscle Memory Delivery where you move your mind into an emptiness of thought and allow the instinctive delivery to happen. There should be not thoughts or images once the physical action of the delivery has started.

4- Post-Delivery as you watch the bowl roll of your fingers to the green and began it part or line up the green. This is an important time as you come out of the empty void of muscle memory and begin thinking. If you address your thoughts to what you feel you will know many of the mistakes you may have made. You can feel your balance, your correct delivery movements and as you watch the bowl roll you are collecting data for the subconscious to use late when you return to the mat for another bowls roll

5- Post-Mat Routine should not be a hurry departure from the mat so the opposition can begin to bowl. you eyes should be doing quick data collection of the information from the skip in the head, the body language of the opponent and your feelings. As you step from the mat let all these psychological thoughts or images become a total closure of the performance.

All of us have the four aspects (before and after) of delivery in a period  of being  developed as practice and game play uses data collected  and used as instruction to the subconscious  mind for the best performance.The only difference is the Pre-Delivery thought or images are easily to be too long or detail and invite the conscious mind to come and do a muscle performance. The Muscle Memory (third aspect) is performance unique without thought. The Pre-Mat and Pre-Delivery are decisions and how-to images or thoughts on the best performance. The Post-Delivery is a hard part as your feelings and expectations become a part of your performance. The objective here should be to check and remove destructive self-talk or feelings competely.

The cleaning of the Bowl. Removal of moisture or dirt, sand or other debris as well as the chalk from being a "Toucher". The hand's hold on the bowl with our choice of grip. The balance of the bowl's weight in hand as if sort of becoming one with the bowl as you bounce it in your palm.

There waiting for the opponent to finish their delivery, you should be gathering the information from your previous bowl roll and your evaluation of the Delivery and the results. Finally, the opponent is finish and you step to the mat and look up the green toward the skip indicating to the opponent you have taken possession of the mat.  The skip begins with some communication of your last bowl, or the last bowl of the team member before you.

You step back from the mat as you are now preparing your bowl for delivery with the request of the skip, your opinion of that request and how you will perform it. If you know your skip he has his body language or movements to give you the needed information. The last bowl played (by the opponent) and it distance from the jack and whether point or not. Or maybe, like many skips, gives no information and goes immediately into their request of your Delivery.

Ok, you know what is requested and your performance last and going this way up the green. You verify your bias for what is requested and begin your step to the mat, placing your feet in the routine position. Of if in your opinion of the skips request you decided to "Walk the mat" because of your fear for a bowl which seems to be in your path. Many bowls which seem to be a fear of touching are more a psychological aspect of your Pre-Mat Routine.  The first aspect of your five psychological parts of Delivery is complete.

Before talking about the other four parts of Delivery, it is best to go back to the basic coaching we had as a new member because unless what will be discussed here is already the complete Delivery you perform; you have developed a delivery of the physical habits of rolling the bowl up the green and being finished you are then turning around and leaving the mat with your "Post-Mat Routine" (fifth aspect)

So the beginner the "Post-Mat Routine is to walk away to make room for the opponent but as you have practice you have over time developed a feeling of your delivery at this point. Happy with your performance, Dissatified, Angry all the various psychological feelings which make us love (or hate) our efforts at a good delivery.

What should your Post-Mat Routine be ?. You have watched your bowl roll up the green and come to a stop. You have evaluated the skip's satification with your bowl and your expectation and results. As you walk back from the mat it may be the start of "Self-talk" of psychological  feelings and even an "evil demons talk" you hear. How long you bath in this glory or dissatification before you pick up your next bowl and start you Pre-Mat Routine is how strong is your Psychological development.

Through out several blogs I have spoken of "Muscle Memory" where our subconscious mind has performed our delivery in a sort of absence of thought, where we feel a void  as we  return to thinking. Thinking, the conscious mind receiving thoughts and deciding what you are wanting it to do. Walk away from the mat, bend and pick up the next bowl.

Only two of the five psychological aspects of Delivery mention and already 2 pages long blog. 

Two Big Mistakes. Pre-Mat Routine did not have a "Jack Distance" instruction to the "Muscle Memory". A feeling or method of identifing the new jack position. The skip is partly to blame because without a few signs of communication before the bowl of Louise finally stopped, he has left her with her self-talk and baggage. Second mistake is Post-Mat Routine did not see the result and evaluate the good or bad and then moved on to do an preparation for when next you go to the mat.

In several blogs I discuss communication with the subconscious mind before and after the "Muscle Memory" performance. These are shot thoughts or images or else the conscious mind will see them as instruction and make muscle control action. The second aspect of Delivery is the remainder to the Subconscious mind you expected "Delivery Results". If you just rolled and wait to see you have made not expectation. If in the Pre-Mat you decided to "Walk the mat" you probably watch your bowl until it approached that bowl which you thought was in your path. This Pre-Delivery Routine is before Delivery or Muscle Memory Delivery and are psychological strengths. As your bowl roll needs physical efforts so also your delivery need psychological efforts. With that baggage and self-talk of the last minute you will never roll a good bowl until "Focus" is restored and your Peace is fixed in that quiet place of a good delivery.

These three aspects of the delivery.. Pre-Muscle Memory Delivery", Muscle Memory Delivery, and Post-Muscle Memory Delivery are all needed for your pefromance. When the bowl leaves your hand and begins to roll up the green is when your Post-Delivery Routine starts. You now have all kinds of different feelings you can feel if you want to identify them. Your balance, your delivery movemeht as to how it is your perfect delivery, your bowl roll as a nice roll or not. All these feelings are there if you want to feel them. And with those feelings you will decide where and how your bowl will roll and finish.

Or maybe you just stand there for the 14 seconds while the bowl rolls and wait to see where it stops.  Last week I needed a tap on my team's bowl on the jack to get the 3 points for a tie and even that 4th point for a win. In my pre-Delivery Routine I saw (visual image) the location where I wanted the jack to move to. I saw the little weight to just touch the bowl on the jack. I saw the action of my performance (a finger flip). All quick thoughts before I let Muscle memory do it performance.

As the bowl left my hand I had a good feeling about the delivery and the line. I actally saw the contact I wanted. yes again everything was ok as another second of the roll passed. Then I saw the line of the bowl stay straight for about a foot or 18 inches.. I saw my contact point change.. I knew my shot would be a miss. The bias came back and now I was sure of a hit but maybe not as I expected. As my bowl make contact and my team's bowl on the jack move a few inches right I knew my weight was good but "Did the jack roll enough for that fourth point" as I saw my bowl stay there beside the touched bowl.

Focus is all this time thinking and knowing and doing an evaluation for when nexrt you go to the mat.  Guess I wll find time this month to do the Pre-Delivery (2nd aspect) and Post-Delivery (4 aspect) and the psychological performance needed for a perfect delivery with Muscle Memory.

If you think your physical delivery is hard to perfect, think how hard the psychological part of this is as if you think too long on something the conscious mind will see your thought as a request for muscle performance and  began to do that physical perfromance.  This is why if you think of a "Bowl Tap" it is better to think of "Bowl Touch" because if you think (image or thought) "Bowl Tap" you must also think "How Much" and by now the Conscious mind is preparing to do the muscle performance instruction.

Now almost 7am so guess I can go sleep. So I will publish these 3 pages to tease the reader of what is coming.but I don't know when I will get time but will eventually get back here or die on the bowls green... Lmao.. .

 Tomorrow I have a 3 game pairs competition and then mext week.  I will start 4 nights of Singles before the weekend  Finals. Hell, at 80+ guess i will sleep good all next week.  Enjoy but be patience. I will put photos and correction before attempting to indicate some of the thoughts and problems with Pre-Delivery and Post-Delivery

Simple Bowls Line and Weight

 Since we can not have two thoughts actively controlling our muscles, we must decide on Line or Weight and let the Muscle Memory do that performance. There are various consistences in each and each has to have their adjustment for those Jack distances or locations which are not consistence.

Line - Since we must keep one foot on or over the mat during delivery, we must step forward wtth the other foot. Right handers will bowl from the right side and step forward from the left and vise versa for Left handers. Unless you have changed your bowls your line will always be the same as you have been practicing. Looking at a Bowls Bias chart we see the wider the bowl's bias the more the angle off center line our line of Delivery will be.

That chart show several manufacters and some like Aero make very narrow Bias Bowls while others like Henslite are very wide bias and may finish as wide as 90 degree as the bowls stops at the jack.. So now your body is in line for a delivery with that bowl and it's bias.

Your weight is all that your Muscle memory is going to be concern with. So lets find the point of consistence weights.  If we do a relax (no effort) swing and delivery the bowl will always roll the same distance and finish on center line. (If you are standing right and do a smooth correct delivery).

This distance that the bowl rolls before stopping with this relax (no effort) delivery is called the "Natural Distance" and although you may know the actual number of meters it is for you and your bowl; it may change because of various changes in environmental conditional or Quality of the playing surface. So you must have the jack at that distance for a no-effort Natural Distance Delivery. This means you must be able to throw the jack to that distance or know when the bowl is at that distance. Otherwise you must add on delivery weight or take off delivery weight for this (first) Natural Distance.

What happens if we change something in our Delivery routine. Lets say your relax no-effort Delivery is without a step forward and now you take a small step forward during your delivery. Of course the bowl will go farther and if you always take the same distance step then you have a second Natural Distance Delivery. Let say your no-effort Delivery is a back swing to about 6:30 (clock hands) and now you go to 7:30 you of course have another natural distance and you should know that distance in meters. At this point you have three distances of consistence bowl roll and you know those distance in meters. (lets say 22, 24.5, 26 meters.

Everyone is unique in their mental abilities and most are classified as either Visual or Audio in their reflection. The reason this is mention is that in communication with the subconscious for Muscle Memory a visual individual will see an image and an audio with think a thought (audio). A thought of an image or word is quick enough that the conscious mind does not see it as a muscle instruction. See a bowl roll pass a point is an image while following that bowl along it bias path is like a video and the subconscious mind is distracted from it's Muscle Memory. 

Above we noticed three Natural distance created by small changes in our delivery but the  22, 24.5, 26 meters only cover half the distance of the possible jack distance allowed in a jack roll. What do we do next.  First we must divide the 10 meters from the Hogline to the Respot distance into 4 zones and identify them by some method of observation. It would be nice if the skip who is up the green was to tell you.  But telling you would also be telling the opponent unless you have a system of communication. (4 fingers meaning 24 meters). Also in singles it will be you that must find those distances. It may be surround objects like benches or buildings or it may be discolor of the green which you can see as you walk your first 2 or three end of the game. Also the jack will never be at your exact Natural distance but if you are "Feeling" the distance and rolling to see how close you are it is like a trial end and a wasted bowl. A 10 end game is 10 points missed if bowls are used to know the distance. All information plus your perfect delivery at a natural distance mean another point on the score board.

Practice is doing your add-on and take-off delivery weights on your natural distance. How you do the add-on is the thought and increased weight you use with your muscle memory. Three things effect the distance a bowl will roll. Your Swing delivery, Your body movement as your step forward and the equipment and condition of play. A bigger bowl will roll farther a slower green will give your natural distance a shorter distance. A 24 Natural distance may be 24.5 into the sun and 23.5 away from the sun as rolling over grass bent toward the sun is faster. Same if the greens are cut close (July) as to May/June when the greenkeepers wants a good root system greens.

So if your feet are correct the bowl will stop on center line and if you weight is correct the bowl will stop on the jack if your delivery was well done. Yes practice to get that perfect delivery. But thoughts to the Muscle Memory is also important as a remainder of what you want to do. And your evaluation afterward too. is feedback to the subconscious mind. Like a boss advice to the typist. Think before and after Muscle Memory but not during.

Bowls Bias and Off-Bias Delivery (AMem)

About 20 years ago when I was coaching the Blind in Lawn Bowls I crossed a common problem  of the 90s where coaches believed that there was only one way "Method" to holding and the delivery of the bowl up the green to the Jack.  My first blind student had been instructed by a National athlete who was also a coach. Many individual with a visual handcap also has other physical difficulties and I was surprise to find that this blind student had been build a wrist strap to keep her delivery hand straight.

If it had been a weak muscle problem and this leather wrist band was created to offer a muscle support, it would have been easy to accept; but it was more a "keep your fingers straight" instruction of the coach device. Yes the way the bowl is held in the had make for a good and natural delivery. My self, having come to lawn bowls from archery and over the 15 years developed my archery  shot release. Although I won gold at Nationals competitions, the Arrow release grip had resulted in a 45 degree wrist  muscle change. My lawn bowl delivery wrist and hold of the Bowl is more like a common United Kingdom bowl grip and delivery.

The common mistake, this coach made, is to try to change the natural delivery of the student to what the coach would call " the perfect textbook delivery grip". This what the coach had done to that blind student with a leather wrist strap, instead of find a proper delivery with the physical but natural wrist.  Very often as we encounter problems on the green we attempt to change what is wrong instead of understanding it and creating a performance which accepts or uses that strange problem.

Back to the topic of this blog. " Bias and Off-Bias Delivery".  One of the most common problems in a delivery performance is a "Ridge" or "Slope" which seems to  pull the bowl quickly off line or across our normal "Delivery Line". In other blog I explained "Line of Delivery is the direction you aim your delivery while "Delivery Line is the direction your bowl actually rolls up the green as it leaves your hand.

With a Ridge or Slope area of the green in your "Delivery Line" we can sometimes "Walking the Mat" that few inches to have our bowl pass just inside (our outside) of the problem area of the green.  Also bring the mat up from the "Mat Line"  a few feet will not change the "Line of Delivery" for the same Jack position. But sometimes that  "Ridge" or "Slope" can not be avoided. And for me it does not help being a left-handed bowler. My delivery is more than two feet farther left then my fellow right-hander (or vise versa). At these few times, there is nothing as simple  as  using the mat as you try to walk it or move it to avoid the effect of the "Ridge" or "Slope" on your rolling bowl.

Then again, I love my old 1960's Hensilite Classics with their wide bias (#3) so over the years I have developed an "Off-Bias Draw" Delivery.Although some months I never need to use it, last weekend the greens were so bad I was using it more than normal.

This Delivery type allows my bowl run Straight for 2/3 the distance to the jack before it has slowed enough to begin the bowl's Normal Bias to the jack. This delivery type has allowed me to work and play around rises and falls of the greens in early spring. Often referred to as  "Ridge" or "Slope", the normal bias of a bowl .other than "Straight Bias Bowls" will need at least a three foot off the jack line . In an earlier blog I show how to "Finger Jack" my line to know if the new jack position creates a line which must run through a  "Ridge" or "Slope" .

This is not for beginners who want to know their line of delivery. It allows a method of knowing the "Delivery Line" to that new "Jack " position, and would the roll to that jack  create a problem with what was previous a  "Ridge" or "Slope" " area of the green in previous deliveries.  I would want to know that my bowl would pass below the "Ridge" or remain off the "Slope". I would have visualize where the bowl's bias takes the "belly" of the Bias. (The belly is the first start to swing and most affected by wind , rain, or badly cut greens.)  A bowl which runs along the top of a ridge is staying straight because the "Bias" is not strong enough or speed slow enough to pull the Bowl onto it actual Bias Line. This trick to see the new line, if done properly will not be seen by others but will allow you to know how your bowl will run with that line you are expected to use. Otherwise, roll a bowl as a "Trial End Bowl" and see what happens. (A wasted bowl as most problems can be thought-out and adjustment made.

I would want the Bowl Delivery Line to show that my bowl will actually pass that  "Ridge" or "Slope" before the bowls speed becomes slows enough to work the Belly or Shoulder of the Bowl's Bias. (Using the Off-Bias delivery, you would want to have your bowl stay straight until it has passed the ridge or slope which means about 2/3 of the distance to the jack.  Also because the off-bias draw will wobble with a 2/3 "Off-Bias", this  lose of  speed due to the bowl's wobble, must have been added so the bowl (after wobble) reaches the jack. This  is a lesson to be learn on the Practice green as to know how much more weight is needed to still reach the jack with your off-bias draw) The most common way to know the new line after the jack has been oved is the line of delivery is the same distance (added or removed) form delivery line.

Some times the "Walking the Mat" will  give relief. but than if I do a "Off-Bias" Draw I am sure my bias starts after passing the  "Ridge" or "Slope". Each bowler must find their own line. Myself, I go from halfway between thumb and kunkles and the bend of last joint. Someone else might use upper wrist or tip of finger. ( Because it is just a reference of the new line, you don't need to hold your hand up but just in front of you as you look down at the green and follow your line up the green)

 The purpose is to see the straight line the Delivery line will first take and know where it passes on the green. After the jack has been moved and a few end of play and now knowing where not to pass your bowl this is just a quick reference without wasting a bowl to avoid a ridge or slope.

It is a trick which maybe will be used only one or twice a season, but to waste a bowl guessing that it will not be affected bu the  "Ridge" or "Slope" you are wanting to avoid know how your new delivery line will pass a problem area of the green.. For the beginner wanting to understand "Bowls Bias",  I suggest the Colemans Hatch Bowling Club web page from which I took the following Bias Chart and removed several bowls to explain Bias. For the Youtuber there is also a "Everything you want to know about Bias. 

helpful. The Bias Chart (right) has be modified with a 2nd chart showing the three bias of bowls. On the older bowls this could be seen by the circle lines on the side of the bowl but newer bowls are now appearing without these lines. 

I have not seperated them into Outdoor and Indoor Bowls bias although the straighter bowls may be consider indoor carpet bowls. The last time I had to use the Off-Bias Draw was on a boundry green. Normally with my wide bias Hensilite Classic I had to go from mat-line to the out-of boundry line for the bowl's bias. But on this competition my bowl after approaching the Out-of-bound Line would swing back, cross center line and even go out-of-bound on the other side.  My only choice was to use my Off=Bias Draw and after moving as far right (lefthanded me) as possible on the mat I check if my line stayed inside the top of the ridge. The inside side of the rink was often blocked as it was used to attempt to get a bowl near the jack.

When you arrive to start a game, you should take the time to know the bowls of your teammates and the Opponent. Most all manufactures make three types of their bowl's Bias. Although certain manufactures have a bias with less Finish or Shoulder the principle is the same. Narrow Bias bowls of the Name type are usually with very little shoulder or finish and intended for fast greens or indoor bowls. The bowls Bias Chart will show the "Medium" bias of their bowl and may even be marked with MB in the "Stamp". The "Wide" bias bowls are seen to have a good shoulder and finish and if you find a older bowl (Henslite) of the 60s you may even see a "Candy Cane" type bias which swings more then today's Bowls.

As per the photo of the bowls (right) we see three different bowl's Bias and two Manufacture. (white Aero and Black Henslite). The Narrow Bias bowl (white) will have some bend but only about 4 to 6 inches and not finish. This bowl of Aero is usually a good bowl for a lead as no bowls are yet on the green to prevent a direct line to the jack. The brown bowl (top) with two lines is a Medium Bias and if you look at a Bias chart for the manufacture this bowl's line will be what is shown. It has some finish. The Black bowls (bottom) with three "Bias Lines" show a more wider swing as the shoulder swings almost a foot to 18 inches of the center line. Also with a green of good speed (16-10) or an indoor carpet it will have a good finish curve as it stops.

Below is photo of my grip which is not standard because of muscle changes from Archery over many years. The white lines drawn on the photos is to indicate the bowl is in it correct line of delivery.  The edges of the bowl or the nipples or sides of the bowl should be such they parallel the sides of the arm. The photo below show the delivery grip I had to adapt and use for a smooth delivery. It is to indicate that without changing everything in a student or new members delivery style; a good delivery is possible.

 Also a photo of my 1/3 off- bias delivery grip. The 1/3 makes reference to what part of the bias which is being removed by the delivery. One third of the total length to the jack is not much of an "off-bias" and the bowl will roll of the mat with very little wrobble. But there is still some bias in the "Straight" of the bias.  

Where  the wobble and action of the "Off-Bias" Draw is noticable is on a 2/3 Off-Bias draw (not shown). Here you will see the wrobble more as the bowl rolls up the green. A 1/3 off-bias would be used for a shorter jack, and a 2/3 Bias Draw for a longer distance to the jack. The greater the noticable wobble the more delivery weight that will be lost. You will see the bowl  roll almost straight and then take the last two parts of the Bias after nearing the jack.. A full off-bias delivery (3/3 of the distance is all the way to the "Jack"; and is usually used for "Runners" and very heavy takeout shots. Remember, the bowls Bias starts at a very slow speed and with a runner it will spend all it green time attempting to re-dress to the standing Bias position. 

In Video of "Heavy Over-Draws" you will often hear the expression of "Let your Bowl Work the Bias" which is very important in planning a "Off-Bias Draw". It is certain in times of slow greens (spring, Rain, Dew,etc) the "Finish of the Bowl" will be very little as a good "Finish need time to work"  which will only happen on a fast green. Bowls is a "Draw, Draw Game" and these once in a difficult time performance skills are there when you find that everything else has failed. A good smooth roll delivery is always the best results to be expected.

 Very Strange stats yesterday.. Glad someone is asking the right questions.