My daughter suggested that I study and look into "Chat GPT" which she uses a lot in her work and maybe I would like to use it in my blog writing. Below is an example of a Chat GPT deveopment ofmy 2017 Blog "Catch Up Bowls" for you, the reader's evaluation.
The AI changes of the actual blog first paragraph and my comments follow. (below is the total Actal AI text), My comment on these changes, show what I think the changes may have done to the creative intention of the original text. Your decision and opinion on the use of AI in this context, may be helped by these, my comments.
My first original paragraph of this blog written 10 years ago read as:
"Various parts of a game of Bowls require different mental disciplines and controls. The first few end of play of a game of Lawn Bowls should be an information gathering part of the game for the whole team. I would like to say this information is "for the skip" but if a team works together; then these first few ends should be carefully studied by all the team members."
AI changes were "
The game of Bowls demands a range of mental disciplines and controls, and different stages of play call for different kinds of focus. The first few ends of a game of Lawn Bowls should function as an information‑gathering phase for the entire team. While this information is often considered “for the skip,” a well‑coordinated team benefits most when every member studies these early ends carefully."
There are many older blogs which still have a large viewing and maybe I will look at letting AI do a re-write and replace them. A decision to come as the season ends in a few months and winter puts this old man behind the keyboard.
In this the first line I find objection with the expression "Different kinds of Focus" as my meaning to "Focus" in Lawn Bowls has been when I am on the mat for my delivery and follow the "What do I want to do ?" and "How best to achieve that goal". Where to many readers, their goal of Bowls is to win the game by the collection of points; my belief is that each game played should be an education for all players.
Yes, AI inserted "Focus", but my use of that word and it's meaning and aspects of applied mental use in the Lawn Bowls game; is a "Different kinds of focus" and inserted here seems to me to defeat the meaning of a word I used only in specific blogs.
The expression "Focus, focus, just focus" says "Get it together" which I might say to a team mate; has only one objective, get rid of all that other thoughts". While AI choice of the word with a "different kinds of focus" expressed may not be good. Example, this placement of "Focus" brings to mind for me, my previous professional News photographer career of early years,
Then, "Focus" as a word, was my fingers playing with the camera lens to get a clear picture. At that time it would have moves into my thoughts to the "meaning of News" and "Does my picture relay that meaning". For this reason, I feel my meaning of my blog text as destroyed and wonder if such an expression created by AI would also changes the train of thought which I was attempting to build in my reader.
I think the AI intention of a good choice of words and improved grammar maybe wise academically, maybe it is more a distraction of thought to the reader with a train of thought as they read. (and my intention as the writer)
With AI's choice and use of words like "different" and "Focus"; maybe the text is becoming, rather than a sorting of "wanted" and "not wanted" thoughts about bowls, but more a passive relax drama reading or a classroom textbook. Which is not what as a coach, I would be attempting to express to a student or an athletic with a problem.
I would think that the purpose of my blog or writing a blog, is like a painter's working on their creation as they build the meaning of their painting. The painter's expression of his want of an image, begins with their own want to create a feeling ( maybe the expression of beauty of the flowers), and then build the painting to forces the person's mind into a direction of thought which, by uses the choices of colors, shadows and even background lines; the expecation that it has created that wanted feeling.
In this same sense of meaning the word "Range" falls in the reader mind as several words. To the country raised reader it may even refer to a large open grass land with cattle. My ideas were more of a controlling nature. "Concentration" One (thought), Keeping thoughts directional (not in several directions) and probably end the range with the thought of "No that is beyond the "Range". Yes the word "Focus" is precise but we in Lawn Bowls live and die on the "different kind of Focus", but uniquely when we are on the mat doing our delivery.
If I was shooting an arrow at the Archery target and a word or sound made me think elsewhere, or with a different thought; then it becomes a lost of "Focus" not an increased "Focus", I feel strongly it would destroy rather than build a commitment toward the object and raison of my focus. "My Perfect Delivery".
Maybe too find a point which is unique only to me. I certainly do not like the insertion of Bold and larger Text as if titles to catch the intention of allow the reader to quickly find a subject. If my reader is not interested and continue to read I feel they should stop and even seek and change their topics. However, at the end of Chat GPT modification of text there was the following comment I will explore a bit.
If you want, I can also create a more formal version, a more conversational version, or a version tailored for a coaching manual. You can choose formal rewrite, coaching_manual_style, or more_concise_version.
I shall allow AI to redo this blog here and leave the January 6, 2017 original blog "Catch Up Bowls" for your reading and judgement of this new technology in our online life. Also of interest is I noticed my website (blogger by Google) now seems slower in response to my typing since I invoked Chat GPT. Maybe not but type something and wait for the keyboard finished text to appear on the screen is slower..
The Blog "Closing Bowls" as modified with Chat GPT now 16th July 2026
Mental Discipline, Strategy, and Patience in Lawn Bowls
The game of Bowls demands a range of mental disciplines and controls, and different stages of play call for different kinds of focus. The first few ends of a game of Lawn Bowls should function as an information‑gathering phase for the entire team. While this information is often considered “for the skip,” a well‑coordinated team benefits most when every member studies these early ends carefully."
The lead should be identifying the best draw lines, judging the green's pace, and noting any weaknesses the opposition has with different jack lengths. The second, or mate, should also be gathering information about both the green and the opposing players. The skip may already have some knowledge of the opposition, particularly if the teams have played against each other for several years. However, every game is different, and every green places different demands on both teams.
By the end of the first four ends—two played in each direction—the skip should have established the most effective strategy for the remainder of the game. By this stage, the skip should also have a good understanding of the opposition's strengths, weaknesses, and likely success rate when attempting different types of shots.
In an earlier blog on patience, a reader and fellow blogger, Clarke Siemon, who writes that he and his wife bowl out of the Vilamoura Lawn Bowls Club in Vilamoura and the Balerde Lawn Bowls Club in Almancil, Portugal, Clarke asked an excellent question.
"As a novice playing on teams with much more experienced bowlers, my number one complaint is that my teammates usually feel they can only get back into a game through their own extraordinary shots. Won't steady play and a gradual comeback sometimes cause the opponents to 'choke'? Trying for a big end and failing lets the other team relax and this can produce better bowls for them, n'est-ce pas?"
— Clarke Slemon, Greenbowler
A significant part of Clarke's question centres on the phrase "through their own extraordinary shots." This often reflects ego rather than good strategy. Team members should continually keep this tendency in check. It can be difficult to tell a skip or mate that an ambitious shot was motivated more by ego than by sound judgement, but honest discussion is necessary if the team is to improve together.
Even highly skilled players will miss difficult shots because every difficult shot carries a percentage of failure. Lawn bowls is fundamentally a draw game. A skip who cannot consistently draw, or deliberately overdraw when required, may need to reconsider the way they are directing their team.
Before attempting any difficult shot, calculate both the probability of success and the possible consequences of failure. Always ask yourself the "What if?" questions.
As the game progresses, most players actually improve their general performance. Both teams become more familiar with the line and speed of the green, provided the playing conditions remain reasonably constant. Rain, morning dew, or changing winds are obvious exceptions.
For this reason, experienced players generally do not expect either team to "choke." Instead, they expect both teams to improve as the game develops.
Many novice bowlers wonder why a skip or mate will sometimes attempt what appears to be a very difficult shot in an effort to score several points. The answer usually depends on one simple question:
Can they do it?
Jack Rolls — Can They Do It?
Although the lead and second should be reading the green throughout the game, they should also observe the deliveries of both skips. Watching your own skip and the opposing skip provides valuable information about whether a calculated gamble, such as a jack roll, is actually a high-percentage shot.
In fours, where the skip has only two bowls, a successful jack roll is generally more difficult than in pairs, where each player has four bowls. More bowls provide more opportunities to learn, adjust the delivery,
Certain "delivery tools" also improve the likelihood of successfully playing difficult shots. These are techniques that experienced players develop and keep in their personal toolbox for use when needed.
One example is walking the mat. Special mats, such as the Hensalite mat with alignment holes and markings, allow a bowler to adjust their stance by very small amounts. If a previous attempt missed the jack by only a few inches, the player may simply move their starting position slightly across the mat while maintaining the same line and delivery. These small adjustments can significantly improve the chances of success.
A Balanced Head — Can They Do It?
When the head is balanced, with each opposing bowl closely matched by one of your own, it becomes much harder to create a large scoring end simply by moving the jack.
Naturally, you cannot expect to have three or four bowls around the jack if you are also concentrating on matching every opposing bowl. However, if your team already has a comfortable lead and only a few ends remain, there is no need to chase large scores. Winning each remaining end by a single shot may be all that is required. Even conceding one or two shots over the closing ends may still result in winning the game.
Controlling the Opposition Skip — Can They Do It?
As the game approaches its final ends, the skip should have developed a clear understanding of the opposing skip's strengths and weaknesses.
If the opposition skip regularly plays accurate runners, do they always favour the forehand? Many skips do. If so, placing an effective block may greatly reduce their options. Even a block that is not perfect can sometimes be enough to interfere with the opponent's preferred line or create doubt in their mind.
A good skip should always be asking whether they are controlling the opposition's strongest attacking options.
Returning to Clarke's Question
"Won't steady play and a gradual comeback sometimes cause the opponents to choke?"
The answer is yes—but only under certain circumstances.
Steady play is extremely important, but it also requires each member of the team to improve steadily throughout the game. If the skip recognises that the team is actually losing ground rather than improving, and that the same weaknesses continue to appear, then the skip must look for opportunities to recover quickly. Those opportunities should be taken when the percentage of success justifies the risk.
For example, if the opposition has not balanced the head and has underestimated your skip's ability to play a jack roll, then your strategy may be to continue building the head while watching carefully for any dangerous imbalance.
If the head eventually depends on a single opposition bowl that is cutting the count, then a gentle overdraw to remove or move that bowl may produce a valuable multiple score. If the attempt misses, it may do very little damage. By comparison, a full runner that destroys all of your carefully built position is often a much poorer percentage option.
The success of the skip's decision should not always be judged by whether the spectacular shot succeeded. It should be judged by whether the team maintained control of the end and continued moving toward winning the game.
Does Failure Help the Opposition Relax?
Clarke also asked:
"Trying for a big end and failing lets the other team relax and this can produce better bowls for them."
This is an interesting observation.
Yes, a team that survives a dangerous situation may feel less pressure. However, the word relax can be misleading.
If relaxing means abandoning your normal pre-delivery routine, then performance may actually become worse rather than better. Relaxation should not mean becoming careless.
Good bowlers develop a consistent pre-delivery routine that prepares both the body and the mind. During the actual delivery, they relax enough to allow their trained movements to occur naturally. In that sense, relaxation is an important part of successful performance—but only after the proper routine has been completed.
The real question is therefore:
Does allowing the other team to "relax" actually improve their delivery?
Not necessarily. It depends on whether their relaxation allows them to trust their practiced routine, or whether it causes them to neglect it.
Comment Added – July 12, 2026 -
In one of my recent blogs, I described an interesting example involving a lead player who normally skips. Between games in a major tournament she had a few glasses of wine. The change in her level of relaxation altered the trigger point of her muscle memory during delivery.
When we perform a skill through muscle memory, there is a point where the subconscious takes over from the conscious mind. In that earlier article I compared the brain to a computer. In her case, the trigger point shifted back to the moment her foot stepped onto the mat.
As a result, every time she attempted to deliver the jack, her muscle memory automatically initiated her normal bowl delivery instead. The jack repeatedly followed the line of a bowl rather than a proper jack delivery and finished out of bounds—not once, but three consecutive times.
Being overly relaxed had effectively bypassed part of her normal pre-delivery routine. Her subconscious no longer recognised the difference between delivering the jack and delivering a bowl because the trigger point had shifted too early in the process.
This demonstrates that relaxation is valuable only when it supports good habits rather than replacing them.
P.S. Clarke's Greenbowler website contains nearly ten years of thoughtful articles and observations on lawn bowls. If you have not already visited it, it is well worth taking the time to explore
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