Walking The Mat Futurist ?

In the development of a skill in lawn bowls it is necessary to approach it from three directions.  First, understand the physical movement and muscle training necessary to perform that skill efficently each time.

Bowl in Perfect Block Position

Secondly, to know the variation or errors which are possible and the result of such variations or errors. (Learned in the three exercise of "Walking the Mat"). And, Third, making a decision on when to use this skill.

In the previous three blogs I explained the value of "Walking the Mat" and explained it physical movement and use, What to expect is shown in the exercises, which if your tried them you will now understand the limits in using it. But as a "Tool" in your "Tool Box" of  Lawn Bowls Tricks, you must look at the future and when you believe it would be wise to use it.  

Going Around Block not Good

No don't wait until you think it is wise to use it. Think of the various problems suggested in the previous blogs like a block or a difficult rise in the green, and decide if it is the tool to use.

 The dictionary defines a futurist as an writer or artist who projects the future. As a lawn bowler you can be a futurist in knowing the result of your bowl following "Walking the Mat".

Inside Block Does not Give Shot

But I believe you really want to be a Futurologist. ( a person whose occupation or specialty is the forecasting of future events, conditions, or developments.) in that you want it to be a specialty used just when necessary.

To understand the difference between being an artist at bowls with a tool and being a specialist in forcasting the events I would like to give an example of a  futurist who in 1949 wrote about what we know and live today 68 years later..

Moving far left on Mat Gives Shot

Television, although experimental in 1920 became available after the death of "George Orwell" who wrote a futurist novel "1984" about "Big Brother". and published it in 1949. After his death in 1950, the Television became a mayor social media in 1960 with it introduction of color.television, it became part of every household.. This was the Futurist.

  "In his novel he writes "The voice came from an oblong metal plaque  like a dulled mirror which formed part of the surface of the right-hand wall.... The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely."  Today's everyday life of most of us with our Flatscreen which are alway turned on but on a low volume.

In my earlier years, when I married, I began living in a "french community" and raising a french family. I had to think hard to listen to others and understand the french which I heard constantly except at home. Over time and with practice I developed the ability to not listen unless I wanted to hear. Otherwise, I was always translating what people was saying and very tired after a few hours.

 You as a lawn bowler using "Walking the Mat" must think hard when a decision is needed to use this skill. And if the information or decision is not needed you simply forgot about it. Thoughts like  "When I go left, the bowl shifts right". "Can I achieve the same with a different Delivery Line ?" ; should not be a part of your delivery.  It should be done on the practice green. These and many other thoughts which can not be part of your "Pre-Delivery Routine ",

Your Pre-Delivery Routine should be the how's to do the expected shot and not the decision of which method of delivery to use.  The "Post-Delivery Routine" which analysis the previous delivery and result and create the "Feedback" to be used in decision making is not the place either.

Walking Mat View

If you have developed the skill into a "Specialty" you have thought and even practice various aspects of the skill.  If the "Walking the Mat" is to be used against a "Center line" point and "Runner Block" (Photo above) it must be tried and developed.  To know how to do it and actually do it is the different between a skill and a specalty.

As a lawn bowler we want to take this tool of "Walking the Mat" and use it in such a way we can forcast the actual position of the bowls on the greens. Practice makes perfect and several tries will be done before you know and see the result.

Update June 13,2026. Game situration.. Down 6 points and with only 4 ends of play to go, I found my lead's bowls all heavy by 2 or 3 years and at 11 o"clock. The opponent had shot with us having 3 seconds. My first bowl of three (triples) was to play a jack roll or take-out as the shot bowl was a bowl size left of the jack. Weight would put my bowl with the lead's bowls if I was to miss the jack roll or the take-out.

All the right reasons to try this shot and being the first bowl played I felt what I would learn from the shot would be helpful if I had to draw for shot. Now as I write this I realize I am still working on knowing what is too big a step when walking the mat. I had always felt that the difference of the missed shot being the walking distance to move. My delivery is instinctive so there was no question which direction to walk the mat for the successful shot.

My bowl shot passed the jack by inches on the right (shot bowl was on the jack's left), With 2 seconds the takeout was giving 3 if I stayed; and a jack roll also would now give 2 or 3 shots with my missed bowl now with the lead's bowls at 11 o'clock. 

I decided to do step 2 shoe width left accepting the three bowls percentage. (my bowl could touching the jack on the right,(1 bowl) passing between bowl and jack,(a tight squeeze) and touching the shot bowl at 10 o'clock(third bowl size percentage). What was important was weight. only two bowl rolls would be enough to remove the shot bowl or if the jack roll it was enough to collect  a point or two. Because two Bowl roll is on the Bias's "Finsh" I had to play this shot as a "reposition jack draw".  That means "seeing a jack at 10:30 o'clock" and drawing to it. (the hardest walking the mat shot is when the "Bias Finish" is involved as most finish can be a bowl size change as it finishes. I perfer to Walk the mat where the Bias's Shoulder does the jack roll or contact with the shot bowl as the shoulder give only a half bowl size for it complete length of 2 meters.

This update show the thinking as I recall my game tonight.  I took two points as my bowl stayed with the jack and moved enough to count my first bowl played.  (end of update)

Mat Walking Exercises 3/3

As part of this months blogs on the Mat and its usaqge, I give these exercise on the Walking of the Mat" which was just explained in two previous blogs; "Walking the Mat What is it ?" and its followup of "Other uses of Walking the Mat".  

April 5th 2017 Stats

Both blogs were written this week and even though the lawn bowls season is finishing "Down Under" and just about to start in Our Northern clubs; it has received a good reader turnout. 

The two stats (screen captures) show how sometimes stats don't reflect the actual readership of the blogs.  In recent months  the Canadian and Americian news has been heavy about the Russian hacking. There is certainly a high volume of searching by Russian and I doubt if they are going to start lawn bowls soon. The stat (right)  is probably a Russian search because of a blog I wrote about Trump on Nov 9th 2016 about inviting the US president to your club.  The second stats show the actual blog readership stats without the influence of Russian searching.

April 6th 2017 Stats

What is interesting is the most popular blogs read.The two top reads are:  "Measure which Bowl is shot" of 2013 with 1820 reads and the use of the Subconscious mind in Lawn Bowls "Three Subconscious Mind Exercise" written in December 2012, with 1909  reads.  The other three blogs in these two stats are the two most recent blogs about "Walking the mat" and "other usages of Walking the Mat"  and the role of "Being a good Lead"  in the game. 

Now about these three Exercises for Walking the mat. First, It is important to know your ability to get around a block, if one should arrive in the front of your bowl to the head. The first exercise will attempt to instruct you as to your weakness when a block appears.

The second exercise for "Walking the Mat" will help you understand what happens to your bowl as you reposition to the left and right side of the mat. Without theknowledge of what feeet movement does to the new position of your  bowl in the head when you use the same line of delivery; it would be a  guess how your bowls will arrive in the head.

April 8th 2017 Stats.

The third exercise for "Walking the mat" is to develop a judgement of how much to walk the mat to reposition your bowls. Or if you move on the mat to improve your "receiving area" for your bowl what difference to expect in the arrival of your bowl. 

 Although the Australian Lawn Bowls season is coming to a close, I posted the stats (right) to show a new reader. The spike occurs when someone starts reading a blog on something like "Walking the mat" and continues to search throught the 130 blogs of the last 5 years for blogs of their interest.

If you have read a few of my blogs on the mind’s ability to collect experiences and apply them to our sport; you will know I treat a personal Skill development like teaching a child (your subconscious mind) to believe in something new. By teaching the subconscious mind of the facts and then with repeated actions, you allow it (the subconscious) to develop a confidence in how best to do what you expect in your delivery.

If we reconizes we all have a mental attitude toward a bowl in your path, we must know the different between a real block and what bowl is not a block. Often called a "In your Eye" Block these bowls usually are enough intimination to force you or your skip to switch your delivery hand.  As you develop your "tool" of doing a Mat movement,  you will develop a ability of pushing this block's mental fear out of your delivery.

Helping Setup the Green -  As you attempt to roll around a block, in your first exercise you will need an individual or helper  reset up the block bowl on its mark after each time you have moved it.  As a good way to defines  the location of a perfect block, I suggest that that individual  stop your rolling bowl to the jack at the point about 3 meters infront of the house. Putting a chalk mark on the green will allow to reposition that bowl after you have moved it. If you are attempting these exercises with a fellow lawn bowl player, you can each take turns in the head as you would in Pairs Play.

Exercise 1 On an open or empty green with only the jack spotted place a piece of white string or chalk marking) about 15 to 18  feet ( 3 Meters) in front of the jack. As the first bowl is delivered it is stopped as it passes the line and left there as a block. 

Place Bowl where it is perfect Block

The remaining three bowls are bowled in an attempt to go around that bowl (block)  If that block is hit the individual in the head will reposition that bowl.  

Perform this going up and coming back on the same side of the green.  Then when finished repeat the exercise with the opposite hand. The purpose of this exercise is to know your own abilities as you encounter a block and how you feel by the block and as you want to be able to bowl on both hands, Forehand and back hand; you will do four passes.  Two on one side, up and back, and then two on the other side, up and back.

Exercise 2 This exercise is to show you the effect and amount  that a small movement on the mat causes with your bowl in the head.

Two Steps left and One Right

This exercise is done the same as exercise 1 as you go up and back on the same side of the green and then repeat with the opposite hand of delivery.   If you are lucky (or maybe unlucky) you might find a bad defect or run in the green and understand how the mat movement helps you.

You  with simply, using the same line of delivery (reference position off the green or on the green) for all bowls, make a slow movement from your normal delivery position on the mat and “Walk” to the extreme edge of the mat  in one direction. Like Exercise 1, do one direction of movement on the mat for one block going and coming back.

Knowing your “Walking” results from your slowly re-position your mat foot one shoe size left (or right beginning) of your normal stance position and always attempting to  bowl a second bowl with the same weight and line of delivery. 

Going Around Inside does not get close

As you repeats this for the next bowl,  you will eventually find your “on-the-mat” foot is at the extreme  edge of the mat.  If your still have a bowl attempt movement in the opposite direction from the normal mat position. You may find quite a different in your finished bowls caused by that very small movement both left and right.

After your 4 ends (up and back twice) you should know the limits of your movement on the mat from your regular and normal delivery stance. As you are reading this, think.. "If you use the same line and move left on the mat, where do you think you bowl will go ?  right or left of the jack or block.

Exerice 3 Bowling around the Block – Now knowing what your movement does to your bowl try Place a bowl on the mark made by your helper in the first exercise as a perfect block  and try your mat movement to go around the block.. 

Can also move back 3 steps

Note your feelings as you stand on the mat and look up the green toward the jack.  This feeling is your mind has changed from the first exercise when the block was an intimidation and you had doubt that you can bowl around that bowl to the jack  This skill exercise has without knowing,  slowly remove this doubt and create confidence of your ability to bowl around the block.

. As you do this skill  several other times or on other days, you will educate your mind that you can bowl around the block and develop and feel your confidence.

  There is no good in  “Walking the Mat” if you have not the confidence that you can bowl around the bowl which is blocking your approach and know where your bowl should arrive in the head.

You will also make a decision wheather you rather go around the block from the outside and arrive behind the jack or cross over the front of the block and arrive in the front of the jack. 

Moving right allow draw to jack

I personally like the outside-the-block delivery (mat position to go around back of the bowl) rather than the Inside Block delivery. (across the front of the block)

Finish this exercise by removing the block and bowling 4 bowls to the jack from your normal position. 

You probably feel a sense of relief as your mind is more confortable when it bowls your normal delivery.

This state of mind, a feeling of confidence, is what you have began to develop. No you will not use the “walking the Mat” for blocks very often, but you have already started to tell your subconscious mind that you can do it and you feel that satification when it is done.

Other Walking the Mat Usage 2/3

Watching a game of bowls is more than what is seen as the bowl stops in the head. I have seen bowlers adjust their placement on the mat to get the best result for their bowls. This "Walking the Mat" allowed  the skip (last bowls) to be able to change from 1 point (draw point) to 5 as his bowl drew the jack back to waiting bowls.

Line of Delivery References

We don`t all take a line for the delivery, but if you do use a line; I must ask how accurate can you modify that line.  Using a distance point off the green, you certainly can't adjust your bowl by a few centimeters as you change the line object.  If using a "On The Green" point (in front of you) as your delivery line, you may find more accuracy by a small change but not a few centimeters.

So in conclusion, if you use a point of reference for taking your line, it should be just that. "A Point of Reference".  And if your bowl depends upon your pre-bowl delivery reference then you are also guessing at where your bowl will arrive in the head. I say `Pre-Bowl Delivery" because many players use their line of reference as a Feedback "Post Bowl" reference.  After having released the bowl a Post Bowl Reference is when you look at that point of reference to judge how good a delivery was made.The walking the mat can also be used in indoor bowls as with the blog "Walking the Mat" of the 2015 indoor bowls.

In an earlier Blog, I suggested that you stand at the mat and do four fast "relaxed" deliveries to find your natural distance.  If you did such an exercise and did not wait to see where your bowl stopped before doing the next delivery you will probably find that all four bowls would have been together on the green.  Probably touching or within  a few centimeters or inches (in Canada) but maybe not at the jack.

The ability to make very fine adjustments to your line, or point of reference does not give you a close change in bowl position at the head.  But if you use the "Walking the Mat" as the very fine adjustment you want, while keeping the same point of reference; you will be amazed by what you can do.   In the photo right we see a rain soak green which shows the high sports. Imagine if you were bowling left to right the ridge these high make.

Following are some of the applications which a bowler may find the use of his "Walking the Mat" technique will help with difficulties other than just making that fine adjustment suggested above.

We all have found that difficult green where we have noticed that our bowl has continued to follow a straight line rather than take it bias as we expected it to do. Somewhere, half ways up the green, when the bowl  should have been starting it bias swing or “Arc” (the small curve after the straight line of delivery) we are surprised by the lack of swing on the bowl.

 Often referred to as "a small run" or raise in the green,  you saw your bowl as it cross over  to the opposite side of that rise and then  remain on the opposite side as it attempts to come back over the top of the "rise". In the photo above, the collection of bowls is probably such a raise as weight (draw) is lost as the bowl fights with the return over the rise.

 Until NOW, there was nothing you could do but try again with the next bowl and watch as again it seems straight off bias.

  

NOW, your knowledge of “Walking the Mat” will keep your bowl from passing over the top of the rise as you move on the mat and keep the bowl below the top of that rise. If you have the opportunity to replay the end with the mat at the same location a solution is to "Place the mat forward" to prevent this Straight run. (Why not place it back a bit ??)However,  maybe the mat was placed by  the opponent to get you and your teammates caught on the “Run of Green” difficulty 
Knowing and using the  “Walking the Mat”  will be a useful “tool” in the  Bowls trick or “toolbox  of knowledge" .  Note, also that such a rise and you not going over the top (running straight) also has an "increase Bias" as it runs down the side of that rise.

Secondly, your knowing this trick of position of your feet on the mat  will  also increase your confidence. You have a decision to make in your "Pre-delivery Routine" where going around a blocks or avoiding a bad green rise has resulted in  a good draw to the jack.

This trick has also improved my delivery and appreciation of a game. If I am watching  a quality game of Bowls, and  detect a  players on the mat; who  actually know and uses  a “Walking”.  

Thirdly, as discussed in blog "Being a Lead Player", with a good lead, who knows the delivery styles of their teammates we find the mat placed in such a position that all players on the team can lay their bowls to the green and find a clean "Receiving area". 

The photo (right) shows what could be expected if the mat was placed at 2 meters from the ditch in the left-to=right direction. All players have a different method of delivery and if you, as lead,  know that your team mate is placing their bowl on the green at the center line then you should be careful to place the mat at such a location as they have  the center line with a good “Bowl Receiving Area”; as a bowl which falls into a debit just as it is placed to the green will certainly not finish where it is expected.  

On the second side of  this problem is that maybe the mat was placed by the opponents and you have a bad "receiving area"  of green where you plan to place your bowl,  Now your   “Walking the mat” ability may be need to give you a  better “Receiving area” for your bowl, and  avoid a bad section of the green. 

If the problem is caused by your lead, rather than always being required to do a  “Walking the mat” as part of your delivery routine;  talk to your lead about the mat placement. A good team will teach their lead  this aspect of bowls and have them always check the area in front of the mat. 

So, next time out at the practice green, build your knowledge of how and when to use the "Walking the Mat" as a  tool of delivery. Do the following blog exercise to learn how the bowl changes it location in the head as you "walk the mat".

  Like any tool, household, carpenter or Bowls, if it is not always needed then don`t use it.  It is something you decide in your Pre-Delivery routine as a helpful tool for a problem..  Not a part of your regular Delivery Routine.  However, you may find that to develop the most of "walking the Mat" you will want to use a different "Normal Feet Placement" as part of your Delivery Routine.

Next blog.  A drill or skill development to help with “Walking the Mat” and avoiding “Bowl Blocks”.

New Bowl Season Attitude

Unless you travel south (or north) of the equator for of-season bowls, your Bowl Season starts in the spring and finishes in late summer. An earlier blog "Catch up Bowls" showed a canadian bowler,  Clark, who each year goes to Portugal for his winter bowls

Vilamoura LBC  in Vilamoura

 Some of us are able to bowl all year because of the available indoor facilities. Others of us play a similar sport which keeps us physically fit. 

The Canadian sport, of Curling, which is Canadian  Lawn   Bowls on ice, has the all same delivery movement as a good Bowls Delivery.   However, the jack distance, or house rings, are always at the same distance (of a short jack of 21 meters). Myself, I play the French game of Petanque which is also different.

As the local clubs “Bowls” season’s opening date approaches, we began searching the net for articles or major competition of  Lawn Bowls.  Today, while searching for 

The scores of the 2017 Blind Bowls Championship in South Africa of which I am proud to say Daniel from our club will respresent Canada., I noticed a large readership of the blog "Preparing for the new season " which was a May 2016 blog of my experience in attempting to rebuild my old Lawn Bowls Club in New Brunswick and blogging about getting ready for the 2017 season.

There is a big difference from day to day stats as seen by the stats below, however I don`t think Russia is beginning to start Lawn Bowls; probably simple a heavy search.

The interest in the pre-season blog explains why  I decided on this blog which reflects on your attitude to the club and the sport as part of your preparation for the new season of Bowls.

 My years as a coach are passed but I have discovered that after the clubs' Coaching Clinics for new members, there is always a lack of support to bowlers interested in advancing to a level of competitions. For this reason, this year I will develop and promote a Friday night Skills Evening event.

However your activities in Lawn Bowls should always be more than a physical preparation; and I suggest you prepare a new attitude for the coming Lawn Bowls season.
 Always there are members who will only pay their club subscription fee and only be involved in the club activities. Maybe they feel that they have purchased the right to play as a member.That is ok.  We need membership fee and we must remember that not everyone will develop their skills to the level of local, provincial or national competition. These "Pay-to=Play" members eventually will become the social member whom we seem to only once or twice a year on the greens for a major  social activities.

Maybe during the off-season your club has had a get-to-gether activities for these “Players”.  But with the new Bowls season, as new members are welcome to the club; we  long time members should evaluate our involvement in both Lawn Bowls and our club’s development. 

Update Stats Next Day after Blog

 (Update March 30 ) As the new season begans, I wonder if I should continue blogging or slack off a bit. Yesterday, I did this blog and now today I see 22 readers from my twitter announcement.  Guess the blogs are appreciated.  

Each of these new members need a mentor and I remember my first year at the club and how Jim and Mo made me feel welcome.They sat on the clubhouse porch and chatted about the years past when they won medals after medals.  No, I am not suggesting to pull up a chair, but every year a club will  lose members and your attitude and support with all members may keep a member from leaving.

Why did a member or group of members leave the club?  Did they suggest at the end of last season some problems which lead to this decision.  This evaluation, your support to the club; should be a major thought  as we see the  lower registration numbers.  Talk to these  previous members and make a decision to try to fix that problem.

Lawn Bowls has never been of  a major public interest unless you live in one of the three major Lawn Bowls countries. (Australia, Great Britain and South Africa) where year-round televised games of Bowls, draw a large audiences from the couch to the green.

 However, your decision and planning in preparation for the new season should answer the question “What am I going to do to develop and secure the future of my club and sport of Lawn Bowls this year?”.

longest continuous game

"A man in outback Queensland has endured blistering sun and heavy rain to set the world record for the longest continuous game of lawn bowls. The question is how do you extend the time of play ??

Cloncurry Bowls Club manager Shayne Barwick started on Friday morning and played for 73 hours, rolling his final ball at 10:00am today in front of a cheering crowd of supporters."

A question arrives on the "continuous game" as to what game and what was the delay on the rolling of the bowls. With the rules allowing a game to be 18 ends and that if you burn the ends and then have to restart the end; I wanted to make some calculation of the possible facts.

I would suggest playing "Pairs" with a skip who can throw a very accurate runner as it would be necessary to burn the end and make the game to  last longer. I guess the opponents would also have to be pairs with a similar skip.

Why only Shayne broke the record ?  This would mean that the other players were replaced by as many other players as they could get to participate. I don't think there is a rule on how many substitution are allowed.

With a 10 minute break allowed for every four hours we have ( 72 hours / 4) 180 minutes or 3 hours from the actual game play is allowed as breaks. So game had to be over 69 hours of play. 

Delays  during the game  is defined  by Australian rules as "Players shall play their bowl without delay and when players are changing position as part of the play of an end this change of position shall occur without delay" Rule 55 Au.

Calculate how long it takes for the bowl roll and the time allowed for the greens speed. Fast greens in Australia are about 20 second (or less) and the longer the green (33 meters in the area) the  bowl roll does not change as one would need a faster roll to the jack, but still the bowl would stops after the 20 (or less) seconds..

How much can we push that game to a long game of play.  If we allowing 3 minutes between each bowl roll and in 18 ends of 16 bowls this means 864 minutes or 14.4 hours to play the game. Allow 3 hours for the breaks means 17.2 hours maximum time. We still need about 55 hours of  wasted play.  How many ends of play would have to be burnt to have the game advance to 72 hours.

We have calculated that 16 bowls in 3 minutes of play (20 seconds of rolling and 2.5 minutes between rolls) we have 48 minutes but must assume that the end was burned before the last bowl or on 13th or 14th bowl (average 40 minutes to play this slow end of play before being burnt) .  Now we are up to about 55 hours of wasted game play or 3300 minutes of play and require more than 80 ends of play to be burnt and restarted.  well some calculation of interest.

Guess some people had fun while earning money to raise  $20,000 for a verandah over the club's disability ramp.

Matbe the calculation is wrong but in any way you look ath this, it is quite a feat of promotion.