Rob Judson: Lawn Bowls Coaching

Coach Training & Appointment

In Australia, only about 10% of junior bowlers obtain post-beginner coaching, and the ratio for adult bowlers is appreciably less, particularly for males, so what factors influence bowlers in deciding whether coaching might be helpful?

• Appreciation of the potential of coaching in sport.
• Perceptions of coaching as beginner instruction or as an ongoing training service.
• Amount and quality of bowlers’ past coaching.
• Whether bowlers’ goals involve moving from the relative comfort of present challenges and demands.
• Peer attitudes, etc.

What perceptions influence bowlers in evaluating the ability of a club coach?

• Bowling ability, knowledge and experience.
• Demeanour as a bowler.
• Experience and reputation as a coach.
• Age and gender.
• Personal qualities and coaching style.
• Organizing skill and dedication.
• Success of clients, etc.

What conditions influence demand for coaching services?

• Self perceptions of bowler’s own ability and experience.
• Amount of time involved, and whether there are prospects of ‘quick fixes’ or ’short cuts’.
• Rate of progress likely to be achieved.
• Amount of any fee payable for services received.
• Amount and perceived complexity of any theory or prerequisite knowledge to reinforce practical skill improvement.
• Willingness to accommodate any changes needed to achieve skill improvement.
• Personal health and fitness, etc.

How does a bowler become a coach?

Even allowing for regional differences, the procedure typically requires a candidate to submit a written application. Typically the training body is also both examining body and coach registration agency. An important preliminary process is the self-validation of one’s suitability for the role. Playing experience is a useful attribute. Equally useful are any teaching and administrative experience. So also are innate curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. Fluent social skills are even more important. The reputation and recognition of a coach derives less from possession of a coach badge than from effective practical coaching in the longer term.

Is first aid training a qualification for becoming a bowls coach?

First aid training is not a prerequisite in Australia, but it is a requirement in some other countries. Any coach has a continual and legal duty of care, and in some circumstances that care demands providing first aid for an injured client. Coaches who lack the skill should ensure that a ‘first-aider’ is handy for treating any client promptly should the need arise.

What factors, perceived or real, affect a bowler’s decision whether to undergo a coach training course?

• The best bowlers are already qualified for appointment as coaches?
• The best bowlers make the best coaches?
• Teaching is talking, and thus an articulate bowler is a good presenter?
• Teaching, planning, organising, controlling and evaluating functions in coaching are minor and are ‘common sense’ more than learnable skills?
• Other than delivery technique, few bowling attributes can be taught and can be learned only by experience?
• Basic bowl delivery technique and a few simple rules of thumb are an adequate knowledge base for a bowls coach?
• Concepts of physiology, training and conditioning, practice principles, biomechanics, psychology, athlete development, etc, in the absence of bowling-specific examples, have little application to lawn bowling?
• Cost involved.
• Time and effort involved.
• Level of past education attained and duration of intervening time.
• Shortcomings of correspondence-based modules compared with attendance-based alternatives, viz:
  • Candidate’s possible lack of fluency in literacy skills.
  • Possible belief that material seeks more a compliant than an educational outcome.
  • Lack of reference material.
  • Lack of tutorials.
  • Lack of question and answer sessions.
  • Lack of use of alternative distance learning methods.
• Degree of interest in climbing the next rung of the coaching ladder.

What factors influence whether a fee for coaching services rendered is reasonable?

• Free coaching would encourage perceptions that free coaching has little or no value because it is free?
• Coaching is offered as part of an initiative in which a reasonable inference is that it is free?
• The coach is employed and remunerated for providing coaching services?
• The coach is regarded as having the expertise to justify the fee payable?
• Clients expect that fees would apply and are willing to pay fees for service?
• The coach necessarily incurs charges for hiring coaching facilities?
• The coach necessarily incurs out of pocket expenses in coaching?
• A fee for coaching applies in other sports available in the neighbourhood?

What are the pros and cons of a regional or district coaching program for bowler groups presented by coaches drawn from clubs, compared with coaching of individual bowlers, by a club coach?

Typical advantages:

• The profile of the coaching function as means of promoting and developing lawn bowling is enhanced and recognised.
• Leading district coaches are probably lead presenters, and better assure quality of coaching effort.
• Presenters are role models for less experienced coaches, who assist presenters as they develop their own coaching expertise.
• Clients recognise presenters more for their ability as coaches than as performers.
• Better teaching aids may be available.
• Friendly competitiveness induces clients to do their best.
• Assisting coaches acquire practical skills that they can take back to their clubs.

Typical disadvantages:

• A comprehensive program may not be warranted for bowlers with purely recreational objectives.
• Delays until the next group is enrolled.
• Extra time and cost of travelling.
• A modest fee for service may be unavoidable.
• Less individualization in some sessions of the program.
• Limited time available to help clients overcome any intractable problems.
• Insufficient continuing support and encouragement.

Do any bowls coach associations exist, and what services do they provide?

There has been an active association in the state of Victoria since the mid-1990s. An equivalent association incorporated in Queensland about the same time may no longer be active. Both associations have e-mail boxes but neither has yet established a web page. Both associations have conducted attendance-based development sessions for member coaches in the past, and have published newsletters. Neither association has received recurrent funding other than modest membership fees. The association in Queensland probably had difficulty in creating a presence in the non-urban areas of that geographically extensive state.

The Coaching Process

What is the role of a bowls coach?

Whereas coaches in many sports are typically retired performers who foster and encourage younger competitors to achieve performing excellence and success, their counterparts in lawn bowls are typically players who instruct novices of all ages in the basics of the game. There is scope for the coaching of more-experienced bowlers and a few coaches specialise in that role.

How can a coach get involved in helping club bowlers?

Design, publicise, and invite applications for an attractive activity, viz: videotaping and review of technique, tactical shots workshop, measured accuracy testing, etc. Even if a coach eventually attracts just one applicant, the club coaching process is under way. Typically, other bowlers begin to show curiosity and interest. Instances where coaches Intrude on bowlers with offers of ‘fixing their problems’ or ‘telling them what they are doing wrong’ are known, but fortunately that deplorable practice is rare.

How should players with disabilities be coached?

• Demonstrate at each stage what the client should try to accomplish.
• Collaborate on and adapt a process or technique whereby each objective might be achieved.
• Monitor the well-being of clients to ensure that neither performance demands nor environmental conditions cause distress.

Where can I get videos on lawn bowling?

There is no known international supplier of videos about either bowls competitions or bowls coaching. Therefore, any videos available will vary from country to country. Some countries have a public library system through which not only books, but also videos, CDs and DVDs are available on loan. At each library desk, there is usually a computer-produced catalogue of titles available. Some countries telecast lawn bowls tournaments on both pay-TV and ‘free-to-air’ TV, allowing enthusiasts videotape their own copies of the telecasts for personal use. Some countries publish bowls magazines in which any videos available for sale would be advertised. The distribution of any available videos about bowls coaching is more likely to be controlled by a regional lawn bowling association to which enquiries should be directed.

What methods suit coaching of junior bowlers?

• Plan to advance well beyond bowl delivery mechanics. Plan in terms of the two T’s (Technique, Tactics) and the three P’s (Psychological, Physical & Practice).
• Videotape bowlers’ technique.
  • Encourage them to do most of their own videotape analysis.
  • Give informative and valid replies to any questions.
  • If they don’t have questions, throw in one or two yourself.
• Get bowlers thinking about their everyday tactics
  • Does the quest for the gentle resting toucher produce too many short bowls?
  • Does the quest for shots inside the head produce too many narrow bowls when lying shot?
  • Encourage them to understand and talk about their usual tactics.
• Lack of concentration (distraction) is a prevalent weakness.
  • Bowlers should avoid allowing other players, spectators, etc to distract them.
  • They should not dwell on bad shots.
  • The next shot is the one that immediately needs full concentration.
  • The focus should always be on line and length.
  • The score line is irrelevant.
  • Accurate bowling, end after end, makes the task for the opposition uphill all the way.
  • However, juniors are unlikely to improve their concentrating skill until they are encouraged to develop awareness of the sort of things that distract them.
• Lack of arousal/anxiety control is also a prevalent weakness
  • Excess arousal often presents as a tendency to drive when that is not the percentage shot.
  • Anxiety is often a symptom of a loss of concentration that results in an unexpected adverse score line against a lower-ranked opponent.
  • Encourage bowlers to talk about such issues.
  • Find out what makes them tick.
  • More importantly, encourage them to explore their own feelings, and discover what makes themselves tick.
• Particularly in summer, bowlers should regularly exercise in the pre-comp period & get proper rest. They should avoid headache and other discomfort by adequate fluid intake during games.
• Bowlers would benefit from some testing practice play in tournament teams and formats
  • Practice should focus on known weaknesses with the object of converting them to strengths.
  • Games are not so much won by maximising good shots as by minimising bad shots.
  • Bowlers should know their weaknesses, and plan their practice tasks accordingly.
• Work with them at least until the end of competition.
  • That alone should produce a lift in their performances.
  • They are likely to feel that an ‘important other’ is taking an interest in them and in their bowling.
  • They are likely to respond to that.
• Be flexible in approach.
  • A sound sequence of activities may naturally follow a different pathway to a program as initially planned.
  • That shouldn’t matter, so long as all the skills agreed upon as being important receive proper attention at some stage.
  • A regularly maintained log or diary of plans and activities could assist future planning.

Choice of Bowls

What type and size of bowl should I use?

Many bowls shops and bowls coaches have bowl size indicator cards, which provide approximate guides. The ideal bowl size is typically the largest that one can hold securely with the hand inverted. The grip should remain secure while the hand naturally inverts near the end of the back swing, and the start of the forward swing. If the bowl is too large, there is a tendency for an awkward, forward-cocking of the wrist to occur. The ’shovelled’ palm and fingers then prevent the bowl from launching prematurely. For that reason, a bowl that is smaller than ideal is better than one too large.

Bowl manufacturers know that bowlers continually seek bowls that they believe have the smallest amount of bias. Each manufacturer has a bowl model with reduced ‘hook’ at the end of its run, but then they must also factor in greater path-curvature elsewhere in the bowl’s run. Otherwise, the model in question would fail factory table testing against the master bowl. The ‘narrow draw’ models of each manufacturer have enough bias to pass table testing even after a period of wear, but not by a margin that would be a disadvantage either in performance or in competitive marketing. (Bowls in use may also be subject to random testing. Bowls Australia’s random bowl testing policy is available for downloading from its web site www.bowlsaustralia.com.au by navigating to About Bowls Australia > Policies > Random Bowl Testing).

The minimum allowable bias of bowls was reduced by controlling bodies in 1987. Bowlers prefer using bowls with the legal minimum of bias. They minimise the angle between the aiming point and the objective position so that when sighting along the aiming line, a line to the objective would be nearer the centre of the field of vision, making the aiming task visually easier to accommodate. Any factors that cannot be visually accommodated then rely on visualization, short term memory, and neuro-muscular awareness.

The heavier the bowl, the more inertia it has to resist deflection by wind. However, no bowl can weigh more than 1.59 kg. The weights of most bowl models are within a 6% range. So, bowlers may not notice any differences in performances of bowls of different weights in windy conditions.

Choices of bowl colour, model, and brand are not critical for progressing through the learning phase of bowling, and are likely to remain satisfactory as bowlers progress well beyond that level of skill.

Where can I get ‘road test’ reports on different bowls?

So far, no consumers association in any country appears to have conducted tests of modern bowls. Perhaps national markets for sets of lawn bowls are too small in comparison with those of other consumer products. The different bowl manufacturers publish brochures with diagrams of characteristic paths for each model, but their diagrams are not usually to scale, and different brochures may use different scales. Thus comparisons relying on brochures between different brands and models are unlikely to provide reliable conclusions.

Do wooden bowls have any special monetary or other value?

Moulded plastic has been used for bowl manufacture since about 1930, so wooden bowls are likely to be more than 75 years old. A close-up digital photo of the set in good light attached to an emailed request for information that describes any engravings and that is addressed to a national association or manufacturer may elicit more information. There are comparatively few collections of bowls memorabilia around, so demand is limited. Unless a set has proven association with any noteworthy player, it may have no premium above its value as an old set of second-hand bowls.

Delivery Technique

Is it essential to align the feet in the direction of aim?

The delivery of a bowl in an intuitively natural way towards the aiming point is typically easiest if bowlers set themselves up with the feet, delivery arm, etc aligned with the aiming line and the shoulder line, hip line, etc aligned at right angles to it. With their feet aligned accordingly, bowlers commonly find it easiest to make the forward step accurately towards the aiming point. The feet, legs, etc typically provide reinforcing neuro-muscular awareness or ‘feel’ that reinforces hand and eye coordination and helps maintain the accuracy of line.

A few bowlers find the suggested alignments cause discomfort or instability during the delivery movement. In such cases they can modify their set-up posture accordingly. However, even If the toes point inward or outward, the forward step should still follow the aiming line. Also, the movement must ‘feel’ right and be consistent for every delivery.

It is the delivery arm’s line of motion that is crucial. If that arm swings on the right line and the bowl launches at the right speed, it will settle as close to the jack as the trueness of the playing surface will allow.

Where should a bowler stand on the mat for driving?

At the normal delivery position, unless a slight shift provides a clearer run between obstructions in the head.

Why is a bowl sometimes difficult to grip securely?

Either sweaty hands in summer, or stiff, cold fingers in winter can make a bowl difficult to grip. Wipe moisture beads off the bowl with a dry cloth. Resin-based pastes can be lightly applied to each bowl and to the fingers of the delivery hand to improve ‘grip’.

Can you suggest why some bowlers tend to deliver narrow on the forehand, and wide on the backhand?

Bowlers may cause narrow forehands and wide backhands by:

• Starting delivery with the bowl elevated across the front of the body, inside the shoulder line.
• Angling the arm backward and outward past the hip to a position to the rear and well wide of the body.
• Angling the arm forward and inward to a position in front of the body again.

Bowlers may also cause this problem if they mistrust the bias of their bowls and try to ’steer’ their bowls, instead of allowing the bias to do all the work The ’steering’ action creates a different and awkward mechanical action.

The presence of either of these problems can be detected by practice deliveries towards a large mirror. The only difference between forehand and backhand deliveries should be the bowl grip; bias left or right.. Relative to the rink centre line, feet and body face a line angled a few degrees left or right of centre depending on the chosen hand of play, but the delivery action and timing should be identical.

What causes a bowl to wobble, or ’stand up’?

Wobble results if a bowl makes contact with the playing surface:

• Leaning inward.
• Leaning outward.
• Skewed left.
• Skewed right.

Any of these four bowl release conditions have an identical effect, which is clearly visible in side-on videocam footage shot at close range with a high shutter speed.

• Unintentional wobbling may be corrected by diagnosing its cause, and practicing corrected technique until it becomes instinctive.
• Deliberate wobbling is sometimes described as making the bowl ’stand up’, but achieving reliable consistency with this technique is not easy. While wobbling persists, it partly negates the effect of bias, causing the bowl to follow a straighter path than normal. There are no circumstances in which a bowl can run with a sustained ‘outward’ lean, i.e. with the spinning axis of its biased side tilted above the horizontal.

What causes a bowl to bounce, and how can the problem be corrected?

Bouncing is caused by releasing bowls too high, or releasing them at an angle to the horizontal. The elasticity of the playing surface produces the bounce following the impact of the bowl. Bowls released horizontally about an inch above the rink surface will not bounce. A high (or ‘dumped’) release is typically the result of:

• Too short a step and insufficient bending of the front knee.
• Too high a back knee placement and insufficient lowering of the trunk and shoulders.

The optimal launching position of a bowl is where:

• the rotating delivery arm passes the vertical.
• the hand is nearest the playing surface and is briefly moving horizontally.

The bowl may launch late after the hand has passed through the optimal point and the hand is ascending. The effect is typically produced when bowlers sense that they need to extend their swing to develop sufficient bowl launch speed. In the opposite case, the bowl launches early before the hand has reached the optimal point and the hand is descending. Bowlers may sense that propulsion of a heavy bowl the length of a rink requires an element of explosive or throwing power. The effect typically presents as a rapid muscular ‘flick’ and a partly downward launching of the bowl. It may be absent in ‘normal’ draw shot deliveries, but apparent during driving deliveries.

A side-on shot of the delivery action with the aid of a videocam greatly helps in diagnosing the problem. Possible causes include:

• Insufficient back swing,
• Mistiming of limb movements,
• Back knee insufficiently lowered,
• Shoulders insufficiently lowered,
• Elbow of bowling arm unnecessarily bending,
• Front foot misplacement causing instability, etc

Some bowlers could self-correct a fault quickly and decisively, but others may need the help of a coach. If necessary, consider reducing the practice head distance to between 5 and 8 metres, initially. Allow the client to get the feel of a smooth, gentle action at that distance. Increase the practice head distance only a few metres at a time. In that way, the client intuitively generates the additional momentum required without deviating from the same smooth action. Eventually a smooth action for deliveries the full length of heavy rinks should result. Practice of that modification needs automating through practice, for which a jack is unnecessary.

What is the cause of wrist rotation during bowl delivery?

Inward rotation of the palm may be a natural consequence of swinging of the arm, as in walking. If it occurs:

• After release of the bowl, it is unimportant.
• Before release, it can unpredictably change delivery line and/or cause bowl wobble and requires correction.

Correction involves extending the arm’s follow-through along the delivery line so that the open palm faces skyward for a second or two before any recovery from the delivery movement begins. That improvement requires practice until it becomes automatic.

What does the term "About 90% of body weight should be over the front foot as the bowl is delivered" mean?

To simplify an example, imagine a bowler weighs 100 kg. Imagine that the mat is actually a platform scale. As the bowler stands on the ‘mat’, the scale reads 100kg. Now imagine that the bowler begins a delivery and steps forward, not onto the rink surface, but onto the platform of another scale. At the moment of bowl release, the original scale reading should drop from 100 kg to 10 kg, and the front scale should advance from 0 kg to 90 kg. If the bowler weighed 50 kg, the weight distribution should be about 45 kg (front) and 5 kg (back). The back foot should bear only sufficient weight to help steady the delivery posture.

The significance of the term and the example is that insufficient advance of body weight is a common problem that can cause leg discomfort, inconsistent delivery speed and postural instability, any of which can lead to inaccurate performance.

How may bowlers with leg disabilities vary technique so that they can deliver bowls without discomfort?

In common with many other athletic movements, the delivery of a bowl consists of ‘before’ (preparation), ‘during’ (execution), and ‘after’ (follow-through) phases. Through each phase, bowlers should feel in control, balanced, comfortable, and effective. Those with arthritis or other leg disabilities might do well to consider last things first. At the end of the movement, they should have their delivery arm extended forward, shoulders level, non-bowling forearm positioned near the corresponding knee, and body weight substantially over the front foot. Next, they position their back knee as close to the back of the ankle of the front foot as they comfortably can. Then they juggle the back foot into a position where it contributes to stability, is comfortable and is not creating a foot fault. They then have a fairly good delivery posture.

Next, they execute a ‘delivery in reverse’ so that they finish in an upright position. They should let the back foot help as much as possible, and allow it to pivot (within the confines of the mat) to avoid any awkwardness or discomfort, if it wants to. They should try to appreciate what movements their back foot makes, and at what angle it naturally finishes the reverse movement. They now have the ‘before’ posture or stance. All they need now is to reverse the modified movement once again so that they perform it throughout the preparation, execution and follow-through phases.

Judgment of Line & Length

Where should a bowler look when delivering a bowl?

A few relatively experienced bowlers actually focus their attention on the jack or equivalent objective when they deliver a bowl. They subconsciously integrate the pace of the green and the bias of their bowls and adopt a good delivery line without thinking much about it or looking in that direction. An equivalent technique (in a vertical plane) is commonly used in darts, archery, rifle shooting, etc. It is difficult to master, but the method has the advantage that it is unaffected by the location of the mat.

Most lawn bowlers consciously judge the pace of the green and expect that their bowls will turn a particular amount under those conditions. From the mat, they seek a landmark on or beyond the bank that corresponds with the angle that they expect their bowl to turn. The landmark provides an aiming line. Alternatively, they visualise an aiming line extending forward from visible features of the mat. They generally maintain the orientation of their delivery movement either by sense of sight, or neuro-muscular ‘feel’, correspondingly. Visually impaired bowlers orient themselves by feeling the mat, and may use a helper near the estimated delivery line to provide direction with audible prompts.

They then conceptualise a point along that imaginary line that will remain comfortably in view as they execute their delivery movement. That is the aiming point on which attention should be focused during the delivery. If the object of the delivery is attacking a target in the head, the method is virtually the same. The bowler begins by identifying a notional finishing point were the bowl’s line of travel through the target position unobstructed. The bowler then judges the green’s pace and the bowl’s turn and proceeds as already described.

How far along the aiming line should the aiming point be?

An aiming point located ‘jack high’ provides both distance and direction. Another advantage of aiming points adjacent to the head is that fine adjustment, particularly of aiming line, is usually easier than adjustment of aiming points nearer the mat. A disadvantage is that unless the back knee moves to a low position, the arching of the neck needed to keep the aiming point in view produces discomfort. Some bowlers vary the aiming point distance in proportion to the head distance as a means of appropriately regulating their delivery speed. Some bowlers prefer to visualise an aiming point sufficiently close to the mat that their bowl not only runs towards it, but over it. To date, no particular method has proved superior to any other.

Why is a tendency to bowl narrow so common?

A narrow delivery is really one where the delivery angle is not sufficient for the bias of the bowls in use. When bowlers switch to newer bowls, they may imagine that the newer bowls have an appreciably narrower line when that is not the case. Some bowlers indulge in much trial and error before they correct this problem. Another cause of narrow deliveries is that some bowlers feel worse about deliveries that finish wide compared with deliveries that cross the head and finish narrow. In both cases, they err on the side of being too narrow.

How can a bowler minimise difficulty when playing in windy conditions?

Even novices quickly learn that wind affects the run of their bowls. Wind constantly and randomly changes in velocity and direction. The stronger the wind, the greater is the scattering of bowls in the head. The weights, sizes and types of bowls are of little consequence. Irrespective of bowl characteristics, the wind will have its way. The randomness of wind means that bowlers are generally unable to perform as well in windy conditions as in calm conditions. No bowler can do better than guess the effect on a bowl in motion during the quarter-minute it is exposed to the wind.

Nevertheless, some bowlers perform relatively better than their colleagues in windy conditions. They have learned to conceptualise the average effect of the wind. They estimate the yardage likely to be gained or lost according to the component of wind along the rink. They estimate the drift likely to occur due to the sideways component of wind. They then adjust their notional finishing point and change their delivery aiming parameters accordingly. Some of their estimates will be wrong. But even estimated adjustments well below 100% accurate, are a better alternative than trying to ‘beat’ the wind, indulging in wishful thinking, or pretending that no adjustment is necessary.

Bowlers should consider playing the narrower hand, if there is one. This minimises the angle between the aiming point and the objective position so that when sighting along the aiming line, a line to the objective would be nearer the centre of the field of vision, making the aiming task visually easier to accommodate. Any factors that cannot be visually accommodated then rely on visualization, short term memory, and neuro-muscular awareness.

Of at least equal importance is bowlers’ mental approach to competition in windy conditions. Bowlers who then perform relatively better are those likely to have a rational approach to their task free of any anxiety about the wind factor. The wind might be causing brutal dispersion of heads, but bowlers whose delivery routine follows the same pattern of visualisation of the shot, and delivery preparation, set-up, and movement rhythm are more likely to be successful on the day. Bowlers who allow the wind to ‘get to them’ are likely to begin the day with a frown, and to end it in despondency.

When bowlers who use a bowling arm select their aiming point, should they take account of the ‘geometry’ of delivering outside of the hip line?

If the bowler is able to advance either foot before or during delivery, aiming technique could be similar to that of an able-bodied bowler. However players obliged to deliver with feet together, or outside whichever is the front foot, thereby place their bowl delivery line wide of their sighting line.

Bowling arm users who deliver outside both feet, and are comfortable with an aiming point at, say, 50% of the head distance, could shift their aiming point sideways in the corresponding direction by 50% of the release point’s offset from the body centreline. If the offset is, say, 14 cm then the half-way shift in aiming point would need to be about 7 cm sideways of ‘normal’. The altered aiming point for forehands becomes ‘wider’, and for backhands becomes ‘narrower’. The adjusted delivery line of bowling-arm users would converge on the corresponding delivery line of able-bodied bowlers so that they would intersect at the destination.

As a bowler gains experience, mastering the effects of bias and of surface friction that cause bowls to turn and to slow down at different rates on greens of different pace becomes an intuitive skill. The process of acquiring aiming skill is similar for all bowlers, including those with a disability. It might well be that some experienced users of bowling arms are aware that bowls seem to have ‘different bias’ according to the hand of play. However they may not give that difference any conscious attention. It is only one of several factors that they intuitively integrate into the process of selecting their ‘line and length’.

Why is a tendency to bowl short so common?

A common cause of continual short bowls is a desire to deliver the delicate ‘resting toucher’. The trouble is that many bowlers get too delicate, and bowl after bowl finishes short. Instead, bowlers should try to reach a position 0.3-0.5M behind the jack. This is not achieved by consciously changing the mechanics of the delivery movement, possibly with feelings of distracting anxiety. Adjustment should be a mental task. Having identified the required finishing spot, bowlers should visualise the retarding effect of the green, and ‘feel’ the arm movement needed for their bowl to run the distance. In other words, they get their marginal extra ‘weight’ by thinking about it. Their limbs should automatically or subconsciously respond by subtle changes in the delivery movement.

Player Temperament

How can a leader master the skills of other team places without sacrificing any draw shot touch?

Essentially, by mastering and practising the extra shots that the repertoire of each position. Most tasks are simply draw shots in disguise. Like any draw shot, they resolve into line and length combinations. When a team is not lying shot, the skip sometimes requires an attack on an opposing bowl at rest by a fast bowl along an indicated pathway with enough momentum to reach a notional point beyond. Most tactical situations resolve into less than a dozen well-documented patterns, which typically have different names in different countries or regions. The bowler at the mat should visualize the situation, and resolve it into a draw shot requirement with the line and length needed to reach the notional objective. One way of obtaining match practice for not only mastered skills, but also new skills is playing 2×2x2×2 pairs games.

What is a good way of selecting and defining competition goals?

Goals give motivation a focus. The main thing is to set a course that you feel comfortable about following in the longer term, and that will get you where you want to go. The first step is to get a calendar that covers the competition period and pencil in the events in which you would like to participate. Translate those entries into your competition goals. Work backwards from there and define a few check points that will enable you to monitor your progress from time to time. From there it is mainly a matter of personal effort directed at the definite goals.

Why might bowlers tend to regard their ability as higher than it really is?

Such a tendency is more likely among mature-age bowlers than among juniors. There is an understandable tendency for social bowlers in particular to participate within a personal ‘comfort zone’. Motivated and progressive role models are scarce, and few participators seem to be willing to ‘push the envelope’. Their objectives lack challenge and, therefore, are easily accomplished.

What is etiquette in lawn bowls?

There is no documented international code of etiquette in lawn bowling. About a century ago, Australian bowls historian J.P.Munro wrote an essay about etiquette for lawn bowlers in this young commonwealth of former colonies of the British Empire. Understandably, the work reflects the mores, niceties and decorum of Edwardian society, and some of its tenets now seem quaintly dated. There is no known updated code that better reflects polite behaviour in today’s multicultural society. Perhaps the emergence of the sport and recreation industry and the growth of professionalism within it, diminish the relevance of etiquette. However, the essential behavioural attributes identified by Munro, viz: honesty, fairness, consideration, etc, seem as relevant today as they ever were.

Is a motivational address by a psychologist or sport champion a useful pre-competition strategy?

‘Pep talks’ are generally intended to energise competitors, and appeal to their loyalty to the organization they represent. They can create a number of problems. They tend to follow a predicable pattern, and competitors of mature age are less influenced by them. Competitors may already be optimally aroused before any pep talk. Although mentally tough, competitive bowling is not a heroic sport requiring maximal speed, power, strength, etc and ‘heady’ over-arousal may result. They are no substitute for adequate preparation and coaching.

How can their coaches best support bowlers on competition day?

• By providing information about the venue and likely competition conditions that could be useful, if not essential.
• By circulating among the bowlers and talking with them individually or in small groups according to their perceived needs. A coach’s role may include rapid switching between explaining, sympathising, encouraging, reassuring, joking, etc. Needs vary according to whether individuals seem underaroused or anxious, alert or distracted, etc. Coaches tend to earn greater respect by operating at the level of the individual.

How are lapses in concentration best avoided?

Bowlers sometimes allow their concentration to be distracted by the desired outcome. The delivery may then begin off line, or be too fast or too slow. They should avoid allowing anticipation of the prospective outcome to excite or concern them while preparing for a delivery. They should also avoid distraction by any supporters at a competition venue. A calm and focused mind is important for every competitor.

What causes an inexperienced bowler to sacrifice a good early lead in a competition?

Nervousness before and during competition is a natural experience and can be beneficial to performance. However bowlers should avoid overexcitement - particularly if they establish a lead. Many stories about seasoned competitors who trailed something like 10-24, and went on to win 25-24 are typically true. Bowlers should also avoid worry -particularly if their opponents establish large leads. They should play their games a bowl at a time, and concentrate on good line and length and smooth release. That is the only way they’ll increase the pressure on your opponent. They should avoid pressuring themselves by worrying about scores and prospective outcomes.

How can a coach help a bowler whose improvement has tapered off and who shows concern about it?

A coach needs information from the bowler. Body language will provide much of the information needed. Observation will indicate:

• How mentally composed the bowler is while preparing for delivery.
• How carefully the bowler judges line and required release speed.
• Where vision is focused as bowl delivery occurs.
• What facial expressions ensue as the bowl approaches its destination.
• What trains of thought are indicated by expressions made or questions asked, etc.

However, body language alone may not produce enough information. A coach typically needs to elicit more; particularly as to what is, or what was running through the bowler’s mind at critical moments in performances. Only when confident that adequate information is available, is it practicable to begin solving a problem and evaluating remedial options.

When a bowler’s mental approach is involved in performance analysis, a coach should be watchful for a ‘chicken and egg’ syndrome. A bowler’s concerns may be the CAUSE of loss of form (e.g. feelings of tension once on the mat are causing delivery inaccuracy). Conversely, the concerns may be the RESULT of loss of form (e.g. unsuitable aiming methods are causing inaccuracy, allowing concerns to develop). In either case, a spiralling process might exist, making separation of causes and effects more complicated.

Strategy & Tactics

What is the method of developing a game plan?

Game planning is a process for organized achievement of defined competition goals. Competition goals are usually expressions of successful outcomes. However, a good game plan should be rooted in the art of the possible. It cannot convey a means of controlling factors that are inherently uncontrollable. In bowls, as in virtually all sports, the best athlete or the best team normally, but not always, wins. An organised approach can give a team an edge, but not necessarily a decisive edge. Thus, a game plan is virtually a tactical approach to a particular contest. Sound tactical approaches to competition that would apply generally should be so well practised and ingrained that there should be no need to include them in the plan. These approaches would include such factors as:

• Persisting with winning lengths of end.
• Rolling the jack to accurate lengths.
• Avoiding short bowling.
• Inspecting the head whenever doubtful about its lie.
• Avoiding unreasonable risks.
• Having bowls in the nucleus of the head.
• Avoiding distractions.
• Managing excitement or adversity.
• Aupporting and encouraging team mates, etc.

However, opponents tend to have their own modus operandi. Advance knowledge of this should result in adopting tactical approaches or a game plan that best counters an advantage the opponent might have expected.

What are the basic tactics of successful skips?

It is hardly possible to define a potted version of strategy and tactics, with which everyone would agree. However, most seasoned bowlers would probably agree with some of the following ten suggestions:

• In competition, there are no absolutely reliable measures to prevent the stronger team from winning.
• There are no ’short cuts’ or ‘quick fixes’ that offset any lack of skill.
• There is no substitute for experience.
• An effective tactical plan might be:
  • ‘To secure the greatest possible advantage of shot numbers through low-risk tactics or, failing that, to secure the least possible shot disadvantage’. (That approach applies to the delivery of every bowl in every end of the match, whatever its possible or probable outcome. It implies a quality of performance that sustains pressure on opponents right to the last bowl of the game).
• The option of drawing to add or save usually combines lowest risk and highest prospect of success.
• Avoid aggressive shots when they are unnecessary or risky. (Some young players let the excitement or spectacle of fast deliveries cloud their judgment).
• In attack, look for least risk and most prospects of success.
• The team with shots against it should avoid short bowling.
• Head building is an ‘action and response’ process in which the weaker team should seek scoring opportunities without leaving themselves vulnerable elsewhere.
• Planning ahead is generally dictated by the stronger team, but their opponents can use every opportunity to disturb their rhythm by changes in mat and jack positioning, tempo of play, etc.

Practice Suggestions

What is a good all-round practice regime?

There isn’t one. Generic practice regimes that take no account of the importance and priority of individual needs may be valueless. Bowlers should reflect on their recent competitive performances.

• What went well?
• What needs more work?
• Where must performance improve?

When I draw a resting toucher with my first delivery, why can’t I ever repeat the result with my second delivery?

When I draw a resting toucher with my first delivery, why can’t I ever repeat the result with my second delivery?

There would be few bowlers who could draw a second resting toucher with 100% assurance. However, the outcome is typically less affected by any thrill from success with first delivery or any nervousness about prospects of repeating it, than by the ‘law of averages’ (of bowling accuracy).

Bowlers can establish a reasonably up-to-date benchmark of personal draw shot accuracy. This simply requires a number of bowl deliveries (forehands and backhands, jack at various distances), measurement and recording of each error, and calculating an average error, which is an accuracy benchmark to better through practice, until a subsequent test produces an updated benchmark.

The experience of competition provides many useful lessons on the road to the top, but is unhelpful for improving accuracy. Game playing provides experience of performing in a more distracting environment, but allows bowlers fewer than a couple of dozen deliveries per hour. For efficient accuracy practice, they should be busier than that, and need greater control over their task-setting. They should:

• Correct any flaws in their delivery action.
• Ensure that their bowls suit them; and then avoid replacing them.
• Be circumspect about any ‘quick fixes’ or short cuts that come to attention.
• Consider improving their accuracy (and consistency) with the help of a coach and/or a like-minded buddy.

How can pressure be applied to practice sessions?

Increasing task difficulty is one obvious method of applying pressure. However if coaches make practice tasks unnecessarily difficult, they may be viewing the objective through a fault-centred or ego-involved prism. Practice is usually enhanced by making tasks as game-like as possible. Sometimes competition pressure can be simulated beneficially. At other times better practice outcomes can require deliberate departures from competitive conditions. Practice evaluation criteria should always be defined beforehand. In accuracy practice, for example, bowls that settle one metre short, long or wide rightly have the same value. In tactical practice, a bowl that settles one metre long is of more value than bowls the same distance wide or short.

How can a bowler become a top leader?

Draw shot accuracy, reinforced by some competition experience is developed by practice under all conditions; viz:

• Jacks that are:
  • Long
  • Short
  • Centred
  • Sidelined
  • Hidden, and
  • Ditched
• Different approaches:
  • forehand
  • backhand
  • blocked
• Greens that are:
  • Fast
  • Slow
  • Hot and sunny
  • Cold and cloudy
  • Windy (parallel and across)
  • Even and uneven, etc.

After bowlers master the hard draw shots, the easy ones are a cinch.

For self-selected games, leaders should focus on playing in that position in fours and in 2-bowl triples. Although singles is a 4-bowl game, it is also good exercise for leads, and success can attract the awareness of selectors. They should play four-bowl pairs for variety and fun, and when no lead opportunities are otherwise available. For club or regional selected games, they should try to secure any lead positions that are unfilled.

Accuracy improvement should be checked from time to time by averaging the measured and recorded errors for a set sequence of draw shots. Exchange of accuracy test results among all bowlers currently engaged in improvement programs tends to do more good than harm. Openness tends to provide a context to individual achievement. On balance, it seems to stimulate aspirations more than to discourage effort.

Average error should usually be consistently less than 1 metre to justify regional selection, but before reaching that stage some good competition performances may already have come to the attention of selectors. Most selectors are approachable, and it does no harm for bowlers to enquire how close they appear to be to the standard that selectors seek.

Are details of a plywood bowling ramp for indoor practice available?

The following image below shows such a ramp