A collection of tips, drills and advice from the “Reading the Head” course.
Exercise to understand Leading – Five mat cross.
Excellent drill for Leads. Discussion about wide woods, short woods and long woods. Use mat distances to discuss about you as a player and your ‘skips’ expectations. Also where a bowls resting place is useful or dangerous to you as a bowler/team.
This exercise is simply about drawing. The consistency of weight delivery that allows you NOT to waste a wood (not wasting a wood as a singles bowler or a lead in a pair, triple or rink.
Mid distance exercise may be easier to start with as this is the ‘norm’ that most people practice and play. Move the exercise on to minimum and maximum jack distances. What changes?
Finally practice what you need to improve, not what you are already comfortable with. This will be different for different players; jack length, forehand, backhand.
Use scorecard to record success.
Perception tips on the mat
Playing the best % shot on the CORRECT hand
Reading a Head (simple 3 wood head)
Introduce the simplicity of ‘Reading the Head’ = ‘Selecting the correct shot to play’
There’s two parts to success:- firstly you need the knowledge to select the right shot to play AND secondly you need the ability to execute that shot.
Set a 3 bowl head (example below). Set at the 27m mark (usual distance). Explain/indicate which bowls are ‘with’ and which bowls are ‘against’. Then give a scenario such as “It’s the last end and you are level in the match, but you are now two down in the head. You have one wood left. What are you going to do?”
The main point of the exercise is around discussion of the head and get the players to do ALL the talking and try not to ‘lead’ the conversation. Open questions IF the players aren’t engaging or are getting stuck.
Although the exercise is about discussion, at some point it is good to bowl and see if the players can pick a shot and execute it.
Tips :- Things that you are hoping that are raised in conversion. As you are blue and two down, are you going to play a BH shot or a FH shot? What sort of shot are you going to play and why? (a draw? a weighted shot?) Where are the dangers in each shot? What is the difficulty/likelihood of success? Get them to think about what is stopping the shot they want to/could play (i.e. front bowl is on their draw line (or is it? 45degrees).
Have you considered the ‘best % age shot? (that might be the same as difficulty/likelihood) but see if they talk about ‘best % age’. Have a go and then get them to PLAY the discussed shot. If people want to play their own shot, then get them to talk through why they have selected it and let them play it.
Even in the exact same head you can now alter the scenario “Last end. You are one down in the match and you are two down currently”. They will leap in and try and get 2 shots to win … BUT … see if they consider the same shot as before, to ‘draw for shot’ to tie the match (league scenario) or draw shot and back yourself to win an ‘extra end’ in a competition.
Then discuss. If you are going for two shots then “How are you going to get those two shots?”. Don’t lead, see if anyone mentions trailing the jack (if so ask them how? What line? What weight?
What if the head was like this ….?
Moving one bowl changes the head and changes the discussion. See if anyone suggests a weighted shot to remove the red woods (very difficult/very low % age shot because …?).
Do you now have the option of a different shot? (the drive? BUT try not to lead the discussion towards the ‘drive’ shot). When they have it in their thoughts as an option. Go through the discussion about % ages, what hand should it be played on (FH/BH)? What are the dangers? What are the chances of success? Hopefully they will arrive at the conclusion that it’s a low % age shot because their bowl has to stay in the head to count for two. The drive is relatively easy to play as the target is ‘big’ BUT the problem is you have no real control over where your wood ends up (you’re chancing to luck). Both shots are difficult to execute. Commit to one and play it.
Springing a Jack
Demonstrate the springing of a Jack can be done regardless of hand IF the Jack and Bowl are touching. Bigger the gap the more influence bowling the correct hand has because you’re no longer transferring momentum in the ‘same’ direction (to the ‘same’ extent).
- Skill in noticing the shot is on
- Dangers of any contact moves the jack (good/bad)
- Weight of contact is crucial (even minimal, moves the jack a long way)
- Critically assessing the angle of movement
- Know the difference when there’s a gap (not actually touching).
Weight Control (and why it’s so difficult)
The Jack is 28m from the mat and on PPBC green this is a medium length ‘end’. The circumference of a Drakes Pride size 3 bowl is 389.5mm (15.3 inches).
So every complete revolution, short or long, moves your bowl 15.3 inches away from the jack. So, a front toucher is 72 revolutions (or 100%)
One revolution 15.3” (1ft 3.3”). So, 15.3” short is 71 revolutions (or 98.6%)
Two revolutions 30.6” (2ft 6.6”). So, 30.6” short is 70 revolutions (or 97.2%)
Three revolutions 45.9” (3ft 9.9”). So, 45.9” short is 69 revolutions (or 95.8%)
Four revolutions 61.2” (5ft 1.2”). So, 61.2” short is 68 revolutions (or 94.4%)
IN OTHER WORDS IT’S REALLY DIFFICULT. More importantly if you’re skipping – DO NOT MOAN! (no one is deliberately bowling short or heavy when they a trying to draw to the jack).
General communication when Skipping or playing 2
- Be positive and ‘be kind’ (it’s just a game !!!)
- Don’t overly communicate. Know when to say nothing. Know when to use a simple hand signal.
- Know the ability of your team and know their woods (encourage them to be adventurous but don’t ask them to play an impossible shot, because ultimately they will fail to execute the impossible and they’ll get demoralised).
- Chat and encourage when you switch over.