FAQs

FAQs to ecoachbowls

Questions:
Aiming line; Pushing bowls; Left handers! ; Narrow backhand drives;
How can improve my back hand, always weaker and tends to cut across
KPI's ; Gripped versus non gripped; Improving my game; ABTs;
Walking stick ; Pennants Statistics; What is the best grip for bowling?
How can I play well on slow greens? ; Should the Coach be a selector?
What are the five most important things in playing good bowls?
What can you do if you are playing poorly? ;

Aiming line
Q. Dear Robert,

I am a new bowler and have had about 15 games. I spoke recently to Steve Glasson when he played in Coffs
Harbour as to how he adjusted his line for his shots. He said he did it with his feet. I have been using the mat as a
protractor and have also tried using a mark on the bank to get my line. I have had mixed success as I find it difficult
to focus on a point on the far bank. I seem to have more of a problem with my forehand. I would appreciate any
advice you could give me that would help with a more consistent delivery. Thank you.

A. Hello Bob
Thanks for your message. I will try and help you with some answers

Getting the aiming line right is the first thing to do. It is something that you should be getting right ~80% of deliveries
and needs to become automatic so you can work on more difficult parts of the delivery such as weight control.

AS far as adjusting your line , you can only do that when you have a method that works so you have a point of
reference to work from. This for me is by far the easiest using a mark or object on the bank. Then draw an imaginary
line from your toes to that point and bowl down that line, look about 2/3 along the line but keep everything parallel to
that aiming line and you will rarely miss it.

If you are poor on the forehand that will be because you are moving the arm off line , stepping off the line and having
to compensate the movement. Balance is important here and getting down as low as possible.

Using the mat is not reliable as a small error in the angle will mean a long way off line at the bank. Place an object or
cloth to bowl over on the green, place it quite a few metres from the mat and you will rarely miss that. The trouble is
you cant do that in a game so you need the reference point to work from. All these things will help with a more
consistent delivery. Of course you need to work on your delivery swing, release, grip etc and practice that, preferably
on your own, for 30-45 minutes 2 or 3 times a week.

good luck and keep in touch
Thank you. Robert

QUESTION: Pushing bowls
I am new to lawn green bowls ,i find i am really having to push my bowls to reach a long jack and it tends to go to far
is there any help for this can u help?

Answer Hi Alan
yes plenty of things to do to add weight and momentum. It is harder to take a bit off and get some fine control but
short bowls are bad!!!! What sort of conditions and greens are you playing on? I'm sure if you were on a synthetic
green >16 seconds you would not have this problem.

WEIGHT CONTROL TECHNIQUE TIPS
Delivery speed - All of the technique variations will influence your weight control. The delivery speed (velocity) of the
bowl will determine the distance it will travel. Increase the delivery speed and the bowl will travel further, decrease the
delivery speed and the bowl will travel less distance.
Elevation method. Elevating the bowl higher in front of you will assist in getting as bigger pendulum swing and
therefore increase weight. The coordinated swing and step will mean additional force applied to the bowl.
Stance - Try a more upright stance to get more power. The increased body movement will add extra weight. By
adopting a lower stance better weight control on shorter ends or faster greens will be achievable.
Delivery step - A longer step will mean increased body movement and forward momentum. This will, in most cases
add weight. A shorter step will allow a shorter smooth delivery that will help with weight control on short ends and fast
greens.
Finger Tip Control–Basically the bigger the backswing the more momentum will be transferred to the bowl from the
pendulum swing and the bowl will travel faster. A small, slow backswing will allow great control for short ends and fast
greens.
Finger tip control - This is the most important but least understood parts of weight control. More relevant to fast
greens I.e. >14 seconds.. Just prior to release the finger tips allow the bowl to run smoothly onto the green. At this
point it is possible to add additional weight by flexing the fingers that will increase the rotation of the bowl and
therefore add distance. This is how you develop feel and touch in your delivery.
regards rob

Question: Left handers!
Hi Robert,
I have just begun lawn bowling and am totally besotted with it! I am fortunate that my wife has also taken up the
sport, so we can practice together and enjoy another aspect of our life as a twosome.
I am finding that as a novice, there is obviously so much to learn! So many people telling us so many things and
trying to absorb it all, at times, can be very confusing and frustrating.
I have been told that I have a good natural style, but being left handed, I need to reverse everything I am advised.
Do you know of a book that has specifically been printed for left handed bowlers?
I have recently joined a local club (Princes Park, which is reasonably close to where I live), but as it is the off
season, getting to bowl on a regular basis, as well as working my standard 50-60 hours per week, becomes a little
difficult. Maybe I should re iterate that my wife is perhaps keen, but not as keen as I am!!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Kindest regards, neil

Answer Hello Neil
There is no book for left handers and there is no difference in technique or the way to play the game other than
mirroring any advice for right handers to suit you. Smooth and slow is the key to a good delivery with minimal body
movements, that is, not too much vertical motion or big steps etc.
If the bowl does not wobble at all the grip and delivery so good but no dropping the bowl more than 1 cm at delivery.
hope you find the web site useful and try some of the practice sheets.
regards rob

Question: Narrow backhand drives
> Hi Robert,
> Just wondering if you could give me a few suggestions on why
> I always play narrow drives. this only happens on my backhand. The
> forehand drive or running shot is no problem but I have no confidence in
> my backhand running shots as they always swing across. My forehand is
> nearly straight up the line. Thank you for any tips.
> Ian

Answer Hello Ian,
just answered the same question!!!! This I would say is the most common problem for bowlers,, so you are not alone.
you are probably realising the bowl too close to the centre line and on a narrow line right from the start. place your
right foot close to the left hand edge and step on a parallel line to your aiming spot.. check you don't step a little
narrow and towards the jack as it is then very hard not to be narrow.

practice backhand drives as often s possible. set up a target with a jack and 2 bowls and hit that >50% of the time. I
too find them harder than F/H and had some success by not driving as faston the back hand than the f/h. ie allow for
some swing.

let me know how it goes. regards rob , hope that helps

Question : How can improve my back hand, always weaker and tends to cut across ?
Hello Robert ,
I would like to improve my game of lawn bowls using on line coaching i have been bowling 2.5yrs i am 65yrs
young 135kg 185cm tall, i suffer bad from arthritis i have had one knee totally replaced ( left )at this point in time,
taugh myself to play i have read ian purcell book for beginners this year an i refer to it all the time i practice once a
week and play each week when possible and i play lead most times, this year i played lead to win the candelo
triple club championship. Previously i was a cyclist for 30 yrs and athletics for 15yrs, what level would you advise
that i start i would like to improve my game if you think it is possible.

Answer
this I would say is the most common problem for bowlers,, so you are not alone. practice backhand only for
30-40minutes and keep adjusting until you do not cross the line
regards rob, hope that helps

Question: KPI's
Hi, Do you have any examples of a range of suitable KPI's which would serve as a basis of pre-match
discussion/negotiation between a development squad level player and their coach?
I would imagine something like:
- % first bowl effectiveness
- % effective drives/run shots
- % of draw bowls within one mat length
etc Cheers Vince

Answer
HI Vince, nice to hear fro you. What part of NZ are you from i was over their in August in the south island for a
holiday.
You are definitely on the right track about measuring some KPIs, particularly for motivated players such as in a
squad. Average club players find it threatening in my experience which is disappointing but..I have attached a files
that has some of the things you are looking for and you can use it or develop something similar.

let me know how you progress. I am reviewing a skills teat that is very good and putting that on the website soon and
encouraging coaches, players and clubs to use it as a bench mark and I would send back an analysis etc.

regards rob

Question: Gripped versus non gripped
Hi Robert,

First off, thanks for a great web site. I've learnt heaps and I'm sure I'll learn more.

Answer
Dear Frank

You are on the right track going up to size 4 that will be better and a very common size. I think the redline in QLD
would be good but I was in QLD and bought some henslite evo recently and think they are great with a gentle curve all
the way. so borrow a set and compare them.

Question: Grassing The Bowl
Hi Mr. Huddle,

My name is Michael. I am studying for Level 1 coaching qualifications. One of the points to address is the
"grassing" of the bowl. It looks at the consequence of letting go of the bowl before and after the desired release
position. I am assuming that letting go to early will result in a "dumping" with a resulting loss of weight and control of
line. Letting go after I assume would result in lobbing of the bowl with a similar loss in control over line and
probable weight. I would appreciate it if you could confirm or correct my understanding.

Thanks, Michael

Answer
Hi Michael
good to hear you are doing your level 1.
The important thing here is the outcome i.e. is the bowl delivered smoothly and on its running surface, no wobble, or
bounce etc.
Yes what you have said I would agree with. certainly many players drop the bowl, even just a small amount. but if it is
more than an 1/2 " then there is a problem that needs some work. bouncing will definitely take weight off and an
irregular pathway as well because it needs to settle on its running surface before it will take its designed path.

Question: Improving my game
Good evening,
I play at a club where there is not any coach. Both I and my wife want to improve our games. We have been
playing for 5 years but please bear in mind it is only a small country club. While there are some good players, they
are really not qualified to coach any one. Sure they will past on their experience, however we both believe there is
more to the game than that.
Please advise how we should join your online coaching. It looks to be what we are looking for. Cost of program
also. Really looking forward to your reply! Are you Australian based?
Yours in bowling
Bevan & Phyllis

Answer
Nice to hear from you.
If you want to continue that sort of assistance then I will send you a level from the 10 level skill development program
to complete each week/or two to return for analysis. the cost for that is $15 per person. After completion of the
beginner level module (3 levels) you complete a skill test then move onto the next level (experienced level) and so on.
You can deposit the payments into a bank account number I will give you or send a chq to cover the each module we
will follow. Of course you can stop whoever you want.
regards Robert
-----
Question: RE ABTs
Hi Robert,

Hope you are well, out of interest,in the last BOWLS NSW magazine, on the inside of cover, Henselite advertised
their new ABT-EVO bowl, the line is in between the narrow Impact, and the Dreamline that I currently use, I
mentioned this as I was aware that you use the older ABT size 5 your quote below.

The greens I currently play on at the Blacktown RSL Diggers, probably runs between 12-14, and the dreamlines
cope well, the even banana draw suits my vision of line taking, having said that, from what I have seen in the
Henselite adds, there is very little difference between the Dreamline and the ABT that you are using? mine are
slightly straighter at the finish. but I must say that whilst I am most likely to stick with my Dreamlines, I must confess
that I am curious as to how the new ABT EVO will handle.

Answer
Hello Mark

The interesting thing about my Taylor bowls is that they are Size 6 and medium weight, so they are the same weight
as my ABT 5 heavy. they feel good and perform well on most surfaces. If it is windy they can run too far on the draw
and this is difficult but usually manageable, i.e. play the other hand or take more grass!!

Question: Walking stick

I have a weakened left leg because of childhood polio. Every second or third bowl I lose my balance , making me
tip to one side or the other. I have started experimenting with a walking stick for balance, similar to Kelvin Kirkow. It
really seems to help,. I can stay down on shots, hence my accuracy seems to be improving, plus I do not lose my
balance at all.

Regards, Peter

Answer
peter,
definitely use this aid to improve your balance. This will increase your performance and decrease poor or wasted
bowls. as bowls is percentage game where small things all add up towards the end this will help enormously.
let me know how you progress

Question: Pennants Statistics

Robert,

Thanks for answering my question a about narrow and wide hand which I sent to you recently. I am a beginner
bowler and I will be involved with pennants this year as a player in the low grade. I am also interested in assisting
our club coach with some statistics for each of our 5 pennant teams. I can have access to our scorecards for each
of the 15 games played each week. As you know the scorecards have the names of players, final scores, ends
won etc. Do you have any experience in analysing such things or any suggestions about what may be relevant for
assessing players or team results. I found that last year after a few rounds of pennants the only information that was
recorded at club level was the position of each team in the competition on a weekly basis and no record was kept
of each seperate fours sides performance on a weekly basis as far as I know.

I would be pleased to hear from you if you have any suggestions, I will be keeping the stats in excel format

Answer

Hello Andy,

I like to keep track of each players effort by dividing the result of each weeks result for the team they were in by 4
and keeping a progressive total eg a 10 shot win would give each player 2.5 for that week for that Division. 4 shot loss
would = -1 each etc.

Credit of 5 points for a win is added to reflect the importance of getting over the line even by only 1 shot. 2.5 points for
a draw. A 2 shot win would mean each player gets .5 plus 5=5.5 points for that week.

Better data is the position of the team after the lead and second have played. this can be record on the card by the
second. so they may be holding 2 shots (+2) after the seconds play and end up -1 shot, this will give a good indication
of the front end of the four performance and the ability of the third and skip to work together to convert or add. In this
eg the lead and 2nd get +2 for the end and the 3rd and skip get -3 shots for the end.

i would like to see some results if you do the analysis

Q. What are the five most important things in playing good bowls?
A. 1) Balance 2) Smooth delivery 3)Weight control 4) Patience and discipline, 5) Consistent draw shot

Q. What is the best grip for bowling?
A. The grip on he bowl is not as important as it has been made out to be. What I mean by that is there are a variety
of different grips used by some of the best bowlers in the world. Not all use the fingers togeather classic grip but
achieve a high standard of play. A grip should allow the bowl to be delivered smoothly, on the running surface with
little or no wobble. A relaxed grip will allow the bowler to deliver with les stress and this is a great help. So, try a few
different grips and see which works. It is not uncommon for a player to have two grips, one for good conditions and
one for wet, cold conditions.

Q. How can I play well on slow greens?
A. See the Coaching article on TIPS ON SLOW GREENS. You will need to practice on slow greens prior to any event
likely to be played on a slow green. You should consider changing to a set of bowls that give maximum turn. An
almost unbeatable Game Plan on slow greens is to win the long ends with your draw shot and attack the short ends if
they are played.

Q. Should the Coach be a selector?
A. Can you imagine any A.F.L. Football Club Coach not being involved in the selection of the Team? It seems to be
commonsense that the person in the Club who knows the abilities and progress of the pennant players should have a
say in the selection of the teams. The coach should be able to advise which position a player can play and at what
level. If a player has performed poorly then it is important that the coach plays an active role in improving the players
delivery and confidence. The coach is then in a good position to assist the selectors to make a judgment .
Assessment cards are a useful guide but reliance on them alone will result in many errors in selection. Rather than
dropping a player why not direct that player to have extra practice with the Club Coach as a remedial action instead of
a destabilizing reaction?
The coach as a selector can also act as incentive for players to practice properly with some guidance. A set practice
schedule can be provided each week, with standards to achieve in practice before heading home.

Q. What can you do if you are playing poorly?
A. If you are having trouble during a game and are behind on the scoreboard there are many things worth trying to
turn a game around. This will depend on what factor/s you think have contributed to the current situation.

Is it because the opposition is playing very well? If so then expect that this will not last the whole game and you will
get a chance to turn the game around.
Is it because you have some sort of technique problem? If so then quickly assess the basics of your delivery. Check
your stance, step, grip, follow through.
Is it because they have been lucky? If so this will change and the game will turn.
Is it because of the conditions or playing the wrong hand? If so make a change, you have little to risk in doing that.
Try short ends, try the wide hand.