All posts by Dave Rockhold

New Bowlers

There’s a signal for that!

One of the nice things about lawn bowling is the peaceful nature of the game! None of that incessant clatter of bowling pins and balls being launched.

Ann is asking that I move the jack 6-8" toward the center line.
Ann is asking that I move the jack 6-8″ toward the center line.

Ideally, much of the necessary communication between the skip and his/her team, can (should?) be handled with easy to see hand signals. The most common signals are exchanged during the centering of the jack when the lead stands on the mat and shows the skip which direction and how much to move the jack to get it on the centerline. Hands apart, above the shoulders, both held on the side of the body the jack should move indicate the direction and magnitude of the move. Hands apart, move it further; hands closer together, move it a little. Then, when it’s right, the well-known field goal signal.

Reporting the score is another thing best handled with hand signals. The lead or vice-skip reports the points to the skip on the other end of the green as follows: If your team scored 3 points, use your right hand to pat your left shoulder 3 times; If you team lost those 3 points, slap your thigh3 times slowly. In both cases, move slowly and try to be sure the skip is watching.

There are many more useful hand signals – seek them out. Use them whenever possible instead of hollering back and forth. If you really need to talk, the person in possession of the mat can visit to the head to see the situation.

 

Club Members, New Bowlers

Improving your delivery

The ‘perfect’ delivery may be a bit elusive, but let’s try to describe one. The bowler has taken the mat, examined the situation in the “head” [where the jack is], decided to bowl forehand or backhand, and has visualized the outcome. While all that was going on, s/he has recalled surface irregularities and whatever other conditions might have changed since the last bowl was delivered.

So, what constitutes a good delivery, aside from one that gets the bowl to the right place? Like most sports, the magic comes when the bowler can reproduce the delivery the same way each and every time. The pendulum-like back swing is controlled and smooth. The grip is firm and the bowl is properly aligned in the hand. Reproducibility is the magic word!

In the cartoon below, consider the two release points [at the circles that represent bowls]. In the upper release, the bowl is released at some elevation above the surface. The higher the release, the more energy is wasted by impacting the surface – THUMP. This undesirable habit is called “dumping” and is hard to reproduce time after time.

In the lower line, the bowl is released at the bottom of the arc, quite close to the grass surface. Little or no energy is lost to the collision of bowl and surface. Properly done, it’s almost silent.

Dumping graphic

Here’s an actual delivery by Jim Corr that shows his refined form.

Jim Corr delivering a bowl

So, to improve your delivery, practice bending your knee to get down closer to the green. Use your “other” hand to stabilize your stance by placing it on the knee you step forward with [the left one for a right-handed bowler], and release the bowl just above the surface. SWOOSH, not THUMP. And, of course, PRACTICE often, and THIMK 😉

 

Club Members, New Bowlers

Get a grip!

We all need a better grasp of the basics of our game. One of the first things you’ll do as a new student will be to find a bowl that fits your hand. The coaches will ask you to hold a bowl using only the thumb and middle finger of both hands around the large circumference. If your finger tips just meet comfortably, that’s the right size.

P1080177

Side view – a consistent grip aids delivery.

P1080176

Front view – Note vertical position of the bowl.

Sometimes a coach will give you a slightly smaller bowl as a beginner to enable a stable grip. How you hold the bowl will affect the way the bowl rolls once it’s released. In the photographs above, you can see one way to hold to bowl to maximize consistency. As you develop your skills, you’ll want to make simple things like the grip as automatic and stable as you possibly can.

 

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Welcome to the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club

GO OUT AND PLAY!
FREE LESSONS SUNDAY, 10 UNTIL NOON.

VOTED BEST RETRO SPORTS ACTIVITY BY READERS OF EAST BAY EXPRESS

Check it out!

We provide the equipment; all you need is flat bottom shoes. Give us a call at 510-841-2174 or drop us an email at:  berkeleylawnbowling@gmail.com.

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Outdoor bowling on a bowling green is a classic sport that goes back hundreds of years and continues today in Berkeley. The retro sport we love is modern day fun out in the fresh air. Walt Disney was an avid lawn bowler.

Please, stop by and check out the action be it lessons or just to watch on Wednesday or Friday afternoon. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Draw games for members and guests are normally held on Wednesday and Friday. Please arrive or call by 10:45. Games begin at 11:00. Spontaneous draw games, practice sessions, and special sessions have become quite common.

If you are interested in having your own special event at our facility, please contact us or drop by during one of the draw games. Our facilities can accommodate around 50 people for receptions, meetings, or team building events. We can provide bowling instruction or simply a rental venue with cooking facilities.

Map and Directions

Check out our tongue-in-cheek video for a quick look at lawn bowling Curling (without the ice) Check the links page for even more information.

BLBC is a proud member of PIMD (Pacific Intermountain Division) of Bowls USA.

 

 

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Club Members, New Bowlers

Teamwork and stress – Tips for Skips

Winning or losing; having fun or wasting time…

Neuroscientists have shown again and again that positive feedback produces better performance in team efforts. The competitive hormones are all flowing by virtue of the fact that it’s ‘game on’. Negative feedback has the undesirable effect of creating unnecessary tension. It also tenses the very muscles that need to be relaxed to fully utilize the muscle memory we try so hard to develop.

So, the next time your lead is short, take a tip from neuroscience and send some love. It might even help you – the skip – deliver the bowl you need to save the end.

 

Club Members, Special Events

President’s Newsletter for March

A few of the items discussed during the February board meeting were:

1. There is a new mowing schedule. Jose will be mowing the green Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:30 to 4:00. Please do not arrange games which interferes with this schedule.

2. Cathy has completed the 2014 club roster and it is available for pickup at the club. Please review your contact data for accuracy and advise Cathy if there are any errors.

3. The March birthday party is scheduled for the last Sunday in March.  Update: due to greens maintenance , the birthday party scheduled for March has been postponed until April 27th. There are four celebrants: Howard Mackey, Dave McMullen, Bob Schwartz and Des Simpson. The club will provide coffee and dessert. Bring your own lunch at noon to be followed immediately by bowling.

4. The board will put on one of the back tables duplicate and excess books on lawn bowling from our library. They will be left out for a short while available for free to any member who wishes to add them to their personal library. The remainder will be donated to a third party.

5. We will have a booth at the September Solano Stroll in an effort to increase membership. Although this does not happen until September 14th we will need volunteers to man the booth. Do not be surprised if you are approached to volunteer your time for this worthy endeavor.

6. On the subject of volunteering the club functions much better if all the members participate in volunteering their time to the degree possible. Again do not be surprised if a board member respectfully asks that you consider doing some project for the good of the club.

7. Opening day at Rossmoor is this Saturday, the 15th. Be sure and consult the calender in the clubhouse Cathy has prepared so you do not miss any upcoming tournements.

 

Club Members, Special Events

Opening Day 2014

The folks at Rossmoor Lawn Bowling club are hosting this year’s opening day event. They are in the process of growing a brand new green, so the action will be limited to 16 rinks on 2 greens. Thank you Rossmoor – yours truly is looking forward to the event on Saturday, March 15.

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Saturday & Sunday bowling, verticutting

Nice crowd this morning under the dreary sky (dreary because it could not come up with any real rain). Coach Francis hosted five students while six members tried to hone their skills for the upcoming winter league. The green was verticut again on Friday and it was rolling nicely with better draws and a nicer finish. Thanks again San Francisco LBC!

Tomorrow, January 12, is the first open lesson from 10 to 12 on Sunday morning. Here’s hoping for another good turnout.

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Annual Meeting and Holiday Party December 15th

Your executive Board invites and urges you to attend these events. This is the one time all year when the membership can get together to discuss the state of the club, its future – and then celebrate the holidays. The meeting starts at 10:30 AM with the party (potluck lunch) to follow at noon. I do hope that as many of you as possible will attend the meeting, for reasons outlined below. If you can’t do that but can come for the party, that is fine. Please do come! That is also discussed below.

MEMBERSHIP MEETING: On the agenda are the state of club – finances, building rentals, the physical plant (green and buildings), 2013 tournament reports, election of 2014 officers, revival of the intra-club Ladder competition, and a proposed dues increase. As mentioned here last month, The Pacific InterMountain Division (PIMD) and Bowls USA are increasing dues. Our proposed increase would cover that cost to the club ($20 per member). On the other hand, it is proposed that student members who are over 18 pay one-half the full rate. Currently the one-half rate applies only up to age 18. Parenthetically, we are growing – 16 more members this year than last year. We need to continue this growth to be self-sustaining.

CHRISTMAS PARTY: The potluck format has proven very successful so we are going to do it again. Jim Corr has volunteered to co-ordinate the menu. Please let Jim know what you will bring. We hope that quite naturally there will be a variety of food items so we are not making any particular requests. It is, however, important for you to let Jim know so that (however unlikely) we do not wind up with 20 chocolate cakes and 20 potato casseroles, for example!