THURSDAY AFTERNOON SKILLS AND PRACTICE

More and more pennant players are attending Thursday skills and practice sessions. There are rinks set up for leads and seconds to concentrate on their draw shots, and other rinks for thirds and skips for their up shots. You can rotate. Later teams are chosen to play against each other. Any member can attend for these sessions for camaraderie and serious fun. It is an excellent two hours plus of training and there are several coaches attending to help our main coach Richard Lovell. One of Richard's sayings is, "Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves." This skills training is one of the small things . There is another session on Thursday mornings if that is more convenient .

Coming Up

FEBRUARY CLUB BULLETIN

March 2nd

Round 18

TEAMS

FEBRUARY 26th

ROUND 18

RESULTS

NIGHT TOURNAMENT

Doncaster APPLEWOOD CLASSIC

PENNANT TRAINING

Temp. currently 36.3c at 2.40

TRAINING CANCELLED TODAY

Every Thursday

Sides 4,5 & 6 + Womens Only Players from 11.30am - 1.30pm

If you are unable to make the morning try and make the afternoon session.

Sides 1,2 & 3 from 3pm - 5pm

SKILLS / TEAM PLAY / SHOT SELECTION / COMMUNICATION / ROLE OF PLAYERS

TEAM ROLES

LEAD

A good lead sets control of the head, with a good team built around a good lead.

Must have good communication with the Skip.

Use the “roll-up” to find the truest hand and discuss with the Skip.

Place the mat at the discretion of the Skip.

Deliver the jack as close as possible, to a distance determined by the Skip.

Get two bowls in the “keyhole” – an area no more than 1 mat length around the jack.

Do not lose concentration on the game.

SECOND

A good second should be a “jack of all trades” to cover all situations that may arise.

Bowl the hand as directed by the Skip.

Draw to the jack or a position as requested by the Skip.

Never anticipate what direction the Skip will give.

Stand behind the mat and await direction.

Be capable of the full variety of shots.

Keep the scorecard – acknowledge the score, record neatly and adjust scoreboard if at that end.

THIRD

Should be a strong bowler, encourage team performance, be diplomatic and loyal to the Skip.

Be capable of the full variety of shots.

Be in full harmony with the Skip.

Accept directions without question.

Be a good judge of a shot, as the Skip will rely on the ability to give an accurate assessment of the head.

Call the Skip to the head if in doubt.

Be a capable measurer and aware of the laws of the game.

Stand back when the Skip is playing, don’t move or say anything unless asked.

Be aware of games next to you to protect the head in case of a wayward bowl.

At completion of each end, give Skip the clear result of the end and then to the second.

If head changes, advise the Skip accordingly.

SKIP

Should be a motivator, a good psychologist and an analyst.

Must know the team and call shots within their capabilities.

Show leadership and earn the teams’ respect.

Be firm with directions, not show public displeasure with bad shots, but quietly talk to players between ends.

Analyse the team plus the opposition for strengths and weaknesses.

Wherever possible, not interfere with the Lead – trust their judgement and give advice if asked.

Take the Third into confidence to show the team and the opposition that they are in complete harmony.

If not happy with the shot called by the Third, go to the head and discuss.

Be loyal to the team to bring out the best in them.

Be aware of games next to you to protect the head in case of a wayward bowl.

Be in tune with the state of the green and call percentage shots when required.

Know and understand the rules of the game.

Always show good etiquette on and off the green .

Have a positive attitude towards the game and the team - be a good loser.

Play with a positive attitude - remember, you represent the Club.

THE TEAM!!

The performance potential of a team is much greater than the individual talents of a player, especially in lawn bowls .

Mutual respect, good communication, trust and encouragement are traits that will foster team spirit.

Get to know your teammates, be positive and supportive, resolve conflict quickly , adopt a good attitude , communicate and don't be a loud mouth or show off.

Above all don't forget to have fun when playing the game.

Play the best game that you can, and remember, enjoyment increases everyone's success!

Some Tactics for Head Building

Quite often, during play, the head is allowed to build without any real thought being given to the necessity of strategic placement of bowls, to either maximise the number of shots gained or to reduce the score that one's opponent may achieve.

Obviously, you should not take unecessary risks in directing your team's shots, or play into your opponents hands, by underestimating their ability to take advantage of a dangerous situation that you may have created by careless head building.

Perhaps a golden rule to bear in mind when building a head, is that if if you cannot win an end, then the main aim is to lose by the least number of shots.

NEVER be afraid to let your opponent have one shot when your risky "saving" bowl may mean going down four or five.

If you are holding shots don't be too greedy, but look for adverse positions in the head, where a movement of the jack could result in a big score against you, and play to cover that possibility with a position bowl.

REMEMBER:

1. When holding shots - never be narrow.

2. When down - never be wide.

3. Every player's bowls are part of the head building process.

T.E.A.M. - Together Everyone Achieves More

For further information on team or for individual coaching, contact: Richard Lovell – Head Coach.
Tel. 0401648964 Email: richardlovell49@gmail.com

For Coaching Tips check out the Coaching section under the navigation bar.