Montestan’s take on bowls
THE SKIP: The skip is usually the most experienced and proficient player on the team. When it is their turn to bowl there are already 12 bowls in the head, leaving the last six deliveries for the two skips. In all competitions, dependent on decisions by the local controlling body, this is the largest number of bowls delivered. Singles has a maximum of eight, doubles a maximum of 12, triples 18, and rinks 16.
These remaining six bowls make or break the game for each team. This is where the skips expertise and strategy come into play and how he plays and reacts to the opposing skips deliveries, decides the result of the game.
The ‘head’ - as defined in the rules the head is ‘the jack and any bowls that have come to rest within the boundaries of the rink of play and are not dead’. A good ‘head’ has the majority of the bowls within a two-metre radius or less from the jack, give or take a few displaced or wayward bowls. In the lower divisions the head tends to be a bit looser, so reading of the head, really, is concentrated on the bowls closest to the jack.
As mentioned in the previous article, reading the head is very important for the second and even more for the skip, when they have to work out how to come in off bowls, remove them, or, in some cases, taking the jack out to the ditch or ‘blanking the end’ by knocking it out of play.
Next week will be the last in this series of my ‘take on bowls’ and I will go into some rules and discuss ‘touchers’, among a few other observations, and how they affect the game.
There are a lot of skip types I have come across, good and bad. It’s a position where the result of the game is mainly decided by their abilities and how they handle the team. On the bad side you have ones who will constantly criticise the leads and seconds abilities. “You didn’t give it enough green”, “you’re too short”, “you could stand better”, all sorts of criticisms and then deliver bad bowls themselves. I was always told to ‘lead by example’. As stated before, no one deliberately delivers a bad bowl, and quite frankly, if we delivered a perfect bowl every time we would not be playing at these levels. Others ignore their leads, give little encouragement and distance themselves from the rest of the team. We all have bad days but should not take it out on those around us. Good skips work with the lead and second as a ‘team’, giving encouragement and advice, talking and discussing the game with them and perhaps admitting they are having a bad day, as well, when things go wrong. Most players know themselves that they are short, or need to adjust their green and will try their best to correct the errors, they do not need a constant reminder every delivery. Win or lose, if you have a happy team everybody enjoys themselves that’s what it’s all about.
The photos show teams standing back while the leads deliver and the second in the head with everyone else standing off the rink as it should be.
Vistabella Bowls Club is sponsored by: Venture Fleet Services, TV Choice, Oneway Services, Serenity Insurance, Carpet Heaven. The Winter League is sponsored by Laguna Tavern in Entre Naranjos
How about coming and having a go at bowling we would be pleased to see you. We can arrange a free session and lesson. You could get hooked, it’s a fabulous game and a very sociable one where you will meet lots of new friends.
Established bowlers are also most welcome, we have a brand new green and are looking for new members. Please contact: Club Captain - David Jenkins pacadasu@yahoo.com or Charlie Watkins charlieatpathways @yahoo.co.uk