HOLDING THE BOWL

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1931, Page 16

HOLDING THE BOWL

THE RIGHT GRIP

DIFFERING OPINIONS

From time 1.0 time cirtieles have been Appearing in the Sydney "Eeferee" from ■''Boomerang"1 on Hie way to hold a bowl. jna recent issue Dr. C. E. Williams, ibf the Mackay Club, Queensland, subtaitted a lengthy criticism of "Boomjbrang's" ideas. "Some evidently are interesting themselves by seeking information on. the [question of what sized bowl," wrote the • icloctor- "With so many, therefore, seeking the light, I think article 2 on grip is distinctly misleading} and needs feome amending, even if you still recommend the thumb grip (as pictured), as in your opinion the best grip for the beginner^to adopt." Further, he says: "I only know one Mayer in the two clubs here who uses the grip you recommend. There are 6. few 'palmers,' a grip generally con- . 'demned. I am pleased to see you have . altered your grip as far as the three fingers are .concerned, when you wrote 'the long finger must be in the centre bf the running edge of the bowl.' "That as different to the photo in tho *Referee' of your grip some three years fego, the occasion of my article printed Jby you on touch and nerve sense. "In the grip I recommend—the ono jm general use," he says, "the little finger and thumb .steady the bowl and Jake most of the, weight. With the arm hanging as in delivery, the bowl $an Be supported entirely by the little finger and thumb pressure, while the ihree fingers are lifted from the bowl. jThis lightness of contact gives full play Jo finger touch and nerve sense." Further: ".With the thumb in. centre, ifche. bowl is held by pressure between .the thumb and fingers on the bowl, and (holding a, 3|lb bowl thus for delivery jspoils finger touch, as the pressure is I'eal, and continued use through an afternoon must 'numb' the fingers and furjther destroy sense of touch." Further along the doctor says he jsgrees that the thumb should be shifted to the running edge for the drive, jbut says, with Farquhar ITatheson, "I : j&annot see how this grip for driving {gives power, direction, and spin." "Another important consideration is jJrhat the thumb in the centre grip means Rising a smaller bowl than can be handled by the grip I have described. My Article in 1927 was written to condemn $he thumb in the centre grip for the Jtlraw shot, as it is inimical to touch." In -conclusion, Dr. Williams says: #With so many beginners interested, I [therefore think that the grip used by pie majority of bowlers, and many top(Slass at that, should at least be worthy jßf mention, more especially as the (weight of evidence is certainly in favour of it for the draw shot."' "I welcome the worthy doctor's eritij^Jsm," writes "Boomerang." "He is (pleased, he says, to see that I have altered my grip, as far as tho three finders are concerned. I herewith reproduce the picture he refers to, showing j£he, long finger exactly where it was jra; sketch in 1927. I have not altered Anything of my technique in 25 years. 3br. Williams evidently overlooks the $act that I lay down that it is not absolutely necessary for the thumb to be on the running edge, or centre of the bowl, rout in order to avoid 'cradling' or *!palming' it should get up past the tangs to be found on all bowls. "He joins issue, he says, with Dr. farquhar Matheson on the point that |ie 'cannot understand how the thumb grip gives direction, power, and spin.' "I cannot go over all that ground i&gain, but if the doctor and readers ;fcurn up-issue of 'The Eeferee' for 28th p,nuary,"and read the article entitled Eight and Wrong,' they will fee enlightened. That was a reply to pi: Matheson, and from his own clubmen at Helensville I have had several jfcommunications stating that the memters there have been particularly insrested, and are fully convinced. "Beport says that many who have j^dopted the methods are making wonderful progress. The Queensland, medico .'..%oes not, venture to show why the , irfjhnmb grip doesn't give power, direction, and spin, whereas I have given :% full explanation in the issue quoted. "One thing greatly surprises me— |*bat an old player, should recommend -gacrificing grip to a" larger, bowl. I jfiiink that is the most dangerous propaganda any beginner, or even advanced [bowler, could encounter. The doctor Quotes Arthur Parsons as an example, dfrobody knows the Ponsonby champion's |?hole style better than I do. ' I spent Suite a lot of time with him in New glealand. Arthur plays with a wooden |>owl that is so big that it would be tpirowa out at sight under Australian jaws, and, besides its shape, it origing.lly_ weighed 31b 9}oz. He has. the Sieftiest and most formidable forearm |E have seen on a bowler—and few gsrrestlers. Fingers like bandß of steel. "If Dr. Williams saw the hundreds j§£ tracings of small hands I have had gent to me, he would change his mind. JMy politics are not to sacrifice a correct grip to any consideration what|jver. If Arthur Parsons, in his early jdays, had adopted a size less, he would biot have to admit to a weakness. With JBTorrie Bell's drive he would have been Jpominion champion half a dozen times, jknd the best bowler the world had pro,Huced. He has got up to the semi-finals tid finals time and again, but invari>ly put out by the man .with the _. raighfc drive. Tom Sehnackenberg, jthe Dominion authority on the game, ■iys now busy telling us these'facts, and fedds: 'Never will a Dominion singles be gvon by the draw-shot-only exponent.' "Regarding the doctor's statement by holding with thumb and finger p, man's sense of touch would disappear an afternoon's play, and the 'finger-tips become numbed, I can say. ffchat it is not only contrary to experience, but positive imagination. Providing that his physical condition is Sound, any experienced bowler will jtell you that his play is :better Jand his touch keener, the more ho rplays. As ono who has been through it all I. am very emphatic on the fyoint. . "Without applying this to Dr.' Williams, who at the conclusion of his let[ter admits that there is only one small point in which we disagree when summing up the term 'methods,' I am bound to say that tfhere is a^ decided .tendency to interference. All these they have neglected tho novice and the beginner, and when he finds something or somebody who satisfies him he comes- along with a sort of 'iqiock-'ern-all-over invitation to follow Jiim. Just an example: Four Sydneysiders approached me last week for a few Sours of 'the practical or personal itouch.' A meeting was arranged at 'pne of the greens. At 1.30 they were a bundle of conundrums, although by %o means ' beginners. • ' They gripped forongly, stood' wrongly, faced straight &p the'rink'wKen delivering, and. .in #ict needed undoing entirely, 'taught' $y well-meaning but utterly incompetent mentors, who had made them 'just fowlers,' like 80 per .cent. I will have |em again at intervals.and print their igemarkß iii due course, but at 4 o'clock

a Two" you would not have known any ono of them. From being 'all over the town,' they were 'all over tho jack,' gripping, standing, and delivering like welltrained veterans.' 'I sent them homo delighted beyond description, with certain 'homo lessons' on their 'slates.' "What more need be said? "Hundreds aro writing me deploring thejr state. To these would say, 'Don't he turned from your purpose.' " Through Australian Glasses. One of the. Australians who visited Auckland for the Dominion tournament, and subsequently wont further south, says that- an Australian bowler would be wasting his time trying to beat the good New Zealander, writes "Boomerang" in the "Eeferee." 'Not because he is a better player, or because his standard of play is higher," he continues, "but because the standard of bias is much below ours, and the badly-shaped bowls that would not be allowed on our greens are conducive to straight running." "I reminded him that certain Australians had gone to New Zealand and had held thoir. own with Australiangoverned bowls, and I think that is where the shoe pinches most. Mediocre players badly beaten by New Zealanders who are not mediocre are apt to see through strangely-coloured glasses. Admittedly the standard of bias is somewhat lower." An Appeal Upheld. The Pennant Committee of the New South Wales Association upheld an appeal . last week, in which an umpire disqualified a bowl, where the player was alleged to, have stepped off the mat, but acknowledged that he had not seen the incident. The game has been listed for replay. Where is the Jack? A good joke is told regarding one match at Eotorua last month, where the play was very keen and even (writes "Trrfndler" in the Auckland "Star")!. One skip was just going to play his last bowl extra carefully, being two down, when he called out, "Where is the jack?" Before his third could indicate its position another member of the team picked it up, with the remark, "Here it is!" Needless to say, the tension was instantly relieved, and the play proceeded as a game, instead of a fight. Golfers v. Bowlers. Sir Charles Igglesden, who is chairman of the Ashford Bowjing Club, England, recently issued a challenge from the golfers of Ashford, in which four golfers, using golf balls and putters, undertook to putt their golf balls nearer to the ■ jack on. a full length head than the opposing four bowTers could bowl their bowls. The_ challenge was promptly accepted, with the betting 100 to 1 against the putters. Each player had one shot, and needless to say the bowlers won. Ancient Laws. The following set of Laws for the Game of Bowls was compiled in 1670 by King Charles II.," James, Duke of York, and George; Duke of Buckingham.. They appeared in an old Year Book <jf the English Bowling Association, and they are so remarkably similar to the rules under which the game is now played that bowlera should find .them interesting. The penalty imposed for a "burnt" bowl (Law 5) was very drastic, and "foot faulting" (Law 13) was severely dealt with. It is only within recent years that an attempt has been made in South Africa to deal with the.question of "foot on the mat." In explanation; the "trig" means the "mat," the "cast" the length of ■ jack, and "lieth all" the "shot." ■ 1. The party, who hath the highest die shall lead the Jack, keeping Ms foot on the Trig, which must be placed at least one yard from the verge of the green. No cast shall be -less than 30 yards. ■ 2. Whoever shall once throw the Jack off the green shall lose ; the leading of the Jack to their opponents,- and Bhall be obliged' to follow the Jack so led by their opponents or adverse 3. At the commencement of every end the Trig shall bs; placed where the Jack was taken up, or three strides wide of it in any direction before the Jack be thrown; provided by so doing tiie cast be not less than 30 yards. 4. If the Jack be bowled off the green, there shall be a fresh cast, and the same party again lead. 5. If a bowl, whilst running, be stopped by tho adverse party, it shall be laid closely behind the Jack. 6. If any bowler do take up the Jack before the cast, or casts won be granted, he shall lose the cast to the adverse party. ■ ,', 7. If any bowler who lieth. all—i.e., who is nearest the Jack, do take the i Jack- up, or cause the same to be taken up, before his opponent has thrown the last bowl, his side shall lose the cast and the lead shall begin again. 8. If any bowler who lieth all do take up the Jack, or cause the same to be taken up, before his own partner hath thrown Ms last bowl, he shall lose the benefit of that bowl. 9. If any bowl do lie between the Jack and the bowl that is to be measured, or the Jack leaneth upon the bowl, or. the bowl upon the Jack, it shall be lawful to bolster up the bowl or Jack, and to take away that which, hindered the measuring, provided it does not prejudice the adverse party in so doing. If it shall appear to the spectators (being no bettors) the adverse party was prejudiced thereby, although the bowl did win, yet the benefit thereof shall be lost. 10. If in measuring it shall appear that the bowl or Jack was removed, or mado'worse by the measure, the cast so1 measured shall be allowed to the adverse party. 11. If any bowler bowl out of turn, his bowl may be stopped by the adverse party, but not by him who delivered the same. , 12. If any bowl be stopped while running or touched by its own party, it shall then be taken away. 13. If any bowler do deliver his bowl or bowls not touching the trig with his foot, it shall be lawful for the adverse party to stop same while running and make him bowl it again, but it shall not - be lawful for him that bowls to stop, i+--14. If any bowler who lieth all do take up a bowl or bowls befor.e the adverse party hath granted them, the cast shall be lost, and the Jack shall be thrown .away. 15. Bowlers nor bettors shall do no-1 thing to prejudice or favour a bowl by wind, hat, foot, or otherwise, and if done the cast shall be lost. 16. No cast shall be measured before all the bowls are bowled. 17. If he that is to throw the last bowl do take up the trig, or cause- it to be taken up, supposing the game to be won, or that he may do some hurt, the same, bowls shall not be bowled that cast or end, for the trig once taken up shall not be set again. 18. If any running bowl be stopped , or touched by a spectator not being a bettor, whether it be to the benefit or hindrance to the caster, the same bowl shall take its chance and lie. 19. If a bowl be moved out of its place by the party that bowled the same 1 at any time before the cast is ended, . the same may be cleared away by the ; adverse party; 20. Keep your temper, and remember that he who plays at bowls must take rubbers. ■