NEW BOWLERS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 142, 12 December 1935, Page 18

NEW BOWLERS

A BIG- INFLUX

ADVICE TO LEADS

There has been a very great influx of new bowlers this season, and it is not too much to say that much of this has been due to the influence of the indoor green at the Winter Show building. Thanks to the enterprise of Mr. Alf. Priddle, of the Island Bay Bowling Club, many men have during the winter period been initiated into the mysteries of bowling, and this has whetted their taste for the real thing on-:-the outdoor greens to the ■ consequent benefit of club membership rolls. The winter green has served a real need in "Wellington, and; regular bowlers have been enabled to enjoy many a pleasant afternoon or evening there. As most'- of the new members oi' clubs are young players and are graded as leads, it is important that they should have a thorough understanding of their duties- if they are to become proficient. In this respect the following advice given to leads by "Draw" in the "Evening Star," Dunedin, some little time ago is per- ' tinent:— Too few leaders appreciate the depth ,- of the responsibility which is theirs when they throw the jack. The majority of them are never instructed in this detail. They never practise it. They see no value in that class of ■ practice. Rather it appeals to them as . a waste of time. It would take up some of the few minutes—as they classify it—of the time at their disposal for "rolling up." Yet many matches are won and lost by the correct and careful or incorrect and careless cast of the jack. Every leader should be as assiduous in mastering this necessity as in becoming adept at drawing the shot. Club selectors should make it part of their duty to see that leaders practise jack-throwing. Jacks 'well thrown should be followed by leaders' well-drawn shots. Many leaders can draw well. They do it. Too many of them, however, mistake the object and never think about the purpose of their play. They draw to the bare jack. They play heavily to remove an opponent's bowl off, or from proximity to, the jack. That is a serious and very common mistake. A leader who develops that habit should be broken of it or removed from leadership. One of the very first and most important truths to be impressed on every leader is that his duty is to draw as close to the jack as he can. He must never try to "get the shot." If in his drawing he draws the shot, well and good. He must never try to take, by any other means, the shot from an opponent who has it. There are many other matters that require deep consideration from a lead. Foremost among these may be placed the dictum "Don't change your hand too readily." Every rink on . every green has its differences. These may be caused by the wind, the construction of the green, the fullness or scarcity of its grasses, the manner of its rolling, or the general direction in which it is cut. ' The cause is not important. The result:is.' V/ith that the player has to deal. How often will we find on our greens during • evening practice young, promising leads playing in some other position, and doing things that are detrimental to their progress in learning the art of dead drawing. Young players should devote all their time to the art of learning all the points that go to make a first-class lead, and the only way to do it is, play only in the lead position for the first two or three years. After a player has become pro- ' ficient as a lead worthy of taking his place, say, in the four rink championship, then he may look for another . position. It is well to remember that . a good lead is sought after more than a half-pie third.' ; It is wise, when playing bowls, or '• anything else, "for keeps" to seek our objective by the most direct and easiest route. .That is a general statement, applying with equal force to . all players—leaders, seconds, thirds, and skips. Playing with a strong cross wind' affecting the run of all bowls there will be a nearly straight and a very wide hand on every rink. Without desire to be dogmatic, I advise . all leaders to play the narrow—or . nearly'straight hand. A three-quarter ;■ length end- in such conditions will have a variation •■■of at least 25ft in its fore and back hand runs. .The difficulty of altering "one's strength in a^change of hands is apparent. Admit' that this is an extreme set .of conditions, we yet are faced by > the ,fact that in . other conditions them is change..l' It is only a matter of degrees. Men, as well as greens, differ in their qualities and qualifications. There are men who excel in their estimate of angles. There are others who are equally capable in assessing curyes. gome of our leaders will do better on wide-running .than on narrow hands. It might not suit them to bowl into the wind. They might do much better bowling ■on the extra 25ft curve. Let. them. To change from the wide run to the narrow one is no easier or harder than "to do the opposite. Provided that the curve lover masters his green and draws close to the jack with the majority of his deliveries, no one should object to his unusual methods. There is a saying: Never change a winning game, but change a losing one if you can. A wise and, experienced skip will ■not interfere ;with his lead so long as the lead follows the foregoing course. He will also have a thorough understanding with his lead as to length and perhaps a sign known only to- the two of them when a change in the attack is necessary. >