BOWLING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 12 February 1927, Page 10

BOWLING

CORRECT ATTITUDE.

OPPONENTS OF DRIVING

•‘Boomerang/’ tire Sydney Referee’s bo wling expeix, writes: 1 have lalso been isent an article (presumably foi comment thereon) oil “nowis from Mat to Mat,” by Mr. JD. Lauren son, ot Palmerston North. It is Dartre ulairly interesting .though over a number of points I would draw a .lance with him. tie .says, for instance, that the erect attitude is absolutely essential to enable a. player to become a master of drawing, trailing, and driving. lie qualifies this by adding: “The semierect and ciouching styles should never be adopted, especially by a beg:liner, as they limit the perfection of variety in play.”

I don’t agree with Mr. Lau.rensoiwjn this point. The man who stands senncrect, (by that I mean a slight stoop), with heels together, and both arms (’instretched. brings every muscle “on guard,” and be stands “over his work” like a tradesman. I see scores of men stand erec-t, but many of their muscles are not brought into play at ad. A loose leg or a 'loose arm is impossible when a player gets over his work. live our Joe Purcell, for instance. Then Mr. Laurenson 'Slays that tile thumb and the little finger are only “guides/ ’and have no influence on the actual delivery of the bowl. I say that the style advocated as the correct one bv my friend, viz., holding the thumb on or in the vicinity of of the disc, is not the correct one. It belongs’ solely to the “palmer,” and. let it be added, is not always the choice of the “palmer,” but a necessity (arising from the fact that iso many have stumpy, or .short, thumbs. “The “palmer” is never in the position to say that he “has’.’ Ills bowl, whereas the man who grips it with the fingers, and thumb over the running portion, or nearly in the centre, certainly “has” his bowl. He can do quite .a number of things the “palmer” cannot. He can work his bowl on a keen green with a combination of fingers, wrist, and thumb. The “palmer” propels the bowl from the flat of his palm and ,as .something of an expert billiard,lst, I submit that he cannot possess the “touch” of the other. And there are other important aspects. The man who grips his bowl with his thumb round the centre, not only bias' an (advantage in “touch,” but he gets better direction, and if you take the trouble to watch a man who so grips, you will note at once the absence of a wobble. He can do the drive and firm shot with a greater degree of accuracy than the player who has not the .same control by having to propel his bowl from the palm. One of those players said to me some time ago.: “What is it that ,is wrong with my deli veiy ; I stand as you do, and get my length of green, but can’t get over the wobble, ’ ’ I gave him a quarter of an hour, making him place his, thumb over the running surface of the bowl. He was delighted to note the immediate effect, and remarked: “There is something 1 have not found out in 30 years.” I frequently note the effect on his play and delivery. O'f course, thousands place the thumb' on the disc, and? do the best of good work. They never had anyone to show them the great advantages of the grip I advocate. If I were asked to state the reason for success at bowls, and particularly the drive shot, I would .say: “A combination of grip (particularly with ,a natural, aptitude for (strength, got from the billiard table), stance,, ‘and delivery.” Of course, what is one man’s meat is another’s poison in these matters; but those men with “piano” fingers have stumpy, fingers and thumbs. In other something on those with short, or respects, Mr. Lauren son’s treatise is a valuable help to old and young alike. It would be impossible to arrive at the number of third players, who have yet to learn certain points in connection with the position they fill. Li a recent pennant match the skipper crossed over .and played ,a forehand shot to ian end where the kitty was obscured from sight owing to the end being congested. He .had his own objective, but ran on past the end without touching (anything. He then picked up Ilia second bowl, but, before he could get on the mat, hi* third bent over the end", and directed him on the hack hand. His opponent skip had not shifted anything. When it was his turn to speak, the skip asked quietly: “is there any alteration since I left?” “No,” said the third, “but I like-; —” He got no further, for the man in charge adopted the tactics he had in his mind when he left the end, and promptly played the forehand. This silent lesson should be taken to heart by third men generally. Even with a disturbance, a skip should be “given his head,” after the position has been explained to him. The oft-expressed “I like” so-and-so, is out of place. It is . remarkable how many people (they run into thousands) want to cut driving out of bowls. Harry Moses, is reported to have remarked : “The player who can’t drive is the player .who wants to cut it out.” I have certainly met a great many players (not necessarily opponents) who would do away entirely with driivng, for there is no half-way house, or compromise. The question that naturally arises is : “Why do any players want to. cut the forcing shot out of bowls?” A number who have spoken to me. put it this way: “I draw four good shots round the kitty, and you put up three bad ones, and with your last, skittle the end, or drive the jacjv out of bounds or into' the ditch.”.

Another says: “It is not bowls, as there is no skill in hitting a bunch of bowls gathered round kitty.” Well it is up to u,g to answer these (assertions, or to ladmit that the protestors are right. I venture to. say that they are not only not right, but never had an argument. As the famous advertisement says, there is nothing to argue about.

You may as well cry for the moon as agitate' for driving to be cut out of bowls. The strongest reason against it is that every man has ia different species of drive in his locker, lalmcst. In this department of the gain© there are about five distinct modes, and they are as. distinct, as the planets. One player will take almost a straight line, necessitating taking all the bias of’ when bringing .it off. Another (very few, in fact, attempt it) would fail that way ,and must have room for a “bend” in transit. A third] requires still more bend, while a. fourth would term his drive a firm. shot. If driving was cut out. all these species, from, the “lightning” to the yard-and-a-hialf bend, would have to go, iand then the game would really and truly become a pastime for men in their dotage, or effeminate. There are other aspects. It is all very well for the non-driver to tell ns that .•when they

draw a, number of howls round tire an, we simply knock them out. How many accurate drivers are there? Not an average of two. in a club. Accurate driving is as skilful as .accurate bowling at cricket; indeed, very much more skilful. In recounting his experiences, a wellknown Scot remarked: “I mind the games that diives ha© lost, iand games that dra’s hae won.” Which, interpreted, means that it does not pa.y to drive as a irule. The man who complains forgets that the driver takes all the risk, and if he misfees (and no. drive is an even-money chance), he has to pay a. heavy tax on the scores. When he misses, everything :ig all right, and is quite all right as long as the man who would not have you drive is accumulating points; but .as soon as the pendulum .swings the other way, and ian .opponent is gathering in the reward for his skill, driving becomes something that must not be allowed. I would say to all young players: Learn to drive. No man without the combination (it Is one of them) ever won lanything big. The driver compels the. dead drawer to respect him, and go to. the rear for safety. You can walk on to any green, and pick out players who should never attempt driving, from. the. fact that, they have neglected the shot early, and will never make good. Pi-ofit by their mistake.