BOWLING.

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18809, 3 December 1932, Page 21 (Supplement)

BOWLING.

AROUND THE GREENS. NOTES AND OOMIVIENTS. STRATEGY IN THE GAME. (By Toucher.) The Matthews Ferns changed hand 3 for the second time this season at Glaudelands last Saturday. The challengers, skipped toy J. Paterson, proved too good for Bagley’s team, the hoard reading 27-22 at the .'lnish of the game. The oards show tnat Paterson scored on lH heads as against Bagley’s eight. The latter's card Included an eight secured on the fifth head. The holders are Gudex, Butt, McMullin, Paterson (s).

Speaking of club pavilions, It Is doubtful If the social centre of any local cluto can boast such an array of trophies arid photographs as the collection which adorns the walls of the Whitlora pavi’tlon. Principal among the various competition winners’ groups, opening day groups, and honours boards, hangs the Howden Shield, emblem of inter-club supremacy, which Whitiora annexed from Thames last season.

The 'Claud elands Club’s annual “At Home” day will be held next Saturday, December 10. The season competitions have been well supported and members are now keenly interested. The club championship singles has drawn an entry of 18, divided into three sections as follows: A.—Rolfe, White, Curling, Webber, Goodwin, Whitten; B.—'Blackwood, Stubbs, Fraser, Reynolds, Udy, Young; C.— C. G. Speight, Carter, Hargreaves, Woodcock, Cobb, Paterson. Thirty two have entered for the handicap singles and the handicaps arc as follows: Section A, J. Paterson ser., Reynolds 2, Clothier 4, Blackwood 5, Muir G, Murray G, Strang 8; McEwan 10. Section 13, G. G. Speight ser., Curling 2, Stubbs 4, Page 5, Baker 6, Bedford G, Syers 8, I. 0. Section G, Fraser 2, Webber Butt 5, W. Young 5, F. Snell G, 11. Young 7, Lendrum 0, Smith 12. Section D, Goodwin 2, White ft, Cobb 5, Howe n, P. Snell G, Woodcock 8, Gillam 10, Taylor 10. BUILDING A GOOD HEAD.

Slralogy and good judgment play a l.iig part in the building up of a successful head, says a leading writer of bowling. Xulhing "'ill undo tho sood work of a skip more Mian what is known as “100 much mas” from tho third man. Men are usually placed in charge of a rink on account, of their superior knowledge, and ability In play all sheds, and il .pays always to take, them “for good or ill," until they are proved unreliable, or incompetent-. The suggestion, or insinuation, is often heard from the bank, and sometimes from players engaged in a rink, that “ho keeps tho shot for himself, ' meaning of course, the skipper. Assuming that, some skips are guilty of that misdemeanour in the eyes of thoso

Interested, and disinterested, what in reality, does “keeping the shot for himself" amount to? The onlookers see it in one light only, tliat in order to obtain, or call forth the admiration, kudos, credit, or whatever term you are pleased to apply to the action, the skip deprives the second or third man of the opportunity offered. I am prepared to say that there Is a percentage of such skips. But beware lest you fall into grave error concerning this \ei> important aspect of the bowls game. More often than not a false view Is taken. Position of Third Wan.

.Assume that we arc actually playing an end, and that you are skipping against me. A position arises in which a bowl on the enemy side slands between you and several. You decide to play your third man for position, with both howls, lie is fuming to take that bowl out, but you won’t give him the shot, as, having the last bowl yourself, you say nothing about your intentions, and with the last wood gather in the collection. In the majority of cases third men oall loudly for some recognition of their prowess, and “give away" the position, as It may not appear to tho opposition. They immediately begin to prepare for contingencies. A wise third will say nothing, of course, but wisdom is not by any means the stock-in-trade of all third men. In the great percentage. Of. cases skips are given ore dit for playing a selfish -'part, when they are aotuailly using their best brains for the rink and side, . Many positions -occur in the building up of an end that a skip has to 10-ok several shots ahead before the outcome, as he se-es it, Is brought about, and It Is then that the third man’s “mag" is injudiolous and out of tune.

6klpß Crltlolsed. I have heard many skips condemned for “keeping the shot for himself," when It was amply justified. On one occasion a rink wanted 5 to win, and the skip wtho was down allowed the enemy leader’s bowl to remain right -up to the point of changing, it being a good -second shot. Before, and on crossing, the third man asked: “Why not let me push that second shot out?" The down side was lying shot, and three thirds, with the best back bowl, and an enemy bowl right In the way of a drive or firm shot.

But the skip, wise in his strategy, made no reply, Just called for the third to "get as close as you can." "•But we want five,” persisted the other, and when the opposite end was reached, remarked to the bank: “He's keeping that shot for himself.’’ The fact was that the skip on the other side was being lured Into a sense of false security, being content to get second shot, the others needing a full hand. I was particularly pleased to see the skip push that bowl out, and get the five, and win. It was then that bis strategy appealed to everyone. Had he called upon the third to do the shot, and it came off, the opposing skip would only have had to "get into” the end with his remaining woods, and the chance go up in smoke, even with a reduction. Be quite sure, then, that you are on safe ground when inclined to charge any particular skip with “keeping the shot for himself,” for in many cases the art of pushing a bowl out is a man’s long suit. Very often, too, it Is fatal, as in the oase I mentioned above, to push that bowl out too soon.