AROUND THE GREENS

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20693, 31 December 1938, Page 22 (Supplement)

AROUND THE GREENS

BOWLING IN HAMILTON COMING TOURNAMENTS FIXTURES FOR HOLIDAYS (By "Skip”) Some of the strongest teams that Waikato can produce will be competing in the annual New Year tournament to be conducted by the South Auckland j Bowling Association in Hamilton next week, while the Hikurangi rink may j provide formidable opposition. The I tournament will be played on the j greens of the Hamilton Club and play is scheduled to commence at 8.15 j a.in. on Monday morning. Cornpeti- | tors are asked to be on the scene ! early in order that a prompt start can be made. The association is fortunate that it will be able to have the , tournament played on the greens of one club instead of having the play ! spread over the greens of different clubs. This tact should make for i better organisation and a more enjoyable tournament. Tournaments at Whltiora The two one-day tournaments held at the Whitiora Club’s greens on Monday and Tuesday were both enjoyable fixtures. Showers were not infrequent on the Monday, but still there were few delays and the tourney was completed within good time. Conditions could not have been better on Tuesday and players had one of the most enjoyable outings this season. The tournaments were particularly appreciated by bowlers who were spending the Christmas vacation at home. Players for Auckland Included in the list of Hamilton re-

presentatives for thfe Dominion championships at Auckland will be several players from the Frankton Club. In the rinks play, Bridges, Cooney Wheeler and Hawkins will be the club’s representatives, while in the pairs play it will be represented by Bridges and Wheeler and by Cooney and Hawkins. Bridges, Cooney and Hawkins will be playing in the singles championships. Tournament Information The book of rules and conditions for the Dominion championships at Auckland is a most comprehensive publication of no less than 84 pages. A perusal of the draw r makes one incline to the view that there will be comparatively few bowlers who will not be competing at the big fixture. To publish the complete draw would require approximately six columns of this paper. Bowl Stamping The latest rule regarding bowl stamping should be made a familiar one with Waikato competitors in the New Zealand bowling tournament at Auckland. Clause Kof the bowl testing regulations and conditions reads as follows: —“Only bowls with an uncancelled N.Z.B.A. stamp imprinted not more than seven years previously shall be allowed for use. ’ Mints to Number Three The number three player to achieve the best results apart from the actual playing of shots, must have implied confidence in his skip, without which, unless the shot asked for looks right from the mat, failure is certain, states "Ritebias'’ in an exchange. He must be able to exercise sufficient self-con-trol not to interfere with his skip's first bowl, unless of course, asked for advice. It hi the common practice for a third player when meeting his skip or changing ends, to suggest this, that, or the other. It may be all right for some skips, but to say the least, it is a poor compliment to pay the man who is studying not only the game, but the play of his opponents and has made up his mind, or should have, before leaving the head, what shot hT? is going to play. Apart from this aspect, why let the other side know what you propose to attempt?

Position of the Head Now for a word of advice to a third man when asked by his skip what is the position of the head. If you have the slightest doubt as to which side Is lying the shot tell him it is a measure —-nothing is more disconcerting to a skip to find, a iter playing a careful or guarding shot, that the opposing side had the shot all the time. The number three should be able to play all the shots called for in the game. If one were asked what shot this player failed in mostly, he would probably plump at once for the position bowl—but it has to be admitted that it is a difficult one—for often there is no guide, other than the skip s direction, usually to be played o\er new ground, and no bank applause. How often is a perfectly built head ruined by the opposition just for the want of that good guarding shot or a well placed bowl on the head.

Concerning Driving: This player (No. 3) should, as an essential, be able to sum up the head and have a good knoweldge of the finer points of the game. In addition to all these, he must be equipped

with the necessary fireworks of the game in the form of fast shots. He should be the driver of the team. In Scotland he is termed the driver, not a player who is content to sacrifice accuracv for pac**. but able to break up a head and still have control and the feci of the bowl.