‘Talking Tactically’

with Lachlan Tighe..... 

(a weekly edition, commenced 12/9/2001, of thoughts, observations and commentaries on developments for bowls coaching and competition)

‘… technically speaking’

(edition 89  - 2004 of thoughts & observations on lawn bowls)

Had an interesting audience just before Easter with two respected bowls coaches and a sports science lady whose expertise is concerned with biomechanics (bodily movement) and balance and I was an avid listener to these three re their observations of a recent video on some current bowlers, one of whom I coach.

Boy was it a lesson in how little I/ we know in the technical aspect and how much more there is to apply if we add the tactical and mental skill areas to further develop. It was as if I was in a ‘master class’ or workshop on skill excellence, something I have not enjoyed since the 1999 Coaches Conference.

Add to that I have watched about 8 hours over the Easter weekend of recent taping of Elbows squad with some experimental video analysis I am trying to ensure these squad members understand and discuss what they see, agree with, and are prepared to take into training. This squad will have a workshop in late April on the observations from the video to discuss the lessons to learn for each one of us.

Anyway back to that ‘master class’ setting and the comments heard there could be summed up something akin to this below which I read and saw a few days later as a commentary on a world class tournament – 

…the image you want to capture as coach is of a stance behind the player;

..  the best posture is one where knees are flexed slightly and the arms are loose not taut;

…the good balance and swing of the arm are all based on this bodily position;

…and with this top player you can be struck by the extent to which everything is on line

….with the top player I am talking about he is neither too close or too far , too closed or too open, he is parallel to his target;

..  the players feet, knees, toes and eyeline are all in the direction required for delivery;

…so regardless of each of our varied postures and morph sizes and the manner of our address for the delivery the one thing we can do is align ourselves correctly so as to simply give us one little thing this player has in bundles…consistency;

…there are players whose posture changes off line as soon as a backswing commences, or as the three people viewed, as soon as the players make that first forward step – I use the word make not take as one bowler actually falls forward so reacting to step as his body is leaning like the proverbial tower of Pisa- but guess what my model player does not change any angle of his posture and body alignment at any time in that delivery process including his follow through step and weight transfer

…and that is the reason for this bloke being so top notch in his game (delivery) though he works hard at both he and his equipment being in sync;

and who is this top line player – none other than Tiger Woods, golfing great !!!

Lachlan Tighe