‘Talking Tactically’

with Lachlan Tighe..... 

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

‘…stats are facts not fiction’

(edition 101  - 2004 of thoughts & observations on lawn bowls)

A myth in sport is that ‘…stats are the answer, therefore lets collect statistical information’.  But when and if collected, what is collected and who is it collected for ?

In bowls, apart from state and national selectors collecting some information simply for their own purposes, the system we are all brought up on in bowls is recall of the game today, at the bar more often than not, and the selective memory of the people involved in the contest.

So we have the above two versions of gauging performance exemplifying a real gap in approach between bowls and other sports at an elite level.

There is a happy medium which we in bowls need to move toward. One Elbows squad member as an Australian squad member frequently  and sensibly asks me ‘…what is the required standard I have to perform to be in contention for the 2006 Games ?’ As a coach we need to know that information to set our sights.

When Craig Fox and I share views on the elite approach to bowls he sounds me out on the use of statistics for him to better understand the level that could be expected for bowlers interested in national prospects. 

As one means of information, I shared this table of anecdotal and statistical information below with the ‘Elbows’ squad to enable us to train with specific knowledge gleaned from singles and premier league team performances compared against the objectives set pre the competition(s).

(Some) Anecdotal comments as post game / season analysis to accompany table:

Lessons from the game (plans)

• The (losing) score is valid –as team mates face the reality in honest after match team appraisals 
• over weeks, I said reality bites, it did it bit back, and we had to face up to the fact that as a collective group DOING THE SAME LEVEL OF PREPARATION we are not premier league standard ( it has to be a team of 16 working harder)
• losing big numbers costs games – tactics and mental skill training (team spirit)
• Skips / thirds - losing big numbers is your problem (responsibility), tactically
• Players, the standard is MAT LENGTH – set your standard in EVERY training session 
• Leads/ seconds–bowls in the (Mat Length head) is the standard and if you continue to work and perform at the current level reality is we will not achieve our team goal of remaining in premier league 
• Walk the talk – at training do the 1% things like NOT having medium length practice, walking EVERYTIME you bowl short; EVERYONE
• Negative vibes to be discouraged and ousted by fellow team mates: I noticed/ heard some players lose confidence/ express doubt when we were well and truly still in the hunt with 2 rinks having 6 ends to claw back 9 shots to win, too late to lament after the event
• Believe in your preparation, believe in one another
• No one is to say SORRY as all players try to do their best but be SORRY if you are not committing to your team mates and take responsibility and do something to rectify it

 Now I shared this information with the club pennant players (in a different game format) during the season to try to get them to be alert to what worked and what still had to be worked on if success was to be achieved.

Premier league players are a bit too self satisfied as they know they are in the top crop in their state. Though there are over 160 players in that league. A bit of the big kids in the playground.  So our national and state bowlers, as the higher level of elite bowler, are the ones 

who have to look at this type of info and soak it in with a view to improved performance to remain at that superior level above the premier leaguers.

In ‘Elbows’, each of the 15 squad members has a different set of goals, yet the information above can be translated personally to help each one of them when they are preparing and training for any event format as these are facts used to reinforce their commitment to their set of goals and objectives.  

Lachlan Tighe