‘Talking Tactically’

with Lachlan Tighe..... 

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

‘…Game Plans are important tools for mental skills’

(edition 97  - 2004 of thoughts & observations on lawn bowls)

Last week I said after noting (elite) player attitudes in the May Moama tournament and also working recently with the Victorian Institute bowls program, I felt we need to go back a step in bowls and establish some appropriate mindsets with those personnel in elite levels.

Craig Fox and I conducted the 2 day workshop for Bowls SA last weekend and the need for a change in mindset has been further reinforced so today I share an approach on Game Plans as an indicator as to how we can borrow from sport generally and apply it to the elite bowlers.

What does a plan look like.  There is no set formula so long as the team has one, knows it beforehand, and can gauge their progress as they continue the competition.

Take this example and consider if it can guide you:

Objective        Fours Teams

Each bowler in the team to perform at their maximum level

Each rink to WIN

The team to WIN

Game Plans: Team & Rinks  

WIN majority of the ends played

Play only Minimum or Maximum length (jack delivery then very important)

have 2 bowls in the head ALWAYS (head defined as within Mat Length, i.e. ML)

minimize errors by keeping shot losses to 2 shots

segment the game (choice is skips but prefer a segment = every 5 ends)

do not change a game or length that is winning

losing rink keep loss to <10 shots

Role in playing positions 

Lead & second

·         The jack delivery must be within a metre of requested min/ max length every end

·         lead and the second are a ‘team’ and that ‘team’ goal is to have 2 bowls in the head 12/15 ends (where head = mat length from jack)

(lead to record these above on a card for each end for review at team segment meeting)

·         support – once third finishes join him and go together as a team to the head

·         team meetings- listen, learn, focus on your next 5 end goal, 

 Vice captain (third) 

·         tactical attitude :draw bowling as conscious of 2 bowls in head game plan

·         attitude : at worse, be up

·         mental attitude: reinforce positive verbal and bodily behaviour from lead and second

·         mental toughness: no calling multiple shots down to the skip, simply give directions

 Skip 

·         Make all four players take 25% responsibility of the team deliveries

·         Take 100% responsibility for skipping / managing the people in the team

·         team meetings- guide and direct, review, set your next 5 end goal, 

·         Tactical Attitude: must be 2 bowls in the head

·         Tactical attitude: ensure there are bowls behind the head too

·         mental toughness: no calling multiple shots down to the team, simply give directions

·         Tactics: call / play a shot when presented before the opposition takes it from you

·         minimize losses: keep shots down to 2 per end, use the third for drawing too

·         composure: positive body and verbal language for team always

·         composure: in skipping even where you are not bowling well for a time

·         maximum length: stand a metre short of the 2 metre mark to allow the jack delivery 3 metres to the ditch for a long end

Now here is another and more recent example of a Game Plan and the brief observations of the members following the performance:

The Game Plan was prepared by the skip and distributed earlier in the week of the event

Objective            compete in the play offs after the 5 games

Strategy

·         win the five game(s) to win the section

won 3 of 5 games 

·         Win more ends than all opponents 

Won 33/ 60 ends, averaging 7/ 12 ends per game which was a good outcome

§         Minimise shots lost to a maximum 2 shots on any end

Very good outcome keeping ends lost to a total of 6 of the 60 ends, 10% which meant only average one per game

§         Mention made of segments (sets of 3 ends was the inference I made) but no specific measure suggested

Won 9/15 sets and on reflection this was a drawback as we did not practice team meetings and maybe we may have avoided losing games had we practiced the habit of team meetings and review of sets per time 

·         2 of the first 4 bowls in the ML head every end

our team deficiency as average was 8/13 ends ‘the front half’ had 2 bowls within ML in head; also now that we have kept a few cards 8/13 is the best average recorded so in future this objective should use this knowledge to set the measure rather than say every end;

·         A $ for every bowl a metre short

After 3 games we reviewed this objective as it oozed negativity which is reinforced every time you are reminded of a short bowl (and the cost); what we did is look at each average contribution of acceptable bowls and set a target for each player to maintain their personal average the final 2 games.

Give thought to this if you are to be taken seriously as an elite bowler or elite coach.  Many elite level players will disregard this, however, in the near future someone better prepared and planned will show up the current elite approach as ineffectual and then we can move forward with elite athlete commitment in place.

Lachlan Tighe