‘Talking Tactically’

with Lachlan Tighe..... 

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

‘… what are you comparing yourself to’ 

(edition 120  - 2004 of thoughts & observations on lawn bowls)

The Ayres Rock related column that referred to Evonne Goolagong reminded me that I had some stuff from Rob Huddle from 1994, over a decade ago on statistical analysis comparisons.

Rob was the one who recently produced that ecoach CD so he has been on the ball a long time.

Anyway over recent times I have collected and devised game analysis statistics to add to what Rob has done for years.  What does interest me though is the inherent premise that bowlers compete with some gauge of their raw technical skill.

I doubt this premise. It has been reinforced by my working these past years with elite bowlers where the players do not know their strike rate of any given skill.  I set up measures for 22 deliveries as an example.

If players went to the trouble that say Schuback went to knowing his current rating that knowledge could well be valuable in the game and in the decisions about to be made.

So much for gun slingers (quoting a coach pal of mine) !

Check out a selection of Rob Huddle’s info on a state game and see how it would be invaluable to know to compete against an opponent.

76.% of all bowls are draw shots

winning skip only had 7% weighted shots

positions second – skip play the variety of shots which need to be practiced

winning lead had 70% draw shots within 0.5m

45% of all draw shots are ‘good’ bowls i.e. within 0.5m (Rob’s measure)

64% of all shots where scores made were in a triangle area rear of the jack to a distance of 3m

14% of score shots were in a triangle area 1.m short of jack

the state team holding shot after leaders delivered won the end 75% times

also need to be aware of error rate and using this data we note

percentage % of bowls beyond 2m long or short:

leads 6 & 13%, seconds 8 & 17%, thirds 12 & 25 % and skips nil

percentage % of bowls from 1-2m long or short

leads 13 & 18%, seconds 23 & 50%, 17 & 37% and skips 18 & 25 %

On the facts what we can do is set players a skills test to improve just on this measure, and, then have training that enables them to attempt to draw where the head is already set to simulate the situation they find in a state game.

Simple really.  Lets borrow from Rob’s exercise and apply it back at your level.

Lachlan Tighe