 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Coaching Tips
TACTICS
FOR HEAD BUILDING
 Quite often, during social play, the head is allowed to build without any real thought being given to the necessity of strategic placement of bowls to either maximise the number of shots gained or to reduce the score that one's opponent may achieve. Obviously you should not take unnecessary risks in directing your team's shots or play into your opponent's hands by underestimating their ability to take advantage of a dangerous situation that you have created by careless head building. Perhaps a golden rule to bear in mind when building a head is that if you cannot win an end then the main aim is to lose it by the least number of shots. Never be afraid to let your opponent have one shot when your risky "saving" bowl may mean going down four or five. If you are holding shots don't be greedy, but look for adverse positions in the head where a movement of the jack could result in a big score against you and play to cover that possibility with a position bowl. REMEMBER: |
|
| Once the lead has established the
side of the rink that is kindest for that player's delivery then ensure that the lead
sticks to that and does not 'bowl around the clock' i.e. bowl on the same hand, be it
forehand or backhand for the whole day. This is one of the first principles of head
building and the Skip must insist that the
lead conforms. |
| Provided that the green
is true the lead should stick to one side of the green.
Figure 1 |
Even if a bowl appears
to be in the draw the lead should not change the hand unless the Skip directs.
Remember that a slight change in foot position will allow you to draw under or around a
bowl in your eye.
Figure 2 |
Years ago it used to
be considered that a jack-high bowl seldom stayed shot on slow to medium paced
greens. Today with the advent of narrow draw bowls this is true on even the fastest
greens. In the adjoining diagram your lead has one bowl jack-high and another
behind. It is plain to see that your opponent has several ways to capitalise on this
position!
It is therefore good tactics to direct your second to try and turn the shot bowl behind the jack or to trail the jack towards your rear bowl. As per Figure 3 |
|
|
Another example of a
situation that can arise after the leads have played their bowls is that shown in the
illustration on the left. Your lead (white) has drawn two shots. One is 15 or 20 cms short and the other is just behind. Try and make sure that your second does not help the opposition by drawing a jack-high bowl to either of the points marked by a cross; for exactly the same reasons as stated in the previous example. Your second should try and draw a scoring bowl just short of the head or else draw to a tactical position behind. As per Figure 4 |
| Often a lead will
draw you two counting bowls just short of the jack and they form a 'V' as shown
alongside. It is generally good strategy to ask your second to place a position bowl
behind the head, either to be best backwood or to match your opponent's bowl at the rear
(black). This is good tactics regardless of whether they are your bowls forming the
'V' or your opponents. Because of the "tight" situation the two short
bowls have created it is almost certain that one side or the other will attempt a weighted
shot to open up the head. As per Figure 5 |
|
|
If a situation arises
where the opposing lead has drawn a front toucher and you have the two second shots as
shown do not attempt a forcing shot immediately. First ask your second to place
position bowls at the points marked with crosses and then let your third try and jar the
jack back to your catchers. This is particularly important if the jack is near the
ditch. As per Figure 6 |
| We all know that two
close bowls can form an almost irresistible target for a driver particularly when they are
the two shot bowls. A typical position might be like that shown here. It would be good play to try and draw to the opposite side near the 'X' so that if the drive is successful you still have a saving bowl in the head and you won't be many down. As per Figure 7 |
|
|
When attempting a
running or weighted shot to try and remove an opponent's bowl it is often best to play the
shot so that it is running away from the head rather than into it. For example in our diagram 'black' holds shot but 'white' has 3 seconds; the weighted shot would be best played on the forehand so that, if missed, no damage will occur. As per Figure 8 |
| There are a number of
opposition bowls in a straight line in front of the jack and they are scoring shots.
You have bowls to the right of the jack and slightly behind. Play from the center of the mat will mean that you will probably run outside the jack if you want to trail. The best tactical solution is to play from the left hand side of the mat and deliver on the back hand (right handed player) because a bowl delivered from this position will work into the head and if it is short will hit against the shot bowl and will either cut the score down or will run straight after hitting the head and become the shot. As per Figure 9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
