BOWLING By "NUMBER TWO" ART OF BOWLING

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 71, 25 March 1933, Page 8

BOWLING By "NUMBER TWO" ART OF BOWLING

CHANGING STYLES

DELIVERY, AND STANCE

Thirty, years ago (writes • "Forehand" in "The Australasian'oHowler» in general just rolled their bowls jackwards. They were advised to kneel oa the mat, place their left hands 'on their left knees if right-hand, bowlers, and deliver with a "through''swing. Their sole object was to draw. the- shot. The remnants of that style in use to-day are the left hand on the leffinee and the through swing. ■'•The -posture'is anathema. The .objective is too joVtricted, and» if - maintained, ....uninteresting. The tyro Of these times wants to begin with Vshots.'i-Steady and continuous it wastes his time. ■■-'■■*-■ ,

.In the details of play the grip comes ■first.-:lit 'is;,not firsts ; iA importance. There probably is greater, difference of opinion as "to■"'the ''best" /grip than about stance, delivery, and green takea together., We. may accept it "that each bowler must decide .for himself .what grip enables him to deliver his bowl most easily and, which is more,important, most, accurately. After-.* all,.;the variations are not marked. The differences are almost all those' of the position "of the. thumb. Thumbs have small range^-not more than one-fourth the perimeter of a. bowl—arid,- strangethough it may seem, lose or, gain little effectiveness by reason of small;change* in. positions. ■ . :

Bowls should be so started on thdir journeys that they will, run true to the correct actions of the propulsive .power Avhich drives them'forward 'and the bias, or weight,-, which;changes their course.. ■ The ? tests^which: decide their fitness for use. :are ithe':best possible proof of this need. They; also shoW clearly'that bowls properly started oa their runs invariably follow the same course and finish' pn the same spot. To deliver: bowls ruprlght^qni their bases should be the bowler's continuous effort.; Stance, grip, and -delivery should each and all be; planned-or adopted as means: touthat endT '] .

Correct delivery having, been mad» possible by the mastery of its; difficulties,, the next matter.fbr consideration; is the means of establishing the line,or ''? green," .b've7 "wblclf bowls are to be/disjiatchear; ...iThis'is a matter of much idiscussJon/There^may be. said to be three schools bfi;honght on ihe sub-' ject." ; t. >The,jfirst. advocates: the selectiba' of. something-; on or" beyond; the bank as an object at which, to play. • The second directs its attention to some niaTk' on the- green. The third laughs at the idea of the other two, but gives no alternative. The- first■ two are actually, bne.j.j The chosen spot; or mark "on the green aji'd the subject on or beyond, the jbank niust be.,in.line with/one^another if both are cbrredt. ;rfavour .ihe spoton the green." "' The' selection vof>a guide such as either-of • thevtwo*>mentionedestablishes a standard by which subsequent deliveries can be made to correct •■' ;the. faults of :Vthoso.-,whieh y preceded; .them. ;;It is more.easy; to"make fin© alterations over or, it either side of A mark/eight feet or ten feet from the mat than, over or beside, a soinething 90 feet.;or 100 feet away. .Furthermore, , delivery over a mark to ensure,a,given line is>~ less-:likely; to .interfere ;:witK str'engjtfi f^ha-d; is the effort-to -bowl-tip to*a. mark."-The third*me~thoa, which is every thing but a method, is; an impossibility ajid ah atsurdity; tThbse/ who ad« ypcaje it state that a 'bowler about■'to* ;detiyef;liis'bbwl 'should ''never take his eye ,-off the jack;''"frThig. equals the motherly ; injunction io_the bby ; who "asks permission" to go. ?^imming.j''yes I myVson,' you.may—but;'don'.trgo .near 'Consider ithe^ dilemma of a man. whoj having: bowled "-. hisr first bqwljtwb feet narrow, does not knowhow :to* remedy that error. ■ It is plain; thatie parinot unless he~knows on what line he delivered his first.. I am sura that, no successful bowler bowls without taking—ri.e., selecting his * 'green.' * Some say. they do but they ha'va not considered analytically what ftheyj do.'V '.' . '. " ' -fi.- ," -.-."' rOne .common, error «in,.relation tt> green or line, is. the, idea'which, many; otherwise :_^w;eU-informed hava that itvaTies|.witii-;the; Jengthsof the ends. "■ ' It 'does riot.' ■ "A^i -in junction; frequently heard from1 skips .is. this;' -"Now! It's a longer'end." -Take mor« green. .. .?' More green is notoneedei Extra strength is. The longer'thaf bowl -runs the wideritisrwhetf at the limit, of its straight course.-., -In that: way, it appears to take more green, and so misleads;]the superficial observer. ■ -, Personal^/..'.:■•:;•;:%.','.•.■:;•? -; ' "': ■'. ■ •. To celebrate Mr. M. 6. V; Iflmock|a seventieth birthday^.the members :ox the Porirua Bowling Club entertained. Mr. "and STrsT Dimoet at" tfie Toriruai Cabaret- on•■ the' evening^of >«Maich 21. In^presenting him, on., behalf ;of th^ Porirna'^Club,. -with^-a%life membersliip-. gold badge/Mr.~HT G.'Mayer, .president^ Now : Zealand Bowling Associatioiij eulogised Mr. Dimock's manjr years' ser*; - vices to bowls, equally>as-an: outstand-'. ing, .player, ,as. , president,,^ , s .Tfiorxdbn": Bowling 'Club, and the Wellington: Bowjing Centre) and'as member: of ths' Dominion ■Council.. -The' Kev^ Mr. Ashworth; and Mr; rF. 'Hassall. <hon; 'secret tary,): also added, their quota of praisr of Mr.- Dimock's invaluable aid to the local "club~* in its early stages; >Mr; Dimock feelingly ieplied; V He appreci•ated^the'honour done him -• by -Mr*' Mayer and the J,orirua".:-'.-.Club... -Miss Jackson, .presented. Mrs,\ simock with, a bouqnet ;of flowefs, with, the club colours,,'royal biue' and'gold, arranged on one side. A^ programme of vocal items, cards', and darjcjng folr lowed. At supper a birthday': cake^" with seventy' : lighted candles, .was pre« sented to the guest of the'evening. •;,

- Mr. S; McHutchison, president of ths Mosman. Bowling Club,, Sydney who.is making --'a, .ttjnr of visited' the Wellington Club on Saturday afternoon and took part in the percerit4g« fours;competition. The Mosmah Club, which has; 150.: or 160 members,, was established thirty.y.ears ago. It bears a high reputation for hospitality and gooclf ellowship." New Zealand; bowlers alwaysreceiye'a; warm welcome at Mosman^ to which Messrs. E. Duthio -and Butcher, former members of the "WelHrigton Club, belongs." .The.lateiMr. A. Veitchj of the ; 'Wellington Club, was also'1 for many years a member' of the Mosman -Club. * ; The. late Mr.. "William McLedd, jpf the. Sydney and Mr. Livingston Hopkins '""('ffiop"); of the;same journal,'Vere' prominent Mosrhan ihembersr It willibe recfljed that Mr: (now Judge) Alec Thofnspn, to*. many, years president of the Mosmarf Club, took part as a skip, in the Dominion annual tournament at Welling^ ton in January,-1929,^and -the. Test' matches, Australia -v.: New. ..Zealand, \s;hich preceded it. . . - - , vlthasbe'en ascertainedtfrom the WelHngtoi Centre that L.^M. Naylor,,of the Lyall Bay Club, has only four, tot fivej centre, championship certificates, to his ; credit, namely, ' championship singles (2), pairs (IV and rinks CO. The fifth certificate "that Naylor holds is for the Dominion *rinlc championship, and:tliat;hbri6uf':does/Jiot'.c'oune in the! centre's award of it's gold medal, which is strictly "eonfinedHo-its'own champion.',; ships. --"■■■ •■ - - -■■■■. _ y

J. M. Brackenridge, of the.Lyall Ba£ Club, is also on a. par with. Naylor, !*▼•,■ ing an equal number of honours-in th# same divisions.