Tactical practise

Got the green all to myself this evening. Down for a solo practise. Main aim is to play plenty of short jacks. Got a Men's 4 Bowls quarter-final coming up against an A Team player and former Champion. Knocked him out of the competition in 2015 in a close match. Can I do it again?

Been studying his style. Noticed he's got a very long backswing and follow through. Wonder how he'd control that exaggerated swing when playing very short ends. Might he lose some control? Worth preparing for.

Have a standard eighteen ends solo session first, alternating between very long and standard length jacks. Pretty average outcome, 50% of bowls within a yard. Expected better. Most definitely get closer on very long ends.

Finish by playing four short jack ends with the mat in its normal position, then four with the mat moved right up the green and the jack near the far ditch. I'm also using two jacks to practise rolling into the right position. The slightest flick of the wrist is all that's required to get the right length.

Pleasantly surprised at the result. 78% of bowls within a yard, 45% within two feet. One in four right up to the jack. Many players have problems getting line and length on very short jacks. If I could alternate very long and very short jacks, what a weapon that could be!

One useful objective comes from the session. Proved my theory about the position of the mat on very short jacks. In its standard position two metres from the ditch, the line is exactly the same as for any other length of jack. But with the mat moved right up the green, the line has to narrow. With the mat positioned as far as it can go, the line is narrowed by a third.

Here's the updated chart on the solo practices.