Is it the beard?

Mixed Singles Club competition first round this evening. Untypically, feeling rather nervous. It's 0-2 against this opponent, the best lady player at our Club. Only last week she knocked me out of the Over 60s. Format is four bowls each, best of three sets each of seven ends. Important to get a good start.

My jack, played short. Win the first by one. Another three ends and I'm 1-3 down. Pull ahead 4-3 in next two ends. If I can just win the penultimate end that'll put real pressure on my opponent. Drat! It's one to her and all level going into the last end of first set. The head is wide open, neither of us getting particularly close. But it's one to her as well as the first set.

Second set much the same way. After the second end, decide to change things and try playing long. Seems to be working with two single wins to me and 3-2 overall. The next end and I'm in trouble, two down. Play a drive and manage to clip one opposition bowl out and move the jack. Still one down! Two ends to go and 3-3. Lose the last two by singles and the match overall, 0-2 in sets.

Of the fourteen ends played, all but three were won by a single bowl, primarily because neither of us were playing great bowls. I certainly never got more than one bowl really close, if that. Very disappointing. No problem getting a great line. Just too many bowls where the length was out by a yard, short or long.

Reached yet another crisis. Still to win a singles competition match. Thoughts are...

• After losing all three of my County singles matches in the first round, identified my low level crouch style was inhibiting judgement of the right line. Five weeks ago changed from crouch to more standard stand up and step forward style. Logic was the more upright position would give me a better view of the green.
• Certainly improved my judgement of line. Won the Harry Roscow Trophy against my brothers, no mean feat. So heading in the right direction. But now lost three Club singles matches in the first round. Downside of current delivery seems to be difficulty in getting the right length. Maybe that step forward just doesn't provide enough control, particularly on fast greens.

So should I make yet another tweak to my delivery method? After the finish of our match, we sat on the terrace with a drink watching one of our top men bowlers compete in the National Champion of Champions Competition. Our current Men's Four Bowls Champion against the same from Somersham. The winner goes into the quarter-finals. Really close match, 20-20 as they came to the last end. Our man won by one. What caught my attention was the delivery style of the Somersham man. Hybrid between both those I've tried. He crouched, then took a short step forward on delivery. Maybe try that.

Another factor in the mix is the beard. Been growing something aimed to be ultimately magnificent. Maybe it's creating a drag factor as I step forward ~;o) 

Here's this evening's scorecard.