Thanks for joining me today everyone. I know it's probably an early hour for some but truthfully I never know what level of hispeed I'm going to have here in the boonies! Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

Thank you so much for these videos. I’m a player of 28 years, and lately I just feel my consistency has been very poor and I am trying to adjust multiple things every time I play (so you can imagine how that’s working for me!). I am gaining so much insight from these sessions, and suddenly I’m understanding what faults have crept in and the effect they have on my play. It’s the first time I’ve watched coaching videos that I just feel I relate to so much. Great work, much appreciated!

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

Glad they can help. I’m all for simplifying the game and really think that too many bowlers spend too much time overthinking everything. I hope the next 3 videos will really help as well. To me it’s all about taking extraneous movements out of the game. I also love the game of golf and after hacking around as a kid, then some time off, I came back some time ago. Due to some issues with sciatica and some separated ribs I’ve had to change swings a number of times. Have been through Stack & Tilt and that helped with the sciatica and ribs, but there were still issues with rotation. Middle of last summer I had to try something else and like you with these videos, I found some on Moe Norman’s One plane swing - yup - another very simple movement without a lot of swing plane adjustments. Within a month I was playing again without pain, and in fact, driving it further and hitting irons straighter than I think I’ve hit them. By early autumn I was back to playing to a 5 Hdcp - but more importantly I was pain free and playing with a consistency that I have never experienced before. I’m hoping this videos will be able to help bowlers enjoy their game just as well.

I have joined a bowling club for the first time, and, as a retired teacher, I am really enjoying your videos. I am learning a lot, and I get where you are going with each lesson because I play golf and darts! LOL! Thanks for the inspiration. Hopefully your tips will help me do well in a couple of days when I go out for the first time! Cheers!

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the vids… and congrat’s on joining a great game! I got my first outdoor swings of the year in tonight before supper - sure beats nicking the ceiling tiles in my ‘studio’ 😆 As a teacher I always tried to bring in relevant, and sometimes not so apparently relevant examples to help students make connections. With bowls, I’ve found the easiest way to make connections is relating to other sports that bowlers have played. All the best! Dan

Recently turned 37 and have been on the green 6 times. I have joined a club and will be competing. Glad I found these videos before creating bad habits.

@TheDeliveryDoctor

Жыл бұрын

🤣 Trust me - you can still get into some bad habits, no matter how hard you try not to. It's the constant tweaking, like the constant struggle in golf to get 'just a few more yards' that get us into trouble. In bowls, we tend to do the same thing. What helps, however, is having a solid foundation that you can return to.

@goldennuggetinfo8468

Жыл бұрын

@@TheDeliveryDoctor 😂 thank you, I’ll keep that in mind :)

So simple, thanks

@TheDeliveryDoctor

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Ian - and yup - simple is the key. In many sports, or anything actually. People get stuck - or locked - when they overthink things.

I,m a new player of Crown Green Bowling, thanks for this , I, m having a big problem with my delivery, getting the line right and length wrong or visa versa. I,ll be giving your lessons a try very soon.

@TheDeliveryDoctor

11 ай бұрын

I’ll be eager to hear how you make out! If you have any questions drop in the comments with the video they apply to and I’ll be glad to assist. Btw, I’m willing to bet some of your crown greens are flatter than some of our outside rinks here in Canada! 😂

@Upemm

11 ай бұрын

@@TheDeliveryDoctor I,ll let you know know how it goes, but if anyone had said to me 30 years ago “ Hey you will be playing bowls in the rain on a Saturday afternoon “ I would have done more than laughed at them😂

@TheDeliveryDoctor

11 ай бұрын

@@Upemm 😂 so true. Although just over 40 years ago I played the last game of the season, a Mixed Triples tournament, last half of the game in a blizzard! They offered us the chance to stop with 4 or 5 ends to go, but we said “when will we get the chance to play in snow again?” and we had a ball! Bowls were picking up the wet snow as they rolled along, leaving discernible trails in their wake. Tournament was in later October, and was appropriately called The Snowbird. Played with my dad and sister, and while we won, it was more because of the playing conditions than the victory that I remember that day!

Thanks for the video's, fantastic learning, do you have anything on finding the correct line please.

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Coby. I’ll be doing more videos including a wee series on finding the line. So many variables come into play with finding the line that a written description isn’t all that possible. Variables include: delivery method, model of bowl, release point, wobble/no wobble, handedness, greens pace and maintenance, location of stance on the mat, mat length, jack distance, and the proverbial more - much more! Sounds like I should get on this one sooner than later, eh! In the meantime, I’m a huge advocate for lining up the bowl to your point of aim (during pre-stance) and holding the follow through so you can use that information to make informed modifications to your line.

I hope to set up a place to practice lawn bowls at home. Well at least everything up until the release and follow through. I notice in your series of videos, you bowl a bowl and it returns to your foot. Are you able to share how this is done? Kind regards

@TheDeliveryDoctor

Жыл бұрын

Hi Dadministrator! I can, and I will... its one of the video shorts I will be doing soon, but in a nutshell I used some very high quality upholstery foam. It works very well with the draw shots - and yes, I have tested it with full blown drives - and survived! 🤪 More on this in one of the tools of the trade videos coming soon!

Hi I am from South Africa, I would like your comment re people whose knee (anchor foot leg) goes behind the knee of the stepping leg, mainly balance and also possible knee/hip injury?

@TheDeliveryDoctor

Жыл бұрын

Hi Susan… good question indeed! The knee behind the knee is an interesting one for sure. Having bowled for 55 years now I have, myself, gone through several delivery styles - some in emulation of other top bowlers - some from personal experimentation. If I look back at my earlier days I probably exhibit some of this knee behind the knee posture. Other bowlers noticed this, and the slight ‘so-called’ twist of my hand on the backswing. I probably have a bit of the latter still in my delivery - and who knows - maybe even the former. However - and this is the key point - I didn’t, and don’t, do either one of them on purpose. They just happened naturally. Having said that there are a lot of things that happened more naturally 30 years ago that just don’t, or can’t, now. I’d suggest that most of the knee-tuckers you see now don’t do it on purpose either - and will probably lose the tuck as they age. Our bodies just don’t bend the same way and won’t allow the tuck to occur without some effort - an effort not worth doing, imo, as it is no longer natural. Having played numerous sports and basically blown out my knees as a competitive distance runner and as an adequate ice hockey player I certainly don’t bend as well as I did decades ago. Just sitting here thinking about the knee tuck I can visualize, and actually feel, where continuing this delivery as we age could indeed lead to some discomfort, and perhaps even injury to the knees or hips. It is one of the reasons that, over the last couple of decades, the search has been on to develop a delivery sequence that can be used by the widest demographic of bowlers possible - without needing to be a contortionist and thereby causing undo pain. My delivery sequence is a starting point. When bowlers come to me for help I always look at what they come with and try and help them develop a sequence that, while following the principles I outline in this series, will fit both their body types, fitness levels, and take into account any previous or ongoing injuries they might have. I will be producing some specific videos this winter (your summer 😆) that I hope will address the questions that you and others here have posed! Keep them coming! 😊

in your 1st video (the grip), you mentioned about holding onto the bowl and that it will be in the next video. I haven't been able to find any part in it which addresses holding the bowl when you are delivering it. can you help with this?

@TheDeliveryDoctor

Жыл бұрын

Hi. I’m not sure I understand completely what you are asking here but will do my best to explain based on my best guess. The Grip video demonstrates a relaxed grip that can be maintained throughout the draw delivery. It is based on the bowl settling into the fingertips, with little contact with the ‘meaty’ parts of our hands - like the palm. Using this relaxed grip will help you avoid over-gripping or strangling the bowl, and thereby provide you with a smoother release as the bowls rolls off your fingertips. Over-gripping, and/or palming the bowl can be the root cause of many wayward bowls. So, essentially, once you begin your delivery sequence nothing changes in how you are ‘gripping’ the bowl. Dropping the bowl should never be an issue with this delivery sequence unless you are playing with an over-sized bowl for your hand. In the No-Backswing Backswing video I demonstrate all the backswing that is necessary - a consistent motion I call the ‘gravity drop’ - a repeatable motion that keeps your body aligned with your point of aim. Hope this helps! Dan

@goddard1960

Жыл бұрын

@@TheDeliveryDoctor thank you Dan, I understand now.

How do you get more length I have this problem

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Jean Distance control is something that many bowlers struggle with initially. In video #5, Forward Ho, I give the abbreviated demonstration of how I adjust length. Without knowing whether you deliver long or short of your intended target, or what you use as your point of aim, would be difficult to give a brief suggestion as to how you can improve your own distance control. However in a video 5 I show how delivery it your bowl to a specific point along the line you have chosen gives you the reference you can use to make adjustments. This becomes the constant from which you can develop consistency. If you follow this concept of picking a spot along the line and then choosing Points further along or shorter than that initial point you should see immediate results. I do full sessions on this - again, hard to explain in text with any brevity. Start with shorter distances - and make use of small visual items (ie dollar store mini pilons) as your distance points. Your goal would then be to get your bowl along that line to the pilon, and notice that it is the manufacturer’s job to take the bowl the rest of the way. Set up half a dozen such pilons and see what a difference it will make. Visualization is a huge part of improving one’s skills - and is especially important in Bowls.

What do you mean - spot on the mat ? I’m looking up at my aiming point not down at the ground Thanks

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

As it should be… your focus should be on your aiming point. Good question. In the video however I am saying your alignment should be with the bowl,and not the foot, as most bowlers erroneously do. If we align our bowls side foot (ie right foot for a right hander) then the bowl will be travelling outside in towards the aiming point. I showed that with the two white golf shafts. I use lasers to demonstrate this normally but didn’t think it necessary, or advisable, while using video straight on. The point of standing a metre behind the mat is so that you can alignment your bowl with the aiming point. I recommend then aligning the bowl with a spot at the top of the mat, so that when you step toward, and on the mat your bowl will be aligned with the correct line (not your foot). After that, yes, definitely your eye focus will be the target, which should be your aiming point. The same applies in curling where the broom’s the target. I get a kick out of curlers who take their eyes off of the broom. Why do they do that? Dunno, maybe so they can see if their hand is still on the rock? 🤷

What will be the foot position for forehand and backhand on mat do you use the center of mat ?

@TheDeliveryDoctor

Жыл бұрын

Hi Ferdinand: As demonstrated in my pre-stance and Stance videos I line the bowl up with the point of aim. As long as the foot (or nowadays a part of it) is on or above the mat at stance and delivery then that is all that matters. I don’t promote l taking a stance by positioning the foot on the mat first. I do however use the entire mat to advantage. Here in Canada we have many greens that are very swingy on one side and rather tight on the other. You will achieve more success by understanding angles and where you line your bowl through the point of aim in your pre-stance. Bowlers who take the same position on the mat will not fare well on greens that are dodgy. I’ll try and get a video done on this aspect of “moving around the mat to your advantage” soon. Visuals are so much better!

This anchoring is ideal for older people with poor knees and hips? Its all very well saying done set the knee, but it helps with balance. Maybe I could politely challenge you to show us all a stance for older people, 65+ with doggy hips and knees without any wobble Doc?

@TheDeliveryDoctor

6 ай бұрын

Hi Richard… my comment about the knee is primarily that if we put most of our weight on the forward leg/knee and our intent is to still move forward with that same leg (as a stepping motion) it will mean having to un-anchor ourselves from our initial stance in such a way that it may throw the rest of our body out of alignment (in a parallax sort of way). I’ve enjoyed our conversation online as it has helped me understand where you’ve been, where you’re at, and where you’d like to get (back) to. Looking forward to checking in with you in the new year! Cheers, Dan

Sometimes I’m too short by 2 or 3 yards something I must be doing wrong in the delivery or the stance

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 ай бұрын

Possibly nothing wrong with your stance or delivery… quick question would be - where are you looking when you are bowling ie what is your focal point. This could vary anywhere between: - a point on the bank - the skips foot - the bend point of path of your bowl - a spot between 3/5 and 2/3 of the way up the path of the bowl - a spot on the path of the bowl but somewhat closer to you than the bend point of the bowl I’m not an advocate of either of the first two, and will rather work with bowlers who use either of the later 3 focal points. I’ll try and get a video our sooner than later on tips for controlling and adjusting distances, but making slight changes to focal points 3 through 5 should, with practice, provide you with what you need to make even small length adjustments. There are other reasons for coming up short, but without seeing one’s delivery it is difficult to determine the exact root cause of delivering bowls short of intended distance. - too low a stance - lack of focus - trying to be too precise (yes, this can be a problem), which often leads to short, not long bowls - height at which one stands - lack of purposeful practice

@Tonysnookerfan31

2 ай бұрын

@@TheDeliveryDoctor I have ADHD sometimes it’s hard to concentrate sometimes plus Im left handed I find sometimes on my backhand arm doesn’t delivery straight sometimes it swings out sometimes it’s annoying how can I stop my arm doing that?

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 ай бұрын

@@Tonysnookerfan31 hi Tony. Concentration is an often overworked piece of advice. Some ‘experienced’ bowlers tell new (and older bowlers alike) that they have to concentrate more. In fact I suggest they concentrate less. Case in point. I have played games at the international level that have lasted over fours hours, followed by an abbreviated 15 minute lunch, followed by another 4+ hour game. I defy anyone to tell me they concentrated for all 8.5 hours. I believe you need only concentrate from the time you pick up your bowl to the time you deliver it… basically the length of time of the delivery sequence I demonstrate here. So, maybe 3 to 5 seconds. Sure I have to know what the shot is that I will be playing, but the true concentration comes with determination of the two essential ingredients for success in bowls - line and length! The rest of the time - try and relax and have some fun! It will make you better prepared for your brief moments of concentration. As per your question of the backhand divergence - would really need to see your delivery but, in the videos I advocate staying down long enough in your follow through (all it takes is a couple of seconds) to verify you have delivered your bowl on the intended path, and that your follow through (palm up) is in line with your bowl in transit and your point of aim? Have you tried repeating your delivery action in front of a mirror (without a bowl 😬). Put a post it on the mirror, using it as your point of aim, then repeat your delivery sequence until you have successfully finished with your hand, palm up, in line with the post it note. This would represent your ‘perfect’ delivery - something your muscle memory will eventually be able to take to the green.

@Tonysnookerfan31

2 ай бұрын

@@TheDeliveryDoctorI think because I’m short sometimes mostly because I get up tad abit quick while I’m delivering people say I’ve got a good delivery :) I’ve got Hensilitte tiger 🐅 bowls size 3H mega grip :)

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 ай бұрын

@@Tonysnookerfan31 that’s a good sign that people comment positively on your delivery! I’m not exactly a giant myself 😆 and notwithstanding numerous sports injuries, have been able to maintain a repeatable, reliable delivery over 55 years in the game. Follow through has always been a forte - and goes a long way to keeping concentration just long enough to both play the shot, and self-evaluate the execution of the shot, whether it be a good shot or… not so good!

I've watched your videos for many years but the last 3 of this series you seem to be going over the same thing's and talking to much taking to much time getting to the point

@TheDeliveryDoctor

Жыл бұрын

All but one of the videos are about one year old - not sure which ones you’ve been watching before. The oldest one was The Grip - about 7 years ago.