I just love your blogs! I only took up the game of bowls last year! I was not very good with my delivery, the odd one hut the Jack, but I couldn't repeat it! Now after watching your blogs I am more consistent and enjoying the game more! Thank you so much in helping me (and others) in becoming aware in what one is doing when stepping off the mat!

A brilliant set of coaching ,I wish I could be coached like this to improve.

Hello, I like your instructions. Here in Australia we play fastish greens and synthetics. You are what I would call an arm swinger, you seem to be pretty settled before you swing your arm, so most power is coming from your arms. I have great difficulty on short ends on fast greens. Many thanks.

@TheDeliveryDoctor

6 ай бұрын

Indeed, most of your greens are much faster than ours here in Canada. In 1995 I played in the inaugural Mazda Pacific Games at Tweed Heads. We also played Mermaid Beach and Koolongatta. All we’re running in the 16 to 17 second range - absolutely the best greens I have had the privilege of playing on. My delivery motion has fewer moving parts than many on our northern hemisphere greens, and adjustments may have to be made of one is to be successful. On faster greens, or even when playing short mat, which is a similar pace per metre to many of your faster greens I would adapt by bending keens more and starting the bowl at a lower angle. The delivery would still be started with a ‘gravity drop’ but because the bowl starts lower to the ground and is less parallel to the ground it would consequently come out with less force/pace. I should probably do a series showing modifications that can be made for different playing conditions. Btw… I am envious of the greens that you get to play! 😊

Thanks this has helped alot 😊

Thanks Dan for a great series of instruction. Two points I have. Do you actually recommend that your right knee touches down on the green? Many top class bowlers videos I have watched don’t get down this far. My other point I wanted to raise is with aiming point. Having established the aiming point, which may be on the bank or the break point where the bias takes effect, what is the last point on the green that you look at when actually delivering the bowl. Making the analogy with driving a golf ball I feel most comfortable when I pick a spot only a short distance away on the green rather than looking into the distance when delivering. Thanks again

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words, Peter! 😂 I’ve had this delivery for quite a few years… and, like the point I made regarding the length of stride not being on purpose, rather a byproduct of my forward motion itself, so too is the observation that my knee touches the ground - just a byproduct of my own delivery - often based on how flexible I am that day. I have suffered from sciatica and overly tight hammies over the years. A couple of years back I had to make an adjustment during a game so I could finish (overly tight hammies). In the follow through video you’ll see a quick reference (about the point whereby circle the palm up) to how low you actually get not being all that important as long as you complete your follow through (desirable, but not essential). This will be a topic for another video, where I compare my own delivery and the modifications that can be made for different degrees of flexibility and body shapes that just won’t allow one to get down to ground level. I’ll make a 2nd post for your 2nd question 😊

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

Back again, Peter on your 2nd question. This too will be the topic for another video… and one that I’ll have to wait until it stops snowing to actually capture properly. I do complete coaching sessions on weight adjustment. I’m willing to bet that very few bowlers actually have anything other than a by guess and by golly method for adjusting their length. In a nutshell - I never use a bank or an object in the background - and there are many reasons why not… a fully video topic there. Overall though bank bowling gets thrown out the window as soon as you move the mat up the green - angles change! Good analogy with golf, and the reason I included it in my videos. It’s good to pick a target in the distance but club alignment is usually always to a spot just in front of the ball. Todd Graves, who teaches Moe Norman’s One Plane Swing has some very good videos on alignment - most of which can be transferred to our bowls methods of delivery. I tend to try and train people to visualize the arc of the bowl and determine where the bowl actually starts to do some real bending. It’s the reason I really like the Ace. I think it has the most even arc of any bowl by any manufacturer, making it so much easier to visualize the path we want to take. Most bowls on our Canadian greens will begging to arc about 3/5 to 2/3 of the way up the green. Although it’s not a true straight line to that point it does give us a point of reference for weight - thus my contention that my only job is to get the bowl to that point and let Taylor take care of the bendy part. In golf, I prefer long putts - ones that have some arc to them. As with bowls I try to pick a spot where I think the golf ball is going to start to bend and then my job is to get the golf ball to that point and let the natural lay of the land take over from there. As golfers know, if we hit the ball through the break point it will also, affect our line and we will undoubtedly miss our putt. Alley bowlers have a tendency, when they come to lawn bowls, to spot bowl. Just a habit I guess. The only time I bring the aiming point closer to me is when I am playing on faster greens, and even then the concept is the same. Pick your line of aim and adjust your aiming point according to where it’s your job to get the “straight part” done. It may sound different but I have had some wonderfully revealing coaching experiences that (yup) I’ll include in a follow up video.

I do enjoy your video's very much, but would only say older people do tend to have balance issues. So the step forward and down can cause us to wobble, and not deliver the bowl as you would?

@TheDeliveryDoctor

10 ай бұрын

Agree completely, and it’s why I have an adaptation to the delivery I show in the series. There is still an element of forward to the adaptive delivery, but not nearly so much down - which, agreeably is the main issue. With the adaptation, the bowl is still delivered smoothly and close to the running surface so that no damage is done to the greens. I’ll try and post the video sooner than later - I hope!

Hi Dan, I wanted to ask you about weight transfer. When you are on the mat for a right hand bowler, most of your weight is on the right foot, correct? As you move forward and take the step, how much percentage wise does your weight transfer to the left foot? Thank you.

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Raymond: Good Question! As I mentioned in the Stance video the weight I like to see on the "delivery side" (right side for a right handed bowler) is about 90% at the Stance. The more even the weight between sides the more weight transfer has to occur during the forward movement, which is why I don't believe in a 50/50 weight distribution - that's ok for some other sports that required balance for stability (ie football, wrestling etc). The example I tried to use was by demonstrating parallax. Back in the late 80's when we were starting to piece together the Level 3 Coaching manual our National Team visited a Kinesiologist, Dr. Tom Duck, at York University and he put us on a weight shift board. It showed us exactly how much transfer some of the athletes had and how it would affect our line of sight - ie point of aim. So, from then on I have been an advocate of the 90% to start - meaning there is little weight shift that needs to occur during the forward movement. The amount that the weight actually shifts to the left foot will vary upon the type of shot or distance you will be playing. As you might be able to see in today's video my weight at the end of a long bowl delivery will be further forward. For a drive it will be almost completely on the left foot. Therefore, the weight at stance is something we can control (90% give or take a few). The weight at finish is completely determined by the shot we are playing. Keep in mind even though there is a weight shift from right to left foot, the weight shift is forward along the line - towards your point of aim. There is very little to no zigzagging going on during the forward movement with this method. All straight forward!

👍🏼❤️

Hi Dan - videos are very helpful - but I have a problem - can you help please? it's with achieving distance (and I've watched the videos but can't fully comply). I've won a few club trophies so I'm doing well but want to do better! I'm an elderly lady bowling with size 00 bowls. I have 2 replacement knees so can only bend knees part way. I have a back condition so have been using a fixed stance although trying to do an occasional step forward. Any suggestions on distance please with these challenges? thankyou. Pat from UK

@TheDeliveryDoctor

Жыл бұрын

Hi Pat - I understand completely about knee/back/hip issues etc and how they can affect the delivery. I take on the odd fight with sciatica and, yup, it makes my normal delivery more than a bit difficult. I have had a few bowlers come by recently who have had the same issues as what you describe, and not being able to get down the way they used to. Without seeing your actual delivery it makes it difficult to suggest an immediate solution, however I have worked with enough bowlers, and using my own sciatic/hamstring issues as a guide, I have developed a modification to the delivery sequence I show in these videos that will still allow bowlers with the knee/back/hip problems to delivery a smooth bowl without having to go Best way to show this is through another video - which based on recent coaching sessions with bowlers who have visited me - should be the next one up in a follow up series. Essentially, with the modification I will show, very little changes with the delivery sequence itself, however I will show how to change the angle of the body (at stance) without changing the other components of the sequence itself. I am upgrading my coaching studio equipment and will soon be able to offer some live-streamed sessions for Q&A about the delivery! In the meantime I’ll try and get a quick video put together based on the modification I am suggesting and post asap. It’s so much easier to demonstrate than to explain!

@paty269

Жыл бұрын

@@TheDeliveryDoctor Thank you Dan - I eagerly look forward to seeing tips and suggestions on your new video. your videos have been most helpful. I've mixed and matched various online suggestions - trying to find those which helped me most. With my challenges I adopted 'the shooter stance' which I found online with Nev Rodda which has enabled me to be very accurate to compensate other limitations. although a more or less fixed stance, this starts with my weight d firmly on the right leg and balanced and I can rock forward transferring weight to the left leg whilst being able to bend my knee about half way down (my max). However, as I find it difficult to step forward I'm sometimes lacking momentum for distance and sometimes tend to flick the bowl by overcompensating with my arm. Nevertheless - I've reached two more club finals in September (possibly a third) - so thank you for all your help - it's most appreciated :-) loving bowls!! Pat from UK

hi dan, i have had a right knee replacement, any tips for the 'forward ho' to minimise pressure

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

Hi mrshortandy… hope your knee replacement has provided you with the mobility you were expecting. I’ve heard of so many people who had had knee and hip replacements that have changed their life for the better after years of pain. Nothing we do in any sport or activity should ever cause pain, and if delivering a bowl using any specific delivery method causes pain then it’s time to modify that the least offensive delivery to alleviate that pain. I suspect you are right handed, and if so I can suggest a solution that would require less bend and therefore less stress on the knee(s). However this is better done with visuals, so I’ll try and post a video showing what I teach for those with knee/hip problems or replacements. Many aspects of my delivery method will be the same however there are some basic principals I adapt for those with not only knee or hip issues but those who cannot clear their hips either. I’ll try and get on that video soon as it’s one that can help a great number of bowlers. The method is also appreciated by greenskeepers as it allows those who tend to dump their bowl to deliver a much smoother bowl. If all else fails I unashamedly recommend watching my Ubi_Launcher series and see if our bowls delivery aid might be a solution.

I noticed your knee touches the ground. Do you have any thoughts on that ?

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Andrew - please see my response in Video 04

I just like your easy action but for people like myself who can't get that low because of an old back injury it becomes some what difficult to do this action.

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 ай бұрын

I understand completely… however there are times when my ‘runners’ knees, baseball hammies, and/or sciatic back act up and I don’t look anything like my videos either. I do have a modification I use in those cases, allowing me to deliver a smooth bowl with the same delivery sequence - the only difference being I don’t get nearly as low. … hope to get by a busy part of our biz and have the video available by the end of the month.

Do you mean that from the video I'm supposed to be able to see how far down the green you are looking? are you leaving weight to your subconscious?

@TheDeliveryDoctor

Жыл бұрын

From a technical standpoint Bowls is a game of line and length. Determining weight is about feel, not mechanics. Picking a PoA (point of aim - usually the break point) then delivering that bowl to that point is the bowlers job. The bendy part after the bowl reaches the PoA is the manufacturers job. I teach bowlers to adjust their weight according to the speed of the green. On faster greens I bring where I’m looking closer to me , yet still along the line the the PoA. And, no, no video will ever show where you are looking - not until AR glasses allow it to be so, anyway - but even in a small studio I show how the distance you look along your line will determine, coincidentally how long your stride might be. The stride is not lengthened on purpose - it happens naturally - no forced movements.

Disabled, I have to deliver fixed stance .. have to say using only arm strength is painful especially on English greens in May ..!!

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

Without knowing which fixed stance you deliver from I can still agree that bowling can be a challenge on lush greens! One thing I have found with some versions of fixed stance is that a right hander will lean too heavily on their left knee with their left hand, making the ‘swing’ only a product of arm strength. If this is the fixed stance you are using, try a lighter touch with your left hand so you are not anchored to your left leg. This may help as it could allow you a bit of a rocking motion while maintaining a fixed stance that you require - and giving you at least a bit of forward drive from your body too (the Ouch the rocking forward motion). Keep everything within balance and you should be ok. I also have a video series here on the Ubi_Launcher we developed over 8 years ago. It has kept many bowlers in the game long after they could no longer bowl from a more traditional stance. Hope the greens get quicker for you soon. Cheers!

@BassGoBomb

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDeliveryDoctor Thank you. Firstly I am qualified Coach of decades (about 30yrs), secondly, I find your videos very good, thirdly, your reply is consistant with that. I have left knee damage and no quadracp muscle in the left thigh .. so I ensure balance with having my feet apart a sensible amount both across the body and in taking a half step forward ... As you so correctly say, from here I can employ some body movement (as costly as it is in pain etc.,) but it does allow some 'feel' for weight and reduces the dependency on the arm movement. Having lived with this problem for a 20yrs or so .. your reply was very insightful .. :-) .. It wasn't supposed to have been a test btw .. Thingy forbid ...

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

@@BassGoBomb pain is a horrible thing to deal with when we’re talking athletics of any type. It’s really why we developed the Ubi_Launcher - to allow bowlers to continue, start, or come back to this great game of ours. I also golf and proudly got myself down to a 5 hcp, however 20 years ago I separated two ribs ripping a wedge out of tall, thick fescue during a match. They have never healed properly, even after it took the third chiro to diagnose the issue. I am now on my 4th chiro, and she is brilliant. I also use foam rollers and a WholeBodyVibration machine to keep me playing. Last year my wrist tendinitis also flared up (yeah, I’m paying for my early years of sports, sports, sports). Instead of quitting for the year, I decided to have a go at a less stressful (ie. fewer moving parts) swing and after some experimentation and hundreds of viewings of videos here on KZread decided to stick with one teacher of Moe Norman’s one plane swing. I am now golfing, with a completely different swing than I’ve ever played with, back to a 5 hcp. For any golfers who are interested, the teacher I chose was Todd Graves here on KZread. I believe Todd to be the best at explaining this incredibly easy golf swing. I’m hitting further and more accurately than I was with either the traditional golf swing, or the Stack & Tilt that I studied and used for a decade during the worst of my rib problems. Knee injuries are tough ones to deal with for bowlers, especially those who pride themselves in getting low to the ground and delivering smooth bowls. I used to run distance and had to stop when I blew my own knees out. Runners High is something I miss even to this day! Occasionally they also flare up and I have to adjust my stance to lessen any further pain or damage. This requires a stance adjustment (yes, another video forthcoming) that I also use for those who cannot naturally clear their hips, or are having knee, hip, or other issues that are not allowing them to release the bowl smoothly (ie without dumping). Btw, I appreciate your input and responses 👍🏻👍🏻 And, 😂 glad I passed your non-test-test.

@BassGoBomb

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDeliveryDoctor Thanks again. It was not until I came to answer you and give more details about my circumstances that I though it may be considered at test .. Horrified as i was .. I wouldn't 'test' any one in those circumstances .. underhand etc., My not now new fixed stance deivery ahs enabled me to win my claub singles, play for my county and to on to play in what we call Home Counties games. Last year I returned to my original indoor club, after 30yrs, in which I lost in the final all that time ago and achieved the Semi .. which I am really pleased with .. so no real complaints I am here enjoying life and my bowls .. :-)

@TheDeliveryDoctor

2 жыл бұрын

@@BassGoBomb “enjoying the game” - that’s what it’s all about! I’ve played a lot of sports and been ok at most - when it gets to the point of not being fun anymore I move on to something else. Bowled for 54 years - from club to Commonwealth Games - fun all round and still going, although the pandemic has put a damper on most things for our family.