by Lachlan Tighe 30 June 2009 Every bowler, every club, that approaches me on improving bowls performance informs me their typical practice is what is referred to as ‘pairs/ teams’ games. And that may be done for about 90 minutes max.

To me training is structured, as with football or cricket. It is supervised and controlled by the coach, in this case me. And it is regular and scheduled for all to know the times beforehand. It takes up a major portion of your weekly bowls time with the smaller amount given over to competing. Need I remind the reader that our profile footballers play once a week, train four times per week. For me none of this nonsense…I will come training today, and, maybe, might come next week…….forget it.

Here is my typical 2.5 hour training session that I conduct regularly as a minimum all year round:

• Warm up (of bowl deliveries): 10 minutes
• Delivery skill ratings- choose say 2 of the 14: 20 minutes
• Skills – mental & tactical session: 60 minutes
  Use of heads seen in recent games as exercises
• Modified Games: 50 minutes
  Apply the skills from above in designed games
• Finish with FUN: 10 minutes
  Players need to be reminded of the fun from their last session.

After a prolonged period of years coaching, I am now moving to a new and hopefully better approach to my coaching. I am designing each session to have a specific purpose, or theme, while distinguishing between coaching an individual (singles) and coaching squads/ teams. I am fortunate to be able to apply these new approaches later this year as coach with the RVBA Group 13, my Elbows squad, and with Bowls Jersey, UK. And I intend sharing this experience in Queensland with the Sunshine Coast bowls workshop in January.

Here is the list of specific themes for the training sessions for your interest:
COACHING INDIVIDUALS (Singles)

• Alert; arousal
• Confidence; concentration; consistency; composure
• Decisions; distractions;
• Deliveries – draw; add a yard; yard over; firm shot; trail; drives
• Draw – composure; ditch; discipline
• Familiarity, rehearsal
• Game plan
• Imagery
• Maintain, greed; measuring; motivation
• Positivity, belief; push bowls; pressure
• Rituals
• Singles; skill ratings; sensory skill; standards, elite
• Tactical – bowling; defend heads; games
• Team spirit; TID; touch; toughness
• Visualization
• Weight – composure; discipline;
• winning - under pressure; with drives

COACHING SQUADS (teams)
Naturally these bowlers in teams would do sessions from above too, however these few below are geared specifically to the team formats and playing positions

• back end - thirds - skips
• front end - leads - seconds
• pairs - triples - fours/ rink
• TID - team spirit - game plans
• Large groups.

On that basis I have devised over 50 thematic, or specific purpose, programs above of 2.5 hours per session. At worse, that means I could survive a year without having to repeat any one session. Who says we cannot have variety in our training. However these programs are now there to reinforce solutions to all the issues and concerns ye olde bowlers have.

Hope there are other bowls coaches doing weird and wonderful things, if so feel free to share with me as it is the bowlers who we coach who will benefit. Any bowler prepared to work at all these themes (which are tactical and mental skills) in my mind deservedly will be, or become, an elite bowler.

Incidentally on the www.henselite.com.au website for July I have written my view on what …attributes I want from a bowler if they are to aspire to success as elite bowlers.

enjoy
Lachlan Tighe.