Modified Forms of Training
i)
Golf
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The purpose of this game is to practice different skills.
The green is set up as a 9-hole golf course with par 3’s, 4’s & 5’s. It is not
necessary to stick to the rinks, although you could use the rinks as
fairways and set up a 6-hole course.
Use flags (or an available marker) as the hole (jack) and set the mat at
different places for each tee (i.e. not all at the 2m mark in the centre of the
rink).
Figure 1
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ii)
Random Golf Set-up
Par for each hole will depend on the difficulty of the skill required.
Scoring can be in many different ways, for example: Within 5cm of the flag
= eagle (i.e. par – 2); within 20cm of the flag = birder (i.e. par – 1); within
50cm = par; within 1m = 1 over par; add 1 for each additional metre away.
You need to decide how many bowls each player is allowed to play per
hole, with the most successful bowl used to score.
The player with the LOWEST score wins.
Aussie Rules Football
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The purpose of this game is to practice weighted shots. It could be a full
drive (the bowl must reach the ditch) or a medium drive (the bowl must
stay on the green).
This may be played with a team of pairs, trips or fours.
4 markers are place on the green in a slight semi-circle, a certain distance
apart (e.g. 25cm), depending on the skill level of the participants.
Leads start with the mat on the centre line and the mat is moved sideways
by the width of the mat for every successive player in the team.
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Modified Forms of Training
Figure 2
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iii)
Aussie Rules Rink Set-up
The aim of the game is get the bowl through the two centre bowls to score
a goal (6 points). If the bowl goes between the outer markers, or hits a
marker, goal post, 1 point is awarded. If a player misses the target
altogether, that is out on the full and a free bowl is awarded to the
opposition.
The team with the highest score wins.
Duck shoot
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The purpose of this is to practice a particular skill.
4 or more bowls are set up 1 bowl-width apart in a slight semi-circle.
Figure 3
Duck-Shoot Green Set-up
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Modified Forms of Training
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iv)
Attack & Defend
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v)
Each duck needs to be shot, preferably in a particular order.
The player with the biggest bag wins.
The shooting could be drawing to or hitting the target, depending on what
skill the players need to practice!
The purpose of this game is to practice the drive and draw.
A jack is placed at minimum distance to start, but thereafter at any
distance.
Once the first team has drawn a shot close to the jack (within 10cm), the
other team must get the jack into the ditch before being able to score.
An attacking bowl that does not reach the ditch, or goes into the ditch
without trailing the jack is removed, even if it touched the jack.
Once the jack is in the ditch, both teams draw for the shot.
Snooker
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The purpose of this game is for a team to practice trailing the jack – the
team could be pairs, trips or fours.
A set of 10 balls (9 red and 1 black), the approximate size and weight of a
jack, are used as targets to be trailed into the ditch. As many clubs have
both white and yellow jacks available, these could be used instead of red
and black balls).
To start, the balls are set up in a triangle in the centre of the rink, with the
black ball in the centre of the triangle, and the base of the triangle on the
2m mark.
Figure 4
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Snooker Rink Set-up
The aim of the lead is to break the pack open, to spread the target balls so
that they can be selectively trailed into the ditch.
Each subsequent player (or the skip) must select a particular target ball to
trail to the ditch, without losing the bowl in the ditch or out of bounds.
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Modified Forms of Training
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vi)
Each red ball trailed to the ditch is left there, but if it goes out of bounds, it
is put on the bank (dead).
Each time the black ball is trailed into the ditch, it is re-spotted on the 2m
mark, while there are still red balls on the green.
Each bowl is removed from the rink once is comes to rest.
The length is varied by moving the position of the mat. Moving the mat
sideways after each player has played their bowls, also adds to the level of
difficulty.
Scoring: Ditched red ball = 3 points; ditched black ball = 5 points; black
ball out of bounds = -5 points; own bowl short = -3 points; own bowl
ditched = -1; each un-played bowl (i.e. all balls have been trailed) = 1point.
Snakes & Ladders
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Use points scored per end to move the team’s marker on a Snakes &
Ladders board adapted for use on the bank.
Teams need to figure out the number of shots they need in order to
progress appropriately and inhibit the progression of the opposing team.
References:
Dixie, C. H. (2009) Modified Formats of Bowls Games, Bowls SA: National Standing
Committee for Coaching.
Dickson, R. (2006) They can all be played on the green., Queensland Bowls Association,
Australia. (per kind favour of M Smith)
Van den Berg, M. (2010) Snakes & Ladders, Personal communication.
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