The Bowling Mat (It is more than a mat)

1. Placing the Mat on the Green

• The mat is placed by the team that has won the toss before the game starts.
• The mat must be placed with the front edge of the mat at or past the 2-meter line away from the ditch.
• The mat can be placed up to the twenty-five-meter mark (hog line).
• The jack must be rolled to a minimum of twenty-three meters from the front edge of the mat.​

Here is a short video that demonstrates the placing of the mat

2. Using the Mat to Follow Your Line 

• When you take the mat to bowl, one foot must be on or above the mat until your bowl has been released onto the green.
• Part of the pre-bowling routine focuses on where you place your feet on the mat.
• The Courtenay LBC's coaching team teaches new bowlers the "shooters stance" with the left foot slightly forward (opposite for left-handed bowlers) with both feet, shoulders, and body in the same line you are using to roll your bowl.
• Look down at the mat to see what letters across the top of the mat. Your toes are pointing to. 
• If your bowl is too wide or narrow, then adjust where your toes are pointing.
• Even if you are an experienced bowler, have a look at where you are placing your feet on the mat, and if you find that your bowl is often too wide or too narrow, you might want to try adjusting your feet on the mat.

 3. Using the Mat as an Advantage in the Game

• So, you win the toss at the beginning of the game; you have two choices (remember, it is a decision for the first end only, after this first end, the winner of each end has the mat. It is good to talk with your skip ahead of time to decide which choice to make.
  • Take the mat or
  • Give the mat to your competition 
• Advantages in keeping the mat include:
  • You get to roll the Jack to a length that you are comfortable at, and you have practiced bowling all four of your bowls close to this jack length.
  • If you know your opponents' preferred jack length, you can roll the jack to a length that they may not prefer.
• Advantages of giving away the first mat.
  • It gives you the last bowl of the end (the hammer if you are a curler) an important advantage but for one bowl only. 

4. Using the Mat and the Jack as an Advantage.

• In your practice sessions, learn to roll your four bowls to where you have rolled the Jack. 
• We have recently got into the habit of placing the Jack when practicing (with COVID conditions), but when playing lead or playing singles being able to draw to your own delivered Jack will give you a competitive advantage.
• So, roll that Jack in your practice and bowl two bowls Jack high (level with the jack) and two bowls one foot behind the Jack. 
• Remember that every time you win an end, you get to roll the Jack again.
• With all your jack delivery practicing, you can add or take away three to five meters in length at random so choose a different length for the next Jack delivery, use it to your advantage, and still roll your four bowls to your selected length. The more you practice this, the more your brain will choose the correct length to roll the bowl (and remember to always follow last week's tip on Preshot routine).

Thanks to Pete for providing these tips