Mats and floors
The following was published on the Herefordshire SMBA and we make no apologies for replicating it here.
Part of the skill of the game is due to the fact that each mat in each venue will have its own characteristics and peculiarities which need to be identified and overcome by players. Different mats can be faster or slower than others as a result of the texture and age of the mat and the speed is also influenced by the surface it is laid on. The underlying surface will also affect the performance of the mat as few venue floors are perfectly level and imperfections in the surface can cause runs on the mat where woods deviate from their normal curving path or can cause a mat to have a straight side and a swsinging side where, for instance, there is a a slight gradient gradient running across the mat which either reduces or enhances the bias of the woods. A gradient running down the mat may cause one direction to play faster than the reverse direction (effective uphill and downhill).Experienced players quickly identify the peculiarities of mats and adapt their play to overcome or to utilise their characteristics
SLB 26th January 2024