I’ve seen it countless times over my 30 years in bowls: a player has the perfect line, the perfect aim, but the bowl pulls up short or sails on by. Sound familiar? Lawn bowls is a game of incredible subtlety, where small adjustments to your technique can make a world of difference. It's a sport where you never stop learning!
Mastering the fundamentals is what separates good bowlers from great ones. It's not about raw strength; it's about control, consistency, and having the right shot in your locker for any situation. Whether you're just starting or looking to sharpen your competitive edge, focusing on technique is the fastest way to improve.
Let's break down the ten essential techniques that every player should work on. Get these right, and you'll have the foundation for a brilliant game.
Foundational Techniques for Every Bowler
Before we get into specific shots, we need to cover the basics of your delivery. These elements are the building blocks of every single bowl you will ever play.
1. Perfecting Your Stance and Balance
Everything starts on the mat. An unstable stance will lead to an inconsistent delivery. Your goal is a solid, balanced, and repeatable setup that allows you to swing your arm freely and smoothly.
- How to do it: Stand on the mat with your feet comfortably apart, roughly shoulder-width. Your weight should be evenly distributed. As you prepare to deliver, step forward with your foot opposite to your bowling arm (left foot for a right-handed player). Bend your knees and hips, keeping your back relatively straight to get low to the green. This low centre of gravity is the key to balance.
- Pro Tip: Your non-bowling arm should be used for balance. You can extend it out to the side or rest it on your bent front knee. Find what feels natural and stable for you.
(Visual suggestion: A short video or series of images showing the setup, step, and finish position for a balanced delivery.)
2. Finding a Consistent Grip
How you hold the bowl determines the moment of release. A grip that is too tight or too loose will ruin your control over both line and weight. Consistency is everything.
- How to do it: The bowl should rest comfortably in your hand. For most players, the middle finger should be close to the centre line of the bowl's running surface. Your thumb should rest on the other side, providing stability without squeezing. Whether you prefer a cradle grip or a claw grip, it should feel secure but relaxed. Check you have the bias correct before every delivery!
- Pro Tip: If you struggle in wet conditions, consider trying a set of bowls with a specialist grip. Grips like dimple or channel patterns can give you that extra confidence when the weather turns.
3. Selecting and Committing to an Aiming Line
This is where the mental side of bowls really kicks in. Because the bowl curves, you never aim directly at the jack. You must pick an aiming point to the side and trust your bowl to do the work.
- How to do it: Look at the jack, then trace a line back along the curve your bowl will take. Pick a specific mark on the bank or a discoloured patch of grass on your aiming line, far beyond the jack. Focus solely on that point during your delivery. Don't look at the jack!
- Pro Tip: In your first few practice ends, send a few bowls on both your forehand and backhand to see how much the green is "swinging." This will help you calibrate your aiming line for the day.
4. Mastering Weight Control
Weight control (or 'pace') is the holy grail of lawn bowls. It's the ability to deliver a bowl with the exact speed required for it to stop precisely where you want it. This skill is developed through feel and endless practice.
- How to do it: Weight is controlled by the length and speed of your backswing. For a short shot, you need a shorter, smoother swing. For a longer shot like rolling the jack, you'll need a longer swing. The key is a smooth, pendulum-like motion. Avoid any jerky movements or "pushing" the bowl at the point of release.
- Pro Tip: A fantastic practice drill is to just roll the jack to different lengths up the green. This isolates the skill of weight control without you worrying about the line.
Core Shots Every Player Needs
Once you have a handle on the fundamentals, you can start building an arsenal of different shots.
5. The Draw to the Jack (Forehand and Backhand)
This is the bread and butter of lawn bowls. 90% of shots you play will be some form of a draw shot. The objective is simple: to roll your bowl with the perfect line and weight so that it comes to a gentle stop as close to the jack as possible.
- How to do it: Using all the foundational techniques above, you execute a smooth delivery aimed at letting the bowl curve and settle next to the target. It's essential to master this on both your forehand (curving towards your non-bowling hand) and backhand (curving towards your bowling hand) to navigate around bowls already in the head.
- Pro Tip: Don't be afraid of being "up." It's almost always better to be a foot past the jack than a foot short, as a short bowl is out of the game completely.
(Visual suggestion: An overhead animated graphic showing the path of a forehand and backhand draw shot around a centre bowl.)
6. The Trail Shot
This is an attacking draw shot. The aim is to hit the jack with just enough weight to move it towards another one of your bowls positioned at the back of the head.
- How to do it: You play a draw shot but with slightly more weight—just enough to carry through to the jack and nudge it. The weight has to be perfect. Too little and you'll just block your own shot; too much and you'll send the jack to your opponent.
- Pro Tip: This is a great shot for a skip to play when their team is already holding second and third shot, but the opponent is holding the first.
7. The Yard-On Shot (or Firm Draw)
Sometimes, there's no path to draw around a blocker bowl. The yard-on shot is played with just enough weight to push an opponent's bowl out of the head and have your bowl take its place.
- How to do it: This requires a faster pace than a draw, but it is not a full-blooded drive. You still need to use the bias. Aim to hit the target bowl on the "inside" edge to roll it away and allow your bowl to spin into position. It's a shot that combines aggression with touch.
- Pro Tip: Practice this by placing a single bowl a few feet in front of the jack and trying to remove it cleanly.
8. Blocking and Positional Bowls
A smart bowler knows that not every bowl has to go to the jack. Sometimes the best shot is a defensive one.
- How to do it: A blocking bowl is played intentionally short and on a line to stop your opponent from being able to play their preferred shot. A positional bowl might be played past the jack to act as a back-stop, ensuring that if the jack is moved, it will likely be moved to your bowl.
- Pro Tip: As a lead, if you've played two great bowls near the jack, your third bowl could be a positional one just behind the head. This gives your skip options later in the end.
9. The Ditch Weight Shot
This is an aggressive shot played with enough speed to carry your bowl into the ditch, hopefully taking the jack with it. This is only used when the jack is near the edge of the rink and you're in a losing position.
- How to do it: This shot requires significant weight, almost a drive. The goal is to hit the jack squarely and send both it and your own bowl into the ditch. If your bowl stays on the rink and the jack goes in the ditch, your bowl is removed from play. If your bowl touches the jack before going in the ditch (a "toucher"), it remains live.
- Pro Tip: This is a high-risk, high-reward shot. Only play it when you have nothing to lose!
10. Reading the Head
This isn't a shot, but it's arguably the most important technique of all. It’s the ability to step onto the mat, analyse the position of all the bowls, and decide on the right shot to play.
- How to do it: Before you bowl, ask yourself some questions. What is the score? Where is the opponent's closest bowl? Is there a clear path to draw? Would a yard-on shot be more effective? Is there a danger of making things worse?
- Pro Tip: Listen to your skip! They have the best view from the end of the rink. But as you play more, you'll develop your own ability to see the game unfold. This tactical understanding is what makes bowls such a fascinating sport.
Mastering these ten techniques will give you a complete game and the confidence to handle any situation on the green. So get out there, practise with purpose, and most importantly, enjoy every bowl!