Hmmm, you might have found the title of this blog funny if you already know a little about bowls. If you don’t we shall explain it to you. Keep reading….
Firstly; the lingo of lawn bowls.
Rink: The area in which play takes place. This is usually a flat, grassed area, bounded by boundary pegs.
Centre line: funnily enough, the line that runs down the centre of the rink.
Jack: the small white ball, rolled along the centreline. The purpose of the game is to get your bowls as close to it as possible. (now do you get the title, funny right?)
Bowls: These are what is used by you (the player). There are up to 4 per player and they are weighted on one side in order to cause it to curve as it rolls towards the jack.
Mat: This is placed on the crucial centre line, and is where the players stand when it’s their turn to bowl.
Now that you can talk, the talk, it’s time to learn how to bowl the bowl. We’ve broken it down into 7 easy steps these should get you started.
- Stand on the mat, feet together with your knees and waist bent slightly.
- Take the bowl in your preferred hand, left or right.
- Step forward with your opposite foot, right or left
- Take a small swing back, ready to release the bowl
- Bend down on your extended knee and roll the bowl along the ground.
- Roll it out on an angle, so the bowl curves towards jack
- Important to remember to avoid dropping or bouncing the bowl so you don’t damage the green and to ensure you have a better chance of getting it as close to the jack as possible.
Now we’ve been through the nitty gritty it’s time to talk strategy and how you can win! It’s all about having a good time but c’mon winning is also fun!
There are 2 key shots you can take when playing bowls, the draw shot and the drive shot. The draw shot is a thought through highly measured and (hopefully) finessed bowl to try and end up closest to the jack. A drive shot is a harder, faster (still precise) bowl to attempt to knock another player’s bowls away. How can you win? Well it’s pretty simple just get your bowl or bowls closest to the jack. The more bowls you get closest, the more points you get.
A game that is equal parts physical strength, endurance and strategy. We hope the above hints and tips are enough to get you going. So what are you waiting for? Get out there, get involved and have fun with your friends down at the local club.