The ultimate guide to choosing a lawn bowl.
Selecting a lawn bowl is a very personal thing and there are a number of factors to consider when choosing a bowl. There are now over 30 different models available in the UK, each with a different bias, in eight sizes (00-6), four weights (medium, medium heavy, heavy and extra heavy), with at least six different types of grip, not to mention the wide range of colors. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the number of bowlers who bowl the wrong size or miss before starting is considerable.
I hope the below has answered some, if not all, of your questions, allowing you to make an informed decision on which bowl set is best suited for your needs.
Brand
Honestly, the brand is the least important factor when shopping for a bowl set. Often club players will argue the merits of one brand over another. The truth is that all bowling manufacturers produce a wide range of good quality products that meet the standards set by World Bowls and almost every bowler will be able to find the right bowling pin for them.
Most established bowlers will have a personal preference that often arises when trying different bowls, either with a clubmate or at your local bowl store. Choosing a particular model will depend on what suits you best, whether you intend to play indoors and outdoors or want a bowl specifically for faster indoor greens.
There are a number of manufacturers of lawn bowls in the UK. Models are shown in parentheses.
• Taylor Bowls (Lazer, Vector VS, Blaze, Ace, International, Legacy SL, Lignoid)
• Henselite (Dreamline, Tiger II, Classic II, Tiger, Classic)
• Drake’s Pride (Advantage, Fineline, Professional, Jazz)
• Almark (Sterling Gold, Sterling Slim-Line, Arrow)
Size
The size of your bowl is perhaps the most important aspect of selecting a lawn bowl. Get it wrong and you’ll either hit the opposite shore with a thud or drop it at your feet. As a guide, most men will play with a bowl between sizes 3 and 5, with 3 being the smaller bowl of the two. Checkers typically play bowls between 00 and 2 in size, again 00 being the smaller of the two.
The most popular method of determining which size is best for you is to use both hands to spread your thumb and middle fingers around the running surface (the smooth area around the center of the bowl so that your thumbs touch the bottom of the bowl). and your middle fingers meet on top to form a circle.If you can achieve this without leaving too much room at the top of the bowl, it’s probably the right size for you.
But I would recommend trying one or two methods besides making sure you have the correct size. Take the bowl that suits you best following the previous method and two more bowls, one of a smaller size and one of a larger size. Taking each bowl in turn, hold it as if you were about to deliver it, with it sitting comfortably in the palm of your hand (depending on his preference) and his fingers placed on the grips, swing your arm back and forth. If you feel like the bowl may topple over, it’s obviously too big, but if you can maintain a firm, comfortable grip, then this is another tick in the box.
Lastly, he would ask the pitcher to reach out in front of him, holding the bowl upside down. If after 30 seconds your arm starts to ache or shake, it’s probably too big for you. However, if you maintain a firm and comfortable grip, this will confirm that this is most likely the correct bowl size for you. You can even try the same routines with the next size to make sure you’re not playing with a bowl that’s too small; You should always play with the largest and heaviest bowl that you can comfortably deliver and control. .
Weight
In general, there are two weights, medium and heavy, although some manufacturers offer medium and extra heavy options. The weight of a bowl is indicated by the number and letter on the side of the bowl, i.e. 3H is a size three bowl with a heavy weight, 2M is a size two with a medium weight. In the UK quite a few bowlers own two sets: a heavyweight set for the faster inside surfaces and a middleweight set for the slower outside greens.
The difference in weight must be considered along with the size of the bowl in terms of what happens during a match. A bowl certainly has its biggest advantages, as you’ll have more momentum and are more likely to stay on your head. If it is comfortable for the bowler to hold and deliver, I would always recommend buying a heavier bowl no matter what size you have chosen.
Indoor or outdoor?
If you play primarily indoors, I would recommend a bowl with a narrower bias, such as a Taylor Lazer, Vector VS, or Blaze, a Henselite Classic II or Tiger Pro, or a Drakes Pride Fineline or Advantage. Otherwise, you might find yourself aiming for the far end of the next track so that the bowl swings toward your head.
Unless of course you are a confident bowler, prefer a wider bias or play to the rear, in which case you might as well consider a Taylor Ace or International, a Henselite Tiger or Tiger II or a Drakes Pride Professional or Jazz.
If you’re a hardier breed and spend your summer enjoying the delights of the British summer, then bowl bias is less of a concern unless you’re playing number three or skipping when you have to negotiate your way around the other bowls.
Inclination
Choosing the bias for your bowl largely depends on whether you are an inside or outside bowler and what position you play pairs, trebles or fours (lanes). If you mainly play indoors, I would recommend a narrower bias. But if you play outdoors, a wider bias is likely to suit your needs.
If you are just starting out in the game I would advise starting with a bowl with a narrow to medium bias as you will probably be required to play number one or two where your main task is to get as close to the jack as possible. as possible. Playing these positions will also give you a chance to find your line and weight.
Bowls with a narrow to medium bias (best for indoors) include:
• Taylor Bowling (Lazer, Vector VS, Blaze, Ace)
• Henselite (Dreamline, Tiger II, Classic II)
• Drake’s Pride (Advantage, Fineline, Professional)
• Almark (Arrow, Sterling Slimline)
Bowls with a medium to wide bias (best for outdoors) include:
• Taylor Bowls (Ace, International, Legacy SL, Lignoid)
• Henselite (Classic II, Classic, Tiger)
• Drakes Pride (Professional, Jazz)
• Almark (Sterling Slimline, Sterling Gold)
In general, an indoor bowl is designed to have a much narrower bias, while an outdoor bowl typically has too wide a swing for indoor use and can be difficult to control. When I say indoor bowling I don’t mean short mat bowling – you can get away with using your indoor or outdoor bowling on a short mat game, but there are bowling designed specifically for this format of play: Stevens and Drakes Pride are the best known.
If you search Google Images using the terms taylor skew chart, henselite skew chart, drakes pride skew chart, and almark skew chart, you will find a chart illustrating the skew (the lines the bowls take) of every bowl in the manufacturer’s bowl range. .
cuffs
Grips are the notched or notched rings around the sides of the bowl that offer a place to place your thumb and fingers when delivering. These provide a more secure grip and better control, especially in cold and wet or hot and sweaty conditions. If you mainly bowl indoors then grips are less important.
There are several grip types (deep dimple, shallow dimple, progrips, crescent grooves, vertical grooves) available depending on the manufacturer and model, so I would suggest trying out bowls with different grips before making a decision. Again, if you belong to a club ask your teammates if you can have a roll-up with their bowls to get a better idea of which one is more comfortable and suits your style of bowling.
color
Originally all bowls were made of lignum hardwood and were therefore brown in color. When composition bowls were introduced they were invariably black. Today, the bowls are available in nearly 50 colors, shades, and patterns, and while they are a bit more expensive, the price difference is narrowing. The color of your bowls is a purely personal choice.
cost
A new set of bowls will cost £160-230, so unless the customer is sure they know what they want, we always recommend that beginners buy a second-hand set for £30-120. These can often be purchased through your club’s notice board, some retailers or alternatively have a look on Ebay where there are always an abundance of second hand bowls for sale. As long as they are no more than 15 years old (you can determine age by examining the oval or rectangular stamp on the side of the container, the manufacturer’s 10-year warranty stamp) and no serious scratches or scratches (minor surface scratches will not will affect performance) will follow their purpose. And if you later decide to trade in your bowls, a secondhand set will only lose a fraction of its original cost when you resell it.
With so many bowls on the market, I always suggest seeking the advice of a specialist bowl retailer and if possible asking if you could test drive the model you wish to purchase. Bowling shops located inside indoor arenas sometimes have samples that can be tried.
In the end, whatever bowls you choose will only be as good as the player. Bowling can be the most rewarding or frustrating game. One day you’ll throw the opposition off the green and the next you won’t get within six feet of the jack. It can be as irritating as it is rewarding.
A large part of the game, in any format, is about consistency. I can’t recommend enough that practice makes perfect, either solo or with another player, drawing the jack over and over again using both your forehand and backhand. But that is for another time.
I hope you found this guide useful. If so, please recommend him to any other new bowlers you know. Whichever format of the game you choose to play and which bowls you choose to purchase, I hope that you not only enjoy the game, but also the friendships you make and the vibrant social scene that comes along with it.
