Tag: Green

If you are interested in lawn bowls but don?t know how to play this guide should give you an idea of what?s involved. The objective of the game is to basically to roll the bowl as close to the Jack or Kitty as you can get it. The closer the bowls gets the better. To begin each end the jack or kitty is rolled across the entire length of the green then it is centred in the middle of the rink wherever it has stopped. The bowl itself has a bias which basically means the bowl is not completely round in shape, it is designed this way to cause the bowl to curve as it begins to slow down. The bowl can curve either depending on how it has been delivered. The bowling green itself is completely flat and is 37 to 40 square metre, the green is separated in rinks that are 5.5 to 5.8 metres across, this allow multiple games to be play simultaneously on the same green.

Lawn Bowls Strategy

There are two main types of bowls strategy either a defensive strategy or an offensive strategy. A delivered bowl gives an additional challenge where the jack can be moved to various areas on the rink. During a game of lawn bowling, there are many different types of delivery that players can utilise. For example, a draw shot is when the bowl is bowled to a certain location with little disturbance of the other bowls. A strike is when it is bowled with the goal of knocking another bowl or the jack out of play. An upshot is when the bowl is delivered with a lot of extra force. This is done with the goal of disturbing other bowls and still not killing the end. The block shot is one where it is placed short on purpose to stop an opposing player?s draw shot.

The bowls themselves can come in a variety of different colours, the most traditional colours are black, brown and white. Although nowadays are wider range of different colours are becoming increasingly available. Many players like to add their own little trade mark to the bowls to add a personal touch. The Jack which is used as the target is always white and is round and smaller than the bowls themselves. Whenever a bowl is being bowled the player must have at least one foot on the mat at the start of the rink.

Lawn Bowling shoes

Players must have the correct footwear to participate in the game. The footwear worn must not have any heal and the sole must be completely flat with no tread. Here at Newforestfootwear.com we have a wide range of bowling shoe that fall into this criteria. This is to avoid damaging to the grass surface that the game is played on. Some clubs also have a dress code some just allow you to wear comfortable clothing, you?ll have to check with your local club before you play for the first time.

Have a look at our fantastic selection of top quality Lawn Bowling Shoes available at the lowest possible prices from New Forest Footwear

Terms used in Lawn Bowling

• BIAS Bias is the amount of curve that a bowl will take during its course to the jack. Bowls are available with several different biases for use in different conditions and competitions. As part of the manufacturing process all bowls are tested against “Master Bowl”, which defines the limits of this bias. Click this link for a description of this lawn bowls testing process.
• BURNED END A Burned or “burnt” End is one where the Jack has been moved outside the boundaries of the rink by a bowl in play. In normal competition Burned Ends must be replayed.
• DELIVER/DELIVERY Deliver is the term used for throwing or rolling a bowl. The delivery is the action of delivering a bowl. A bowler with a good delivery can be compared to a golfer with a good swing.
• DRAW The term draw can have several meanings in bowling. As a noun it can refer to the type of shot being played. A “dead draw” is an attempt to deliver the bowl as close as possible to the target (generally the jack). It can also be used as a verb. You may hear a skip issuing an instruction such as, “Just draw to the jack”.
• DRIVE A drive is type of shot in bowling where the player delivers the bowl with maximum force toward the target. Otherwise know in Scotland as a “blooter”!
• END An end of bowls comprises the placing of the mat, the delivery of the jack and the playing of all the required bowls of all of the opponents in one direction on the rink.
• GUARD A Guard is a bowl played to a position that restricts the opposition from getting to the target.
• HEAD The head refers collectively to the Jack and the bowls that have been delivered and come to rest within the boundaries of the rink.
• HEAVY When a player unintentionally delivers a bowl beyond the jack or the intended target it is described as being Heavy.
• JACK The Jack is the small white ball that is the target in bowls. You may also hear it referred to colloquially as the “White”, the “Kitty” or the “Sweetie”.
• JACK HIGH If a bowl is Jack high it means that it has reached a position such that its nearest part is laterally aligned with the jack. Effectively it means that the bowl and jack are level.
• LEAD A Lead is the person who plays first in pairs triples or fours (rinks) game. The lead is responsible for setting the mat and delivering the jack to start the end.
• LINE OR ROAD The Line or Road is the curved route taken to the jack. E.g. “You are a yard short but your line was good.”
• SECOND The Second in a triples or rinks (fours) game is the player who plays second. In the rinks game the second is responsible for marking the score card.
• SHORT A bowl that does not reach the jack or the intended target is described as being short.
• SHOT Shot can have several meanings. The shot or shots are the number of points scored in an end. It can also mean the type of delivery, e.g. a drawing shot, and during an end, the bowl that is currently nearest the jack.
• SKIP The Skip is the captain of a team in pairs, triples or rinks play. The Skip is always last to play and is responsible for directing the play during an end. The other players in a team must follow the Skip’s instructions.
• THIRD The third is the third player to play in a rinks game. The third is normally responsible, with his corresponding opponent, for deciding the result of an end, i.e. who is lying the shot and how many shots have been scored. The skips however have the final say in this in the event of any dispute.
• TOUCHER A Toucher is a bowl that during its course touches the jack before finishing within the boundaries of the rink. A Toucher remains live even if it finishes in the ditch.
• WEIGHT Weight is the term used to refer to the power applied to a delivery.
• WOODS Before the introduction of plastic composition bowls they were made from the heaviest most dense wood available, Lignum Vitae. At this time bowls were often called Woods and some people still use this as a generic term for bowls.

Our recommendation for the serious lawn bowler is the Henselite Tiger Sport Available in White or Grey.