You might be thinking that lawn bowling is a sedate sport for people of a certain age. I may well have been the youngest person on the green when I was having a go at lawn bowling, but let me tell you, it’s great for any age! I discovered just how simple it is to pick up, how gentle the movement is, how it’s a strategic game, and that it’s fun!
How Does Lawn Bowling Differ From Crown Green Bowling And Tenpin Bowling?
Slightly confusingly, lawn, crown, and tenpin bowling are often referred to as ‘bowling’. So here’s a quick overview of them all.
Ten Pin Bowling, is usually played in a bowling alley.
Players bowl heavyweight balls along the wooden surface of a lane. The aim is to try to knock down skittles at the other end. Points are scored according to how many skittles are knocked down with each ball.
Lawn Bowling is usually played outdoors on a perfectly flat, and well looked after, square lawn.
The lawn consists of lanes which are known as rinks. Players roll their bowls along their rink, aiming for a smaller ball called the jack. Points are scored based on the bowls that are closest to the jack once all of the bowls have been used. Play then swaps ends, and players bowl towards the jack at the opposite end of the rink.
Crown Green Bowling, is similar to lawn bowling, however it’s played on a green which has a raised area. The uneven nature of the playing surface makes it a little more challenging to get bowls close to the jack.
My Experience Of Having A Go At Lawn Bowling
I sent an email to Bishopthorpe Bowling Club in York, and received a lovely friendly reply. They invited me along to one of their Tuesday morning social meets to have a go. Already it felt like a really nice club and I was looking forward to going along.
Members were incredibly welcoming on my arrival. Whilst the regulars set about playing, I had a one-to-one session getting to grips with playing and finding out all about the sport.
The Basic Equipment - Understanding Lawn Bowling
There’s not a lot of kit needed to get started when playing lawn bowls. Aside from the shoes, you’ll find it’s all provided by the club when you go for a taster session. Understanding the kit helped my understanding of the game
- The green – this is the place of play. It’s usually a square piece of grass which is flat and level, and well maintained to be in the upmost condition. It is then sectioned out, so that multiple games can be played at the same time. These sections are referred to as rinks. Outdoor bowling usually only runs from April until September. There are also indoor bowling spaces with artificial greens which means that people can continue to play all year round.
- Woods – these are the balls that you roll towards the jack. At one time, they were made from wood which is how they got their name, although some people refer to them as bowls. Woods usually come in set of 4, although you may play with just 3, or even 2, depending on the type of game you are playing.
- Jack – the jack is the smaller ball. It’s usually brighter in colour, and is always the first ball to be rolled. This is what you aim all of your woods towards.
- The mat – this is positioned approximately 2 metres from the edge of the gutter, also known as the ditch. The gutter runs around the edge of the whole lawn. Players must always bowl with a foot on the mat. It doesn’t matter where the foot is, and it doesn’t have to be the full foot, but there must be contact when the wood is released.
- Flat shoes with no tread – the lawn is integral to the game. Heels and shoes with tread can easily damage the perfect conditions and impact play. Smooth soled flat shoes are essential.
Learning The Game - Having A Go At Lawn Bowling
Sue and Martin guided me through the technique and rules of the game. They patiently showed me how to hold the woods and how to deliver them along the green. Giving me pointers and suggestions, their knowledge helped me to incrementally improve each bowl I rolled.
Ron was a cheerful character who had recently celebrated his 90th birthday, and was still regularly playing the game! Infact, he’d been playing for 77 years! Promising to teach me all of his bad habits, Ron was my Skip.
The role of The Skip is to stand near to the jack at the opposite end of the rink to the bowler. They help to direct other members of their team by offering helpful guidance for each bowl. For example; indicating how close a bowl is to the jack, or standing in a certain spot to help their team mate aim for a particular point.
Did You Know, The Bowls Aren’t Perfectly Round In Lawn Bowling?
If you’ve played ten pin bowling, you’re probably used to aiming your ball straight down the middle to try and hit the central and front pin and ultimately knock down the pins behind.
In lawn bowling, if you aim your bowl in a straight line towards the jack, you’re unlikely to finish near your target. That’s because in lawn bowling the bowls are not perfectly circular!
If you look at a lawn bowl, you’ll see that whilst it is spherical, one side of it looks slightly flattened, whilst the other seems to protrude. The slighty bulging side is known as the bias.
When you hold the bowl, you need to consider whether the bias is facing in towards your body, which is known as forehand. If the bias is on the side facing away from your body it’s known as a back hand. Whichever way you hold the bowl, will determine where you aim.
Giving It A Try - Having A Go At Lawn Bowling
As this was my first go at lawn bowling, I had a rink to myself for practicing. My first few bowls didn’t go as I had anticipated. However I was settling in and getting a feeling for the grip, the bias, and piecing together all of the little things to remember.
My biggest worry was bouncing the bowls. The flat grass is so meticulously well maintained that I really didn’t want to damage it! Thankfully I only had a few slight hiccups.
Each bowl gave me a feeling for the motion, the direction to aim, and the amount of effort needed to get the bowl as close to the jack as possible.
It took a little bit of getting used to the bias of the bowl, but the more I practiced, the more it made sense and the more I could control where I was aiming for.
Easy To Pick Up And See Improvements
Continuously making tweaks I quickly saw improvements. Altering how far back to swing my arm, the positioning of my foot on the mat, and including a step forward whilst releasing the bowl, all made subtle differences.
Eventually, I delivered consistent bowls as they stopped incredibly close to the jack! I’m not renowned for my hand-eye coordination, I’ve never been very good at sports that involve aiming a ball in a particular direction, so I felt especially pleased with myself!
It’s amazing how easy it is to pick up the game and quickly put it into practice. It was such a sense of achievement that my bowls generally went in the direction I was aiming for!
Why You Should Consider Having A Go At Lawn Bowling
It’s very easy to learn – once you’ve got the gist of the game and the motion, you’ll be able to tweak and adapt your technique.
Bowling is very sociable – as well as matches, many clubs also organise social activities for members
You’ll get some gentle exercise – walking from end to end as you play along with the swinging motion, you’ll be stretching and moving without actually realising it.
You get a mental workout – when you play against opponents you don’t just aim for the jack. You might also aim for positions that will either block their bowls, or move bowls or the jack to your advantage, it’s all about thinking through possible moves.
It’s fun – it’s definitely not an older persons sport – any age can play, and it’s even lovelier if the sun is shining.
It’s not ridiculously expensive – whilst the cost of membership will vary between clubs, it is only £80 membership per year at Bishopthorpe Bowling Club where I gave it a go.
What To Wear When Having A Go At Lawn Bowling
- Flat shoes are probably the most important thing to wear when you’re having a go at lawn bowling.
- It’s unlikely you’ll be asked to wear anything else specific when you’re giving lawn bowling a go, so just make sure it’s something comfortable and easy to bend and stretch in. An overly baggy t-shirt may not be the best idea as you might find it acts as a bit of a tent when you bend over to bowl.
- A hat is recommended – many people were wearing a hat when I went to have a go. It’s a good idea because you frequently change the direction you play and can often find the sun is in your eyes.
A Brilliant Taster Session
A summer morning in the sunshine. Friendly folk, brilliant teachers, learning about a new sport which is quick to put into practice whilst delivering some gentle exercise – what’s not to like?!
Oh, and I’m not sure I picked up too many of Ron’s bad habits!
Want To Try It Yourself?
- There are lots of lawn bowling clubs across the UK and beyond.
- My experience took place at Bishopthorpe Bowling Club in York.
- Take a look at any of these sites for more information and to find a club local to you;
- Bowls England
- Scottish Bowls
- Bowls Scotland
- Bowls Wales
- Irish Bowling Association
Cost Of Experience
- My taster session at Bishopthorpe Bowling Club was free!
- It will depend where you go as to whether there is a cost for a taster session.
Recommendations
- Wear flat shoes with minimum tread – it’s probably the most important thing to remember when you give it a go.
- Make sure you wear sun cream if you’re playing outdoors.
- Take a hat and/or sunglasses if it’s a sunny day
- Remember everyone was a beginner once, and regulars will be happy to share their experiences, tips and techniques with you.
- Whatever your age, you can give it a go – take a look at the various bowling websites and you’ll see a mix of people playing.
- If you’re interested in having a go at other sports, take a look at the various active experiences I’ve been having a go at as part of my challenge to try fifty-two things a year.
- Don’t forget your camera if you give it a go, and let me know how you get on!
I hadn’t heard of crown green bowling before with it’s subtle changes to lawn bowling. I haven’t played lawn bowling since I was a kid. Growing up, we’d go to the British seaside for our holidays, so lawn bowling was a common past time at the seaside back in the 80s. I remember it being fun, not that I knew the fancy tricks to be good at the game
I didn’t really know what the differences were before either. I love that you played it at the beach! Such a nice activity to do down by the sea. Thank you for taking the time to read and leave a comment, I really appreciate it.
Sally :o)
This is an awesome idea to do bowling, my friend is a big fan of it and this could be a great recommendation.
That’s fantastic your friend is a fan! I’d highly encourage anyone to give bowling a go!
Thank you so much for reading and for the comment too!
Sally :o)