Can we not have any practice/coaching sessions set up? is a question thats often asked... It is very difficult to run a general coaching session to a large group of people, as each individual will have different needs and abilities which will need addressing. We do intend to incorporate a few this year which will take place on the newly formed Open mornings which are intended as another chance for any members of the public to come and learn bowls, but as the coaches will be there for these events, members are free to pop along and get some coaching as time allows...

Rink diary booked for the first 2 open mornings are..Saturday 16th May 10.00-12.00 & Sunday 24th May 10.00-12.00

Individual coaching opportunities will be held regularly throughout the summer season. These are FOC at Bovey (many clubs charge) so please contact one of our 3 coaches to arrange an individual session, these will usually take around an hour and will be individually tailored to your needs, please contact John on 01626 835258, Sarah on 07762 796776 or Roger on 07720 823146 to arrange..

Remember.... Practice, Practice, .. its impossible to practice in a game situation, so pop down for a practice.whenever you can.

You Must (not negotiable...)

• Practice on a rink on your own, Only practice one thing at a time
• Choose either forehand or backhand for the session and stick with it.. never mix
• Set achievable goals for the session, make it fun for yourself by keeping a simple score in your head or use a scorecard
• For instance... If you are practising a draw shot ( the most common shot in bowls) set up a short jack, bowl your 4 woods on your chosen hand, see how many finish within say 2 or 3ft (you choose) and give yourself a point for each one in your target area, now repeat and count how many ends to get to say 10pts... lets say it takes you 8 ends.. then start over again, same routine and aim to lower your score of 8 ends, and so on and so on (nobody said it was easy to improve)
• Had enough for the day?, no problem, but try to end your session on a high, ie in this instance with a score lower than when you started the day..And when you next come back (which you will) recap the exercise you did previously as your warm up.. (go on, lower your score first go), but, then change to another set up, it may be change hands, it may be same hand but using a longer jack and then start the whole process again.... (Remember the draw shot is the most played shot in bowls so improve that and what a difference to your game).
• But.. keep enjoying it.. make it fun!!! Didn't see much improvement? try again next time it will happen, or speak to one of the coaches about an individual session.
• Other practice topics you could consider are::: length control, line choice/adjustment, Jack control (if you play lead a lot) consistency of delivery, pre bowling routine, bowling with a "yard" of controlled weight(see video link below), and "firing" practice (this is the only time when a helper is actually helpful as they can stop your woods smashing into the backboard at a million miles an hour every shot), but whichever you do always set yourself a goal, achieve it, then repeat and beat it..and remember make practice fun..
• most of these are also covered in the videos below, others will be added..

Please click on the links below to bring up various coaching videos from beginner to advanced.. more will be added during the year..

        For Beginners & Refresh

Holding the bowl correctly & understanding bias..      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESSmeWckIKE

Delivery of the bowl... from grip to follow through..   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u8K3nvNpFU

Pre Stance/Delivery Routine....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EjwBlXahyo ...waffles on about golf for a bit but the points made are salient..

Finding the line..     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZ7p5KJDHU

Line or Length in Outdoor Lawn Bowls - the Bowler’s Ultimate Dilemma..    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzR0mSzLXlc

Overview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGd86MXbGho&list=PLyn23Yya0x0UIYln9wQfyawlxCSVFk8Cu&index=1   ..there are a few videos here which continue in sequence..any ads that pop up just wait for the "skip" & hit that.... If you cannot master the grip comfortably in the top video link try this one, its about what works for you.. the other videos in this sequence are very good also, so give it a watch!

     Established bowlers.. Now you have mastered the basics, lets see how we can all improve, click on the links below...

Basic Tactics in lawn bowls... https://clearwaterlawnbowlingclub.org/public/tactics.pdf

Yard on shot........https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFj1PL6o-PM

How to play lead well...    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ZtzaTzNIc  start at 2.52... ignore the adverts & badly dressed Aussie..

How to play number 2 well... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GOeIKXsh6U

***NEW***Drills to make you a better number 3... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ7ri2uQLaE