Guidelines for New Bowlers
Guidelines for new bowlers
A booklet can be obtained from www.bowlsengland.com, price £1 but the following may help.
Bowls
There are lots of different bowls on the market. It is advisable to try different makes and types before buying. Also, 2nd hand bowls are a good first buy and these can be bought readily on Ebay and Charnwood Indoor Bowls Club has a notice board where bowls are advertised for sale.
Types of bowls: Almark, Aero, Drakes Pride, Henselite, Taylor. Sizes 00 upwards. H = Heavy, M = Medium. Once a make and size has been decided upon, local suppliers can be found via the internet.
Bowls Shops
For bowls and clothing - B&H Midland Melton Mowbray and The Bowls Shop in Nottingham. Other suppliers are Burton Bowls Centre and Shotbowl Market Deeping, Peterborough.
Before playing any game
All players shake hands before and after the game. Usually for friendly matches the visiting team play the first jack, for League matches a coin is tossed and if it is an intra-club match then a coin is also tossed to determine who starts with the first jack.
Placing of mat
The mat is placed by the lead player and the front of the mat must be at least 2 metres from the ditch and square on to end. The Skip may indicate that the mat is not square and needs adjusting or that they want the mat placed further up the rink.
Jacks
The jack is rolled so that it ends up either near the opposite end or anywhere between the end and the middle white line. The jack should be a minimum 22m from the front of the mat and is placed centrally within the rink. If the jack ends up outside the rink then the opposite Lead rolls the jack but the first Lead still plays first.
Holding bowls in hands
There are several ways to hold the bowl in the palm of the hand and it will very much depend on individual comfort.
Each wood has a bias. This means that the bowl can lean either to the right or to the left. The side of the bias is indicated on the wood by the smaller emblem.
Dress Code
- White tops - Polo shirts that are mainly plain
- Below the waist - Grey trousers - any which are comfortable - when playing at the Club or in the evenings
White trousers - for Saturday mixed friendlies and other matches
- Club shirt - can be ordered via the Club - must be worn when playing other clubs. There are some tops which can be borrowed for players whose tops haven't arrived or are yet to be ordered.
- Shoes - must be smooth soled - no ridges or heels - can be bought from Sports Direct, Online or from bowling specialists e.g. B & H, Melton Mowbray
- Waterproofs and windproof - must be predominantly white - For those members who would like one with the Club's emblem on they can usually be ordered with the main order for shirts.
A lot of clothing can be bought from online websites (e.g. Amazon), just type in lawns bowls trousers, tops or shoes. Good quality second hand clothing can sometimes be found at other clubs.