Choosing the Right Bowl
1. Choosing a bowl is a very personal decision and this brief note just outlines some of the factors you should consider. Always try a bowl before purchase!
2. In your first season it is perhaps best to obtain a second-hand set of woods to enable you to play for a while before incurring the expense of buying new woods. But be aware that there are a lot of big, heavy, wide bias woods offered for sale second-hand! Try before you buy!
3. There are 5 main things to consider in your selection:
a. Size
b. Weight
c. Bias
d. Type of bias
e. Profile
SIZE
4. You will have tried various sizes during your coaching and you will therefore have a good idea of which size is best for you. Sizes range from 00 (smallest adult size) up to 6. One manufacturer (Aero) even offers half sizes. Size is the same across all manufactures. You should ensure that you can hold the bowl comfortably in your hand and are not liable to drop it.
WEIGHT
5. Bowls come in 2 basic weights, heavy and medium (Aero bowls are heavier than most and are classified by them as heavy and extra heavy). Which to go for is down to personal preference. You should try out both heavy and medium woods to see which feels better in your hand.
6. The difference between weights is relatively small; about 25g -60g (1 - 2oz) depending on size of bowl. Nowadays heavy woods are more common and some makes or types are only made in the heavy version. Coloured woods are generally heavy. Although there are some differences between heavy and medium woods of the same type this is relatively small. Heavy woods take slightly more effort to deliver at the same speed but roll on for a little longer (all due to momentum). Remember that across a 3 or 4 hour match a small difference in weight can affect your bowling arm or hand!
7. Note that weight, unlike size, varies across types and makes of bowls. So a heavy Thomas Taylor Blaze weighs 1235g about the same as their medium weight Lignoid model and 15g less than the heavy Lignoid model (all at size 0). The Drakes Pride Professional model (also size 0, heavy) comes in at 1280g. Aero size zeros are 1316g (heavy) and 1340g (extra heavy). These are small differences compared to the overall weight of the wood but something you should be aware of if weight is important to you. BIAS
8. Bias here means how much green you have to give the wood for it to come back to the centre line. Some woods have a wide (or large) bias meaning you have to give them more green. Other woods have a narrow bias.
9. Unless you bowl in a back end position (i.e. position 3 or 4 in a rink) when you will need a wide bias to come round blocking woods, you can use either wide or narrow woods. It comes down to personal preference.
10.One complicating issue is if you intend to play indoors using the same set of woods. For this it is recommended not to have a bias wider than that of the Drakes Pride Professional woods.
TYPE OF BIAS
11.'Type of bias' refers to how the wood swings. Some woods have a uniform smooth curve in their bias, whereas in others the bias all comes towards the end of the delivery with the wood turning sharply at the end (this is often known as the “finish”). Thus woods which take the same width of green can have different ways in which the bias comes into effect. In general back end players do not like the smooth curve option as it is more difficult to bowl round blocking woods. Personal preference will determine what you go for.
PROFILE
12.This is something you will need to search for in the details of a wood as it is seldom mentioned. However a few manufacturers offer a thinner type of wood than can sit more easily in a small hand. If you imagine a wood sitting in your hand (in the cup grip) then a slim profile has less distance between your thumb and little finger.
13.Examples of such woods as specified by their manufacturer are (incls ‘indoor’ specified types):
a. Thomas Taylor Lazer, Blaze and LegacySL
b. Almark Slimline
c. Aero Profile
ADVICE
14.Your coach can offer you more advice if you need it.
NOTE all types of bowls are shown including those designed for indoor greens. Bowls for indoor greens are still legal for use outdoors.
For more information on specific Bowls manufacturers use this link:
