Buying a Set of Bowls
Choices to Make When Buying Lawn Bowls
The most important purchase you will make when starting out as a bowler is your set of bowls. You may be offered a second-hand set to get you going, but you will soon need to make your own choice and you cannot do better than go to a fully-stocked bowls shop and try their selection for yourself. Take your time and all the advice you will be offered. The best shops have a “trial carpet” where you can roll a few bowls to see which feels right for you.
There are a number of choices you need to make, and knowing what these are before you visit the bowls shop could be to your advantage.
The assumption of this article is that you are looking to play flat green as opposed to crown green bowls. For the crown green bowler, some of the following criteria may not apply.
Makes of Bowl Currently Offered for Sale
The following manufacturers are currently offering bowls for sale in the United Kingdom:
- Almark
- Drakes Pride
- Henselite
- Thomas Taylor (often referred to just as “Taylor”)
There are other makes, such as Greenmaster, that are not sold by many UK suppliers but are popular elsewhere, such as Australia.
All the manufacturers listed above offer a range of products, and the majority of bowlers will find the right bowl for them with any of the manufacturers’ names on them. In the end, price and availability may be the final criteria. However, there may be combinations of, say, colour and weight that are only offered by one manufacturer.
What Size of Bowl is Right for You?
The standard size range is “0” to “5”, although some manufacturers offer “00” bowls and up to size “7” can also be found.
Your bowls should be comfortable for the size of your bowling hand, so it is important not to buy bowls that are too big for you. There is nothing to stop you buying a smaller size than you could manage, but there is little advantage in so doing. Most bowlers therefore choose the largest size that suits them.
As a general guide to size, try picking a bowl up from the floor with one hand. If you cannot do so without being concerned that you are about to drop it, it is too big. Another test is to encircle the bowl between your hands, with your thumbs and longest fingers attempting to touch – if they don’t, the bowl is too big.
Bowls with Grips or No Grips?
Grips are the indented rings around the sides of the bowl that offer somewhere to place your thumb when you bowl, thus allowing a more secure hold as you deliver your shot. If your bowling style does not need this feature, then buying non-grip bowls is fine.
Which is the Correct Weight of Bowl?
Generally speaking, there are two weights, “medium” and “heavy”. You do not see “light” bowls much these days; however, some manufacturers offer “super heavy” as an option.
The main advantage of a heavy bowl is that momentum will take it further than a medium bowl. The main disadvantage, not surprisingly, is that it is heavier to pick up and deliver; also, you must remember that there are four bowls in a complete set, and the extra weight is therefore multiplied when you are carrying your bowls around (although not many club bowlers carry all four bowls very often!).
The difference in weight must be considered alongside the size of the bowl in terms of what happens during a bowls match. A small, medium bowl will get knocked around by a large, heavy one, and will be less able to return the favour! Most bowlers would use a heavy bowl in preference to a medium, as long as they feel comfortable with it. However, there is no point in playing with bowls that you cannot control or which cause you pains and strains.
What Degree of Bias do You Want on Your Bowls?
Some bowls are shaped to take a wide line when bowled, others to take a narrower line. There are all sorts of variations on the theme, with manufacturers offering charts of the lines that their various models take. This factor is also related to the weight of the bowl, with medium bowls tending to take wider lines than heavy ones, but there is no direct correlation between weight and bias, as you can get narrow-drawing medium bowls and wide-drawing heavy ones.
Generally speaking, if you are going to bowl indoors, a narrow bias is to be preferred, and a wider bias if you bowl outdoors. You are unlikely to find bowls that are ideal for all surfaces.
There are moves in some quarters for the narrowest bowls to be banned for outdoor use, because they are considered to give an unfair advantage. However, being unable to get your bowl to curl round an obstructing bowl on the green is also a disadvantage, which is why it is best to have at least some bias in your bowls, whatever your bowling style.
Bowls Can be Bought in Many Colours
Originally, all bowls were made from hard lignum wood, and were therefore brown in colour. When “composition” bowls were introduced they were invariably black, and most bowlers still use black or brown composition bowls. However, a wide range of colours is now available, with various shades of blue, green and red becoming popular. There are even speckled bowls offered for sale if you really want to be noticed on the bowling green!
There are therefore choices to be made on a number of levels when buying a set of bowls. It is worth taking your time before making your decision and taking all the advice you can get. It is also a good idea to have a go with a variety of bowls belonging to fellow club members, just to get an idea of what feels right for you.
A Drakes Pride size 2 bowl with grips
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Bowls of three different colours in use
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