Basic Techniques

Before delivery you should stand on the mat. Face forward with the feet pointing towards the jack, but to one side of it depending on which way you are planning to curve the bowl. The bowl should feel comfortable in your favoured hand and be placed outside the hip to enable an unimpeded backswing. You should be looking where you’re aiming.

Before you bowl, your ‘skip’ (or you, if playing in a singles match) must decide which is the best way to deliver your bowl for the desired outcome. This may mean being asked to bowl a ‘forehand’ delivery or a ‘backhand’.

Forehand - When (for the right-handed player) the bowl is delivered so that the curve of the bowl is from the right to left.

Backhand - When (for a right-handed player) the bowl is delivered so the curve of the bowl is from the left to right.

Most players combine a forward stride with their backswing. On completion of your backswing, swing your arm forwards whilst bending your knees so at the moment of release, the hand holding the bowls is almost touching the ground. This helps the bowl roll smoothly. At the moment of delivery, make sure one of your feet is on (or over) the mat. It is as simple as that!

To make it easy, bowls have a large disc one side and a small disc on the other. The bowl curves towards the side with the smaller disc. So, if you are a right hander holding the bowl with the small on the side nearest your thumb, the bowl will curve from left to right – so you need to aim to the left of the jack, (and vice-versa).