How to play Lawn Bowls

How to Play Lawn Bowls

The beauty of lawn bowls is that as it’s played on an artificial surface (the bowling green), it can be played both outdoors and indoors and its easy to learn. But while it’s easy to learn, when it comes to mastering lawn bowls that can take some time.

The key elements of lawn bowls are:

  • Rink: The bowling green is divided evenly into playing areas called rinks, which allows multiple games to be played at the same time.
  • Jack or Kitty: this is the small white ball you’re aiming for.
  • Bowls: these are what a player uses during the game, to get as close to the Jack as they can.  A lawn bowl isn’t perfectly round. One side is slightly larger and a little bit weightier than the other, which is called the ‘bias’, and this helps the bowl curve as it rolls.
  • Mat: where the players stand to bowl.

Bowling a Bowl

Pick up your bowl and stand on the mat with your feet together and knees and waist bent a little. Then take the bowl in your right or left hand and step out on the opposite foot (opposite to the hand with the bowl). As you step out take a swing as you bend down, timing your swing so the bowl meets the ground. Roll the bowl out at an angle along the ground. The bowl will curve out a little before it curves back and reaches the area the jack is (well hopefully hits the jack, not reaches!).

When you want to get your bowl closest to the Jack, use a ‘draw shot’ – a slow and measured bowl.  If you want to knock the other players’ bowls away from the jack, go with a harder and much faster ‘drive shot’.

The Winner?

The person who has a bowl closest to the jack is the winner.  And if it looks really close between some players… get the measuring tape out!

Did You Know?

Lawn bowls can be played in light rain.

The Bowls Australia wet weather policy says that if it begins to rain, play will continue until the Competition Manager deems it unsafe to do so or the greens become unplayable.

And on a final note, here’s a little bit of history for you… The first recorded game of bowls in Australia was in 1845 and it was played at the Beach Tavern in Sandy Bay Tasmania.