Lawn Bowls: Getting Started
Looking for a friendly, sociable sport that's easy to try and enjoyable at any age? Lawn bowls is open to people of all ages and physical abilities, and it's one of the few sports where gender does not create a significant advantage.
Curious to see what it's like? Don't just take our word for it.
If You Decide to Play Regularly
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If you enjoy your taster session and would like to play regularly, the next step is to join the club as a playing member. Membership fee details can be found on the club website.
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When you're starting out, it's perfectly fine to borrow woods from the club, so there's no need to buy your own straight away for coaching or practice roll-ups.
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When representing the club in matches, you'll need a club shirt (around £35) and black shorts, trousers, skirt or skort.
Buying Your Own Woods
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Once you're fully hooked, you will want to buy a set of your own woods. Woods vary by size, colour, bias and price, so it's worth asking for advice before you choose.
What is Bias?
Bias is the slight, built-in weighting inside every bowl that makes it curve rather than run straight as it slows down. Different woods have a narrower or wider bias, which is why players often own a couple of sets suited to different greens and conditions.
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Second-hand woods are often available on sites such as eBay, with older sets sometimes available from around £50. Woods are date-stamped for 10 years from manufacture but if they are out of date, they can still be used in almost all games.
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New woods usually range from £350 to £450. They can often be custom made, with a two- to three-month lead time, or chosen from stock that is ready to ship. One example supplier is thebowlshub.co.uk.