New Players

Introduction

Welcome! If you’re reading this it should be because you’re not just new to the club, it’s because you are a new player.  This page will be the place to look at if you are new to bowls.  There will be information about training and practice evenings, the equipment you need, what to wear and where you can get it.  We will also touch on a bit of etiquette.  Don’t let that put you off; all sports have their rules and regulations and bowls is no different. Etiquette will be at the bottom of the list though, the important thing is to get you out on the green and playing the game.

Kit

The good news is that you don’t need much to start with. For practices, also known as roll-ups, you will need a pair of flat soled shoes.  Greenkeepers are fiercely protective of their greens and like to keep the damage they will sustain throughout the summer down to an absolute minimum.  You will also need access to a set of bowls.  The club does have a limited number of old bowls that you can use, but it’s much better if you can acquire your own.  There will be a bit more about the different types of bowls further on.  To start with that’s all you need.

Roll-ups

Now you have the basic kit you need you will want to get some practice.  That’s where we come in.  The club is currently putting together next year’s timetable for all of the competitions in which we compete.  As soon as that is complete we will be able to publish dates for roll-ups and a bit of coaching from the more experienced members of the team.  It’s not always about getting your wood next to the jack, bowls is a very tactical game so there is a lot of that stuff to learn too.

Bowls

Your choice of bowls, or woods as they are commonly known, will probably be the most important in terms of kit that you will make.  There is a huge range to choose from.  There are different sizes, weights and amount of bias.  Size is an important factor because the woods will need to fit your hand.  Bias is a massive subject; as you progress and gain more experience you might find you specialise as a lead, two, three or skip.  The lead would generally need bowls with not too much, whereas skips will need much more bias to help them get around woods that block  a path to the jack.  You will work out your own requirements in time, but as a beginner a narrow to mid range bias will probably be best for you.  There is one other thing to consider, and that is expense.  Woods cost a lot, so you want to make sure your are buying a set that suits you.  That leads me neatly to the next topic.

Buying your kit

Let’s go right back to the start and assume you have your flat soled shoes.  You have had a roll-up or two with some old club woods, but you have got the bug to play some more.  That bug is so easy to catch, as bowling is very, very addictive.  So how do you move forward?  My recommendation is not to buy any of your first time purchases from the internet.  Do old fashioned shopping and buy from a shop.  Why?  You need to try before you buy, that’s why.  Neither the club or I have any affiliation to bowls outlets.  The shops I have listed below let you try clothing for size, and where indicated they have a small rink so you can try different size and bias bowls to find a set that suits you.  Believe me, whether you’re buying a new or second hand set of woods you’re making an investment.  There’s no sense in buying a set of woods untried and finding they don’t suit you or you just don’t like them.

Closest shops

The last bit – etiquette

For some reason bowls club have a perception of stuffiness about them.  There is a feeling that it’s an old person’s game, not for the young.  That is not true at all.  Our members are well aware that the future of the game lays with the younger members.  If we have none the game will die.  Coupled with the feeling of stuffiness is the idea that the game is subject to old fashioned and out of date rules and regulations.   That is also an incorrect assumption.  In the same way that cricket and tennis at all levels have moved on so has bowls.  It’s the little things like coloured clothing and mixed compeitions  that have changed.  There will still be traditions that surround the game, and rightly so.  Whites for county and national games are great, but there are things that must change.  Don’t be put off by the current state of the game, things are changing for the better and so they should.  

Huntingdon Outdoor Bowls Club
 St Peters Road,
Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshire,
PE29 7DA

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Designed by Mel Pettit