bowls lingo for the uninitiated

Let’s start with some common terms

  • Bowls: whatever you do, do NOT call them balls
  • Green: the grass you play on
  • Rink: the playing lanes marked on the green
  • Ditch: the perimeter trench to softly catch wayward bowls!
  • Jack: the white ball you aim for
  • Ends: how many times you walk up and down the rink in a game
  • Skip: idy-do-dah; the skip tells you what to do with your bowl
  • Lead: not the dog’s; first player in the team
  • Grass: not what you think! How narrow or wide you angle the bowl from the line of the jack
  • Weight: not yours or anyone else’s; the amount of force with which the bowl is delivered
  • Toucher: when the bowl bowled touches the jack
  • Bias: refers to your bowls prejudice (against your opponent when you are playing well and against you when you are not); the curved path of the bowl
  • Wrong Bias: you bowled against the bias direction and headed away from the jack onto the next rink
  • Narrow side: bowl a narrower angle on the side the wind is pushing the bowl away from the jack
  • Wide side: bowl a wider angle on the side the wind is pushing the bowl toward the jack

Let’s move on to some common adages

  • Wind in your face, more pace; Wind in your arse, more grass
  • If you can’t be up, be in the way
  • If you can’t get shot, get 2nd shot

4 thoughts on “bowls lingo for the uninitiated”

  1. Good Morning All,

    Thank you so much to Chris and Rachel for this great website. We are fortunate to have you both in our club and that you have used your expertise and creativity to give us this great gift….our own website!

    Love the humorous bits!!

    Look forward to seeing everyone on the green (or is it the rink?) very soon!

  2. Bravo Ladies!

    Loving the Website – a true labour of love and very polished and easy to navigate.

    Now…….to get back and see everyone and get back on the green with you all.

    Well Done!

    Cheers,
    C.

  3. Having lost my mate and love of 50 years, I would like to thank Women of Western Suburbs Women’s Bowling club for their love and support.
    It has been so heartwarming to be able to come to play bowls and be accepted no matter what level of bowls you play. The ladies are always ready to assist and advise to help you to improve.
    I must say bowls is a very mind in the moment sport that helps to escape any moments you need to deal with.
    Always wonderful to be able to come in after a game sit have a drink cup of coffee tea or lunch and a chat about the game, our achievements or downfalls or sort out our own and the worlds problems.
    I would encourage any other ladies who are looking for something to fulfill their lives to come and join us. Westerns Suburbs Women’s Bowling Club are a great bunch of ladies from all walks of life and age who come together to support each other to achieve their goals.
    I feel there is no better way to help our mental health and wellbeing. Thank you!

  4. I would also like to say a big shout out to Chris and Rachel for their many hours of putting this website together. Love you guys

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