MARK ROYAL: How to choose the right bowl for you.

Post date: Jul 10, 2020 9:03:59 PM

Mark Royal (above) is a 45-year-old professional bowler from Stowmarket, Suffolk and world ranked No.12 after reaching the quarter-finals of the world indoor singles at Potters Resort in January.

He is a regular visitor to Stamford IBC (pictured above) with the Potters Resort mobile bowls shop.

On his most recent visit, press officer Bob Warters caught up with him to seek advice on the purchase of new bowls for our members.

For those taking up bowls, or looking for a replacement set, is it best to buy new or second hand?

MR: I would always recommend buying new or nearly new bowls from a recommended retailer who will give good advice on the size and weight to fit your style of delivery and your hand size.

Normally you will struggle to find the smaller sizes (00, 0, 1 or two) in a second hand purchase and you need to find the right model and size to suit you if you are going to perform with any consistency.

In my opinion, it's a mistake to buy second hand off your club noticeboard, a newspaper advertisement or e-Bay for £30 for example. Chances are they will be an old outdoor model and totally unsuitable. You will be wasting your money.

What size model do you recommend for indoor bowling?

MR: Much depends on your hand size, when gripping the bowl. You need to have total control and not have a model that is too big or heavy for your hand. Size 00, 0 or 1 are more suitable for a woman's or junior's smaller hand. Sizes then move up to 2, 3, 4 and even 5 - though the latter is the exception if you want full control.

If you want to play competitively you need to have a set of four bowls that bear a stamp with an expiry date not more than 10 years before the present day. Buying a second hand pair of bowls alone is not recommended. It will limit your competitive or even social bowling activity.

Why does a bowl need to fit the speed or pace of the carpet you play on regularly?

MR: For indoor bowls, you will ideally want to use a make and model suitable for the pace of the carpet surface you play on most regularly.

At Stamford, for example, before the carpet was changed pre-lockdown, it was nearly 20 years old and pretty worn in places. Therefore with less friction over the surface, it was fast by modern standards because it was also stretched regularly.

On the new carpet with its new underlay, bowls will initially run a little slower over the surface than before. This means it will take slightly less time for an average delivery to reach a standard length jack because it doesn't travel as far on a narrower curve of path.

So what make and model of bowl will be suitable for Stamford's new surface?

MR: The Drakes Pride Professional model (I use size 4, heavy) will be a good all round bowl to consider or at least a bowl with a 'mid-bias' . Other examples include Thomas Taylor Ace or Henselite (Tiger 2 and Tiger Pro). A slightly wider curving bowl to the Tiger Pro is the Tiger Evo.

In my opinion the original Henselite Tiger has too much of a strong, swinging bias for indoor use, especially if you are new to the game.

If a bowl has too much of a strong bias, while it might be just about okay on, for example, a six rink indoor arena on rinks 2-5, a player will struggle on the end rinks (1 and six) because it brings the side ditches too much into play.

Bowlers tend to feel uneasy about allowing for a bowl with a swinging bias encroaching on adjoining rinks or losing their bowl in the ditch side, especially on a full length jack.

Many new bowlers are also turning to a narrower bias bowl including the Taylor Vector VS and Lazer and Drakes Pride D-Tec and Advantage. All are quite acceptable to use for singles and as a front end player but have their limitations when you want a bowl to draw around a front bowl.

Apart from a bowls retailer, from whom should a new bowler take advice on purchases?

MR: It is important for new or inexperienced bowlers in the market for a set of bowls, to listen to patient, experienced and competitive players, many of whom understand the feel and pace of your home green and can teach you about the pitfalls to help suggest the right bowl for you.

Never be afraid to ask the advice of a respected competitive bowler at your club. Most will be able to pass on their knowledge of how different rinks at your club perform, useful tactics and what to expect when playing on different surfaces at away clubs. For tips on technique your local coaches will always be happy to help.

Next week: More tips from Mark Royal to help you with your bowling.