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Lawn bowls · Basic · b1

Roll to a target

At home 8 min 1 to 4 players Yard or lane, park

Ready when: nothing, this is the first card.

Start a session

What you are learning

Rolling a ball low along the ground so it stops close to a target: stepping forward on the opposite foot and swinging low to high. Judging how hard to roll is the whole skill of bowls.

Words on this card Bowl, Jack, Mat, End, Boccia
Bowl
The heavy ball used in the game, slightly flatter on one side.
Jack
The small white ball that is the target.
Mat
The small rubber mat the player stands on to bowl.
End
One round, when every bowl has been rolled toward the jack.
Boccia
A similar target game of throwing or rolling balls to a jack.

Set up

A tennis ball; a mat at one end; a cone or jack 4 to 5 m away.

Weather: dry ground

The base setup for lawn bowls

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Stand on the mat facing the jack, ball in the rolling hand.
  2. Step forward with the opposite foot and bend the knees so the hand is close to the ground.
  3. Swing the arm and let the ball go low, so it rolls without bouncing.
  4. Watch it stop, and say whether it was too far or too short.

Your part while they practise

Judge which ball is closest; move the jack each round.

Step by step

  1. Two rolls each.
  2. Roll low along the ground.
  3. The closest to the jack scores 1.
  4. Move the jack each round.

How much: 1 game to 5 8 min a session 4 days a week

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game: Boccia

Six balls each, nearest to the jack scores; measure with a string.

Who plays: 2 to 4 players against each other.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Place the jack 4 to 5 m from the mat
  2. Take turns to roll; each player has three balls (six for a pair)
  3. When all are rolled, the player nearest the jack scores 1 point for each ball nearer than everyone else's nearest; measure with a string
  4. Move the jack and play the next end. First to 5
Fair play
A grown-up rolls from 2 m further back.
Points
1 point for each ball nearer the jack than the other player's nearest.
Fouls
That ball is removed
  • The front foot off the mat at the release
  • A ball thrown through the air instead of rolled
  • Rolling out of turn
Winning
The first to 5 points.
Stars
  1. 1 points for 1 star
  2. 3 points for 2 stars
  3. 5 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

Closer jack.

Harder

6 to 7 m, uphill or downhill.

What you will see, and what to say

  • the ball bounces Roll it along the groundLet go close to the floor.
  • it goes too fast Slower swingA shorter backswing.

Self-check

3of 5

3 of 5 rolls finish within a body length of the jack from 4 m.

Stop and get a coach when

Back pain after bending.

Fitness for this

Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.

This card trains aim, distance control.

awiseathlete.com/sports/lawn-bowls/lawn-bowls-b1