Draw to the jack, both hands
Ready when: Pre-shot routine (b3) done.
What you are learning
The draw, the main shot in bowls: rolling the jack to a length, then a bowl that curves in and stops right by it, with both the forehand and the backhand. The jack moves longer as the draws improve.
Words on this card Bowl, Jack, Mat, Green, End, Shot, Head, Anchor foot, Forehand, Line, Weight, Draw
- 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.
- Green
- The green is the whole lawn; a rink is the strip one game is played on.
- End
- One round, when every bowl has been rolled toward the jack.
- Shot
- A point; each bowl nearer the jack than the other side's nearest.
- Head
- The group of bowls lying round the jack.
- Anchor foot
- The anchor foot stays on the mat; the lead foot steps forward along the line.
- Forehand
- Rolling so the bowl curves in from the right, or from the left (for a right-hander).
- Line
- The direction the bowl is aimed, which is wide of the jack because the bowl curves.
- Weight
- How hard the bowl is rolled, which decides how far it goes.
- Draw
- A bowl rolled to stop close to the jack.
Show it first for the one teaching
- Roll the jack to a length and centre it.
- Pick a line wide of the jack and draw a forehand bowl to it.
- Draw a backhand on the other side.
- After 3 good draws, move the jack 1 m longer.
Your part while they practise
Deliver the jack, record where each bowl finishes.
Step by step
- Roll the jack to a length.
- Draw your first bowl to it.
- Draw forehand, then backhand.
- Move the jack 1 m longer after 3 good draws.
How much: 10 bowls each side 12 min a session 2 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Beat the bowl
Your partner's bowl sits near the jack; draw closer than it.
Who plays: 2 players against each other.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- One player draws a bowl to the jack
- The other tries to draw closer
- Swap who goes first. 10 rounds
- Fair play
- A grown-up plays backhand only.
- Points
- 1 point for each round your bowl finishes nearer the jack.
- Fouls
- The bowl is removed
- The anchor foot off the mat at release
- Bowling out of turn
- Touching a bowl in the head before the end is over
- Winning
- More points after 10 rounds.
- 3 points for 1 star
- 5 points for 2 stars
- 7 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
A shorter jack.
A longer jack and a block bowl in front.
What you will see, and what to say
- the bowl runs wide
Aim at the line object, not the jack
Trust the curve. - the weight is wrong
Longer swing for more weight
Same speed, longer swing.
Self-check
6 of 10 draws finish within a bowl length.
Stop and get a coach when
Knee or back pain.
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 the draw, both hands.
awiseathlete.com/sports/lawn-bowls/lawn-bowls-i1