Introduction

PART 1
Welcome to our Club

Following is an outline of what we cover in our Introductory Sessions. It takes about 2 hrs.

We start with a general overview of the game. Anyone with curling experience will find lots of similarities with one big exception - no sweepers or others to help you make your shot - you're on your own! But, that's where the fun and challenge is.

Teams are led by a Skip, with Vice-skip, Second and Lead as the other positions, in a four person team. Most often, however, we play triples so the Second becomes the Vice-skip.

Some common terms you will hear right away and often:
  • Green - the total surface of the playing area which is divided into a number of playing areas called Rinks
  • Bowl - what you use to play the game
  • Bias - the side of the bowl that is weighted so that the bowl will curve as it traverses the Rink
  • Rink - the portion of the Green where a game is played
  • Jack - a small white ball that is the target to which a bowl is delivered
  • Setting the Jack - the process by the Lead of delivering the Jack to the far end of the Rink and guiding the Skip to place the Jack in the center of the Rink
  • Setting the Mat - the process by the Lead of setting the delivery mat in the proper position
  • End - one portion of a game which is completed when all bowls have been played and the score for that end determined by the Vices
  • Grass - the distance from the centerline that a bowler (or Skip) determines is the amount that a bowl will curve on its way to the Jack. This can be on either side of the centerline
  • Head - the area of the Rink where the Jack is located. There are no precise measurements, however, this area is usually reserved for Skips and Vices
  • Ditch - a sand-filled area surrounding the green. With a few exceptions, any bowl that ends up in the ditch is declared to be a dead bowl and is removed from the playing area.
  • Out-of bounds - when a bowl comes to rest outside of the rink boundaries, it is declared dead and is removed from the playing area.
  • Hog Line - a horizontal delineation across the rink beyond which a Jack must be delivered
  • Back Bowl - a bowl that comes to rest behind the Jack
  • Rake - the device used to collect the bowls when an end is completed to bring them to the back of the Rink for the next end
Role of the Lead:
  • Sets the delivery mat and the Jack
  • Rakes the bowls at the conclusion of an end

Etiquette: Like many sports, etiquette is a big part of Bowls. Here are few things to keep in mind:
  • Respect for the person about to deliver a bowl - do not move, speak or jesture
  • Help collect the bowls when the end is finished BUT don’t move any bowls until it is clear that the score has been determined and agreed upon by both Vices
  • Make sure you know which bowls are yours - many bowls are very similar
  • Pay attention to YOUR game - be ready to take your turn
  • Shake hands at the beginning and end of the game

Volunteering

  • Our club runs on volunteers and there are lots of ways to do so. Talk to any member who organises anything   - they will find a spot for you. Help is always needed with the training and practice sessions, especially with the monitoring and set-up/ take-down

Introduction

PART 2

Basics of delivery
  • Proper Bowl Size - 9 sizes from 0000 to 7
  • How to measure for grip - opposite fingers
  • Grip
  • Bias
  • Delivery fundamentals
    • Stance
    • Backswing
    • Foreswing
    • Foot on or over the mat when releasing the bowl
    • Release at the ankle
    • No bounce

Hands On

  • On the green we split into groups
  • You learn:
    • how to set the mat and Jack
    • grip, bias position, delivery fundamentals, proper bias position  
    • We use the Bowl to the Ditch idea to practice delivery
      • The objective is to practice delivering the bowl along a defined target line without worrying about where the bowls will come to rest. Using all four bowls one after the other in relatively short order helps the bowler to refine their eye-hand coordination to a specific target point along a delivery line without looking at the jack at the far end. 
  • Attendees roll their bowls for several trips up and down the rink using both bias directions 
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