The Forward Swing & Release Point
The delivery in lawn bowls is a pendulum action — your arm swings back, then forward, and the bowl is released at the lowest point of the swing. Unlike a throw, there is no flick of the wrist, no push, and no spin added. The motion should feel smooth, rhythmic, and effortless.
The pendulum swing: arm from shoulder, release at ankle height, bowl kisses the green
One of the most common beginner errors is releasing the bowl too high, causing it to bounce on landing. This disrupts the bowl's path and pace. Practise with an empty hand first — brush your knuckles along the green at the point where you'd release the bowl.
Follow-Through Technique
The follow-through is what happens after the bowl leaves your hand. Many beginners dismiss it as irrelevant — but your follow-through reveals whether your entire delivery was correct.
After releasing the bowl, your arm should continue upward in the direction of your aiming point, finishing with your hand roughly at shoulder height. Your body weight should have fully transferred onto your front foot, and your back foot may rise slightly off the ground naturally.
Think of the follow-through as your quality check. If your arm ends up pointing somewhere other than your aiming line, something went wrong earlier in the swing — use it as diagnostic feedback, not just a finishing move.
"A good follow-through doesn't make the delivery — but it proves the delivery was good."
Forehand vs Backhand Delivery
Every delivery in lawn bowls is either a forehand or a backhand. This refers to which side the bowl curves from — it is not about which hand you bowl with, but about the direction of the curve relative to your body.
| Aspect | Forehand | Backhand |
|---|---|---|
| Curve direction (right-hander) | Bowl curves from right to left | Bowl curves from left to right |
| Bias position | Bias ring faces inward (toward body) | Bowl is turned — bias ring faces outward |
| Feel | Natural for most right-handers | Can feel awkward initially — practise equally |
| When used | When the natural arc suits the head | When the head requires approach from the other side |
For a right-handed player, the forehand curves from right to left. The backhand curves from left to right. Left-handers are the mirror image.
Competition bowlers must be comfortable on both hands. A player who can only use one hand is predictable and can be exploited tactically. From your very first sessions, practise equal numbers of forehand and backhand deliveries.
Consistency Drills
Technique is only valuable when it is consistent. These drills build the muscle memory and spatial awareness to deliver reliably under pressure.
Quality over quantity. Twenty focused, deliberately considered deliveries teach more than one hundred mechanical repetitions. Before each delivery in a drill, pause, reset your stance, and commit to your aiming line. Speed of practice is the enemy of consistency.