How Green Speed Affects Your Line
Green speed is one of the most important variables in lawn bowls. A "fast" green means your bowl travels further with the same effort — giving it more time to curl. A "slow" green means more pace is needed and the bias has less distance to work, so the bowl curls less.
This directly impacts the line you must take. On a fast green, you must aim significantly wider — the bowl will curve more before settling near the jack. On a slow green, the line is much straighter because the bowl stops sooner.
Fast green = wider arc. Slow green = straighter line. Same bowl, same bias, very different paths.
Green speed is formally measured in seconds using a device called a stimpmeter or similar tool — the time it takes a bowl to travel a set distance. A reading of 12–14 seconds is considered slow; 16–18 seconds medium; 18+ seconds fast. At top competitions, greens regularly run at 18–22 seconds.
Most club players don't have a stimpmeter. Instead, observe: watch the first few bowls of the game carefully and note how much they curve and how far they travel. Ask experienced players what the green is running at. Once you have a feel, adjust every 3–4 ends as conditions change.
Reading Grain & Moisture
Natural grass greens are not uniform surfaces. The direction the grass is mown (the grain) and the amount of moisture present can significantly affect how your bowl travels, independent of its bias.
Grain is the direction the grass blades lean after mowing. Bowling with the grain (in the same direction the mower travelled) makes the green play faster and can make your bowl curl more. Bowling against the grain creates more friction and can cause the bowl to run straighter and die quicker.
| Condition | Effect on Bowl | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| With grain (mowing direction) | Faster, more curl | Narrow your line slightly, use less pace |
| Against grain | Slower, less curl | Aim a fraction straighter, more pace needed |
| Morning dew / wet green | Significantly slower | Much more pace, straighter line |
| Dry summer afternoon | Very fast, maximum curl | Widest line, lightest touch |
On morning games, the dew on the grass can dramatically slow the green. The first end or two will play very differently from the last. Always factor in that the green will speed up as the morning progresses — your line will widen and your required weight will decrease.
Adjusting for Wind Conditions
Wind is the outdoor player's constant companion — and adversary. A crosswind in particular can significantly alter the path of a bowl in the later stages of its delivery, when the bowl is travelling most slowly and is most vulnerable to lateral forces.
The most important rule in wind: bowl into the wind where possible. Choose the hand that means your bias is curving into the wind — this creates a more predictable path. When the wind and bias work in the same direction, the bowl's path becomes difficult to predict precisely.
"The wind doesn't care about your plan. Learn to work with it, not fight it."
The "Weight" of a Delivery Explained
Weight in lawn bowls refers to the pace or power applied to a delivery — how hard you bowl the ball. Getting the weight right means the bowl arrives at the head with the correct momentum: not too heavy (overshooting) and not too light (dying short).
Weight is controlled primarily through your backswing length. A shorter backswing produces a lighter bowl that dies earlier. A longer backswing produces a heavier bowl that carries further. Some players also adjust pace through their step length or delivery effort, but a consistent backswing is the most reliable method.