Teaching the Correct Bias to Beginners

 I just finished teaching some new bowlers how to deliver lawn bowls at the James Gardens LBC Open House.

I am teaching them how to avoid wrong biases incorrectly and as a result, there are a lot of wrong biases. I am telling them the same thing I was taught 12 years ago. That is “ The small circle needs to be closest to the centre line of the rink.”

This doesn’t work!! The students are confused. I think it will be clearer if we say, “Make sure the bigger emblem on your bowl faces the side of the rink you will be bowling on.” That is, if you are bowling down closer to the left boundary, the big emblem should be on the left; if bowling closer to the right boundary, the big emblem should be on the right side.

The boundaries are easier to recognise than the centre line. Particularly because the centre line is not marked in Canada and many other jurisdictions.

Delivering wrong-biased bowls is embarrassing, particularly for tyro bowlers. Let’s make it less likely to happen during these critical moments when they are deciding whether to take up our game!