A Strategy for Fours (Rinks) at Lawn Bowls

 Playing fours gives each member of the team just two bowls. This presents a unique opportunity because every bowls set comes with four identical bowls. Only two sets of bowls can outfit an entire team. Lead and second could have identical bowls and Third and skip could have identical bowls.

How would this be advantageous? Each set of partners playing with identical bowls could gain better information from watching the other’s deliver result. For example, the person playing second by watching the leader’s bowls could get more perfect knowledge concerning what line to play. A skip moving to the mat could get better advice from the vice who just delivered two bowls that perfectly match those two remaining to be played.

The disadvantage is obvious. Two of the four players would be using bowls that they had no experience with. Also it would be particularly problematic when the two players preferred different sizes or weights for their bowls. Even with identical bowls left handed and a right handed players could not precisely reproduce each others deliveries; try as they might.

Nevertheless, with a little forethought the disadvantages could be minimized. For example, a team could first practice using only two sets of bowls. It’s a novel idea worth considering.