New Bowlers
Welcome all New Bowlers,
Bear with, Gordon is working hard to gather all the things you wish to know.
This page contains links to resourses to start you on your Bowling journey.
When you join Fareham Bowling Club you will recieve a full induction session.
<< click here - new members introduction >>
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Start your Bowling journey here . . . .
Best way is to give it a go, Fareham bowls club has coaches who will cover everything you need to know to start playing.
We can provide you with all the equipment needed including bowls and shoes to kick you off.
Fareham Bowling invites you . .
Come and try ~ Watch a game
In simple terms
Stand on a mat, deliver your bowl (its biased and will turn) get closest the the small white ball (the Jack) and you score.
Expand a little
Play
A coin is tossed to decide which player or team bowls first. The first bowler places the mat centrally and thenrolls the jack to whatever distance they like.
The jack must come to rest at least 23 meters from the front of the mat. When the jack has come to rest, it isplaced centrally on the rink.
The bowls are not quite round; they are shaped on one side, which gives them their bias. As the bowl slows,it begins to roll in the direction of the bias.
Bowlers will therefore change the side of the bias depending on the direction in which they want the bowl to curve.
The challenge of all shots is to be able to adjust the line and length accordingly.
Players then take turns to bowl; each member of the team will take all of their shots before the next player takes over.
When playing any shot, the player must always have one foot on or over the mat.
Any bowls that are in play can be moved by another shot, and they remain live where they finish (as long as they stay within the rink boundaries).
A bowl that touches the jack before it comes to rest after being delivered by the bowler is known as a‘toucher.’ This bowl is marked with chalk, and should this bowl subsequently be knocked into the ditch, itremains ‘live.’
Any bowl, apart from a ‘toucher,’ that finishes in the ditch is considered out of play, as is any bowl that finishes outside the area of play, and will be removed from the rink.
If the jack is knocked into the ditch, it is still “live” and in play. It is permissible, to move other players’ bowls with your own, with the aim of gaining shots and/or a strategic advantage.
Scoring
Once all players have finished their shots, the game is scored.
The winning team gets one point for each bowl that is closer to the jack than their opponent’s nearest bowl.
Next
This is the end of an end! The direction of play is now reversed. This time the winning team gets to roll the jack first.
Bowls can be played in singles, pairs, triples, and four-player (rinks) teams.
It is usually the first player to reach 21 points (singles), or the highest score after 18 ends (teams) that are deemed the winner(s).
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More information
Club Members
Try asking members at the club. Most are very approachable (spot the grumpy ones for extra points) and are eager to share their vast knowledge of the sport, including their expertise, achievements, and even some disappointments.
The club coaches and club officers are excellent sources of information. However, beware of asking the bar staff, as it may come at a cost (but be sure to check out our fantastic selection and prices) but it can help loosen tongues.
The plus side is that you'll make friends and become involved in the fantastic social aspect of our club.
Check this website, and when you join, check out the members area.
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Governing Bodies
Sound a bit OTT, serious and pushy but this is quite simply how it works.
World Bowls govern the laws of the sport
<< click here for some insomniacs reading material (Laws) - but the bible for some >>
Bowls England looks after our national interests.
Bowls Hampshire our county interests.
and of course all our local bodies Portsmouth and District (mens), Portsmouth and District (womens) and Fareham and Gosport.
Asleep yet? . . .you should be . . .
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"And there’s more... much, much more, as hopefully you will discover..."
watch this space . . . .
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