There are many things to consider before playing a weighted shot.
Decisions, decisions …
Weighted or not?
Do I have the back bowls?
Should I be playing to get the second shot?
If you don’t have back bowls, weighted shots are a waste of time!
If you are still contemplating weighted shots, continue with the next section, “What’s the goal?”
More decisions …
What’s the goal?
Do I want to lose the shot bowl?
Do I want to stay on the rink?
Do I want to just move the head around?
Should I play forehand or backhand?
Am I trying to get the bowl, the jack or both?
Zeroing in …
Which shot type will achieve the goal?
Consider how heavy you want to deliver the bowl
The speed of your bowl determines the line you take
The faster the bowl, the narrower the line
Speed and line varies between grass and artificial
Grass greens are narrower and slower than artificial greens
Great stuff, you’ve got this far. You’ve got back bowls and decided that a weighted shot makes good sense. You’ve considered the various possible outcomes and settled on a goal. The goal has determined the weight you need and the hand you’ll be approaching the head on. Finally you’ve considered the green surface and line, and now you are ready to deliver the shot …
Delivery Technique
How to delivery the shot
Look at the center line and deliver the bowl about 6-8 inches off the center line, for a medium speed bowl.
Make sure your arm goes straight through the target line
Keep your feet firmly planted on the mat
Keep your arm quite rigid during delivery.
Shoulders should be slightly ahead of the leading knee when releasing the bowl
Step through the mat along the target line
Canadian bowler demonstrating good delivery technique
Useful Tips
Play this type of shot early in the game if it is needed, don’t wait until the last person to play
Finally, and very importantly, if you play this shot and it doesn’t work, move on, don’t beat yourself up about it
Bowls Manawatu has published a series of useful Coaching videos, which we recommend you view. The fifth video in the series on controlled weighted shots is below for easy access. Enjoy!
