Most club bowlers improve in their first season, plateau, and then stay at roughly the same level for years — not because they lack ability, but because they lack a structured approach to improvement. This guide gives you that structure. Apply these methods consistently and you will be a measurably better player within three months.
This is the single highest-impact improvement activity available to any bowler and it costs nothing. Set your phone up on a tripod or ask a teammate to hold it and film 10–15 of your deliveries from two angles: directly behind you (to see your alignment and follow-through) and from the side (to see your backswing height, step and release point).
Most players who do this for the first time are genuinely surprised by what they see. The delivery that felt perfectly smooth and consistent looks completely different on video. Common revelations: the head lifts too early, the follow-through stops short, the stance varies significantly between deliveries, the bowl is released much higher above the green than it felt.
The majority of club players practice by bowling at the jack. This is the least efficient form of practice available because you are practising the end result rather than the process. Instead, identify a mark on the bank or a specific board on the rink and practice drawing to that exact point regardless of where the jack is.
This builds the muscle memory of a specific line and weight combination. Once you can reliably hit a target mark, you can transfer that precision to any jack position on the green. Spend at least half of every practice session on targeted draw practice rather than head building.
Many intermediate players try to develop their drive and trail shot and yard-on and draw all simultaneously. This is inefficient. Elite coaches consistently advise focusing on one shot type until it is reliable before adding another to your repertoire.
The draw is the foundation of everything. If your draw is not consistent, your yard-on will be inaccurate, your trail shot will miss, and your drive will simply remove your own bowls from play when it misses. Master the draw to a consistent standard first — then build everything else on that foundation.
A consistent pre-shot routine does two things: it standardises your physical preparation, and it gives your conscious mind something specific to focus on so that your trained subconscious can perform the delivery without interference. Without a routine, your conscious mind fills the gap with anxiety, over-thinking and doubt.
Your routine should be 4–6 steps, performed identically every single delivery regardless of the situation. Example: step onto mat → check bias orientation → look to aiming point → one controlled breath → look down at bowl → deliver. The specific steps matter less than the consistency with which you perform them.
This is uncomfortable advice but it is the most reliably effective method of improvement available. Playing exclusively against players at your own level or below creates no upward pressure on your game. Playing regularly against better players forces you to be more precise, reveals weaknesses in your game that easier opponents forgive, and exposes you to higher-level tactical thinking.
Ask your club secretary about county trials, inter-club competitions or any higher-level competition you might be eligible for. Many county associations run development leagues specifically for improving club players. Even one competitive game per month against stronger opposition will accelerate your improvement significantly.
Almost every club player has a significantly stronger hand — the one they default to naturally. This creates a major tactical disadvantage: experienced opponents quickly identify your weak hand and position their bowls to force you onto it.
Dedicate at least one quarter of every practice session exclusively to your weaker hand. It will feel uncomfortable and ineffective initially. Within 6–8 weeks of consistent practice, the gap between your two hands will begin to close. A player with two reliable hands has a significant advantage over the majority of club players who have one strong hand and one weak one.
After every session or match, spend 5 minutes writing brief notes: what worked, what did not, which ends were turning points and why, what you need to practice next session. This sounds overly formal for a social sport, but the discipline of reflection accelerates learning dramatically.
Over a season, your journal becomes an invaluable record of your development — identifying patterns you would never notice session to session. You will see exactly when your drawing improved, what conditions cause problems, and which tactical situations you repeatedly misread.
Bowls England and the national associations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all run coaching programmes. Your county bowls association almost certainly has qualified Level 1 and Level 2 coaches available, often for free or at minimal cost to members.
Even a single two-hour coaching session with a qualified coach will identify faults and improvements that self-directed practice might take years to find. Ask your club secretary about coaching availability. Most clubs are delighted when members show initiative in wanting to improve.