THE ROLL UP - INTRO

If you want to improve your bowls, you don’t need expensive gear or hours of spare time, you just need the right drills done with purpose.  This guide outlines 10 essential on-green drills every bowler should incorporate into their training routine, whether you're a new player building consistency or a seasoned competitor sharpening performance under pressure.

Throughout this article, you'll find recommended tools, scoring systems, and progressions to make each drill scalable for all skill levels.

For deeper technique foundations, check out:

• 7 Common Lawn Bowls Delivery Mistakes & How to Fix Them
  https://www.thebowlsacademy.com/blog/7-common-lawn-bowls-delivery-mistakes-and-how-to-fix-them

• Scoreboard Strategy: Smart End Management
  https://www.thebowlsacademy.com/blog/scoreboard-strategy-smart-end-management-for-winning-games

Improve Your Game with These 10 Essential Bowls Drills

1️⃣ The Corridor Drill (Line & Consistency)

Setup:
Create a narrow “corridor” using cones, chalk marks or Purposeful Practice Targets spaced a metre apart.

How to perform:
Deliver 6 bowls ensuring they finish inside the corridor.

Scoring:

• 2 points = bowl finishes fully inside the corridor

• 1 point = bowl touches boundary

• 0 points = outside corridor

Progression:
Narrow the corridor as accuracy improves.

2️⃣ Jack Length Challenge (Weight Control)

Setup:
Roll 6 jacks to random distances (no repeats), or ask a partner to place jacks unpredictably.

How to perform:
Deliver 2 bowls to each jack with no warm-up rolls.

Scoring:

• 3 points = within a mat width

• 2 points = within a mat length

• 1 point = within 1 metre

Progression:
Reduce acceptable margins as you improve.

3️⃣ Four-Quadrant Targeting (Versatility)

Setup:
Divide the rink into four quadrants using markers or practice targets.

How to perform:
Call a quadrant at random (or have a teammate call for you) and deliver one bowl to that zone.

Scoring:
1 point per correct quadrant.

Progression:
Advance to calling specific lengths within each quadrant.

4️⃣ The Draw Ladder (Staged Weight Build-Up)

Setup:
Place targets at:

• Short length

• Medium length

• Three-quarter length

• Full length

How to perform:
Deliver eight bowls: two to each distance, in order from shortest to longest.

Scoring:
1 point for any bowl within a mat length.
Bonus +2 points for hitting all four distances in order.

Progression:
Add a second ladder back the other way.

5️⃣ The Pressure Pair (Competition Simulation)

Setup:
Place a jack anywhere you choose.

How to perform:
Deliver two bowls. Bowl #1 is the set-up. Bowl #2 is the pressure bowl - must beat Bowl #1.

Scoring:
1 point if your second bowl beats your first.
2 points if it beats by more than a mat width.

Progression:
Add a penalty: -1 point if the second bowl finishes worse.

6️⃣ The 10-Shot End (Decision Making)

Setup:
Deliver 10 bowls to one jack position.

How to perform:
Your job is to “build a head” without delivering bowls in the dead zones (short or wide).

Scoring:
+1 for every effective bowl not in the "dead zone"
-1 for risky bowls in poor positional zones (in the dead zones)
+3 bonus if you finish the end holding at least 3 shots (Used when introducing an opponent bowl)

Progression:
Introduce an “opponent bowl” placed in the head before you start.

7️⃣ The Trail & Rest Drill (Controlled Weight)

Setup:
Place a jack slightly off-centre. Put a marker a mat width or mat length behind the jack.

How to perform:
Purpose: trail the jack to the target.

Scoring:

• 3 points = successful trail

• 2 points = resting touch

• 1 point = finishing within a mat width

Progression:
Add additional positional markers left or right of the jack.

8️⃣ One-Bowl Only Drill (Match Pressure)

Setup:
Use any jack position.

How to perform:
Deliver just one bowl per distance. No second chances.

Scoring:
Rate each bowl:

• Excellent

• Good

• Poor

Progression:
Keep a 10-week tracking sheet to measure improvements.

9️⃣ Purposeful Practice Target Scatter

Setup:
Scatter 6–12 Purposeful Practice Targets randomly across the rink (any colours).

How to perform:
Call a colour. Deliver a bowl to that target.

Scoring:
2 points = within a mat width
1 point = within a mat length

Progression:
Increase the distance and position closeness of all targets

🔟 The 60-Second Recovery Drill

Setup:
Place a jack in a difficult position (e.g., hidden behind a short bowl).

How to perform:
You have 60 seconds to analyse the head, choose the shot, and deliver.

Scoring:
1 point if result improves your position
Bonus: +1 for a perfect outcome

Progression:
Add multiple opponent bowls/obstacles (could be bowls bag) to simulate real match chaos.

Why These Drills Work

These drills hit the four pillars of elite bowling:

1. Line control

A bowler who controls line controls outcomes.

2. Weight mastery

Weight errors account for 70%+ of poor bowls (as covered in our technique blogs).

3. Tactical flexibility

Being able to shift from draw shots to up shots to drive shots is the mark of a complete player.

4. Pressure resilience

Training with fatigue, time constraints, and one-bowl scenarios builds mental toughness - essential when matches tighten in the back end of games.

Key Takeaways

• Purposeful practice is better than casual roll ups.

• Use measurable scoring systems to track progress.

• Always include pressure-based drills to simulate real match environments.

• Mix draw, up shot, drive shot and decision-making drills every week.

• Use tools like Purposeful Practice Targets to add structure and variation.