7 Common Lawn Bowls Delivery Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

THE ROLL UP - INTRO

1️⃣ Wobbling or Skewed Bowl on Release

A wobbling bowl is one of the easiest faults to spot, that little sideways shake as it leaves your hand and settles onto the green.  It usually comes from misalignment of the running surface or a twisted wrist during release.  Even a few degrees of rotation can send the bowl off line.

The Fix:
Re-examine your grip and hand position.  The running surface of the bowl should face precisely along your target line.  Practise smooth, relaxed releases with your wrist straight - no flicking motion.  A great drill is the “shadow-release”: rehearse your delivery motion without a bowl, focusing on a straight pendulum swing and even rhythm.  Filming from front and side angles will help you check that the bowl exits cleanly with minimal rotation other than the bias.

Recommended read: Lawn Bowls Delivery Technique: Improve Accuracy and Control

2️⃣ Bouncing or “Thudding” Deliveries

If your bowl hits the green with a loud thud and stops short, you’re likely releasing too high or too early in your forward motion.  The bowl loses momentum and struggles to hold its intended path.

The Fix:
Focus on lowering your point of release.  Imagine you’re “rolling” the bowl onto the grass rather than throwing it forward.  Practise slow, rhythmic roll-ups to short targets, concentrating on a gentle, brushing contact with the turf.  Gradually increase distance while maintaining that smooth action.  Bowlers training on quicker greens should pay special attention to this - excessive bounce can magnify inconsistencies.

3️⃣ Stepping Off-Line

One of the most common but least-recognised issues is stepping across your line.  Many bowlers unintentionally step toward the jack instead of along their aiming line, dragging the body and arm off target.  The result? Bowls consistently finishing narrow or wide.

The Fix:
Lay down two narrow tape lines from the mat directly along your target path.  Practise stepping and delivering along this lane to reinforce muscle memory.  Keep your front big toe pointed toward your aiming point and ensure your shoulders follow that same direction.  A useful cue: imagine your step is the “rail” and your arm is the “train” running smoothly along it.

Video yourself from behind — most bowlers are shocked to see how much their step drifts when they thought they were straight.

4️⃣ Over-Gripping or Excessive Tension

Pressure situations make even calm players tighten their grip.  Unfortunately, tension stiffens the wrist and forearm, causing jerky motion and inconsistent release.  Over-gripping also forces the bowl out early, disrupting the line.

The Fix:
Check that your grip pressure allows the bowl to feel secure yet comfortable, firm enough that it won’t slip, but light enough that your hand remains flexible.  Before each delivery, take one deep breath and consciously release shoulder tension.  Try the “towel drill”: hold a towel in your bowling hand and keep it balanced using minimal pressure, that’s the level of relaxation you want in your delivery.  Over time, this relaxed control becomes automatic.

5️⃣ Looking Up Too Early

A subtle but costly mistake is lifting your head or eyes too soon after release.  When this happens, your shoulders follow, altering the path of your arm and the bowl.  Even a slight head lift can cause your line to stray or your bowl to fall short.

The Fix:
Keep your eyes locked on a focal point 3 to 6 metres in front of you until the bowl has left your hand. Hold your follow-through posture for two full seconds before straightening up. This reinforces body discipline and prevents premature movement.  Elite players often use a mental cue like “eyes down, bowl down” to remind themselves to stay anchored through release.

6️⃣ Poor Balance and Stance

Balance is everything.  Feet too close together, a stride that’s too long or too short, or an uneven weight shift can all send your body swaying.  Once your balance breaks, your delivery path shifts, no matter how clean your arm swing feels.

The Fix:
Start from a stable base, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly flexed.  When stepping out, aim for a natural stride (not a lunge) at roughly 45 degrees.  Keep your back leg acting as a stabiliser rather than swinging it behind. Practise “hold-finish” drills: deliver slowly and freeze your body at the end of the motion. If you can stay balanced for two seconds without wobbling, your stance is sound.

7️⃣ Inconsistent or Rushed Follow-Through

Many bowlers decelerate their arm before the natural end of the swing or stop abruptly after releasing the bowl.  This shortens the kinetic chain and often results in under-weight or offline shots.

The Fix:
Think of your follow-through as finishing your story.  Keep your hand travelling along the intended line and finish with your fingers pointing toward your target.  Hold the position until the bowl crosses your aiming point. To build consistency, practise “slow-motion deliveries,” exaggerating a smooth, continuous arm swing from start to finish.

When you review footage of top international players, notice how their arms always extend fully toward the target, that’s no accident.

📆 Integrating Corrections into Practice

1. Assess: Record yourself and identify which of the seven faults appear most often.

2. Prioritise: Focus on one correction per week.

3. Reinforce: Use drills that directly address that single issue.

4. Review: Compare new footage to old - celebrate visible improvements.

5. Maintain: Recheck after competitions or breaks; faults can creep back when fatigued or under pressure.

Adding a small mental checklist (“Grip, Step, Eyes, Finish”) before every end can also anchor your routine.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Consistency begins with a clean, repeatable delivery.

• Wobble, bounce, step drift, tension, early head lift, poor balance, and rushed follow-through are the seven biggest culprits.

• Fix one at a time through focused drills and video feedback.

• Even elite players periodically re-check fundamentals.

• Build awareness → make small corrections → embed through repetition.

Pair these insights with The Bowls Academy Purposeful Practice Targets or solid on-green drills framework to turn good habits into instinctive ones.

 

Every bowler, no matter the level, battles delivery drift.  The difference between frustration and improvement lies in awareness and structured correction.  Next time your bowls start missing for no clear reason, return to this checklist - you’ll likely find the answer within these seven fundamentals.

 

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