Essex Bowls Coaches Association

Common Bowling Errors and Remedies.

 

During our time working with new and experienced bowlers we will all come across ‘common’ delivery problems resulting in the bowler failing to have a consistent delivery. As coaches we can observe the bowler’s action over several deliveries and discuss with them what they consider to be the cause of their individual problem.

It may also be useful to video the delivery thereby allowing the bowler to  see what they are actually doing, not what they think they are doing.

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A useful app for this is one called ‘Technique’, which is available for free and can be downloaded to any smart phone or pad. There are others. 

 

I hope the following list is useful to you. 

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FAULT/REMEDY [NB: Right Handed bowler assumed] 

1 Stance on mat too straight

Align body, feet, shoulders, and hips square to line of aim …check especially line of right foot

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2 Stance too upright and erect

Stand comfortably …not at attention …weight forward, mostly on balls of feet, with knees flexed

 

3 Bowl held in centre of body (sometimes with left hand touching bowl)

Extend right arm down the line of aim …place left hand in groin moving to knee on delivery

 

4 Looking at jack …bowl goes narrow.

Eyes focused down line of aim until bowl leaves hand

 

5 Bowl takes unexpected course or wobbles

Check grip, particularly position of middle and little finger…Grip most be identical time after time

 

6 Bowl narrows on forehand delivery

Check arm stays straight and vertical and close to the body

 

7 Pupil fails to hit correct line repeatedly

Check forward step is straight down the line of delivery…step should be comfortable length

 

8 Pupil brings arm across body and/or twists the hand on release

Check palm facing upwards at all times and follows through to forehead

 

9 Bowl bounces

Pupil releasing either too high (forward bounce) or too low (bowls into green)

a) Check point of release (i.e should be when arm is vertical and level with forward foot and at green level)

b) Check head position (i.e ‘head up’ can also encourage bounce)

c) Check adequate back-swing

 

10 Pupil unsteady during delivery

Check length of forward step and that spare hand is ‘bracing’ the delivery

 

11 Bowl hitting lead foot

Check forward step is down the line of delivery

 

12 Unable to alter weight / length

Emphasize the ‘change of speed of arm coming through’ is major factor

 

13 Pupil loosing grip of bowl

Check grip …Check size and weight of bowl

 

14 Pupil cannot coordinate forward step with arm swing (i.e athletic delivery)

Ascertain reason, and if suitable teach ‘fixed stance’ delivery

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If you have any feedback please let me know.

Thank You

Trevor Plank

County Coach