There are a wide range of different
aspects in relation to playing conditions which lawn bowlers will have to adapt
to. In general terms you have the outdoor game which is played during the
summer on a maintained bowling green of grass. The indoor game is played during
the winter on an artificial surface where the bowling green consists of
underlay flooring and a carpet. However, each surface varies in the way it plays
as their will be individual traits dependent on a variety of factors.
There will be different runs on
greens which cannot be explained on an outdoor surface, this is just due to the
way the grass grows. However, runs on outdoor bowling greens will tend to stay
the same on each individual bowling green which means players can gain a
competitive advantage on their home or well known playing surfaces.
Outdoor greens in the United Kingdom
although maintained to a high standard, are known as heavy playing surfaces
which in technical terms to a bowler is a slow playing surface. This means
players will have to deliver their bowls more powerfully to reach the final destination.
This could be due to the adverse weather we have, which means the bowling
surfaces cannot be maintained to their maximum level. All greens vary in speed dependent
on how well they are kept and sometimes the natural environment plays a role on
how the surface will play as the grass could grow differently compared to
others, although this will not have a major influence.
Shown below is an example of an outdoor green in the United Kingdom, this particular green is Kelvingrove Bowling Green where the Lawn Bowls was held for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Outdoor greens in the southern
hemisphere however, are able to be maintained to a maximum level due to the
kinder weather conditions. The playing surfaces are fast in comparison to that
of the United Kingdom, which in technical terms to a bowler means the surface
is playing fast. This means players will have to deliver their bowls less
powerfully to reach the final destination. A lot of players will look to move
to Australia or New Zealand to be exposed to these playing surfaces on a
regular basis.
Shown below is an example of an outdoor bowling green from the southern hemisphere, this particular green is Broadbeach Bowls Club bowling green which is home to one of the best teams in Australia the Broadbeach Bulls.
Indoor greens in the United Kingdom
do not need maintained like outdoor greens as there is no grass to be cut on a
regular basis. The surface consists of underlay and a carpet. The only
maintenance which will provided on indoor surfaces are the stretching of
carpets to ensure maximum speed is kept. Over time the carpet will wear away
through the continual play and stretching to maintain it, which means new
carpets may be required every decade or so. Indoor surfaces are fast in
comparison to that of the outdoor surfaces here, this is due to the bowls
almost sliding along the carpet which means bowls are delivered less powerfully
to reach their final destination. Indoor greens will vary in speed dependent on
the underlay flooring present, which will also have an influence on the
different runs on the green. Heating of the indoor arena has an effect on the
playing surface, as this will cause the carpet to almost stretch due to the
heat which will result in a quicker playing surface. Similar to that of outdoor
greens, each surface has its only personal traits.
Shown below is an example of an indoor playing surface from the United Kingdom, in this particular instance the green shown is from Ayr Indoor Bowling Club where I personally play during the indoor season.
Shown below is an example of an indoor playing surface from the southern hemisphere, this green shown is from Tweeds Head Indoor Bowling Centre in Australia.
In this instance, indoor surfaces in the southern hemisphere are similar to that of indoor surfaces here as the playing conditions are similar as the examples above show.
Where bowlers from the United Kingdom will find
the indoor a quicker surface than their outdoor greens, bowlers from the
southern hemisphere will find their indoor a slower surface than their outdoor
greens due to the maximum level of maintenance on their outdoor surfaces.
With this being said, this will have an influence on delivery technique. Different aspects of this will be discussed in my next blog. So stay tuned for more updates.
