Green health is, next to member health, the most important asset for an outdoor bowls club. But how many members know what makes for a healthy green?
Every club has its greenkeeping staff or team, and it’s hard to start a conversation with them from a base of little or no knowledge. A little knowledge, a dangerous thing according to the popular saying, can nevertheless be a useful ice-breaker if you want to engage your green-team in conversation over a pint at the bar.
So here are some uncontroversial casual comments about caring for your bowls green that can get you chatting, and perhaps learning more about the work the green team does. Who knows, you may even end up joining in!
Casual conversational opener Number 1: What about top-dressing?
A little dangerous knowledge Number 1: An annual cycle of hollow-tining followed by top-dressing will, after several years, create layers of material in which the actual problems of in a green are being buried year after year. These layers build, making access to the root system by air and particularly oxygen even more difficult.
Casual conversational opener Number 2: What’s our root depth?
A little dangerous knowledge Number 2: A healthy root depth is 10-12cm, and a green which is dropped below 4cm of root depth needs a program to restore healthy roots within 3 or so years.
There is a temptation on a slower green to cut too short in the summer (4mm) in an attempt to get more speed into the green. In fact, this simply reduces the gap between grass and thatch and makes green performance more spongy and slow, not fast.
The ideal in-season cut height is 5.5 mm and this, combined with correct moisture management of the surface will markedly reduce spongy thatch and moss accumulation and result in a faster green.
Winter cutting should be set at 10-12mm so that moss/thatch accumulation, which in winter increases due to leaf and debris fall, doesn’t exceed the grass height. Should that happen, then the grass cannot photosynthesise sufficiently, and the slower winter growth is seriously jeopardised.
Casual conversational opener Number 3: Do we have a big banana?
A little dangerous knowledge Number 3: A big banana, also known as a dew switch, is an essential tool for bowling green moisture management. Correct moisture management has more impact on green quality than any other single activity.
Moisture needs to be able to arrive at, and penetrate through, the surface of the green. The more daily switching/brushing that is carried out, the better the green will become. This disperses moisture/dew on the grass blades down to the surface where it can be absorbed, unless the green has a particularly hydrophobic soil surface.
Hydrophobic soil occurs when a waxy residue builds up on the soil particles resulting in it repelling water rather than absorbing it. You can identify hydrophobic soil by watering it. If water runs off or pools on the surface leaving the soil underneath dry, you’ve got Hydrophobic soil.
On a green that is not found to be hydrophobic, use switching when the surface is moderately or very damp, as brushing will tend to smear worm casts.
Use brushing when surface wormcasts are dry, this is better for breaking down the worm casts and standing the grass upright.
Additionally a wetting agent treatment such as Dewcare can be used on a 4-week application cycle. A wetting agent will break down any waxy soil surface to allow moisture to penetrate, and also create water retention sacs around the roots so water is retained and available to the root for longer.
Moss killers should not be over-used. They contain iron, and when over-used they create an ‘iron pan’ and roots cannot grow through it.
If meadow-grass in the bowls green starts producing little white seeds, it means one of two things, either overwatering, or the adult plant is forecasting that there will be too little water in the weeks ahead so it is preparing to survive to the next generation!
Casual conversational opener Number 4: Do we fertilise with organics?
A little dangerous knowledge Number 4: Organic fertilisers are usually preferred to man-made ones: the latter have a high salt content (20%) and this is bad for grass roots. Organics have lower salt (4%) which is not harmful. Seaweed applied monthly is a good organic fertiliser low in salt and preferable to applications of synthetic fertilisers.
Fertilisers are described (on the packaging or in the specifications) according to parts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Pottasium (the N-P-K ratio, e.g. 7-0-7). Nitrogen promotes leaf growth. It’s part of the chlorophyl molecule which gives plants their green colour and is involved in creating food for the plant through photosynthesis.
Phosphorus is involved in the metabolic processes responsible for transferring energy from one point to another in the plant. It’s also critical in root development and flowering. Because phosphorous moves slowly through the soil, it’s important to work it into the soil, where it’s needed by the roots.
Potassium helps regulate plant metabolism and affects water pressure regulation inside and outside of plant cells. It is important for good root development. For these reasons, potassium is critical to plat stress tolerance.
To identify the correct specification for your green a soil analysis might be necessary.
Bowling Aids
Playing the gameWhat did the bowler say to the golfer?
Ask a golfer to play a round without sticks and you’ll get a very funny look. Ask a bowler to bowl *with* sticks, and the look will be even funnier. Everybody knows that golfers can’t play without sticks and bowlers can’t play with them …. unless they have a disability.
Not so says Nick Atkins. This Australian entrepreneur is on a one-man crusade to encourage all bowlers, arthritic *and* able-bodied, to use his company’s Hunter Hacksaw bowling arm to improve their game.
Nick points out – and not a lot of people know this – that the use of bowling aids by anyone is not prohibited by the Laws of Bowls. Neither does he understand why in the UK, people would rather be seen …. well, would rather not be seen at all using a ‘bowling aid’ due to their close association with disabilities of all kinds.
“That’s crazy” he tells me. “Why wouldn’t you use a product that is almost certain to improve your delivery line and eliminate delivery bounce?”
Bowling Aids
He has a point. Let’s face it, most bowlers already do. Whether it’s a damp cloth, a tube of Grippo or a tub of Winwax, just about everyone you know is already using a bowling aid. It’s just that none of us who use these products think of ourselves as ‘disabled’. The same applies to the ubiquitous ‘lifter’ a staple for thousands of bowlers with a bit of back, knee or hip trouble who would never for a moment consider applying to the Council for a blue badge.
There’s also an increasingly popular evolution of the lifter called the Bowlsmate. This adjustable height stick combines the lifter with a ferrule and an ergonomic handle so the bowler can lean forward on it while delivering to provide support and stability.
I suggest to him that, sad as it may be, there is a stigma associated with products perceived as “disability aids” or “enabling products” amongst the able-bodied fraternity which no amount of persuasion will overcome. Try and tell a Grippo user they’re using a bowling aid and they’ll tell you where to stick it – and it won’t be on your bowls!
Grip, gloves and cloths
Grip is the most ubiquitous bowling aid, and comes in many varieties. Wilgrip is a small tube of white paste for applying to your fingers. Grippo and Betts are similar products supplied for application to the surface of the bowls. The formulation of these products are closely guarded trade secrets. They may look like toothpaste, but I promise you toothpaste doesn’t do the trick. Apply an inch of ‘bowlspaste’ to your bowl, smear around the surface with a cloth, wait for 10 to 20 seconds then buff to a shine.
It’s counter-intuitive of course. You would expect a smooth shiny surface to be very slippery, but the magic of these pastes is that as you polish, they become stickier.
Bulldog is a block of waxy blue squidgy material which you apply to your fingers – but not to the bowl. Then there are three branded cloths impregnated with wax – Aero Gorilla, Taylor Grippit and Drakes Pride Get-A-Grip. Keep a square of any of these in your pocket and squeeze it between your fingers between deliveries
Monkey Grip and Winwax are tubs of a carnauba-based formulation that can be applied to bowls or fingers …. or both. Carnauba wax is a natural wax derived from the leaves of the carnauba palm tree (Copernicia prunifera), which is native to northeastern Brazil. It is sometimes referred to as the “queen of waxes” due to its hardness, high melting point, and glossy finish. Those in the know swear that these two products are the best to use when the rain is pouring down. Whereas Grippo, Betts and WIlgrip may only be needed once or twice during an 18-end match, the carnauba-based products should be re-applied during downpours to eliminate any loss of grip.
Some bowlers improve their grip by using a thin leather or simulated leather glove on the bowling hand. Although we stock gloves at Bush Hill Bowls, I don’t like to sell them without examining the patient’s … I mean customer’s motives. Like a pharmacist who doesn’t like to sell powerful painkillers to a customer without asking a few questions I will start by asking what problem they are hoping to solve by wearing a glove.
Can you guess?
So is a glove the answer? In most cases I will advise that it isn’t. And it’s not because there’s more profit selling a set of bowls than selling a glove. But in most cases the bowler hasn’t even considered that their bowls are too big for their hands. This is often the case when a bowler of ten or more years experience has been using the same beloved set for ever, feels wedded to it, and divorce never enters their head.
Until I suggest it.
Sticks and poles to bend my bowls
Bowling arms grasp the bowl firmly in their jaws. For anyone with back or knee issues, whether or not they consider themselves ‘disabled’ a bowling arm has obvious advantages.
Because they are available in different lengths to match the height of the user, there is no need to bend back or knees to pick up or deliver the bowl. There’s even a size to be used from a sedentary position in a wheelchair or rollator. A bowling arm delivers a perfect arc of swing from back to front that doesn’t deviate from the line, whose momentum completely eliminates that annoying but common fault when the human arm swings across the body and compromises the direction of travel.
“It’s not fair” I’ve heard bowlers mutter in friendly, county and even national competitions. “That bowling arm thing gives them an unfair advantage.”
The number of times I’ve suggested that the mutterer uses one for themselves and explained that it’s entirely legal for *any* bowler to use one! “Oh no, I wouldn’t use one – I’m not handicapped.”
Well, I think to myself, you are if they are beating you!
Also available are pushers, also known as launchers. These long poles sit on the bowl with a horseshoe shaped front and allow you to literally push or shove the bowl along the green. These are particularly helpful indoors, when resistance from the carpet is not an issue. Anyone could use one, of course, so a bowler with reduced muscle strength in the wrist or forearm can continue to deliver their bowls accurately and to a length.
Next time: Walkers, Rollators and Wheelchairs
RIP Gonville
Trade SecretsRIP Gonville Bowling Club
You are looking at a bowling club in its very death throes. Gonville Bowling Club in Thornton Heath is on the market with a guide price of £1.5 million, and auctioneers Bernard Marcus, from whose auction catalogue this description is lifted, will be selling it to the highest bidder on 6th February 2024
This is such a sad moment in bowling history that it is worth recording. Here is the complete listing from the auction catalogue. May it serve as an In Memoriam now that the clubhouse, its history and its honours boards are to be smashed in burned and lost for ever.
Unique Freehold Development Opportunity (stpp),
No Previous Planning History,
Vacant 12 Months Following Completion.
Location:
Gonville Bowling Club lies within the heart of this residential area of Thornton Heath and on the south side of Trafford Road which links through to the A23 Thornton Road via Silverleigh Road. There is a good range of local facilities immediately available within Thornton Road whilst more comprehensive shopping and recreational facilities are within the centre of Thornton Heath with the retail parks such as Valley Park off Purley Way with outlets such as Ikea located circa 1.5 miles to the south. Along with good road links especially provided by the A23, the location benefits from good public transport links including local bus services whilst Thornton Hath Rail Station is 1 mile to the east and provides a direct link to London Victoria with a journey time of less than 30 minutes.
Description: Gonville Road Bowling Club will be sold on the basis that the club will hold a license to occupy for a period of up to 12 months from completion following which, the site will be vacant. The total site area extends to 0.54 acre with the majority of this being vacant and utilised as the bowling green. There are a number of temporary buildings within the site such as storage sheds etc however, part of the land is occupied by the club house/ hall together with kitchen and internal storage areas. These more permanent structures are rated for commercial purposes and total some 137.9 sq m (1,474 sq ft)
Potential: This is a rare opportunity to acquire such a large site within a Greater London postcode area and offers significant potential for a range of opportunities. The auctioneers have researched the planning portals and it appears the site has no planning history having been in its current use for many years but now, with little or no demand for the current facilities. Whilst strictly to be sold on an unconditional basis it is expected that prospective purchasers will wish to consider a range of development opportunities but strictly must rely on their own enquiries in this respect. It is thought that such development could be either for residential, commercial or a mix of both with other considerations perhaps for nursing/ retirement housing or similar. A range of computer generated images are provided solely for prospective buyers to see how such developments could fit within the vernacular of this location and any development will of course be subject to first obtaining all necessary consents.
Total Site Area: 0.54 Acres
Total Built Area: 137.9 sq m (1,474 sq ft)
Possession:
The bowling club are to be granted a 12 month license to occupy the property from completion following which the site will be vacant. This allows a buyer to know the site is secure and occupied whilst they work up their development scheme and apply for planning permission following purchase.
Purposeful Practice #1 – Double Bubble (Indoor)
Playing the gamePlace two jacks (the ‘bubbles’) on the rink, one white and one yellow.
Place the white one on the T and the yellow one on the 23m dot, hence offering one long and one short jack to the bowlers.
The mat is always on the T
Play in teams of 3 or 4
Two bowls per player
LEADS must deliver one bowl to the yellow jack and one bowl to the white jack
Remaining team players deliver, as instructed by their skip, to either the white or yellow jack.
SCORING 3 – 2 – 1 for *each* jack – so a total of 12mpoints available per end.
Green health – a little dangerous thing?
Trade SecretsGreen health is, next to member health, the most important asset for an outdoor bowls club. But how many members know what makes for a healthy green?
Every club has its greenkeeping staff or team, and it’s hard to start a conversation with them from a base of little or no knowledge. A little knowledge, a dangerous thing according to the popular saying, can nevertheless be a useful ice-breaker if you want to engage your green-team in conversation over a pint at the bar.
So here are some uncontroversial casual comments about caring for your bowls green that can get you chatting, and perhaps learning more about the work the green team does. Who knows, you may even end up joining in!
Casual conversational opener Number 1: What about top-dressing?
A little dangerous knowledge Number 1: An annual cycle of hollow-tining followed by top-dressing will, after several years, create layers of material in which the actual problems of in a green are being buried year after year. These layers build, making access to the root system by air and particularly oxygen even more difficult.
Casual conversational opener Number 2: What’s our root depth?
A little dangerous knowledge Number 2: A healthy root depth is 10-12cm, and a green which is dropped below 4cm of root depth needs a program to restore healthy roots within 3 or so years.
There is a temptation on a slower green to cut too short in the summer (4mm) in an attempt to get more speed into the green. In fact, this simply reduces the gap between grass and thatch and makes green performance more spongy and slow, not fast.
The ideal in-season cut height is 5.5 mm and this, combined with correct moisture management of the surface will markedly reduce spongy thatch and moss accumulation and result in a faster green.
Winter cutting should be set at 10-12mm so that moss/thatch accumulation, which in winter increases due to leaf and debris fall, doesn’t exceed the grass height. Should that happen, then the grass cannot photosynthesise sufficiently, and the slower winter growth is seriously jeopardised.
Casual conversational opener Number 3: Do we have a big banana?
A little dangerous knowledge Number 3: A big banana, also known as a dew switch, is an essential tool for bowling green moisture management. Correct moisture management has more impact on green quality than any other single activity.
Moisture needs to be able to arrive at, and penetrate through, the surface of the green. The more daily switching/brushing that is carried out, the better the green will become. This disperses moisture/dew on the grass blades down to the surface where it can be absorbed, unless the green has a particularly hydrophobic soil surface.
Hydrophobic soil occurs when a waxy residue builds up on the soil particles resulting in it repelling water rather than absorbing it. You can identify hydrophobic soil by watering it. If water runs off or pools on the surface leaving the soil underneath dry, you’ve got Hydrophobic soil.
On a green that is not found to be hydrophobic, use switching when the surface is moderately or very damp, as brushing will tend to smear worm casts.
Use brushing when surface wormcasts are dry, this is better for breaking down the worm casts and standing the grass upright.
Additionally a wetting agent treatment such as Dewcare can be used on a 4-week application cycle. A wetting agent will break down any waxy soil surface to allow moisture to penetrate, and also create water retention sacs around the roots so water is retained and available to the root for longer.
Moss killers should not be over-used. They contain iron, and when over-used they create an ‘iron pan’ and roots cannot grow through it.
If meadow-grass in the bowls green starts producing little white seeds, it means one of two things, either overwatering, or the adult plant is forecasting that there will be too little water in the weeks ahead so it is preparing to survive to the next generation!
Casual conversational opener Number 4: Do we fertilise with organics?
A little dangerous knowledge Number 4: Organic fertilisers are usually preferred to man-made ones: the latter have a high salt content (20%) and this is bad for grass roots. Organics have lower salt (4%) which is not harmful. Seaweed applied monthly is a good organic fertiliser low in salt and preferable to applications of synthetic fertilisers.
Fertilisers are described (on the packaging or in the specifications) according to parts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Pottasium (the N-P-K ratio, e.g. 7-0-7). Nitrogen promotes leaf growth. It’s part of the chlorophyl molecule which gives plants their green colour and is involved in creating food for the plant through photosynthesis.
Phosphorus is involved in the metabolic processes responsible for transferring energy from one point to another in the plant. It’s also critical in root development and flowering. Because phosphorous moves slowly through the soil, it’s important to work it into the soil, where it’s needed by the roots.
Potassium helps regulate plant metabolism and affects water pressure regulation inside and outside of plant cells. It is important for good root development. For these reasons, potassium is critical to plat stress tolerance.
To identify the correct specification for your green a soil analysis might be necessary.
Bowls TV
Playing the gameBush Hill Bowls is delighted to announce sponsorship of Bowls TV.
This match streaming service broadcast – and archived – on YouTube is going from strength to strength, and Bush Hill Bowls will be working with Bowls TV to offer special promotions and offers to viewers who tune in to the live streams.
We applaud Norfolk’s Wayne Willgress, who beat Barry Jenkins on 26th November 2023 at Potters to win the 2023 Open Singles Circuit grand final for the second successive year.
Location Location…..Location
Trade SecretsAfter 10 years at Genotin Terrace Bush Hill Bowls moved to Lincoln Road in March 2023. The distance between the two locations is small – maybe a mile and half by car, or 800 yards as the crow flies.
Here’s a picture
And here’s why: we came to the end of our lease at Genotin Terrace. It was a good lease, interior repairing only (most are ‘full repairing’ meaning the tenant is responsible for anything and everything that needs mending).
We were offered a renewal at a 50% increase, AND a switch to full repairing. Well, bowls is ok to earn a living, but not to earn a fortune, so we had to move.
Our choice of location has raised a few eyebrows. The house in front of Scoffields Garage was in poor repair and uninhabited. The ground floor, however, was spacious and after a bit of sprucing up has become our new shop.
But not for long! Medicus Health Partners, which runs the Health Centre opposite us, is intending to buy the whole of 180 Lincoln Road, including our shop, Scoffields Garage and all the workshops on the plot.
When will this happen? Probably within eighteen months so in the meantime we’re on the lookout for our next premises. If you happen to hear of somewhere that might make a decent bowls shop in the Enfield area, do let us know!
Bowls Buzz Lounge
UncategorizedIn golf they call it the nineteenth hole. In bowls we’ll call it the ninth rink, aka the Bowls Buzz Lounge. That’s because we’ve never seen a bowls green with more than eight rinks…have you?
I hope you’ll find something interesting here – and if not, then I hope you’ll contribute something interesting!
Jerry
Thanks for the great service
Customer reviewsHi, I just wanted to thank you for expediting the engraved bowls jack. It arrived this week to my delight.
Great service, thank you once again,
Anita Hall,
Leicester
Underwater Bowls?
Trade SecretsDear Jerry Sanders,
Congratulations!
I am pleased to inform you that you have successfully achieved the Level 2 – Donyngs IBC qualification.
education@scottishswimming.com
The CoachBowls Team
Stand and Deliver?
Playing the gameStand and deliver, or step forward and roll?
There is no ‘golden rule’ about what stance a new bowler should adopt. There are some helpful pointers which may help the novice evolve a style which produces good results consistently.
Stability is key. So the feet may be side by side as you stand and deliver or in the ‘shooter’ or stepped position, and the bowler may (or may not) take a step forwards as the delivery arm begins the rear-wards pendulum swing. The essential check to make is that there is balance throughout the delivery action.
Follow-through is an essential part of delivery in all ball sports. Doesn’t matter if you are a cricket, tennis player, golfer, footballer or bowler (tenpin or lawn!): completing the action through the line of travel of the ball or bowl will help achieve accuracy.
Smooth transfer of the bowl from hand to green is a good thing, giving maximum control over direction and bias balance.
Think of an aircraft’s wheels at the moment of touchdown. A less than perfect landing results in clouds of rubber smoke as the tyres slide and bounce on the tarmac.
The perfect landing is smoke-free, and that’s the ideal visualisation for a bowls delivery as the bowl makes contact with the grass or carpet. Flexing the knees to lower the body and get the delivery hand closer to the ground is good practice.
On outdoor greens, dropping the bowl from waist-high onto the green is frowned on because of the damage (divots) it causes to the lawn.
Indoors, although a high release is not regarded as good practice, many older, not to say elderly bowlers with back and knee injuries successfully deliver their bowls from knee height or even higher with surprising accuracy onto the jack.
Finally the novice bowler cannot do better than remember the golfer’s refrain: “The more I practice, the luckier I Get!”