Size matters!
This is a true eavesdropping. A doting father was watching his daughter in a County match. She was bowling beautifully, her concentration was full-on and she was putting bowl after bowl on the jack.
One of the spectators asked the father: “She’s amazing: what size bowls does she bowl with – I thought she used bigger ones?”
“They’re a size 2 now”, said Dad “though at the start of the season, before all her competition rounds, they were a size 7!”
Bowls sizes explained
Lawn bowls come in numbered sizes, usually from size 0000 upwards, with the newer, smaller size 000 and 0000 now legal in competition too. The higher the number, the bigger the bowl. Each step up adds about 2 mm to the diameter, but in your hand you can really feel it. With the exception of Aero bowls, all manufacturers increment in integer sizes, but Aero includes half sizes as well.
Bowls sizes are only half the story. Different makes and models of the same size can feel quite different, because some are wider across the running surface and some have deeper grip rings. A size 3 in one model can feel more like a size 2 or 4 in another. As a good example, compare the width in your palm of a size 4 Taylor Ace with a size 4 Taylor International…
How to choose your bowls size
Forget the old advice about spanning the bowl with your thumb and middle finger. The best test is the grip test: hold your arm out, palm up, with the bowl in your hand, then turn your wrist over so your palm faces the ground. If you can hold the bowl comfortably without it slipping, it’s not too big. Go for the largest size you can control comfortably. Comfort is far mor important than size – don’t go for a size 4 because although the size 2 feels much more comfortable, you’re anxious about being mocked for “bowling with marbles”.
Does size change during a season?
Not really, whatever the doting father says! Seriously though, a coach may recommend a change of size, and it might not always to go smaller. For example, a bowler I coach was using a size 0 Henselite Tiger and a claw grip. After some video analysis I realised that this grip and the relatively small bowl was causing occasional wrist-twisting which meant some bowls were delivered way off line. The result, after testing various possibilities? A change to a size 4 Taylor International and the cradle grip. To begin with the bowler told me “This feels unnatural!” but after two or three weeks of work the move was a complete success. The 5% of off-line bowls were elimiinated from his game – and he started winning matches on a regular basis.
Talking of grip, cold hands in early spring or late autumn, wet greens, and indoor-versus-outdoor play can all make the same bowl feel different. That’s why some bowlers use grip wax or gloves in cold or damp weather – less drastic than changing size… and less expensive!
Try before you buy
The best way to be sure of your bowls size is to hold a few. At our Enfield shop you can try sizes side by side, with a qualified coach to help. Or browse our in-stock bowls by size online.
Share your story
This is a true eavesdropping. If you’ve overheard a good one one at the rinkside or in the bar, let us know: there’s a £10 shop voucher for every one we publish.
This post was first published on 15 July 2015. Last updated 1 October 2026.