A bowl leaves your hand looking obedient, travels with purpose, then bends towards the jack like it has remembered a secret appointment. That curve is bias, and learning to trust it is the first great unlock in lawn bowls.
Why the bowl curves
A lawn bowl is not a perfect sphere. Its running surface is shaped so that its path curves as it loses speed. The World Bowls introduction guide describes bias as the draw, or amount of curve, a bowl takes while rolling. A bowl delivered with more pace tends to travel straighter for longer; as it slows, the bias has more influence and the bowl draws towards its finishing line.
The smaller ring or emblem marks the bias side. For a normal draw shot, that smaller mark faces towards the centre of the rink. A right-handed player’s forehand and backhand use opposite sides of the rink, but both deliveries ask the same question: where must the bowl begin so its curve finishes at the target?
Stop aiming at the jack
Beginners often stare directly at the jack and send the bowl straight towards it. Instead, choose an aiming point out to the side—a line that gives the bowl room to arc back. The exact line changes with the bowl model, the hand being played, the pace of the green and the weight of the delivery.
- Use the same bowl and the same hand for several deliveries.
- Pick a visible aiming point on the bank or rink line.
- Change only one thing at a time: line or weight.
- Watch the whole path, not just where the bowl stops.
Let the curve teach you
A bowl that finishes wide may need a narrower line, more weight, or both. A bowl that crosses the head can reveal too little grass or not enough pace. Treat every delivery as information rather than a verdict on your ability.
Bias is not an obstacle to beat. It is the signature movement of the sport—the plot twist that makes every rink, every bowl and every end feel different.
Further reading: World Bowls Introduction to Lawn Bowls.