Good lawn bowls practice needs a target, a score and one skill at a time. These seven drills turn a casual roll-up into useful evidence about line, weight and decision-making. Use markers approved by your club and keep neighbouring rinks clear.
1. The delivery-line gate
Place two flat discs a bowl-width apart a few metres from the mat. Deliver through the gate on one hand, then the other. Score one point for the gate and one for finishing within a mat-length of the jack.
2. Three-length ladder
Set short, medium and long targets. Play two bowls to each in order, then reverse the sequence. The goal is to change weight without rebuilding your delivery.
3. Four-bowl grouping
Deliver four draws to one jack. Measure the spread from the jack and record the closest bowl plus the size of the group. A tight group is a stronger sign of control than one lucky toucher.
4. Forehand-backhand pairs
Play one forehand and one backhand to the same target, repeating for five rounds. Compare which hand gives the more repeatable line today rather than assuming your favourite side will always win.
5. The back-bowl zone
Mark a safe scoring zone one to two metres behind the jack. Practise finishing in that zone without disturbing the head. Useful back bowls turn small misses into future assets.
6. One-bowl pressure
Create a simple head, then give yourself one bowl to draw shot. Reset and repeat from different mat positions. Keep the pre-shot routine identical whether the result is good or bad.
7. Nine-end evidence game
Play nine ends against a target score. Enter every end and the running total so the drill includes match context. The Bowls Australia coaching activities and Bowls USA coaching resources offer more structured ideas.
Record the pattern, not just the best bowl
Use WGTS scorecards to keep drill totals and camera-assisted measurement to compare the bowls in your final group on a compatible phone. Get WGTS for iPhone or download WGTS for Android.