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"If it ain't broke then don't fix it" 23
"If it ain't broke then don't fix it"
This American saying is one of the great truths. If you deliver your bowls relatively easily with not
much wobble then for god’s sake don't change a thing. I watched a player at an international event who
held his bowl literally in the side of his hand with no support underneath it. Also, he had a huge backswing
as though he was going to strike on every end. However, as his arm came down to the mat he slowed it
down and delivered his bowl at the right pace and without a wobble.
I would stress that this was an exception to the rule as most of us may wob-
ble our bowls to some degree and may not always deliver them down the
line we intend. So, if your bowls run fairly true with minimum wobble then
don’t change your grip. If this latter part does not apply to you and you do
wobble your bowls or your delivery is inconsistent then once again read on.
Your bowls may not go down the line you want them too and your
weight may not be right but these are generally problems unrelated to grip
and will be covered in another issue.
GRIPS - THE CRADLE
GRIPS - THE CRADLE
1 1 Trying to explain in words is not as easy as teaching in the flesh so to speak
here goes. There are only two really basic grips in bowls, the cradle grip
and the claw grip. There are many variations of grip between the two but
in terms of absolute basics there are really only two. I won’t both with all
the variations, as I’m sure that if you look around your club you will see
this for yourself. So what’s the difference and what is the ideal for short
mat bowls? Grip is perhaps the wrong word for grip as it is more like the
friction of your hand and fingers holding the bowl.
In the cradle grip is where the bowl is sitting or resting more or less
2 2 in the palm of your hand or on the mound area on the palm at the bottom

of your fingers. Photo 1 illustrates the kind of spread that your fingers
should take. Note that the fingers are basically spread between the grip
marks on the bowls but they are not nearly as wide spread as with the cradle
grip, which we will deal with later.
They would approximately be between the two rings and on the run-
ning sole or bottom of the bowls, usually with your little finger partly up
the side of you bowl. Note, I did not say the fingers would be closed up to-
gether, they would still be spread a little, and your little finger will help bal-
ance the bowl in your hand.
3 3 Your thumb (photo 2) would be the counter balance on the other side

of the bowl and generally this would be no higher than the centre of the
bowl. I would stress that with this grip it is the friction and some very gentle
pressure (and I do mean gentle), that holds the bowl in your hand. With this
grip (for most people), if you turn your hand over the bowl will fall out of
your hand. I say with most people as my “grip” will still just about hold the
bowl but I wouldn’t have my feet underneath. It has taken me a great deal
of practice to develop the right level of friction but this really is a side issue
Photo 3 illustrates the role of your little finger in balancing the bowl
4 4 in your hand whilst photo 4 shows a “stronger” thumb i.e. it is farther up
the bowl than photo 2 but your little finger remains as photo 2.
I hope the above more or less covers the cradle grip but if you have
any questions or points that need clarification then either write in or email me bobw@short-mat-
magazine.com. You may raise points that others want clarifying and I will hopefully include them in the
magazine. I shall also be dealing on the comments often expressed by lady bowlers about having small
hands. In the photos my guinea pig is holding size 6 bowls and like me he does not have a large hand and
I bowl with 5’s in a cradle grip.