Page 29 - Winter 2013

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"If it ain't broke then don't fix it" 29
"If it ain't broke then don't fix it"

This American sayings 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 wobble
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, even if it different than a theoretical grip
If 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 on stance.
GRIPS - THE CRADLE
GRIPS - THE CRADLE

Trying to explain in words is not as easy as teaching in the flesh so to speak
1 1 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 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.
2 2 They would approximately be between the two rings and on the running

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 together, they
would still be spread a little, and your little finger will help balance the bowl
in you hand.
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
3 3 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 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 and model
Keith Earp 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.
4 4