So many of the issues I see with bolwer’s deliveries boil down to the grip. The grip is the first thing you do before you deliver, and is the last contact point afterwards, so it is central to everything you do in bowls.
Beginners often get confused with how they should grip their bowl, and struggle because of it. In this guide I will go through the 3 common gripping techniques, how to learn them, and run through which one might be best for you.
Types of grips on lawn bowls
There are actually 3 common gripping techniques these are:
- Claw
- Cradle
- Scoop
The one you choose will depend on many factors (which we will look at later). For now, lets look at each technique in turn.
Claw
The claw grip is where you place your fingers across the running surface of the bowl - your index and pinky will often sit along the grips on the shoulder of the bowl - with your thumb on top of the bowl.
Your thumb can sit either along the running surface of the bowl, or along the grip.
The main feature of the Claw grip is that the palm of the hand is off the bowl. There should be a noticable gap between the palm of the hand and the bowl itself.
Pros and Cons of the Claw grip
As the bowl is held primarily with the fingers, it means you will have a better feel for the bowl as you release it. The fingers are the last thing to touch the bowl before you release it, so having them the sole touch point on the bowls can often help towards a smooth release.
The main draw back to it is that it can feel rather insecure in your hand.
The Claw grip is ideal for indoor bowls, or fast outdoor greens as it helps when weight control is more about “touch” and “feel”.
Cradle
The Cradle grip is where the bowl is held almost entirely in the palm of the hand. Your fingers and thumb are all along the running surface of the bowl or holding the bowl by the grip on the underside of it.
The Cradle is almost as if you are cupping the bowl.
Pros and Cons of the Cradle grip
The cradle grip offers the most support for the bowl. Having the whole hand on the bowl makes it ideal for times when gripping the bowl is tricky.
It does however mean that you loose a lot of the “feel” you get when you hold the bowl with the tips of your fingers. Also, having your thumb at the bottom of the bowl can make your backswing rather awkward, as there is nothing stopping the bowl from falling out - unless you bend your wrist to keep your hand underneath the bowl.
Scoop
The Scoop grip is a combination of the cradle and the Claw. The fingers and thumb are placed similarly to the Claw, but the palm is also used to hold the bowl.
You know when you are holding your bowl in the correct Scoop grip when you can see your thumb and index finger in a “C” shape along the grip of the bowl.
Pros and Cons of the Scoop grip
The Scoop grip is a get all-round grip. It offers alot of the benefits of the claw grip - as the bowl is held by the tips of your fingers, abut is also offers the extra security by having the palm of your hand in contact with the bowl.
As with many “all-round” options, the Scoop grip offers only some of the benefit of the Claw and Cradle grips.
How to choose which technique to use
Now we know what the 3 main ways to grop a bowl are, and how to do them correctly, its time to look at when to use them.
Its important to understand that you can (and often will) change your grip depending on the circumstances. As you are about to see, your grip can be changed to suit many common bowls issues.
Grip strength
Issues with grip strength are common in lawn bowls. This can be down to a variety of reasons - most commonly using abowl too big for you, or issues with the fingers as you get a bit older.
If you have issues gripping the bowl then you may want to try using either the Scoop or Cradle grips to see if they offer more support.
Weather
Bowling in the rain is tricky, especially for your grip. As your bowls get wetter, and your towels get sodden, it can feel like gripping your bowl is impossible.
I would strongly recommend you avoid something like the Claw grip - especially in the worst weather - and try the Cradle grip instead.
When we get our “traditional English summer” I will often use the Cradle grip to ensure I can control the bowl as I release it.
Surface speed
As I mentioned in the description of the grips, the surface you bowl on can have an impact on the way you grip your bowl.
If you are playing indoors, or on a particularly fast outdoor green (assuming the sun is shining of course!) then you may want to use a grip where your finger tips are used.
Gripping by your fingers can often help with the “feel” of the bowl, especially when weight control is tricky.
Comfort
Finally, it comes down to personal preference.
Who am I to tell you what does and doesn’t work for you and your game. Try all three out and use the one that feels the best to you.
FAQs
Here are some other common questions about lawn bowl grips which may help you.
What is the proper way to hold a lawn bowl?
There is no “proper” way to hold a bowl. There are 3 common techniques - the claw, cradle and scoop grips - but which one you choose is down to the bowler’s personal preference.
What is the best grip for a lawn bowl?
The Scoop grip is the best way to grip a lawn bowl. The fingers and thumb are placed along the running surface and in the grips on the shoulder of the bowl. This alongside the palm being used to hold the bowl means it offers the best control, whilst also allowing the fingers to have a feel for the release.
