Indoor bowling bowls

$ausage$

Hi

Sorry if I am in the wrong thead.
I want to buy my dad a new set of indoor bowls for Xmas. But I don't know a thing about them or what to get so need some guide theough this please.
Thanks

Jonny

3ndahalfof6

$ausage$ wrote: »

Hi

Sorry if I am in the wrong thead.
I want to buy my dad a new set of indoor bowls for Xmas. But I don't know a thing about them or what to get so need some guide theough this please.
Thanks

Jonny

Hi Johnny, first thing, indoor bowls is different to outdoor bowls, grass is out door, carpet is in door, then there is playing at a local club which he would be playing (in doors), I think the only indoor full mat is in Belfast,(not to sure about this), might be a nice treat for you to pay for him to play in Jim Bakers ( I think that is the name of the place), and you to go play with him.(you can rent balls if you do not have any at a small price)

most indoor competitions are on mats, it is all down to the bias of the bowl, if he plays fast a big bias bowl would be the call but if he releases slow, small bias would be the one to get,

you would probably need to ask him how he plays and what surface he prefers,

you can pick up some top quality bowls in car boot sales or you could go all out to buy him a new set,

a goodish set would be about £150 new, but you could get better for a lot less money if you check out the likes of eBay,

if he is into the game he will appreciate them big time.

r3nu4l

Plenty of small clubs in Ireland use a 45 foot mat. Dundrum in Tipperary are one example I only recently heard about. I think Cashel use one too but can't be sure.
3andahalfof6 gives sound advice, much more than I could, tenpin bowling is my game

This is the right section though.

Orion

3ndahalfof6 wrote: »

Hi Johnny, first thing, indoor bowls is different to outdoor bowls, grass is out door, carpet is in door, then there is playing at a local club which he would be playing (in doors), I think the only indoor full mat is in Belfast,

There's another one I played in a few years ago too - further west. Carpet is also outdoors - around Dublin: Leinster, Kennilworth, Dun Laoghaire, Shankill, Skerries, Aer Lingus, among others, are all artificial mats.

Bowls are a very personal thing. The same bowls can be used on grass or carpet but lower biases are preferred generally on carpet. Everyone has their own preference. Then there's the size of the bowls. Some people say that it's down to the size of your hand but it's also a personal choice. I use Size 4s (came down from 5s) but a friend with smaller hands than me uses 6s.

Does your dad have bowls already and does he play regularly?

$ausage$

That's some awesome advice!
I talked to my dads pairs partner and he warned me off the idea asy dad would feel like he would have to use them and even if I just got a new set of his current bowls they would be different and might throw him off.

But that's for the advice it's very insightful!