If you play lawn bowls, you'll notice that some greens play faster than others. On one surface, your bowl glides towards the jack with little effort. On another, it needs a much firmer delivery to reach the same spot.
This is green speed. Understanding it helps you judge both your weight and your line, and adapt quickly when conditions change.
What Does Green Speed Mean?
Green speed describes how freely a bowl runs across the surface. It's usually measured in seconds: the time from the bowl leaving your hand to it coming to rest near a full-length jack.
Here's the part that catches newer bowlers out. A higher number means a faster green. There's less resistance, so the bowl keeps rolling for longer before it stops. Bowls maker Henselite puts faster greens at around 14 to 19 seconds and slower greens at around 10 to 14.
Why Green Speed Changes Your Line as Well as Your Weight
A fast green needs less weight to reach the jack, and a slow green needs a firmer delivery. But weight is only half the challenge.
Because the bowl rolls for longer on a fast green, its bias has more time to take effect, so it curves more. You'll need to take a wider line, or more green, to finish near the jack. On a slow green, the bowl runs straighter, and you'll need to bowl narrower.
Getting line and weight right together is what puts your bowl close to the jack. Change one, and you'll almost always need to adjust the other.
What Affects Green Speed?
Several things change how a green plays:
- Grass and preparation. Grass type, how short it's cut and how often it's rolled all affect how freely a bowl runs. A closely mown, well-rolled green is usually quicker.
- Moisture. A damp grass green usually plays slower than a dry one, so morning dew or a passing shower can take pace off the surface.
- Weather. Temperature and humidity change how the surface plays. Wind can also push a bowl off its line, especially as it slows down near the end of its run.
- Indoor or outdoor. Indoor carpets tend to be quicker and more consistent than outdoor grass.
Conditions can change during a game, too. A green that played quickly in the morning sun may slow right down after a shower, so keep reassessing as you play.
How to Judge Green Speed
Use your trial ends before a match to read the surface. Send bowls to a consistent length and notice how much weight you need each time. Compare each delivery with the last, rather than relying on one good bowl.
You can also time it yourself. Count the seconds from the moment the bowl leaves your hand until it stops near the jack. The more seconds, the faster the green, and the wider your line will need to be.
Watching other players' bowls helps, especially on the hand you haven't played yet. As the match goes on, keep an eye on the weather and the surface. Small, early adjustments make a real difference.
Choosing the Right Lawn Bowls for Your Greens
Your bowls matter as well. Their size and weight should suit your hand and your delivery, and their bias should suit the greens you play on most. A narrower-biased bowl is often easier to control on fast indoor carpets, while many outdoor players prefer a bowl with more bias.
There's no perfect set for every green, so choose bowls that feel comfortable and that you trust. If you play both indoors and out, a second set with a different bias may make sense.
That doesn't have to mean paying full price. Our second hand lawn bowls are checked and graded by England international Mark Royal, so you can try a different bias for less.
Find Your Next Set at Jack and Bowl
Browse our full range of lawn bowls, or pop into our shop in Eye or Chelmsford. We'll measure your hand and talk through bias with you, so you leave with a set that suits your game, your greens and your budget.
