So - you've never played bowls before? not sure it will be for you? looks like a sport just for old people?
Leave any misconceptions at the door, its really inclusive and more importantly, its great fun and a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours in the fresh air in beautiful surroundings and... meet new friends
How would I register my interest in finding out more?
Just pop down on a Friday evening around 6pm during the season (mid April til late September) and there will be somebody there to greet you.
Alternatively, send us a contact note via Contact Details - OTTERY ST MARY BOWLING CLUB and we'll get somebody, the Secretary or one of our Coaches, to get back to you.
What do I need if I come along for to try it out?
Flat shoes and an open mind is all you need (as well as a sense of humour!). Bowling looks really easy but you'll soon find out that there is a bit more too it than meets the eye.
What will my first session look like?
We'll take some basic details from you and make sure that you don't have any ailments that we should be aware of. Your safety is our main concern and whilst bowls cant be considered to be an 'extreme sport', its played outside and that involves the weather
We'll give you a couple of health and safety pointers, stepping onto the green isnt usually hazardous but most players have experienced a near miss at one time or other so always good to be aware of your surroundings and be mindful that there will be quite a few bowls and people on your 'rink' so you need to be mindful of what is around you.
After that, we'll find the correct sized bowls for you - everybody has different sized hands after all
We'll do a couple of warm up stretches when we get onto the green - probably sounds over the top but the sport does stretch muscles that you may have not used for a while (or ever) so we don't want to tweak them - way better to get them warm before you start
We'll show you the basics - e.g. how to grip the bowl, what the bias is, how to aim - THEN YOU'RE OFF.
Coaching from our perspective is very much listening to you and seeing how you feel about what you did. Between us, we'll make subtle changes until you feel comfortable - its an iterative process and one that we've found to be very successful.
Meet our coaches - Coaches - OTTERY ST MARY BOWLING CLUB
What happens then?
If you enjoy it and think that its for you then come back! we offer a free, 6 week programme that provides you with more and more information every week, the emphasis is always on giving you maximum bowling time because thats what you came here for. It doesn't have to be the next week, were here every week so come back when is convenient to you
At the end of the 6 weeks?
Hopefully you'll have the bug by then and you'll want to join the club and play - the club is so much more than what happens on the green - the clubhouse has a warm / vibrant atmosphere and its a lovely place to decant to after a game
We'll also encourage you to play in the Friday roll-up or even a friendly match when you are ready. While this may sound daunting, you'll surprise yourself by how much you've improved over your time being coached - remember, pretty much everybody in the club has gone through the training and survived to tell the tale!
At the end of the season is that it?
Absolutely not - we have loads of activities going on ranging from Short Mat, to Skittles & Darts. Lots of themed evenings and opportunities for members to show off their culinary skills on our 'foodie fridays' - you wont be bored!
