Choosing the game of bowls from the most important topic that most bowlers face when they start playing the sport.

However, judging from the number of people I see while training and also on my travels, I would estimate that between thirty and forty percent of them are using the wrong size bowls.

The popular method of determining the size of bowls has been to have the bowler reach around the bowl with the middle fingers and thumb of each hand. If the fingers and thumbs just barely meet around the tread, the cup is assumed to be the correct size. This theory may work in some cases, but it misleads many people.

I think the only way to find the right size is to balance multiple bowls of various sizes in your hand. With a new player, he would place a bowl in his hand and adjust his fingers to the correct grip that felt comfortable for the player.

He would then ask the player to swing the hand back to the farthest point of the backswing. If the player feels that the bowl may fall over, it is clearly too big. If the bowl can be easily handled, then a larger size could be tried. Using this method, the player would be able to determine the largest bowl that could be used comfortably and effectively.

The next decision would be whether to use a heavy bowl or a medium bowl. In the UK, a large number of bowlers own two bowling sets. They can use a heavy weight on the faster inside surfaces and then switch to a medium weight on the slower outside surfaces.

Many other players, myself included, use a heavy bowl on both indoor and outdoor surfaces. The heavy bowl certainly has advantages on a fast outdoor green on a windy day, as it is less likely to be affected by crosswind gusts. Also, the heavy bowl can more easily displace a lighter bowl on the head.

The final decision to play a heavyweight or middleweight bowl will likely come down to comfort in the hand and whether your wallet can stretch to buy two sets.

Often at clubs, players will argue the merits of one bowl maker against another. All bowl companies produce a variety of models and all are made to a high standard. Choosing a particular model will depend on what suits you best, whether you intend to play indoors and outdoors or want a bowl specifically for faster indoor greens.

Although many club bowlers watch star bowlers play well on TV and often buy the same models as their favorite bowlers.

These are some of the bowls available from the different companies:

HENSELITE have a wide variety of models, including the CLASSIC, traditionally the choice for outdoor bowlers in the UK. The bowl has a wide arc and a “hockey stick” finish and while it’s good outdoors, it can be a disadvantage on faster indoor surfaces.

The CLASSIC II is considered by many to be the best performing modern bowl. Designed to run straighter, with a less pronounced swing, it is ideal for UK indoor rugs. Many players use these bowls both indoors and outdoors.

The TIGER is the ‘New Kid on the Block’ and is used by many Henselite sponsored players on TV events. Greg Harlow and Ian Bond won World Bowls Tour qualifying tournaments last season using this bowl model. Designed for indoor and outdoor use, this model has a slightly wider skew than the Classic II and is only available in Heavyweight.

The DREAMLINE is fairly new to these shores and is a narrow running bowl suitable for very fast surfaces, and certainly wouldn’t be suitable for outdoors in early May!

In the ALMARK range, Henselite has three models: the STERLING GOLD for outdoor use with a wide bias; STERLING KING, a narrow ball ideal for faster greens, and STERLING SLIMLINE, a ball with a narrower profile to fit the hand, but suitable for both codes.

DRAKES PRIDE offers the PROFESSIONAL which has proven to be a very popular bowl in the UK. This bowl is used by many bowlers, both indoors and outdoors, and is ideal for those bowlers who don’t want to buy two sets. Many top players would agree that this bowl has proven versatile in all conditions and on many different surfaces.

The ADVANTAGE is a narrow running bowl and would only be suitable on faster greens, preferably for front-end players.

The PROFESSIONAL PLUS is an outdoor bowl and would be similar to the Henselite Classic so it is probably suitable for slower outdoor conditions.

THOMAS TAYLOR also provided a wide selection to include their traditional outdoor dish – the LIGNOID.

The ACE is probably his most popular bowl with many indoor bowlers and is successfully used by two-time world indoor champion Andy Thomson. This is another bowl that can also be successfully used outdoors.

The VECTOR has a narrower line and would be popular on fast surfaces, especially for point players, while the LAZER is a slim profile bowl with a narrow bias similar to the Vector. The advantage of this bowl is that it has been developed for comfort in the hand of those with smaller hands.

THE LEGACY also has a slimmer profile, but unlike the Laser it has a wider arc and is considered a medium bias bowl that could also be used outdoors. Taylor also produced SPECTRUM and INTERNATIONAL, which have a stronger bias than Ace.

Many of these bowls are now available in many colors besides the traditional black and it would be best to check availability with your local bowl dealer, although always remember that colored bowls are currently only available in heavy weights and that weight and sizes are published in most bowl catalogs.

This way you can check the relevant weight difference between heavy and medium bowls. My personal advice to any new bowler would be to select a medium bias bowl that will work on most surfaces, for example Drakes Pride Professional, Henselite Classic II and Tiger and Taylor Ace would all fall into this category.

As you gain experience, you may decide to try a narrower running bowl if you have a very fast indoor mat. A word of warning: many bowlers believe that tight bowling makes the game easier and believe that they can practically bowl straight. That is not the case as in many cases weight control will need to be much better with a narrow running bowl as there is little room for error and the narrow running bowl will not bend under excessive weight.

With so many bowls on the market, always seek the advice of a specialist bowl retailer and, if possible, ask if you could try out the model you want to buy. Sometimes bowling shops located inside indoor arenas have sampler bowls that can be sampled.

Finally, always remember that no matter what bowling set you buy, you still have to play it; sometimes it’s easier to blame bowling when we play a bad game than our own bad game.