The Shots Employed Within The Game

The Drawing Shot
This is the basic shot in bowls and really has to be mastered before any other. Important factors in playing this shot is good judgment of line, length and green conditions. The aim is to deliver your bowl with enough weight and line accuracy to allow the bias to take effect before finishing near the jack (target). But what is the bias? - the bias refers to the side of the bowl which is weighted. When the bowl is delivered the bias does not come into effect. It is only when the bowl begins to slow down that the bias begins to work on the bowl. As a result, the bowl begins to swing inwards on the biased side of the bowl. So when drawing the bowl to the jack, the bowler is looking for the perfect weight and line which will result in the bowl following what I guess could be called the "perfect hemisphere" before resting on or near the jack.
Expertise at the drawing shot can only come with constant practice at varying lengths of play. It is also recommended to the new bowler that he/she plays as a lead for several seasons before moving up the rink.

The Wrest
The wrest shot is a drawing shot designed to rest another another bowl already in the head or with slightly more weight in order to wrest or remove an opposing bowl from a scoring position.

The Trail
The trail is regarded by many bowlers as the trickiest shot to play within the game. Similar to the drawing shot, the trail shot is employed to carry the jack a short distance. Therefore it is vital to find the extra bit of weight required to make the trail shot successful. This can prove increasingly difficult on fast greens. Ultimately, the trail shot is played in order to move the jack towards one of your already waiting bowls in the head, or to a place of safety or if the jack is at full length - to the ditch.

The Wick
Often thought of as a lucky shot - sometimes this can be the case, but top players can visualize playing for a wick as a "percentage shot". The bowl is played in order to glance off another bowl in the head into a position closer to the jack. Probably easiest to successfully play the wick shot on a medium paced green.

The Cannon
Similar to the wick shot but played with extra weight. Also a "percentage shot". The player may also allow for the fact that more than one bowl may be used in order for his/her bowl to arrive in the desired destination.

The Yard - On
A firm delivery / yard on shot is played by taking less green/ a narrower line of delivery and is employed to open up a head, take out an opposition's bowl or create a back bowl. Weight and line is vital and the faster the green, the more difficult the shot is to play successfully.

The Drive
A crowd pleasing shot for some, for others a hushed tutter of disapproval. The drive can be a spectacular shot but should be used economically. The inexperienced bowler may too often play this shot when a yard on shot would be sufficient. For many bowlers, it can be hard to immediately return to a normal drawing shot with satisfactory results , straight after a driving shot.

The Block
Employed as a safeguard, the block, when correctly used, can prove to be an effective defensive shot. Blocks are placed short of the head in various positions depending of the state of said head. Mainly employed to stop the opposition firing at a certain part of the head or placed short of the head but in the opposition's drawing line. It can often be difficult to place a blocker exactly where the bowler wishes it and therefore can end up as a wasted bowl.

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