News

KEEN GROUP ATTEND BOWLER’S ARM CLINIC

On Sunday May 1st, more than 25 club members participated in the Bowling Arm Clinic led by David Bernard from the Caulfield Park/Alma Bowls Club. David is a specialist arms coach for Bowls Victoria.

There was considerable amount of theory and practical advice and indoor demonstration followed by actual practice on the green.

David provided so much information about the advantages of the various Arms and ways to protect the Arm and its design when bowling and carrying them. He was particularly wary of placing the Arm loosely in the car boot as it could easily get damaged. David commented that the Arm is an expensive piece of equipment and urged us all to take due care.

There now is even a ‘Half-Length’ Arm suitable for wheelchair users and even for bowlers who can stand but perhaps cannot kneel so low.

There are some rules one needs to follow when using an Arm in Pennant or competition.

When a player commences using a bowler’s arm in a game, then the arm must be used for the remainder of the game. This does not apply to the rolling of the jack, which can be rolled either by hand or by a bowler’s arm.

Every arm being used must have a BA logo sticker of approval.

Bowlers Arms are expensive – around $250 -$300, so it is a good idea to have your name engraved on it.

It may be advantageous to use a bowl one size larger than your normal size when using an arm. This has the potential to give you an advantage when playing weighted shots and in windy conditions, where a heavier bowl is less likely to be adversely impacted as it has a larger running surface.

When purchasing an arm, it is very important to get the right size for your height. The wrong size arm is likely to be disadvantageous and difficult to use.

Do not use Grippo or similar bowls polish because although grippo can give you tackiness (not required if using arm), it also allows the bowl to pick up a lot of small particles along its path, and this could be to your disadvantage  – instead, David suggests using KIWI DUBBIN CLEAR WAX on your bowls as this does not pick up particles from the greens and will not affect the running surface.

Everyone listened very attentively to every word of advice.

There were some very helpful questions from the group.

Everyone enjoyed their practice under David’s watchful eye coaching on the Front Green.

There was a good vibe throughout the whole afternoon, as we ‘talked’ bowls.

Thanks to club coach Dinesh Balgovind who acted as MC and Host to our guest David Bernard.

Thanks to the team Dinesh Balgovind, Brian Donovan, Graham Ferres, Eileen McCormack, John Nelson and Phil Rock who organised all the details on the day.

Dinesh Balgovind and Graham Ferres

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