Short Mat Bowls: How To Select The Right Bowl For You
Whether you are a novice to short mat bowling or already an experienced player, the most important decision you will make is regarding the type of bowling to play. However, with stores and online stores offering a range of different shapes, sizes, and weights, etc., the task of selecting a suitable set for you can be tricky.
In today’s image-obsessed world, there are probably some people who just go for the sleek orange ensemble with the green stripes running down the sides (believe it or not, these exist!). Now all is well and elegant if you want to make a statement and stand out from the crowd. But aside from the fact that everyone will know it was you who sent out that terrible bowl that was 5 yards from the jack, it’s not a good idea to base your decision on looks alone.
If you really want to improve your pinball game, there are a few key points to consider when selecting your pins. The first thing to think about is the weight of the bowl. Obviously, the first and most important thing is to be able to hold it comfortably in your hand, but you also need to be able to “feel the weight”. Considering that adding that all-important extra yardage might require just an extra ounce of force on your pitch, you really want to be able to “feel” the bowl so you can make the necessary adjustment. It’s always a good idea to practice with a friend or teammate’s bowls, trying out different weights to get a feel for which one is right for you.
Once you think you’ve found the right type of weight for you, the next step is to decide on your size. Now, in days gone by, if you decided, for example, that a 2-pound, 12-ounce bowl felt like a good weight, you were pretty much stuck with what size that particular weight came in.
However, thanks to the wonders of high and low density bowls, we can now choose a set that is either smaller or larger than the standard density size. This means that if you like the “feel” of a 2-pound, 12-ounce bowl, but (like me) have rather small hands, you might want to go for a “high-density” 2-pound, 12-ounce bowl; which will be the same size as a standard 2lb 10oz but with all the weight of a 2lb 12oz!
Similarly, if you have giant-sized hands but perhaps have the strength of a newborn lamb(!), then you might want to go for a low-density bowl; a bigger bowl but in a lighter weight.
The last important factor to consider when selecting short mat bowls is the strength of the bias. This is the smart part of your bowl that makes the bowl spin (or chop) as it starts to slow down. As a general rule, a pin made for green crown bowling has a standard bias, while pins made specifically for indoor bowling or short carpet bowling tend to have a stronger bias, resulting in more spin when pinning. tour.
According to the official pinball rules, you are not restricted to the type of pins you can use, which means you can play crown green, flat green, indoor or pinball pins. So the decision again comes down to personal preference; You’ll either be more comfortable playing with a more spinning pin (an inside pin or short mat) or a weaker skew crown green pin.
As someone who bowls corona green as well as short mat, I use my corona green woods for both. However, I tend to lead a team of three during short mat games, which means there are never too many pins to play when I ship mine. For someone playing second or more particularly third as a tumbler I would recommend playing inside/shortmat bowling as the stronger bias is of great benefit when it comes to negotiating the bowling minefield that often exists towards the conclusion of an end. .
There you have it then. As long as you keep the above factors in mind, you can’t go far wrong; So you’re free to go and buy that fancy orange and green bowl set you’ve been eyeing all along!
