A Beginner's Guide to Short Mat Bowls: Skills, Strategy and Success

By Ken Reeve

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO SHORT MAT BOWLS

There are not many sports where you can pick up a wood for the first time in your sixties or seventies and, with a little practice, become genuinely competitive within a season.

Short mat bowls is one of them.

Played indoors throughout the year and gentle on the body, short mat bowls is a sport you can take up at almost any age. But don't mistake its relaxed pace for an easy game. The better you understand bias, delivery, pace, line and shot selection, the better you can play.

And then there is the club itself. The warm village hall. Familiar faces. Friendly competition. A cup of tea afterwards. For many players, these become just as much a part of short mat bowls as the score.

This book takes you from rules and tools to strategy and skills that win.

Written by Ken Reeve, who spent more than 20 years coaching newcomers at a Norfolk club, it explains short mat bowls in the order a beginner needs to learn it.

Inside you'll learn how to:

Choose your equipment and prepare to play, including woods, mat, jack, foot mat and the basic rulesControl a wood's curved path, understanding bias and how to aim for the jackBuild a consistent delivery, from stance and grip to releasing the wood with the right paceUse different shots with purpose, including draws, trails, blocks, drives and firing shotsRead the mat and the position of the woods, then choose a shot that suits the situationPlay as part of a team, understand scoring and take your place confidently at the club

You'll also have a quick-reference rules guide and full glossary for those moments when you need a quick reminder.

Your first few woods may not go where you expect, and your delivery will take time to develop.

But with the right guidance, each session gets you closer, a little more strategic, and a lot more fun.

This book gives you the foundations to start well and the practical guidance to keep improving.

Ready to give it a go? Scroll up, click Buy Now, and see where your first wood takes you.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HDVBB3DW
• ISBN13: 9798192135754
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 134 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 8.0"