Beccles Bowling Club

There are different types Beccles Bowling Clubs in Suffolk.

There are different forms of bowling:

Ten-pin bowling
Lawn bowling
- Crown green bowling
- Flat green bowling

Ten-Pin Bowling

Ten pin bowling is the most widespread form of bowling. In ten pin bowling, matches consist of each player bowling a game. Every game is divided into ten frames. A frame allows a bowler 2 chances to bang down all 10 pins. The number of pins knocked over in each frame is recorded, a running total is made under the individual frame score as each frame progresses, and the player with the highest score in his/her game wins the match. Scores can be greater than the actual number of pins knocked over if strikes or spares are bowled. You score 10 points when you knock over all 10 pins - this is called a strike. Rather than a score of just 10 for the frame, the player's score will be 10 plus the total pins knocked down on the next two rolls in the next frame(s). A spare is scored when all pins are knocked down using the second roll in the frame. The player's score for that frame will be 10 plus the number of pins knocked down on the first roll in the next frame. A player who rolls a spare or strike in the last frame is given one (if it was a spare in the previous frame) or two more rolls (if it was a strike in the previous frame) to score additional points.

As common in most sports there are colloquialisms for various endeavours in a match. Two consecutive strikes is known as a double. Three consecutive strikes is recognized as a turkey. Four consecutive strikes is acknowledged as a four bagger. Five consecutive strikes is recognized as a five bagger and so on. A perfect game consists of twelve consecutive strikes, one for every frame and two more on the extra rolls in the 10th, which results in a perfect score of 300. A clean game is filling every frame with either a spare or a strike.

At the same time as playing the game, situations can occur called splits. This is when 2 or more of the pins are separated by absent pins which makes it harder or damn near impossible (i.e. when the two outside pins are left).

Serious club players will use their own paraphernalia which will consist of a bowling ball (usually 16lb), bowling glove which gives assistance to the wrist, sports top which might include the name of the team on the back of the shirt and of course your own bowling shoes.

Crown Green Bowling

Crown Green bowling was first played in the 13th century in England. The oldest green is in Southampton - dating back to 1299.

Crown green bowling is played in pairs or teams and the idea is to win a game (usually up to 21 or 25 points) or to a specific amount of ends. A draw is possible when playing ends - or depending on the rules you can play more ends until there is a positive outcome. Set scoring can also be played whenever the scoring is lower as the game is split into sets (three of five similar to tennis). Every player will get two bowls customarily - can be four each as well where the jack is thrown (usually a white ball or a small black ball with no bias) that the players have to get as close as they can too.

The bowls are biased - that is to say they have weights built into the bowls near the edge which make them curve - this is the skill in the game where you use this bias to your advantage.

Flat green Bowling

This is the same as crown green bowling pretty much apart from the surface is flat and is frequently indoors. The turf is generally fake grass.