The most important purchase you will make when starting out as a bowler is your set of bowls. You may be offered a second-hand set to get you going, but you will soon need to make your own choice and you cannot do better than go to a fully-stocked bowls shop and try their selection for yourself. Take your time and all the advice you will be offered. The best shops have a “trial carpet” where you can roll a few bowls to see which feels right for you.
There are a number of choices you need to make, and knowing what these are before you visit the bowls shop could be to your advantage.
The assumption of this article is that you are looking to play flat green as opposed to crown green bowls. For the crown green bowler, some of the following criteria may not apply.