Every bowler, regardless of experience or ability, has delivered a bowl they would rather forget. We’ve all watched a bowl drift wide, finish short, run through the head, or catch an unfortunate wick that completely changed the outcome of an end. These moments are part of the game, but they should never become part of your next delivery.
One of the most valuable mental skills in lawn bowls is the ability to leave the previous shot behind. The moment you allow your last mistake to occupy your thoughts, it begins to influence the next bowl. Before long, you are no longer playing the current end. You are replaying the previous one.
The phrase, “Don’t trip over what is behind you,” is especially relevant on the bowling green. The only bowl you can influence is the one still in your hand. Every other bowl has already become part of history.
This is true whether your previous shot was poor or brilliant.
Many bowlers dwell on mistakes. They replay the shot in their minds and analyse every detail while standing on the mat preparing for the next delivery. Instead of focusing on line, weight and the changing conditions, they are mentally stuck on something they cannot change.
Others make the opposite mistake. They become overconfident after a brilliant bowl and assume the next one will automatically be just as good. Confidence is important, but every delivery deserves the same level of concentration and commitment.
Bowls has a remarkable way of reminding us that every shot is a new challenge.
One poor bowl does not make you a poor bowler, just as one perfect toucher does not make you a champion. Success in bowls is built on consistency rather than isolated moments of brilliance.
Every experienced player understands that mistakes are inevitable. Even the best bowlers in the world occasionally get the line wrong, misjudge the weight or encounter an unexpected result. What separates accomplished players from the rest is not perfection but recovery. They accept the mistake, learn from it if necessary, and immediately redirect their attention to the next opportunity.
That ability to reset is one of the defining characteristics of successful competitors.
As someone who has spent many years helping people understand the way the mind works, I often see the same psychological principles operating on the bowling green. Our thoughts influence our emotions, and our emotions influence our performance.
Suppose you think, “I’ve ruined this end.”
Your confidence immediately drops. Your muscles tighten. You become hesitant, and your next bowl often reflects that uncertainty.
Now consider a different thought.
“That bowl is finished. This one is a fresh opportunity.”
Nothing has changed about the previous shot, but everything has changed about your mindset.
The most successful bowlers are not necessarily those with the smoothest delivery or the most natural talent. They are often the players who remain emotionally steady throughout the game. They neither become discouraged after a mistake nor carried away after success. They simply keep focusing on the bowl in front of them.
This is particularly important during close matches. One disappointing end can easily lead to another if frustration is allowed to take over. Equally, a difficult start does not prevent a strong finish. Many games have been won by players who remained patient, trusted their ability and gradually worked their way back into the match.
Every end is another opportunity.
Every bowl is another opportunity.
Every game is another opportunity to improve.
Bowls also teaches humility. Green conditions change. Wind changes. Pace changes. Even the best-read head can produce an unexpected result. Accepting that uncertainty is part of becoming a better player. Rather than becoming frustrated by what you cannot control, focus your attention on the factors that remain within your control: your routine, your concentration, your attitude and your commitment to every shot.
Another important lesson is to avoid carrying disappointment from one game into the next. We all lose matches that we believe we should have won. We all experience days when nothing seems to go according to plan. If those disappointments remain with us, they quietly undermine our confidence before the next game has even begun.
Instead, view every match as valuable experience. Ask yourself what you learned. Perhaps you discovered something about reading a particular green. Perhaps you identified a weakness in your weight control. Perhaps you recognised the importance of patience under pressure.
Those lessons are worth keeping.
The disappointment is not.
One of the pleasures of lawn bowls is that improvement never really ends. Regardless of how long you have been playing, there is always something new to learn. Every opponent teaches you something. Every green presents a different challenge. Every competition provides another opportunity to strengthen not only your technical skills but also your mental resilience.
The bowl you delivered five minutes ago cannot be changed.
The bowl you are about to deliver can.
That simple truth is worth remembering every time you step onto the mat.
Play each bowl on its own merits. Trust your preparation. Accept that mistakes are part of the game. Learn what you can, then let them go.
The scoreboard only tells part of the story. The real contest often takes place between our ears. The player who manages their thinking well frequently performs better than the player with greater natural ability but poorer emotional control.
So the next time a bowl finishes well wide of the jack or runs too far through the head, don’t allow it to become an unwanted passenger for the rest of the game.
Leave it where it belongs.
Behind you.
Because you will never play your best bowls if you keep tripping over the ones you have already delivered.
