BETTY Dever still recalls sage advice she received from Taree West's greatest bowler, Ross Bailey, when she took up the game.
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“Keep it low and slow,’’ Ross would instruct newcomers on how to deliver a bowl. That was about 13 years ago when Betty, who had retired from tennis, decided to take up bowls.
She’s put that into good practice since. Betty was named Taree West Women’s Bowling Club’s bowler of the year for 2017. This is the fifth time since 2010 she's won the award.
In the last 12 months Betty took out the club’s major singles for the fourth time and skipped the winning team in the triples. She won the consistency singles while her side was runner up in the fours.
For good measure Betty was also a skip in the club’s No 3 pennant side that made it through to the State finals.
“I think it’s luck half the time,’’ she replied when asked the secret to her success.
Betty says she enjoys all forms of the game, from singles through to fours as well as the challenge of skipping.
“But I suppose singles is a bit more rewarding, because you have to do all the work yourself,’’ she said when asked to name his biggest accomplishment for the year.
Betty and close friend, Judy Doust, started bowling together.
“I’d finished work and we'd both retired from tennis and we were looking for something to else to do,’’ she explained.
However, bowls wasn’t really on the radar.
“Our parents bowled and that’s all they seemed to talk about,’’ Betty laughed.
“We didn’t want to get that way.’’
However, they put those reservations aside and it wasn't long before both were regulars on the green.
“But I try not to talk too much about bowls,’’ Betty added.
She doesn’t practice, preferring just to play in club days at Taree West as well in carnivals around the district.
Betty hasn’t won a district championship, but isn’t fretting about it, either.
"If it happens, it happens,’’ she said.
“I enjoy meeting people, especially when we play at carnivals. That’s the best part of the game.’’