English bowls player nails incredible shot after everybody laughed at his idea
- Englishman Nick Brett pulled off a miracle at the World Indoor Bowls Championships on Monday.
- Faced with a near-impossible shot, the crowd laughed at Brett's plan and then watched as he proceeded to bowl a perfect shot.
- You don't need to know what bowls is to know this is one of the best sports highlights of the year.
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At the World Indoor Bowls Championships on Monday, Englishman Nick Brett pulled off what I feel confident saying will go down as one of the sports highlights of the year.
Did I know that the World Indoor Bowls Championships were taking place? No. Did I know what Indoor Bowls even was before seeing this highlight? Not really. Do I have a complete grasp of what Indoor Bowls is right now? Honestly, I'm still working on it.
The rules appear to land somewhere between bocce and curling, the goal being to land your ball closest to the "jack" or target on the other end of the floor. Since the bowls are not pure spheres but rather cut in order to encourage their curves, players are calculating angles and speeds in order to manipulate their way closest to the jack.
That's all you need to know to enjoy this clip.
Before attempting his shot, Brett's partner, Greg Harlow, assessed the court as things stood and informed his partner that he had "about six inches" between their opponents' balls through which he could potentially navigate his bowl.
Looking at the board, it was a ludicrous plan, a fact emphasized by the crowd laughing in reaction to Harlow proposing it. Brett himself laughed at the notion, nodding with a smile that said, "Yeah, sure partner, just that easy."
But Brett was ready for the moment. After taking his mark, he bowled the perfect bowl, stunning the crowd in attendance. "Oh look at this," said the commentator as the bowl approached its mark, and eventually, passed just through the six-inch gap that Harlow had pointed out. "That is ridiculous."
This clip left me in awe. I still don't know anything about indoor bowls, but it doesn't take a lot of insider knowledge to know that that was a brilliant one.
Brett and Harlow went on to win the title, their second championship as a pair, and with Brett's incredible highlight, bring their sport to an entirely new audience of sports fans.
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