Pen-Y-Coed Petanque

Jack control. If things are going well with your jack positioning during the game, Keep going! It might seem attractive to send the jack longer, or to a different place. It might look sunny in the corner of the piste or you might think you can play better over in another direction. The truth is if you are winning, stick with it. No opposition have ever told me they are struggling in a certain direction. That is what the scoreboard is for. Not just to keep the score but to tel

This session we are going back to tactics. We have looked at how play can take many twists and turns in this game of Petanque. Games can be lost and won purely on tactics. Simple ones like changing the jacks position during a game you are in control of or shooting when you should point and vice versa. Pointing when you should shoot is a tactic that seems simple at first. If the point takes the prime position then where is the harm? You may even win the end so what is the prob

Confusion continued More subtle methods that maybe used against you On large sunny pistes the scorching weather of the summer is forgotten but a clear blue sky can cheer the heart. However, autumn days have a problem. As the sun seems to never reach a good height those shadows can be very bothersome. Shadows can cast a long way into a game and in certain times they can drift into games next to you. Concentration is required and focus is needed in buckets as the long shadows f

Confusion 2 This section is proudly entitled Confusion Two. Confusion in Petanque has a well defined top ten and now we have the top twenty. From your reaction to the above moments we have complied your stories. Remember all those practice tips we have applied will be wiped aside in a game if you fall foul of Confusing two moments. 11.  Player watching the end being completed applies suntan lotion to arms and neck. Then proceeds to pick up two of the oppositions boule saying

PEN-Y-COED PETANQUE COACHING TIPS 13 Unlucky for some! Focus on the dark side of the game Do not get cheated out of a game This section is proudly entitled Confusion. Confusion in Petanque has a well defined top ten and all those practice tips will be wiped aside in a game if you fall foul of Confusing moments. This is not section thirteen for nothing! 10.  Playing in a doubles game the opposition's best player gets confused and plays four boule in the end. The weaker player

Petanque is just one of those games where there is a relaxed atmosphere wherever the game is played. However it can quickly turn very serious at a very competitive level and that can be at any venue be it in a village pub or national qualifier. The key is focusing on the moment you as a player have most impact in the game. Most players would agree this is when you are throwing your boule and teams can do little to help the player in the circle. This is true to a degree but wh

Analyse the game of Petanque as you play. Ever had one of those games that swing back and forth. You win an end, they win an end, you win an end and so forth. These tight games can get the nerves jangling as you approach 13 points but they generally do not stay tight for long. Both teams are probing for the big end and once it is won, the game just trundles on to its conclusion in the same tight manner. The main aim for both teams is to get the big score first and when embatt

Practice shots Part two Generally this series is to get you looking for and executing game winning shots. If you practice these shots away from competitive situations they will be part of your armoury for winning petanque. This time we are looking at the loneliness of the long distance petanque player. Games to play on your own to improve your game. The main aim during down time is to keep your eye in. Some shots will not be easy  but here we have a few suggestions to keep th

Pointing to boule and jack. In this game you place a boule and jack touching each other at various distances. Start at six metres from the circle and place boule and jack touching square to the circle. Return to the circle and you should be able to see the jack alongside the boule. Now out point the holding boule. What! it is touching, how can I do that? The idea is to point onto the holding boule and get a wick onto the jack. Very difficult to do but this shot may save the d

Point, point, shoot. Not a new dance step This is a strange tactic that should not work, but somehow, brings benefits. It works by making the opposition play their second boule early in the end. It also gives your pointer a break and chance to readjust to the situation. Let us look at an example end. The opposition throws the jack and their first boule is not a good one, but, around 12 inches or 30 cm from the jack. Your team point but, fail to be on. Your team point again an

Amaze your friends. Astound your colleagues. Spinning a petanque boule sideways. We have discussed last time the bonus of a front boule. We questioned whether to try a knock up shot on your boule or let the opposition do it for you. A front boule is always a good boule and can cause all sorts of problems. To ensure you are not on the receiving end of these dangers we are going to look at spinning a boule in from the side. Now we need to steady ourselves, as this can be tricky

The knock up shot. Part two Here we are looking at the knock up shot in more depth. Well actually the depth of the piste. We know the knock up is a killer shot if played correctly. How many times have we pointed successfully past the oppositions front boule to see them promote their front boule with the played boule come to rest near the jack? They have played two and are holding two. In this session we are looking at playing the knock up shot on a deep piste. It presents a d

The knock up shot. Part One Attacking a head is usually the first option but many teams use the knock up shot to support the shooter who has just missed. This is a killer shot if played correctly. How many times have we pointed successfully past the oppositions front boule to see them promote their front boule with the played boule come to rest near the jack? They have played two and are holding two. Shooting may be an option for your team but you are hoping for a spot carrea

How to win a petanque game on a deep piste? Many pistes constructed in the UK have a major flaw. They are too deep. We are trying to replicate a fine dusty village square deep in the south of France and end up building a gravel quarry best used for filming a new series of Doctor Who. The problem most constructions have is working out how much topping you need for a piste and the worry that the surface will be too thin and fast. Just to interrupt here, a ton of gravel is appro

In petanque the key is to Keep looking Last session we looked at where to stand. Here we look at why it is important to stand up where the action is happening. SO YOU CAN LOOK! Just keep shooting, just one hit and it is game. Any management or self improvement expert will tell the sad story of Flight 401. In December 29, 1972, an Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was c oming in to land in the dark the cockpit crew noticed one of the landing gear warning light down lights did not c

In a petanque Game, Where to stand?  Come on and join in the fun. The game of petanque can ebb and flow in all directions. That’s the fun of the game, but, a lot of new players miss out on the fun because they are in the cheap seats. Many will stand behind the circle waiting to throw their boule. Once they have played their boule they will then wander up to have a look at the head. I know it is a lot of walking about but if you stand at the jack end you will see a lot more of

Petanque Triples Play. Focus on Team roles. The Middle Part 2 Notice how we do not mention copying the shooters boule. No real need, as we would expect a boule to boule shot to have no outside influences i.e. to be deflected by the piste. However! The earlier boule we mentioned in paragraph one, the middle had to shoot, the boule needed to go. It could be a lower shot may be an idea as it is a key boule to unlock the end. This could be why middles tend to shoot lower than sho

Petanque Triples Play. Focus on Team roles. The Middle Part 1 We have already looked at the steady pointer role and the shooters part,...

Petanque Triples Play. Focus on Team roles. The Shooter We looked at the steady pointer role and this session we will look at the...

Petanque Triples Play. Focus on Team roles. The Pointer P is for pointer. It is also for paranoid, patient, performance, placement and...