In petanque think about the Jack Control

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 tell you things are going well. Doubts creep into your head when you think the opposition will finally get to grips with the piste and jack position. This maybe true but one thing is for sure you can play the direction. Stick with it. One clue to see if the team are struggling in a difficult direction is to see where they stand when you are throwing the jack. If they seem to congregate in the place you are about to throw the jack, ask them to move! Politely but ask them! It may seem as if nothing is occuring but we have all seen it happen. If you are in control of the game and the jack, keep control. If you want to play long then play long, again if the opposition stand 8 metres away from you just give them a polite gesture to move. This is where your team can help by walking out the distance. A body is hard to ignore. No need to be rude, although they were rude first, just politely ask them to be careful as a jack is coming their way.

So to sum up, accurate shooting is a better option than accurate pointing in certain situations. Jack position is crucial, do not let your concentration drift and do not be intimidated as to where to throw the jack.