Looking at the aspects of the petanque throw, today we are studying grip

So with your own boule, after you have warmed up, hold it in your hand palm uppermost to ensure a good grip and a comfortable hold on the boule. Settle the boule into the hand as in the photo. A top tip is to put the boule into the throwing hand rather than grab the boule like a fairground grab machine descending on a fluffy toy! The boule should fit in the hand so it does not feel like it is slipping out of the hand when held at arms length with the palm facing down.  The boule should rest on the fingers when the boule is being thrown so as the arm comes forward the centrifugal force acting on the boule is pushing the boule onto the fingers. This will lead to a rolling off the finger tips as the boule is released and backspin occurs naturally. The stiffness of the fingers can create more or less backspin. This is a trick most top player’s use to deadly effect. It can be done with practice and can be a useful tool on fast pistes when you want the boule to land and roll. If you have heard the term “soft hands” that is what they are talking about. Generally, if you just let the science take over you will see backspin happening naturally. Relax and let the boule do the work is a mantra I use a lot when playing.