Petanque tip Watch and learn That was Lucky!

Watch and learn That was Lucky!

Petanque is such an interesting game as no two ends are the same. The variations in distance, piste, boule in hand, position of boule and even the suns angles creating shadows, are just too many to describe. Infinite possibilities make coaching of players a fluid style of education. There are so many, what ifs, even after 24 years of playing we still encounter new and different situations. Years of experience cannot be taught but you can prepare your team with a positive attitude to the ebbs and flows of the game. The main factor in this preparation is to watch games and understand what is going on, how do the successful players play in a certain situations. We have talked before about questions, you do not need to interrupt a game in progress to find out what is going on. Many people watching will have an idea of the score and who’s boule is who’s.  Feel free to ask why the watching people thought a player played a certain shot. If you are ignorant to what is happening in a game you may well think these players get a lot of luck in their shots, “Blimey that was lucky, you moved the jack back to three of your boule. “That was lucky you knocked that boule up for three”. The point is, new players need to learn quickly and that can be difficult, but watch and learn by looking at as many different games as you can. Look at successful teams as well as losing teams and see how the ends pan out. The jack has just been thrown exactly where they picked up four on the last but one end. That is not luck. Skill and judgement are used in winning a game. A close boule in the opening play of an end should always be shot if it looks difficult to out point it. Look to play two boule in a row to try and get the opposition to play again. A shot on the holding boule may move it just enough for you to point in if you are not holding after the first shot. It will give your pointer a chance to play a good defending shot. As we have mentioned before, a shot that has missed the target boule may well give you a back boule so some ground is covered. Now we do play a game that involves a small visit from lady luck.  Sometimes luck does come into play but if the first boule of the end is touching the jack and your team point six boule at it you will find luck is not going to be on your side.