Petanque tips continued. Fast boule exit

In the photo see the boule following the white line to hit the target boule on the left hand side. The boule will then take the red exit route and your boule will leave the head on the blue route. If all goes to plan the 2nd boule in the picture at the moment will now be on. A straighter shot may have caused the target boule to hit the boule behind. The added bonus of this shot means you can look at taking two boule out of the head at once. Notice the boule at the other end of the blue line. If this is the oppositions your boule could well carreau it.

To demonstrate how this works and to give you confidence to hit the boule on the side, find a large flat piste all to your self. Use a spare boule as a target and take your three boule to shoot. Using the technique used in the previous shooting tip, line up the target boule, however, instead of aiming at the boule, aim as if the centre of the boule is on the left side. If you shoot true you should have 1 ½ inches of boule to hit. Any distance over that to the left you will miss completely, over that distance to the right you will hit the boule but it will not go off at the angle you require. But hey! you will still hit it. So aim at the edge of the boule and when you hit it, the boule will go off at an angle. Keep shooting at the boule, try to keep moving it to the right. Hit the left side the boule will go right. Well it works in snooker! Once you can move the boule to the right on a hit, swap sides and try to hit the right hand side to make the boule go left. When you can move a boule right or left next time you go to shoot just hitting the boule will seem easier. I know moving the boule off at an angle is difficult but it is not a shot that will be needed every end. The shot is difficult but it maybe a shot that can win a game. If you are shooting in doubles and an angled shot is required try it. If it works that will be great, if it does not, resort to a straighter shot. Remember all the times you have said a boule cannot be shot because it is in front of one of yours, well with a little practise it can be moved with devastating results. One final word. Remember in an end of petanque the jack is also in the head. Look out for the jack. the target boule or your boule may take it with it. Leading to that popular Pétanque term B*****ks.