Petanque tips. When to shoot?

Shooting Tactics

As we have practised shooting over the last two sessions we now have a timely reminder. Just because you can shoot, does not mean you should shoot. Hitting boule will still win you games, however shooting too much can also lose games. Here we look at questions you should be asking as a team.

When to shoot?

During the last two sessions we have practised shooting and we have given tips to improve your hit rate. You may have found the new shooting enthusiasm is dwindling as you seem to be dropping big ends or losing games against teams you really should not be losing to. Many players tend to think of shooting as a waste of a boule, certainly in the UK many teams rely on out pointing the opposition and do not shoot at all! Playing against teams who point six boule can be difficult as your hit rate will need to be way above 70% to get a win. This session we are taking a break from practice tips on the piste and moving towards the thought process of shooting and asking questions like, When should I shoot? and Should I shoot with my last boule? (All the examples given will be in a game of doubles)