TECHNIQUES TECHNIQUES FOR PLAYING PÉTANQUE Pétanque can be played on every level from a small child learning hand-eye coordination to competitive, lifelong strategist at the top of International competition. All, however, practice certain basics which are shown here. THROWS FOR POINTING: There are several ways to throw a boule for pointing. The following are the most common for "pointers" i.e. people who like to loft or roll their ball into position. (Shooters, who specialize in blasting a boule out of the way are covered in the following section. ) ROLL The roll involves tossing the boule to less than 3 meters from the throwing circle where it rolls along the ground until it comes to rest at the ideal spot to win the point. SOFT-LOB The soft-lob involves throwing the boule a bit higher in a bell-shaped curve so that it falls halfway between the circle and the ideal spot to win the point. This is the most common point. The higher you toss the boule, the shorter distance it will roll after landing. Physics. HIGH LOB The high-lob involves throwing the boule very high in the air so that it falls almost vertically, less than two meters from the ideal spot to win the point. this is a difficult throw and requires a very good eye and excellent control. THROWS FOR SHOOTERS: You prefer to shoot? This is the most spectacular throw, which requires intense concentration, skill and strength. But never forget that the best shooters are not those who throw the hardest! The goal of shooting is to hit your opponent's boule and knock it away from the jack. As in pointing, there are several ways of shooting: short, shot on the iron and ground shot. SHOT ON THE IRON This is the type of throw you use on irregular terrain. You need to hit your opponent's boule smack in the center, that is "on the iron". This is the hardest shot requiring the most accuracy. Your boule must hit your opponent's boule straight-on without touching the ground. The perfect shot is called a "carreau". Your boule knocks out your opponent's boule and takes its place! This shot is reserved for champions - and the very lucky!!! SHORT SHOT One of the most common reasons shooters miss their opponent's boule is because their own boule "jumps" over it. Close, but not close enough! To avoid this, play short. That is, in front of the boule you are aiming at. If your boule lands 20 or 30 centimeters from your target, it will shoot forward and hit your opponent's boule if your throw is straight. Be sure to practice this throw only on smooth, sandy terrain. Even one small pebble will deflect your boule causing you to miss your target. GROUND SHOT While this shot is technically allowed by the rules, you will not be very popular if you mis-use it. For the ground shot, you throw your boule just above the ground as hard as you can to 3-4 meters in front of your opponent's boule so that it rolls very quickly to its target. While this shot can be very effective, it can also spoil a good game by causing all the boules in play to collide. NOTE: Experienced Pétanque players say that it is better to successfully make 80% of your shots with 50% carreaux, than 90% of your shots without a single carreau. Think about it...then start practicing! PRACTICE IDEAS FOR POINTERS: There are several things you can do to perfect your pointing. Here, we describe four of them: balance, landing spot, target and spin. BALANCE Place a boule 3 to 4 meters from your circle. From a squatting position, try to hit it with your boules without having them touch the ground. The aim of this exercise is not to improve your throw, but to improve your balance and stability in a squatting position. It will also help you throw your boule straight and improve your accuracy. Squatting also allows you to much better assess high and low points in the terrain - and therefore to know where to land your boule for a point! LANDING SPOT Draw several small circles 10 to 15 cm in diameter at different distances from your throwing circle. Then, standing or squatting, throw your boule so that it lands directly in one of the circles. You can practice both the high-lob and soft-lob this way. TARGET Draw a dartboard on the terrain! Eight or nine meters from your throwing circle, draw a target in the dirt composed of five concentric circles. Give each of the circles a point value and make a series of, say, 5 throws. Keep track of your score and try to improve it each day. SPIN This is a difficult exercise, which will help you control the spin you give your boule. At about 3 to 4 meters from the throwing circle, draw a small circle with a straight line to the left and right of it. Practice throwing your boule in the circle, but spin it so that when it hits the ground, it bounces to one side and crosses the line. Naturally, YOU need to decide which side you want the boule to bounce to. Don't leave it up to chance. PRACTICE IDEAS FOR SHOOTERS Here we describe four ways to practice and perfect your shot: strike, carreau, back boule and back-spin. STRIKE To shoot well (and accurately) you need to "do your scales" as does a musician! Practice shooting at boules at increasing distances, then try shooting at cochonnets (jacks). Also try placing your target boules above ground level - on a log or a roll of carpet for example - to force yourself to raise your arm. This will help you avoid shooting short which is a common error among novice Pétanque players. BACK SPIN The ability to spin your boule can mean a point. Practice your back-spin as follows: Draw a line 6 to 12 inches in front of your target. Give your boule a back spin when shooting so that when it hits the target boule it bounces back toward you and crosses the line. A great shot when someone's boule is too close to -and yet, behind- the cochonnet and you want to move it farther away while rolling your ball closer behind the cochonnet. (Strategy is everything!) CARREAU Once you're able to hit your target regularly, you need to shoot as many carreaux as you can. To do this, you need to work on shooting "on the iron". Draw a circle 50cm in diameter and place a target boule in the middle. Practice hitting it without your boule bouncing out of the circle. First start throwing from a distance of 2 to 3 meters, then increase the istance and decrease the diameter of the circle. BACK-BOULE This is an excellent way to improve your accuracy. At 8-9 meters from the playing circle, place two boules, one in front of the other, one boule-width apart. Practice hitting the back boule without touching the front one. //www.pongpansport.com/index.php?mo=3&art=423333   Create Date : 30 มิถุนายน 2554     0 comment Last Update : 30 มิถุนายน 2554 23:28:57 น.     Counter : 357 Pageviews.   Share Tweet