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| Parc Porely in Marseille. A beautiful competition venue indeed! |
1. LATEST COMPETITIONS
- Masters de Petanque 2017: Final Four at Istres (west of Marseille, Aix-en-Provence)
- Masters de Petanque 2017; Montlucon Finale; Quintais Vs Renaud
- Masters de Petanque 2017: Clermont Finale; France vs Rocher
- Masters de Petanque 2017: Romans Sur Isere Finale: Rocher vs Fournie
- Masters de Petanque 2017: Wissmebourg; Fazzino vs Gire
- World Championships 2017: Doubles - Men; France vs Thailand
- World Championships 2017: Doubles - Female; Belgium vs Thailand
- World Championships 2017: Singles - Men; France (Lacroix) vs Italy (Rizzi)
- World Championships 2017: Singles - Women; Spain vs Thailand
- World Championships 2017: Mixed; Cambodia vs Tunisia
2. TRAINING VIDS
- English Petanque Association Training Video At long last, a training video in English!
- Mijn Methode Door Marco Foyot This is perhaps one of the best training videos out there. Shows you what you can do with the boule in all manners of pointing and shooting. A clinic conducted by Marco Foyot in his heyday. The video is in Dutch but the actions are easily understood.
- Kastteknik Petanque A very good tutorial on the classic way of holding and throwing a boule. Figure out how to give more spin or less spin to a ball. And how to throw a "carreau" ball. I've some tips for you below.
- Marco Foyot Teaching Left/Right Effect On Boule This is how you get around boules in front of the jack. Yes, I've tried it and it works!
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| Marco Foyot in a clinic session. |
- How to Throw a Boule with Force Even if you don't throw a boule like this man, Sougil85 is an excellent channel on the technical aspects of boule throwing. I tried his method once and it works, especially if you want to hit a boule that is close to one another. Pretty accurate, I'd say, but not my "natural" style. Look at this video (Sougil85 tete-a-tete) to see why being good at shooting allows you decide how many points you want to score.
- Training Day with Ivarsson I like this video because it shows that boule throwing shouldn't be too much effort. ;-) Here's another one with Ivarsson.
- How To Shoot Right A video showing another fella with a comfortable technique.
- Learn To Shoot In this video, this guy shows incredible accuracy. (Note: From my own experience, if you grip the ball slightly tighter, it will hit inches further.)
- Effortless Petanque (How It Should Be!) This site makes a very good point: Petanque is supposed to be effortless. If you are using too much strength or feel, it would be just too tiring to play. Then you are most likely using the wrong techniques. Just as in golf, let your arm swing do the work. Your grip is to determine backspin; and your release to is determine where the boule should land.
- Training Course From Epping P-Club Here are some good lesson tips from a petanque club. Advice on clothing and footwear as well.
- Easy Does It! A light-hearted video where bubbly. young Swedish actress/singer/radio host Ellen Bergstrom takes the challenge of learning petanque so she could play a match with Swedish Women Champion, Noon Geffenblad. Part 2 is on technik, Part 3 is the match. Watch her carreau on the first try.
- A Slow-mo video showing various top players' grip and style when pointing and shooting in 1998, . what most folks refer to as the Golden Age of Petanque. Check out Philippe Suchaud's page-boy haircut, lol.
3. OTHER VIDS
- Extreme Petanque w Marco Foyot (Marseillaise 2016). - Fun stuff. No rules, just balls.
- Marseille 2016: Foyot vs Dugeny This shows very, very good pointing. It also demonstrates that when the ground is kind to rolling, it may be better to out-point your opponent than to shoot at them.
- A Very Good End In The Final of 2011 This is an absolute favourite video of mine and shows the unpredictability of petanque despite the mastery of technique. Stars Stephane Robineau and Romain Fournie and others. (An "end" or "mene" is a game when all have thrown their balls and points scored. You play ends when a team reaches 13 points first.)
- A Very Good Recovery and Winning Point With the score close at 11-12, even the best falter. Balls that shud roll, don't. Why I think everyone shud develop a "fail-safe" way of pointing in case nerves get the better of you. I have a method that always land the ball close to the jack (when I'm using a 71mm or less ball though.)
- Head to Head Competition Europe 2016: France Vs Switzerland This video shows a very different playing surface. Looks like soft dirt (what the Toa Payoh petanque ground is). In any case, Lacroix manages to better master the surface over his opponent.
- Exhibition Match Indoor Mall Fance Vs Belgium This video demonstrates some very accurate "high lob" pointing. If the ground is rocky, high lob pointing is the way to go. And why most pros prefer to high lob than roll. Is rolling for amateurs and old ladies? Haha (I find rolling useful when the jack is 6-7 m near you. Most pros prefer to throw at a distance of 8.5 m.
- Precision Shooting Tournament An age gap, two throwing styles, Watch how Henri Lacroix prepares for his throw.
- Best Shoot-out End? This video shows the top players from Madagascar and Thailand, and one of the best shot-for-shot ends. Incredible. Or as the French say, "Incroyable!" (an-kwai-yap)
- Junior Masters! A video of kid-level Masters. Nice to see so many junior "prosumers" of the game. This is what we need to see at our primary schools. Start a sport that is both social and lasting that goes far in their lives and that of their social circles.
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| This graphic shows the elements of precision shooting contest. A hit is one point; a hit and the target ball flies out is 3 points; a carreau with the target ball out is 5 (full points). Another contest is just hitting the jack. |
4. RULES
Some sites on the rules of petanque: (Most follow France's FIPJP rules)
- Petanque Rules (Wordpress) This is a very good site in general as with regards to all things petanque! Take your time to go through them. ;-)
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| Can you wear gloves to play petanque? Yes, you can! |
The "rule" is this:
- For the pointer: A smaller and heavier boule for pointing. Smaller so your opponent finds it hard to hit you; heavier so the boule lands with a thud and not roll away so easily.
- For the shooter: A bigger and lighter boule for shooting. Bigger for better line and target; lighter so as not to be tiring.
- For the all-rounder or middle (or "milieu" (me-lure) in French), something not too big nor too heavy.
- For the shooter: A bigger and lighter boule for shooting. Bigger for better line and target; lighter so as not to be tiring.
- For the all-rounder or middle (or "milieu" (me-lure) in French), something not too big nor too heavy.
Here's a site for it: How to Choose a Competition Boule
Asian players typically have smaller hands, so choosing a boule that's comfortable is important. I am using a 72mm/690g boule. I believe my preferred size is 71mm/670g. But this size-weight combo cannot be found in Singapore.
Note that there are leisure boules and there are competition boules. Leisure boules are cheap. In Singapore, you can buy a set of 8 from SGD$ 25-35 (also at Decathlon, the only sports store that supports petanque). Recently they have started selling a set of 3 for $9.90 which is great. A set of three is better than the previous three sets of two garden/leisure variety.
So there is no reason not to get started in this sport. Plus, Geologic have also gotten their carbon steel Alpha Series of boules certified in March for competition by the FFPJP. At SGD49.90 a set cum jack they are super affordable. The set comes with a two-year warranty even! I've tested them and find them superb in quality and play characteristics. Comparable to Obut. At the moment, I am waiting for Decathlon to bring in Geologic's Delta series. I've requested for a smaller 71mm/690g set.
I've have also tested a bronze boule set from China. When new, they were a lovely gold in color. I believe the boules are not hollow centre and thus land and bounce differently from those carbon steel boules from Geologic. When knocked on, the bronze boules don't fly away easily too. They very much absorb the impact.
In France, the biggest boule brand is Obut. In Asia, you can find brands like JB, MS or KTK.
So there is no reason not to get started in this sport. Plus, Geologic have also gotten their carbon steel Alpha Series of boules certified in March for competition by the FFPJP. At SGD49.90 a set cum jack they are super affordable. The set comes with a two-year warranty even! I've tested them and find them superb in quality and play characteristics. Comparable to Obut. At the moment, I am waiting for Decathlon to bring in Geologic's Delta series. I've requested for a smaller 71mm/690g set.
I've have also tested a bronze boule set from China. When new, they were a lovely gold in color. I believe the boules are not hollow centre and thus land and bounce differently from those carbon steel boules from Geologic. When knocked on, the bronze boules don't fly away easily too. They very much absorb the impact.
In France, the biggest boule brand is Obut. In Asia, you can find brands like JB, MS or KTK.
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| Common chromed garden/leisure boules available in Singapore. They usually come in pairs which is not very ideal for playing doubles. |
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| In March 2017, Decathlon Sports Hypermart in Sg started selling chromed petanque balls in sensible groups of three priced at an affordbale SGD9.90. Three months later, they started selling carbon steel competition ones from Geologic, which are a steal at SGD49.90. I am hoping they will eventually set up a petanque boutique here. |
  Asia needs such low priced but excellent boules to advance the sport of petanque! |
Before: Shooting a Boule
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