Petanque: Holding the Boule

Ok, the first question you probably have after picking up a boule is "How should I hold the boule and throw?"

Well, the picture above shows the most common "grip" a petanque.

You do not need to grip very tightly, just enough to not let the ball drop. Why? This is so you can release the ball easily. The ball should leave via your fingertips. This is very important.

You can view a few videos here to start off.

- Marco Foyot tres excellent training video (in Dutch but very comprehensive!)
- English Petanque Association (EPA) training video (finally a training video in English!)

Tips for Beginners:

Backhand throw. 

1. Why backhand throw? This allows you to be able to "backspin" the boule so as to control how far the distance the ball should roll. If you forward roll - like in bowling - the boule will just run on until out of steam.

2. Forward momentum. Anybody can pick up a boule and throw. But how to NOT drop dead the ball in front of you and gain distance??? Well, crook your wrist back a bit and at the same time, pull your arm back to give it a swing. The more swing there is the more "forward momentum" you are giving your boule. It WILL roll further.

3. Height. How high should I throw my boule? Well, with conventional wisdom, you should release the boule "shoulder height" each time. That's the beginner's "gentle swing and release" way. As you progress and want to control the boule more, this release height will change.

4. Stopping the boule. Two ways. A: Throw it just with sufficient force so it will not over-reach its target spot. B: Use your fingers to give the ball some "tarek" (pull back or back spin). This is why the boule HAS TO leave by your fingertips.

Tips for Advanced Players:

1. High Lob. You have probably admired top players and want to learn how they HIGH LOB so well. High lobbing has the advantage of  taking the "nature of the playing ground" out of the equation. This especially useful when the playing on gravel when tiny stones can affect the roll of your boule. It is also effective against uneven ground.

High lobbing. Palm up and outwards.

How to be good at High Lobbing?

Well, one obvious question is: Do you have ball sense??? Because one method requires it a lot, the other not so much.

Method 1: The FEEL method

The FEEL method plays on your ball sense and how well you are able to control YOUR boule: its weight, dimensions, etc. Folks with good ball sense will be able to HIGH LOB with a boule of any size and shape!

With the FEEL method, the boule rests on the crease line of your palm.

Folks like Christian Fazzino and Mickel Loy do the feel method pretty well. As does Marco Foyot.

Christian Fazzino getting ready to point.

Michel Loy getting ready to high lob.

Method 2: The PALM OUT method

Now, this PALM OUT method, I feel is a technique. A "technique" is something anybody can learn if they just spend time on it. You do not need so much "natural" ball sense although having it help heaps in petanque. But it can also be said that folks with ball sense might end up doing things their own way, neglecting proper technique!!! Remember, techniques help win games under pressure. Natural talent only win games spectacularly (haha).

With the PALM OUT method, you end up with your palm facing the sky or horizon after a throw.

Instead of flicking your wrist, you more or less keep your hand cupped.

You will find that this method is great especially for near distances such as 6-7 m, which many players have difficulty with after playing between 8-9 m often.

With this method, you are basically, allowing the ball to slip out of your hand and do a "high" arc to the ground.

Practice with various distances to get it right. With this method, the usual problem is relaxing and forgetting to give momentum to the boule especially trying to reach further distance. You do not want the boule to end up looking like a dead pigeon at your feet!!!

ABOUT GRIP PRESSURE

As you progress, you will realize that the grip pressure on the boule changes. 

What boule size you use will affect your grip and roll during swing back and follow-thru.
This pix shows a bigger than normal boule. Normal = average = 72mm/690g.

Consider moving to smaller boules as you advance. More tricks with it.

As a beginner, folks will tell you to grip the boule lightly. This is true to a certain extent. As you learn (and want) to control the boule more, this grip pressure will change.

1. If you are a DROP & ROLL beginner player, you are unlikely to alter your grip pressure much.

2. If you play on a gravel surface and is tired of tiny stones affecting your play, you might begin to want to control the spin of you boule more. In this way, your grip pressure will change.

3. When you want to affect the "flight" of your boule, again, your grip pressure will change.

4. If you want to stop the boule better, again your grip pressure will change.

5. If you use the CRANE SCHOOL of gripping a boule, then you grip pressure will be different from another player who uses another style. Folks like Diego Rizzi (Italy) and Sriboonping (Thailand) uses this type of grip.

Maintaining grip hold, controlling grip pressure, spin and flight of the boule will allow you to land and stop the boule anywhere each time.

In high lobbing, maintaining a firm grip hold is very important to effect two things: 1) Gaining height; 2) Avoiding "sticky" ball and landing way short. This begs the question: What is "maintaining firm grip hold" as opposed to grip pressure?

Maintaining firm grip hold is keeping your grip shape but the pressure the same. That is the fingers are stiffened to the grip shape and the boule is still lightly help in the palm....kind of turning your palm into a cup of a catapult like those medieval war machines. In this way, you can use your arm as a catapult and traject the boule anywhere you want. You can even project the boule high without having it "stick" to your hand.

In fact, maintaining a firm grip hold is very important esp in shooting the boule especially when your swing is the quick type (like Marco Foyot's or Claudy Weibel or Christian Fazzino).

Adopting a firm grip hold at crucial times allow you to point your boule all to the same spot repeatedly, unaffected largely by pressure situations (when your arm and hand might soften in response to all that). Just a trick to overcome paralysis when it matters.

Here's a video on drop-rolling.

ROLE OF THE THUMB

Do you know that you can play petanque without your thumb and little finger? Try it! The most important fingers for petanque are the middle three.

So, whether you put your thumb to the side of the boule or pinching the index finger, it is a personal preference AS WELL as technique. Experiment to see what differences that bring to your game.

A closed grip where thumb is placed on index finger 1st knuckle line.
Use of knuckle lines can help regain accuracy in long throws/shootings.
Move thumb to third knuckle line for longer distance shots. 

And in terms of "shooting", the position of the thumb does affect distance and accuracy. Again, this depends on your grip and grip pressure. Pay attention to this. Many player have difficulty hitting 9m and beyond (especially when the jack gets hit and flies further away). And many top players practice with heavier boules in winter to get ready for the many competitions in summer.

Before: Start Page - Tips, Tricks and Vids 

Next: Game Play

National Will Writing Competition

For better viewing, open pix in another browsrr tab.

\

Cancer Treatment Case In Singapore

$1,018,469.29
- Healthcare or Nightmare?
- by Fina Leong (FB post, 4th July 2017, 6:46pm)

Ten doctors, 58 days in the ICU, 1 gigantic bill, Mum's life lost.

Never in my life would I have ever imagined I'd see a S$1 million medical bill.
$350,000 in medications… Over a thousand doses of drugs.. Complications one after another..
One thing for sure is this... If I had known that 18 May would be the last day of her life, I would rather spend $350,000 on bringing mum the greatest joyful, loving, happiest and most comforting experiences, rather than have her go through 58 extremely painful suffering days immobile in a cold and sterile hospital room.

Looking back, it is all a lack of the right knowledge that cost my mum's life. The painful unknown is... I will never know whether we did the right thing to send mum in through these doors. There are many health alternatives that can help reverse cancer. However, what is the DOSE and FREQUENCY required to achieve that outcome? Unfortunately it is mostly trial and error, and in mum’s instance, she was unable to consume the dose required to reverse her condition.

Because of this, we were selectively close-minded to recommendations. There were many doctors, alternatives and nutritional supplements that family & friends recommended. We explored some and missed many. However, if we stayed 100% open and explored ALL alternatives, one of them may have been able to save mum. A very costly regret…

We didn't realise how urgent cancer was. For someone with a generally healthy diet with natural foods and active lifestyle, if cancer strikes, find out if “targeted chemotherapy” is available. We learnt that chemotherapy is very helpful and effective for certain types of cancers. For aggressive treatment as chemo, it needs to be administered as soon as possible while the body still has health reserves and is able to bounce back.

We also made the mistake of thinking “all hospitals are the same". We experienced a huge difference in SPEED and EXPERTISE between public healthcare and private specialists. For a woman over 50's and post-menopause, if there is unusual swelling in the abdomen, a detailed scan to check for tumour is required immediately. When mum was first admitted in January, the doctors took 2 long weeks to discover the tumour. Something that the right scan would instantly reveal. I still believe our public healthcare is one of the best in the world, however there are simply too many patients needing the attention of overworked doctors...

Unfortunately, I feel that the healthcare ecosystem is such that specialists and private facilities are gravely expensive, and billing is structured in a way to max-out insurance payout in a cold and professionally institutionalised way. My heart felt cold when I saw that on mum’s $1 million bill, she was referred to as “Customer” and not “Patient”..

It is truly regretful that we were ignorant about mum’s insurance coverage. Had we known that mum's insurance covered private specialist treatments, we could've sought private specialist expertise from Day 1. Even though these final 58 days in a private hospital came up to an insane bill, we appreciated the speed of response and level of professional expertise of the team of specialists. At the end of the day… there are a ton of what-ifs and grey areas. What is right? What is wrong? One thing for sure is this.. Nothing can be done now to reverse the situation. Nothing can turn back time. And our hearts will miss mum forever...

More than ever now, I deeply feel that “If you do not invest time, money and energy in your health, you will spend your fortune on sickness”.
Ignorance is gravely costly. The right knowledge saves lives and protects families.
I hope this post has helped someone out there.
May we live with vigour, and die without suffering.
Rest in peace my beloved mummy...

Read the original post here:
https://www.facebook.com/finaleong/posts/10212397414864769

Fridge Magnet Wisdom

This in response to the parliamentary session on 38 Oxley Road Saga that has just started. Good idea? ;-)

Father's (Sad) Day 2017

A response to a bombshell of a sibling quarrel over the weekend (Sunday being Father's Day). A coup by a brother, if you like, while the other sibling is out of the country. And a complicit sister.

Some associated links on the matter:

1. Mothership.Sg:

http://mothership.sg/tag/38-oxley-road/

2. ST journalist Chua Mooi Hoong:

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/time-to-reflect-and-seek-the-common-good

3. Channel News Asia (statement by PM 19/June 2017)

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pm-lee-apologises-to-singaporeans-over-dispute-with-siblings-to-8958868

4. Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPD1EA-APdI

In a gist:

Basically, the late LKY's estate is divided equally amongst his three children. Initially it wasn't so neat a ratio. It was divided into 7 shares, with each sibling getting two with the remaining single share going to the daughter LWL. The rationale is that she is unmarried with no children and thus the extra share is for looking after her old age.

Now, apparently the last will of LKY has reverted back to the equal share idea (6 parts, 2 each) but with the provision that LWL could stay in the Oxley Road home as long as she wanted. Once she decides to move out, the place can be demolished as per LKY's often acknowledged  wish. LKY is more for remembrance on performance than on personality worship.

Now this demolition wish of LKY is not a firm thing. Apparently he has not included this wish in his previous wills except the first. That it found its way into the last will is what this argument is about.

LHL is curious why LHY's wife is involved in the drawing up of the will when the usual drafter is their cousin Kwa Kim Li. LHY denies his wife drafting the will but only acting as advisor and council. Kwa however denies writing the will. It appears she was only appending to the will what she was told by LHY's wife. Now, this issue itself is contentious. It means someone is lying.

LHY and LWL beef is why their brother is not respecting their father's wish to have the place demolished. Instead he has appointed a ministerial committee to look into how the place may be preserved. ("Place" or some kind of manifestation, this is not clear). It is understandable why LHL is doing this. LKY is a widely respected and honored politician in Singapore. Heck, he is THE founding father of modern Singapore... leading a team to turn a swampy port of call into a modern metropolis where everything works. Just ask the expats, ask the residents, ask Singaporeans. You may not love LKY, but you certainly have to respect him. He got things done, and he as a frugal man.

World leaders hold LKY in high esteem for his intellect and views on world affairs. I respect LKY for his love of the grassroots, the common folk. All he wanted was a place where a man could get an education, get married, have a home and a job. A safe place to do all that.

I've done some policy case-writing and learned a few things more than the average man regarding how Singapore is governed. And one thing I respect of LKY is him keeping his word. An example: when he cleared the hawkers off the street (for hygiene purposes) he built them hawker centers where they could sell their food/wares in a managed environment. And guess what, the HCs remained mostly in the same areas where the hawkers plied. Why you oddly see hawker centres in the Central Business District, a prime real estate area. The same applied to housing. Why you see HDB blocks again in the CBD or near-CBD. It is LKY's ability to manage people's expectation and life changes and growing the country at the same time that makes me respect him more. Certainly in a world where greedy leaders grab land, destroy people's homestead to build useless national projects or pocket money intended for economic projects, Singapore seems like heaven. And it is. As I've told folks often. You have a safe and un-intruded space to live, work and play, what else do you want?

Of course, Sg is not a place for political parties to flourish. None had done as good a job as the ruling party. (Truth be told, they weren't given a chance. You were either on the ruling party's manifesto or you are not. Then again, Communism was rife in the early history of Sg. And we know now how communist countries turned out.) So, whether you love LKY or hate LKY, you have to respect him. And perhaps wish there are more of him in the world today.

And for those of you who think Sg is homogeneous, think again. We have four races: Chinese, Malay, Indian and Others (eg. Eurasians). We are all educated in English and speak to one another thus. The Chinese each know their dialect but is tasked to learn Mandarin to speak to one another so no one dialect is deemed superior to the other. Growing up Singaporean is like a British kid going school to study in Russian and then speaking French at home. Who else in the world does that???

So you can understand if there is a lot of pain growing up in Singapore. But the 70s and 80s were economic "miracle times". High employment, good jobs, middle class growing, affordable housing, etc. And a country growing richer (GDP) by the year.

Yup, one thing I learned from the Singapore experience is that when a country is rich, it can do a lot for its people. Housing, good schools, amenities, etc. When you have a leader, make sure he knows his sums. And make sure he is incorruptible. Look at a neighbouring country. Enuf said, is what it is.  

The end.

Please Forgive Me

Please Forgive Me
- A parody - by TC Lai (9th may 2017 )

Still feels like our first Whatsapp together
Feels like the first GIF, of your amazing tits baby
Flipping like a wallswitch those...
Still forwarding on, you perverted asshole
Last time we Whatsapp, you needed spellcheck
You couldn't spell "boner", told me you're a "goner"
And so I turned my cell off

So if you're feeling lonely - hah!
Go get yourself a RealDoll?
It can really do you good
Also can love it more than you should...

So relieved is me, not part of your horny gig
Even spellcheck had problems understanding you
So deny me, all these pain I'd to go through
So forgive me, not like you really need me to
Please forgive me, I already have stopped loving you

Nope, our Facebook status is not "together"
Each memory is an ouch!
Not getting closure baby?
Haven't stalked me enough?
Don't be holding on
You're still making me numb
I remember the smell of your skin
Like sweaty balls all a stink
I remember all your movies
Of you getting whipped or spanked
You getting thru nights, hugging my leg tight

So you're a giant baby, you
How can you be the one I want?
I only want a sweet man's mojo
So If you love me let me go
So forgive me, not giving you what you want
So forgive me, I've stopped loving you
Take panadol if you got pain and weak stool
So forgive me, I've not there with toilet paper
So believe me (oh believe me), you're a baby still
So forgive me, I've already stopped loving you

The one thing I'm sure of
If you want to make love
The RealDoll is what you can depend on
Calling her my name is wrong
With every hump and twerk you'll be getting
A girl who is never denying

So forgive me, if I cannot stare blankly
So forgive me, if my "downstairs" is not rubbery
Thank God there is no more pain to go through
I forgive you, your magazines and porn
No one believed me, you horny son-of-a-gun
So forgive me, when I post my revenge porn

Hah, believe, I don't even care a hoot
You deserve this, you bloody horny toad
Christian, I'd stopped loving you

The end.

The Origin of Yunnan Bridge Noodles - A Parody

Another food inspired parody. Can you spot where the bridge noodle soup is in the picture? - By TC Lai