I’d appreciate any feedback from more experienced players on the following 2 questions:

1. How much of an advantage do you think “soft” boules give to a good shooter?
2. How much of an advantage do heavily striped boules give to pointers?

Ray Ager

While the official rules state that boules hitting a boundary are out-of-play, in most social games I’ve played in France, players count the boundary as “in” and frequently use it to hit and bounce boules off.

Personally, I don’t like this, but obviously each to their own.

What do other players do and are there any other informal variations on the rules?

A great new service on petanque.org site could be list of places where and when pétanque is played around the world.

Something like
#######
Area: Europe- Finland- Helsinki Area- Torkkeli, Helsinki

Description: Here at Torkkelinmäki we play almost every evening from may to august. New players are very welcome.

Skill level: All
########

For example, now I am going to Reading, UK, and interested if there is a place where local players, if there are, are practising, and when, if I am welcome in game.

BR,
_sutta

Ray Ager wrote:I’d appreciate any feedback from more experienced players on the following 2 questions:

1. How much of an advantage do you think “soft” boules give to a good shooter?
2. How much of an advantage do heavily striped boules give to pointers?

Ray Ager

I can't comment on question 1, but have a few observations on question 2. I think it depends on the piste. On a sloping or fast or hard surface with minimal surface coating stripes seem to give an advantage with the boules stopping with more control. On a holding surface there seems little advantage to stripes and even some disadvantage. Also I've rarely seen pointers with `pineapple' stripes using high lobs. They mostly roll the boules. I personally haven't seen many of the top players using heavily striped boules.

Ray Ager wrote:I’d appreciate any feedback from more experienced players on the following 2 questions:

1. How much of an advantage do you think “soft” boules give to a good shooter?
2. How much of an advantage do heavily striped boules give to pointers?

Ray Ager

I have already commented on Question (2) but now that I have recently changed from hard boules to soft I have some opinions on (1) as well. Soft boules do give an advantage to any shooter. My percentage of hits has not improved much but the percentage of shots that stay close or carreau has increased. If that's so for an average shooter, I'm sure it must be even more so for a good shooter.

Hi Ray,
I looked twice in the official rules to find out where it says that: ``boules hitting a boundary are out-of-play`` but cannot find it. Article 19 refers to _crossing_ the bondary, not hitting it.

I play mostly on pistes separated by ropes. I am aware of only one place where hitting the rope is considered out of play. Certainly you would not want to apply this rule to pool or hockey.
Guy

Ray Ager wrote:
------------------------------------

While the official rules state that boules hitting a boundary are out-of-play....

The plan was that the club database should cover this. If there is a club in Reading they are hopefully registered in the club database, and you may find them there.
As it happens there is no entry for Reading, sorry.

So if anyone from readuing reads this - please register your club!!

But, f you are going to New Zeeland we have 10 clubs there!

Cheers,
Stig bordsenius
petanque.org





Mikko Soikkeli wrote:
------------------------------------

A great new service on petanque.org site could be list of places where and when pétanque is played around the world.

Something like
#######
Area: Europe- Finland- Helsinki Area- Torkkeli, Helsinki

Description: Here at Torkkelinmäki we play almost every evening from may to august. New players are very welcome.

Skill level: All
########

For example, now I am going to Reading, UK, and interested if there is a place where local players, if there are, are practising, and when, if I am welcome in game.

BR,
_sutta

Competition boules are made to a far higher standard than leisure boules. They are available in different weights, sizes, types of metal and hardness to suit the player's hand and style of play.

Leisure boules are generally one size and one weight.

If you're at all serious about playing, you should buy competition boules rather than leisure boules. Competition boules are usually required in all official competitions - leisure boules are however sometimes permitted for beginners in informal club events.

David Blakeley wrote:
------------------------------------



Ray Ager wrote:I’d appreciate any feedback from more experienced players on the following 2 questions:

1. How much of an advantage do you think “soft” boules give to a good shooter?
2. How much of an advantage do heavily striped boules give to pointers?

Ray Ager

I have already commented on Question (2) but now that I have recently changed from hard boules to soft I have some opinions on (1) as well. Soft boules do give an advantage to any shooter. My percentage of hits has not improved much but the percentage of shots that stay close or carreau has increased. If that's so for an average shooter, I'm sure it must be even more so for a good shooter.

-------------------------------------

It should be noted that soft boules will give the same effect when shot at. If you shoot at a soft boule the chance of carreau will increase even if your own boule is hard.

Erik Jon-And

What you say is quite right but what I really meant was where you have, say, a wooden border at the edge of the terrain.

Here in the UK most players say that a boule that hits the border is out-of-play whereas, playing in France, I've often found that players usually consider borders as part of the terrain and will bounce boules off the border.

This is really for social rather than official competitions.

Golf courses have sand /water traps, hills, trees, etc added to make it more interesting and separate the men from the boys. I don't see Tiger Wood playing miniature golf.
Guy

Ray Ager wrote:
------------------------------------

What you say is quite right but what I really meant was where you have, say, a wooden border at the edge of the terrain.

Here in the UK most players say that a boule that hits the border is out-of-play whereas, playing in France, I've often found that players usually consider borders as part of the terrain and will bounce boules off the border.

This is really for social rather than official competitions.

I much prefer playing on a terrain that has slopes, hills, dips, stony areas, etc.

I guess this is just a question of how one has learnt to play but for me, bouncing a boule of a back or side wall is much more crazy golf than petanque.

For example: if I'm pointing towards the coche, I'm normally going to try and place my boules in front. Boules behind will generally be of less value. However, if there's a wall behind, a boule that's been played to long might hit and return to the game.

Similarly when shooting: if I shoot and miss, IMHO, my boule should effectively be out of play. With a back wall, there's every chance it will bounce back into the game, rewarding the shooter who misses.

Of course, I guess players who play like this will claim it's more skilful but I don't think you'll ever see this in any competitions that play to the rules.

Sorry, can't continue the argument - just off on a Marco Foyot course.

Regards,

Ray

I totally agree with you. The terrains I know of have pistes roped left and right. If a boule touches the ropes and stays on the piste the boule is in play. Many times it crossed the rope. At all places but one, the boule is then null. At both ends of the pistes if no ropes are in place then and a boule touches the wood border, it is null. I much prefer to have ropes on four sides. It avoids discussion about whether a boule/jack touched the wood border or not
Guy
Ray Ager wrote:
------------------------------------

I much prefer playing on a terrain that has slopes, hills, dips, stony areas, etc.

I guess this is just a question of how one has learnt to play but for me, bouncing a boule of a back or side wall is much more crazy golf than petanque.