This week we are looking at the top five things new players to the Petanque game get wrong
Part 1 Stand in the wrong place!
Where to stand! Come on and join in the fun.
The game of petanque can ebb and flow in all directions. That’s the fun of the game, but, a lot of new players miss out on the fun because they are in the cheap seats. Many will stand behind the circle waiting to throw their boule. Once they have played their boule they will then wander up to have a look at the head. I know it is a lot of walking about but if you stand at the jack end you will see a lot more of the action. It is a ringside seat to enjoy the game. Care must be taken to keep out of the way and jacks can tend to fly about a bit but it is worth the risk to get a bird’s eye view of the game. If the opposition are throwing you should stand to the side of the jack, never directly behind it as this is a dangerous place to stand. If your team are playing you can stand where you want, just remember to give the player some room. Once you get into the habit of where to stand you will enjoy the game a lot more and get more exercise from it. Petanque is a game of movement and should not be limited to just the circle. When it is your throw you are allowed to fill in any boule hole mark and you could do this on the way to the circle. Standing at the sharp end also gives you an idea of how the boule are rolling, the boule in the head and any spaces you may like to get your boule into. It may feel awkward at first but if you place experienced teams you will notice they all stand at the jack end only going to the circle to play or have a look at the approach channels available.
When you are stood at the jack end with your team you can discuss possible tactics, what you did yesterday or just general chit chat. Respect the opposition when they are throwing by not moving or talking loudly and they hopefully will give you the same courteous behaviour in return. Get comfortable and you can watch and enjoy the game rather than looking over the throwing players shoulder.
