Pointing. When is the jack not the target?
The game of petanque revolves around who is closest to the jack, so it is a bold step to question, “Is the jack the target all the time?”
We will try to look at times when the jack is not the target. Most of these have been covered in previous tips but we thought we would get all the occasions together that the jack is not the target hoping you will be amazed how many times this is the case.
A. The most obvious time the jack is not the target is when the jack is already surrounded by your boule. During the end in a desperate attempt to limit the oppositions points against a superb point by them. You have failed to remove the boule with a shot or two and then struggled to out point the boule. You are in a bad position with one boule left and the opposition still holding five boule. In this situation most teams would look to cover the ground behind the jack in case the opposition try to spring the jack out of its place and pile on the points in an undefended area. Therefore the jack is not the target, that large area of piste behind the jack is! Tricky to play this shot but the truth is, if you adopt the landing spot method you can pick a way round, or through, or over the jack position to get your boule to the required area. Depending on the position of the jack and other boule you will be looking to get a boule in a 50cm circle area highlighted by your teammates. It is covering the ground so needs to be accurate but not precise and watch out for the dead boule line! You can practice this shot on the practice piste.
More to follow…..
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