June Ends with a Great Boule Game

Pat mentioned that my shooting and pointing was particularly good this month, so he was happy to report that June was over today. But we shall see. This afternoon's close 13/11 game was due to everyone playing at top notch - with excellent shooting and pointing all around. I am very proud of the progreess of all of the club's players - keeping their eyes not only on their throws but also on the strategy, and the rules as well. Very nice!

NEWSFLASH : Buzz Doesn't Win Everytime !

Another close one . . .

Everyone took all kinds of chances both shooting and pointing in this game. Round per round, the game play was very close - until we finally had a 12/12 round. Well done y'all! See you Monday. Maury and Pat should be back by then.

Buzz Pulls Off Another Win for His Team

Joined by Will (Plombe' Will of years ago) my team struggled to get back some points after our opponents took a 5 point, and then a 3 point round on us. It was tough, but with some careful strategy, we advanced to a threat. Unfortunately, at the last round we couldn't cut away their three points sitting...

See you tomorrow.

close game - full for all

Tim's Shot Results in a Slaughter

The best play of the day went to Tim W. who fired in a boule at the opponent's boule. We knew that the close cochonnet would move somewhere, but we had ample boules left to use and he took the shot. The enemy boule went flying, and the cochonnet bounced off numerous boules and remained nested right in the middle of 4 of our points! Nice.

another Skunking...

Buzz Takes the Lead

It was strictly a pointing game . . .

When you take the shooting element out of the petanqe, the game takes on a different mode of play. If your team lands a close (couple of inches away form the cochonnet) boule - you're not going to have the brash bold shooter come in and "smash things up" - instead, the opposition's pointers will be trying to deftly push and nudge the enemy boule out of position. This results in many rounds of relatively tightly packed boules as nobody is around to knock everything apart. In a way, each assemblage of boules is carefully lobbed into positition. Today's game had Buzz/Maury pitted against Eric/Fred - strong pointers all around. an enjoyable game.

Friday's Games

Buzz has really been doing well, rocketing to the number three spot with a soolid 1.92 (threatening Maury's 2nd position). Fred learned a new method for pointing (using just the fingers, not the thumb) which made for a very stable throw (otherwise the thumb might throw the boule off a bit when the boule is grasped & released)

Mikey Returns to the Petanque Pistes

Cursing Like Sailors!

Another fun day of boule. We thought we had it in the bag, until a cochonnet knock by Pat gave our opponents 4 points! At 12/8 we had to keep them at bay, but eventually, their 13th arrived.

Pat is a firm believer in talking to the boule... directing the boule's path by sheer will. It seemed to work as Buzz tried some really salty cursing to get his boule closest to the cochonnet. It works!

Yes, we meet at 12-noon (but I arrive shortly thereafter... probably by 12:10pm) - telling folks that we play at 12:15pm to 1:05pm isn't as easy to remember as Noon to 1pm... But you get the general idea...

Pat Defends His Lead

Not one to give up his crown easily, Pat A. put in another win today 13/6 against a powerful opponent: Tim C./Mark W. Maury B. is a close 2nd place, and if he can pull out some wins while Pat loses a few, they'll do a switcheroo in ranks.

My own game went smoothly, with Buzz and I keeping close to Abu/Brian - it was anyone's game until the final round 13/11. Well fought.

Action Packed Friday Game

Great action packed game today. We had really close rounds with points being shot out then replaced by other pointed boules, shot out agin, replaced, bumped ... the teams were very evenly matched as testament to the close score 13/10.

Thanks for a really great game today, and have a nice peacefu weekend. See you Monday!

Mark Brings a Guest to the Petanque Piste

Happy Birthday Mark. Today, Mark decided to show up after a long hiatus (can we say... Jackson Prison?) with a guest, Caitlin from Lansing. Decidedly player abundant - we played one game of 5 verses 4 people... my team lucked out with the coin toss as Caitlin pointed way better than Mark... and it was her first time!

We nearly caught up with our opponents, if not for my losing 2 points with a bad-luck opponent-boule push... nonetheless, we did fine and the game was a pretty tight going one (point for point) until the end.

Tally-Ho.. see you Friday.

Playing within the Distances

Distances for the initial throw of the cochonnet should be maintained within the 6 to 10 meters. [Article 7] Sure, there's times when the cochonnet may roll to 11 or 12 meters - and you all decide to "play it" but you're cheating yourself out of a nuance of the game: the experience of shooting & pointing to particular spans.

When the cochonnet consistently lands at 12 meters, you're taking shooters (and pointers) out of the realm of their experienced playing and introducing more luck to the round. You are also straining the arms of the shooters (not good) as well as defeating players who just can roll such a distance.

I think it is far better to take back the cochonnet and re-throw to a valid distance.

Of course, we're talking about everyday playing. For tournaments, throwing to valid Article-7 distances are a given! I would expect players to utilize Article-8 which allows a team to "take back" the cochonnet and the first thrown boule if the cochonnet is not at a valid distance (but if the opposing team has also thrown a boule - the distance is then considered valid).

Rob Rolls in On Three Wheels

Danger Danger Will Robinson... Pat A.'s lead is diminishing as he took his six straight loss in six games... Maury B. closing in on the top rank position with 8 wins in the last 9 games! Fred K. has been pointing in like a man possessed. I've been shooting/pointing rather nicely with the new "old" boules.

In other news, Rob rolled over to the piste in his new wheels. Losers pay for the Winning team to ride back to their homes (50 miles away). We've been told that Mikey would be a double-fare.

Jeff's Old Bronze Boules are Loyal Friends

Some folks have noticed that I'vebeen using different boules this week. So let's talk boules:

When I began playing petanque years ago, I used those bronze (AC Carreau Integrale Bronze) boules for a long time - but after seeing another player (I think it was Erin out of California) use the tortoise boules in a Florida tournament, I decided to get my stainless steel tortoise boules for my everyday use. Why? well, the bronze boules do have one problem, the alloy being so soft, it tends to flake up VERY sharp bits of metal when struck by another boule which at times can cut my hand if I don't notice the protrusion in time. My stainless steel "turtle" boules don't do this, but they are a much harder boule. The "club boules" are a French boule (made by the Obut company) and are a steel boule. They are not "tournament" boules (tournament boules bear a certain set of weight and diameter markings) but they are a high quality boule without the cost expenditure of a competition boule. Boules of tournament grade cost between $60 to $400 for a set of three.

Boules are made by about 8 different companies (mostly in France) of all sorts of materials (they must be made of metal as per the official rules) - steel, carbon-steel, stainless steel, bronze, nickel-chromium steel being the typical choices... they must be within a certain weight (between 7.05 and 8.00 cm) and weight (650 to 800 grams). The club boules are probably about 7.3 cm 670 grams.

While you can play for the rest of your life with club boules (they're called "dog boules" and "leisure boules") some players like a tailored boule for both the individual "look' of their boule as well as the style of their playing.

Pointers typically choose a heavier harder boule with lots of striations (those grooves cut ito the boules surface). This combination allows for lots of back-spin friction as well as the heft needed for a boule to remain in it's spot.

Shooters like a totally smooth and soft boule that is light. The smooth boule allows for a throw and release of the boule without it "catching" on the hand - the lighter boule is best for "kicking" away a target boule while the softness of the alloy gives less of a rebound on your boule.

That said, a good player can use and enjoy any style of boule regardless of size/weight/hardness.

Some players like a very small boule (smaller target) as a pointing boule... Shooters prefer a larger boule (for better striking)... but still within reason for the player's hand size.

In our club, we typically use just the smooth or single-lined boules. This is really just for ease/quickness of set-up. You may see in other clubs where games have all smooth boules being used, or a myriad of differently striped boules. The boules being marked with weights and other initials (as well as rusts and dents) make it easier for players to tell their boules apart.

Again, this is more for you to appreciate a nuance of the game (I'm not selling boules!) But if you cared to see a good selection, try Philippe Boets of Petanque-America.

Kevin Undefeated. Pat tries to Call in the Reserves.

Six games undefeated, Kevin C. is steadily climbing the ranks. He's already sitting on a 2.35 average. Can he maintain those levels for another 4 games to get on the top of the ranking tables or will Pat will knock him down? We'll see.

My own game across the park went well - neck in neck the two teams stretching for points. Buzz throwing in nice curve boules, Fred plunking in his plombe shots... even my shooting was okay with my old bronze boules in play. But a 4-point round from our opponents sealed our fate for a 13 to 8 loss. Excellent weather, we have sunny and shady courts - see you there!

Petanque does St. Tropez with the Rich and Famous

Petanque being played by the rich, beautiful people in St. Tropez: VIDEO

Johnny Depp, an avid petanque player himself, watched as his girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis (French Model) played petanque along with Diane Kruger (National Treasure; Inglourious Basterds), Karl Lagerfeld (owner of Chanel); Joshua Jackson (Fringe) at a Chanel promotion for their new line of clothes.