Shooting Techniques

Why shoot?

Depending on the surface and your ability, it is sometimes better to try to remove the opposition boule rather than trying to beat a good point.

On other occasions you may wish to shoot a boule that does not have the point but may be preventing your team from gaining more points.

The ultimate shooting shot is called a ‘carreau’ whereby you hit the opposition ball on the full such that their ball is removed and your ball takes its place and thereby retains the point as well!

Types of shooting

There are a number of different shooting techniques. They are as follows:

1. Shooting along the ground  or raspaille (ras/pie)

2. Shooting part of the way in the air (demi-portee) landing 50cm to 1meter in front of the boule.

3. Shooting ‘on the full’ (au fer, literally ‘on the iron’)

The first two can be effective on some surfaces and in certain circumstances but in the long term it is best to shoot on the full.

Shooting techniques

When shooting remember to:

1. Take aim, concentrate only on the boule you want to hit. Most people start with the boule in the hand in front of them like a gun barrel.

2. Get a good back swing - shooting should be a smooth relaxed throw, not as you often see, a forced effort to propel the boule as fast as possible. Let the boule do the work, not your arm.

3. Lift the arm through an arc that ends slightly above shoulder height if you are shooting short or au fer, lower if you raspaille.

Make sure that as your wrist straightens up to release the boule that it is in-line with the rest of your arm.

The techniques described in this document are based on the observations of many shooters. However there are distinct variations and there is no one technique. Shooting requires the correct technique for you. This requires experimentation to find what works. It then requires practice to make this technique absolutely consistent.

Practice does not necessarily make perfect, but it can make permanent, so practice the right technique, not the wrong one! These techniques are a good starting point.

Stance

Some shooters throw with their feet together and their chest at right angles to the line of projection. Most shooters however advance the foot on the throwing side of the body slightly. This turns the chest slightly and effectively narrows the hips allowing the arm-swing to be closer to the body.

Ultimately there is no ‘one true way’. The position of the feet in the circle is a matter of comfort and balance.

The position of the feet can have a considerable bearing on the accuracy of your shooting.

Whether you have your feet together or one advanced, they generally should be facing the target boule. If however you find that you are consistently missing to one particular side, adjusting the position of your feet slightly can correct this.

Example:

If your misses are mostly on the left, then pointing your feet slightly to the right or left can correct this. The opposite also applies.

Note: Consider also the straightness of your hand as well. Inaccuracy is not just about feet position.

               Missed shots

Many beginners try shooting along the ground. This is fine for very smooth surfaces or when there are no obstacles, ie other boules. This has obvious limitations and is probably not worth practicing too much.

Shooting part of the way in the air (short) is good on softer surfaces and very hard surfaces with little bounce. There is a good chance that your boule will stay close to the point of impact if you hit the target. There is the chance of hitting a stone or other boules.

Shooting on the full requires practice and courage but is well worth the extra effort. It is best to practice hitting on the full. In games, have the courage to try and hit on the full as well, particularly while you are still mastering the art, even at the expense of results! What you lose in the short term you will make up for in the long term. Shoot with conviction!

Practicing shooting with conviction

In order to become a successful shooter you must practice. It is important that you practice with conviction. For example, some people advocate using blocks of wood placed in front of your target boules to force you to shoot ‘on the full’ or au fer. Many players can hit the boules well when doing this.

The problem arises that when players shoot without the barrier they opt for safety and shoot in front as they believe it will increase their chances of a hit. They lose conviction!

By practicing without the barrier you must use will power to always try to shoot ‘au fer’. This will stay with you when the pressure is on. Will power is what makes champions!

A suggestion which may help is to practice with the target boules on an old carpet. When shooting you must hit the target or your boule will bounce over. You can then practice in your drive way or car park.

Practice exercises

When you are starting out as a shooter, you should practice over short distances i.e. 5 - 6 metres (less for children) and as you become more successful, gradually increase the distance.

To start, try these exercises.

1. Line the boules up in a row at right angles to your shooting line, about 200mm apart. Shoot right to left and then left to right. As you improve gradually close the gap between the boules.

2. Line the boules up in a row parallel to your shooting line, about 300mm apart. Shoot the middle boule then the back boule and finally the front boule. As you improve gradually close the gap between the boules.