Balls Of Steel! Anybody Into PETANQUE?

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Grew to love this game in France. Bread, wine, cheese, pâté, chucking steel boulders around in a random manner. What's not to like?

I see there's an area in Preston Park opened up on one of the erstwhile bowling greens for this very purpose. There's also one on the seafront, along by the Peace Statue.

Anybody fancy a game sometime, send us a PM.

 

[seagullondon]

I love petanque or french bowls as we call it! me and my girlfriend always play it in her garden (and no that's not a euphemism)

 

[Norman Potting]

Used to play for a team based on the Pantiles in TW pre kids, a good way to spend a warm summers evening especially if you weren't driving. Our star player was well in his 70's and was able to pitch a boule whilst holding his pipe and drink in the other hand.

Like all the best games, simple to play, difficult to play well and there is a lot more to it tactically than appears when you are only watching.

 

[Bwian]

Used to play for a team based on the Pantiles in TW pre kids, a good way to spend a warm summers evening especially if you weren't driving. Our star player was well in his 70's and was able to pitch a boule whilst holding his pipe and drink in the other hand.

Like all the best games, simple to play, difficult to play well and there is a lot more to it tactically than appears when you are only watching.

What a load of balls

 

[tedebear]

What is the aim of the game - seen it often enough but haven't a clue whats going on?

 

[vegster]

At my best I was only ever a RAFM and found these difficult to bowl with as they didn't really seam and it was difficult to get any lift if you dropped one in short.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

What is the aim of the game - seen it often enough but haven't a clue whats going on?

There's two (or more) teams.Each set of (in a set of eight) two boules has individual markings. You start off by throwing the tiny wee ball (jack/cochonnet) about ten metres from a line you've drawn in the terrain. Team 1 then throws 1 boule. Then team 2 throws 1 boule. If your team is furthest away from the jack, your team has to throw again, and keep throwing until your team's boule is closet to the jack. Then the other team has to throw til they're closest etc. When all the boules are used up, you confirm which boule is closest to the jack, then how many other boules from the same team are also closest. That total gets added to your team's score. First team to 13 wins.

 

[Danny-Boy]

There's a petanque place in Seaford right by the Downs Leisure Centre. Used to be in Alfriston at the back of the Wine centre but they had to relocate about 5 years ago.

It's very good, the club people there are very friendly.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I prefer Bocce. But I can see the point of Pétanque.

Bocce - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I prefer Bocce. But I can see the point of Pétanque.

Bocce - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Having had a look at that link it's shirley the exact same game with a different name m'lud?

 

[Danny-Boy]

Having had a look at that link it's shirley the exact same game with a different name m'lud?

He only did it to show he can put an acute "e" in his texts.

I would prefer he put in a link to a cutey...here's one.
Konnie Huq - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

He only did it to show he can put an acute "e" in his texts.

I would prefer he put in a link to a cutey...here's one.
Konnie Huq - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Superior linking there Danny-Boy

 

[Cheshire Cat]

At my best I was only ever a RAFM and found these difficult to bowl with as they didn't really seam and it was difficult to get any lift if you dropped one in short.

But if you can land one on somebody's foot, it is a certain LBW

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Having had a look at that link it's shirley the exact same game with a different name m'lud?

No. It's played with stone balls, rather than metal balls, the court is longer and the throwing technique is different. At least that's how it was when I used to play regularly.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

No. It's played with stone balls, rather than metal balls, the court is longer and the throwing technique is different. At least that's how it was when I used to play regularly.

With respect m'lud ... PAH!

Even wikipedia mentions metal or plastic balls. I spurn your reference to stone balls as I would a rabid dog!

As for throwing technique? Petanque allows for the choice of overarm or underarm. How many further throwing techniques can there be? SIDEarm perhaps?

 

[Wilko]

I used to play a bit, my mate is actually one of the top players in Britain! Quite addictive and there are competitions all over the country which is a bit of a laugh staying at Pontins and Butlins for a weekend with a load of petanque playing alcoholics.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

With respect m'lud ... PAH!

Even wikipedia mentions metal or plastic balls. I spurn your reference to stone balls as I would a rabid dog!

As for throwing technique? Petanque allows for the choice of overarm or underarm. How many further throwing techniques can there be? SIDEarm perhaps?

Plastic? PLASTIC? Someone is having a laugh.

The bocce that I have played uses a long underarm throw that culminates with the boccia rolling along the ground over the last few metres as it reaches the target.

It may be, of course, that there are regional variations, just as there are in bowls in England.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I used to play a bit, my mate is actually one of the top players in Britain! Quite addictive and there are competitions all over the country which is a bit of a laugh staying at Pontins and Butlins for a weekend with a load of petanque playing alcoholics.

The London Evening Standard used to do an annual Petanque event in Battersea Park. Early nineties maybe. You filled in a wee form in the paper and got allocated an official place in the tournament. Used to only be about 100 teams ever entered with a scattering of local level celebrities (before they invented Z-list trash) like Willie Rushton and Robert 'Jesus' Powell. They always gave every team a free picnic lunch feat. wine, quails eggs, cheese, chicken etc. Was always a cracking day out. Total respect to the Standard for that. Obviously.

 

[leigull]

You can get fannied in petanque can't you?

 

[jevs]

Barrel of fun should be able to tell you more but im sure the petanque court in preston park is free, although i do believe they charge a deposit of around a score for the "boules". It's very popular too i believe.