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Shooting: knocking boules out with precision
Shooting removes an opponent’s boule from the game. Done well, one shot erases a four-point lead. Done carelessly, it hands the advantage straight back. The mechanics, the shot types and when to pull the trigger.
Pointing wins games steadily. Shooting changes them suddenly. A good shooter dismantles an opponent’s best mène, removes the close boule and forces a reset. The two throws and the choice between them are introduced in what pétanque is.
The mechanics are more demanding than pointing: the distances are longer, the target is a specific boule rather than a general area and a miss costs a whole boule for nothing.
Outcomes
Carreau and défoncer
Every successful shot lands in one of two categories. The difference changes how you aim and what you should expect after impact.
Carreau
Your boule hits the target and takes its place, stopping where the target was. The opponent’s boule is gone and yours is now sitting in the favorable position they had. It needs a steep dropping trajectory rather than a flat skimming one.
Best whenThe target is close to the jack, and holding that position after the hit decides the mène.
Défoncer
Your boule hits the target hard and both boules travel away from the jack. The target is removed, though yours ends up out of position too. A flat fast trajectory produces this most often, and it is still a useful result.
Best whenThe target sits away from the jack and simply needs removing, so where your boule finishes counts for less.
Same circle, same target, two arrivals. The steep arrival transfers its energy downward and the thrown boule tends to hold the spot. The flat arrival transfers energy forward, so both boules leave together.
Practice the carreau from the start. Most beginners aim for the défoncer because it feels achievable: hit the target, job done. The carreau is not much harder once you understand it needs a steeper arc, and a player who lands it consistently has a real advantage in close matches.
Four weeks, four drills
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Trajectories
Three arcs to choose between
The arc of the throw decides both your chance of hitting and what happens when you do. Shooters use three broadly, each suited to a different situation.
| Trajectory | Arc | Usual result | Best used when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plombée | High, steep drop | Carreau, the boule holds the impact point | Close target, position needs holding |
| Demi-portée | Medium | Carreau or défoncer depending on speed | Medium range of 7 to 10 m, general use |
| Rasante | Low, flat | Défoncer, both boules scatter | Long distance or obstacles to clear |
The demi-portée, the half-lob, is the most common trajectory in recreational shooting. It gives enough arc for a reasonably clean hit without demanding the precise high-arc control of a plombée. Most players make it their default and add the plombée later, a specialist shot kept for carreau situations. The same arc vocabulary appears in pointing technique, where it does a different job.
Mechanics
How the throw differs from pointing
The grip for shooting is usually the closed grip, with the boule held in a loosely clenched fist. That gives more power on release and less fine control, which suits the flatter faster trajectory of most shots. Some players switch to a modified palm-down grip for the plombée, where control outweighs power.
The key mechanical difference is arm speed. You are throwing harder, so the instinct is to rush the backswing or tense the shoulder, and both cost accuracy. The backswing stays deliberate, and the power comes from smooth acceleration through the forward swing rather than a jerked release. The underlying pendulum is the same one covered in grip and stance.
The best shooters look relaxed. The power comes from the swing rather than from visible effort, and a shooter straining through the throw is usually a shooter about to miss.
Foot position
Most shooters rotate the lead foot outward, roughly 15 to 30 degrees from the square-on pointing stance. That opens the hip slightly and allows a fuller arm swing. Everything else holds: both feet inside the circle, knees soft, weight forward.
Some dedicated shooters adopt a side-on stance, closer to a cricket bowler, for maximum arm rotation. It is a specialist technique that needs serious practice to be accurate, and it is the wrong place to start for anyone still building a basic shot.
The decision
Shoot or point?
The call counts for no less than the mechanics. Shooting is the higher-risk option, since a miss wastes a boule entirely while a poor point still leaves a boule somewhere useful.
Shoot when
- The opponent holds one or more boules tight to the jack and you cannot point closer
- You are losing the mène and pointing will not reverse the score
- The target is isolated and clearly visible, not buried in a cluster
- You are reliable at that distance
- A carreau would leave you winning the mène outright
Point when
- You can reasonably land closer than the opponent’s boule
- The target is buried in a cluster and you risk scattering your own boules
- Your team still has pointing boules in hand
- The score does not demand immediate removal
- You are not confident at that distance
Shooting to show off is the most expensive habit in pétanque. Experienced players still attempt shots when pointing would serve better, because the shot looks impressive. In a close match that costs mènes. The discipline to point when pointing is right, even when the shot would be more dramatic, is what separates a mature player. When to make that call is covered on the match strategy page.
The sequence
Shooting step by step
- Identify the target preciselyKnow exactly which boule you are shooting at before you step into the circle. In a cluster, pick the specific one and the angle you need to hit it from. A vague target produces a vague throw.
- Choose the trajectory and commitPlombée for a carreau, demi-portée for general accuracy, rasante for long distance or obstacles. Decide before stepping in, because switching mid-swing is a reliable way to miss.
- Set the grip and stance, then relax the shoulderClosed grip for most shots. Feet inside the circle, lead foot rotated slightly outward. Consciously drop the throwing shoulder; a tense one shortens and steepens the swing unpredictably.
- Look at the target boule, not the space around itFix your eyes past the jack and onto the specific boule. Your body calibrates the throw to wherever your eyes are locked.
- Swing smoothly and let the speed arriveThe backswing can go higher than for pointing, to shoulder height or above. The motion still needs to feel smooth rather than forced. Release at the usual knee height and follow through fully upward.
Corrections
Four faults and their fixes
Rushing the backswing
The shot goes high and short, or veers sideways. The player is hurrying to apply power rather than letting the swing build it.
FixPause at the top of the backswing for half a second. A deliberate pause resets the rhythm on its own.
A tensed shoulder
Direction wanders, sometimes left and sometimes right, with no pattern. The shoulder is locked rather than swinging freely.
FixRoll the shoulder before stepping into the circle. Think of the arm hanging loose rather than being driven.
Watching the throw
The eyes follow the arc of the boule during the throw instead of staying on the target, and the aim drifts with them.
FixKeep your eyes on the target boule until after release. You should hear the hit rather than watch the arc.
Shooting when pointing would win
A boule spent on a risky shot when a careful point would have taken the mène without any risk at all.
FixBefore every shot attempt, ask the question: could you point closer? If the answer is yes, point.
Competition
The shooting competition: rules, distances and scoring
Precision shooting is an individual FIPJP championship event. Each player shoots 20 boules in 15 minutes: five workshops, each shot from circles 6, 7, 8 and 9 m from a 1 m target circle.
The five workshops
| Workshop | Target | Setup |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boule | Alone in the circle |
| 2 | Boule | Behind a jack |
| 3 | Boule | Between two obstacle boules |
| 4 | Boule | Behind an obstacle boule |
| 5 | Jack | Alone in the circle |
How each shot scores
| Points | When |
|---|---|
| 5 | The target boule leaves the circle and the shooting boule stays in it without touching an obstacle, or the target jack leaves the circle |
| 3 | Target boule and shooting boule both leave the circle without touching an obstacle, or the target jack is hit but stays |
| 1 | The target boule is hit but stays in the circle |
| 0 | The boule lands outside the target circle, touches its edge or misses |
A perfect series scores 100 points. Ties go to the player with more 5-point shots, then more 3-point shots, under the FIPJP precision shooting rules.
Practice
The target line drill
Twenty minutes, and it sets your real range
Place six boules in a straight line at 8 meters, spaced 40 cm apart. Shoot at each one in sequence from the same circle.
- Work along the lineShoot at each target once. Note the hits, the near misses and the direction of every error.
- Judge the outcome, not the hit aloneOn each hit, note where your boule finished. A carreau holds the spot; a défoncer scatters.
- Repeat from 10 metersMost players find accuracy drops sharply. That gap is the useful information.
- Set your match rangeOnly shoot in a game from distances where you hit half or better in this drill.
More structured sessions, solo and with a partner, sit on the training drills page. Somewhere to run them is on the public courts listing, which covers terrain you can use without joining anything.
Know the rules and the throw equally well?
Questions on scoring, fouls and the throwing circle, with the FIPJP article behind every ruling.
Common questions
Questions about shooting
What is a carreau in pétanque?
A shot that knocks the target boule away and leaves your own boule in its place, stopping on the spot where the target was. It removes the threat and takes the position at the same time, which is why it is considered the perfect shot.
What is the difference between a carreau and a défoncer?
Both remove the target. A carreau leaves your boule holding the spot, which needs a steep dropping arrival. A défoncer sends both boules away from the jack, which is what a flat fast arrival usually produces.
Should I shoot or point?
Point whenever you can reasonably land closer than the opponent’s best boule. Shoot when you cannot, when the target is isolated and clearly visible and when the distance is inside the range you hit reliably in practice.
How far can you shoot in pétanque?
Under the rules of pétanque, the jack is thrown 6 to 10 meters from the circle, so shooting distances fall in that band. Set your own limit from practice: only attempt shots in a game from distances where you hit half or better on the target line drill.
Why do I keep missing left or right?
Usually a tense shoulder or an arm that drifts sideways on the backswing rather than traveling straight back. Roll the shoulder loose before the throw and have someone watch the arm path from behind. More answers sit in the pétanque beginner FAQ.
The series
Where this leads next
Shooting accuracy is worth little on ground you have not read. The same shot that carreaus on packed gravel skips off loose stone. The arc you need changes with the surface under the target. That is the next page in the series.
Four weeks, four drills
The full four-week plan in your inbox today, one drill for each week.
Quick reference
- Carreau: steep arc, your boule holds the spot
- Défoncer: flat arc, both boules scatter
- Default arc: demi-portée at 7 to 10 m
- Eyes: on the target boule, never the arc
- Before every shot: could you point closer?
Boule selector
Shooters and pointers need different boules. Five questions return the diameter, weight and hardness that fit you.
Pétanque quiz
Questions on scoring, fouls and the throwing circle, with the FIPJP article behind every ruling.