Once your throw is repeatable, random practice stops paying off. These five drills put a score on every session, so you can see what is improving and what is not.
Each one takes 20 to 30 minutes on a single lane. Bring a measure, a notebook and a 50 cm circle or hoop.
Drill 1: the precision shooting series
Precision shooting is its own world championship event, listed alongside triples in the FIPJP world championship rules. Its format makes the best shooting test you can run alone.
How to set it up
The official precision shooting rules use five layouts inside a circle, each shot from 6, 7, 8 and 9 m. That makes 20 shots per series.
- A target boule on its own
- A target boule with one obstacle boule beside it
- A target boule between two obstacles
- A second one-obstacle layout at a different spacing
- The jack on its own
The rulebook gives the exact spacing for each layout. Copy it once and keep it in your bag.
Scoring
A clean hit that sends the target out of the circle scores 5 points, so a perfect series is 100. Log your total every session; the trend matters more than any single score.
Drill 2: the pointing ladder
Place the jack at 6 m and point three boules. Score 3 for a boule inside 10 cm, 2 inside 30 cm and 1 inside 50 cm.
Move the jack back a metre and repeat up to 10 m. Your weakest distance is next week’s practice.
Drill 3: points that must get past a boule
A boule in front
Put an opponent’s boule 1 m short of the jack on your line. Point around it, lob over it or change your line; score only the boules that finish closest.
A boule behind
Place a boule 30 cm behind the jack. A point that runs long is safe, so play slightly past the jack instead of short.
Then flip the setup with your boule behind and practice pointing short of the jack. The contrast teaches you to use what is already on the terrain.
Read the reply
Before each throw, say out loud what the opponent will do next. Tactics start with that question; our strategy page covers the common answers.
Drill 4: shooting with the score on the line
Set a boule on the jack and give yourself two shots to remove it. Play it like a 12 to 11 game against you.
Count successes out of 20 and note where the misses went. Missing short and missing wide need different fixes, both covered in shooting technique.
Drill 5: bad terrain on purpose
Slopes and ruts
Pick the worst lane at your club: a side slope, a rut, a patch of loose gravel. Point ten boules and read each result before the next throw.
Our page on reading terrain shows what to look for. More routines are on our drills page.
Keep a practice log
Write down the drill, the distance and the score after each session. Six weeks of numbers show exactly where your game stands.
| Date | Drill | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Precision series | 6 to 9 m | __ / 100 |
| Week 1 | Pointing ladder | 6 to 10 m | __ / 45 |
Frequently asked questions
How often should advanced players practice?
Two or three focused sessions a week beat one long one. Short sessions keep your concentration high.
Can you do these drills alone?
Yes, all five work solo. A partner helps for drill 3, where they can play the opponent’s reply.
What is a good precision shooting score?
Compare yourself with your own log, since conditions and terrain change scores a lot. Aim for a steady rise over several weeks.
What distances do the official shooting drills use?
The precision shooting event uses 6, 7, 8 and 9 m for each of its five layouts.
