I still owe you a short report on how things went at the event. Let’s start with the unpleasant part: I finished second‑last. Full stop. That stings, and it definitely triggered quite a few questions/doubts in me. Do I feel bad? Yes — when looking at the scoreboard. But beyond that, I’m actually quite happy with how I played. I played my game. The day turned out completely different from what I had expected. It rained almost nonstop, and the terrain became soaking wet. Shooting was far more difficult than what I had described beforehand. If you weren’t absolutely spot‑on, the boule dug its own little ramp and simply jumped over the target boule. Contrary to what I wrote earlier, my pointing was more average than excellent — but my shooting was reliable. Even though I lost all my games, two opponents told me afterwards that my attacking style and consistent shooting forced them to play long. I would go even further: with my shooting I limited their own shooting attempts. I didn’t lose because of my shooting; I lost because my pointing didn’t score points efficiently when I had the chance to, and because I didn’t manage to play a strong last defensive boule. My main observation from the event: most players prefer rather a safe ball, even the strong ones. They focus on limiting the opponent’s score rather than pushing the game. As long as I’m not shooting a high ratio of carreaux sur place, I will rarely win these types of games. Do I want to adapt? Yes and no. I have a clear vision of how I want to play the game. Whether I will ever reach that level, I don’t know. But if I want to win more consistently, I need to find the right balance that works for me. Despite losing all my games, I’m proud that I stuck to my principles. Two weeks ago, two players — whom I’ve barely played with — asked me if I’d like to join them for a triplette tournament in three weeks time, as they are missing their third player. Both saw me play and lose, yet both individually told me they’re really looking forward playing with me. That honestly to some sort cheers me up.

As always, it depends. For me personally, the more frequently I train, the more consistent my shooting becomes. However, when I’m not performing well over a certain period (matches/training sessions), I like to put my boules aside for a couple of days. In those phases I start questioning everything far too much. Even if my swing, release, or grip is perfectly fine, I still wonder whether it needs an adjustment. Taking a short break usually helps — the next time I step onto the court, that constant questioning has partly or completely disappeared. On the other hand, I need longer breaks when I’m not enjoying the game. This joy isn’t related to winning at all; it’s about how the game is played. I had this twice last year, where I came home genuinely frustrated after playing. In those cases, I try to take a few weeks off — although the break usually ends much sooner than planned.

Obut RCX 73/680

I think it is a great idea, Kevin. There are always different views on how to look on game situations and how to solve those. If I find time (honestly, my biggest issue with two small kids and partner I also like to share some of my time with), I would definitely be in.

We played the final league match day this weekend. Our first game was a Triplette, and I started as milieu. From the beginning we were under pressure because our pointer wasn’t at his usual level. My pointing kept us in the game, but at 4:6 an outside teammate suggested switching me to position 1. We kept the original setup as my shooting is more consistent, but after going 4:7, we made the rotation — and immediately took control. Soon we were ahead 11:9. Then the opposing tireur, who had been leading their team and playing excellent, switched to pointer. Her first boule landed 40–50 cm in front of the cochonnet. We discussed shooting but decided I should point. I think I hit something and ended up about 60 cm left of the bouchon. We pointed again, and my second boule barely took the point, finishing roughly 40 cm behind the bouchon on the left. She answered with a perfect point, just 5–10 cm in front of mine. We didn’t shoot because of the risk of a counter-hit. Then things fell apart: both teammates missed their points, ending up left and right, and only one boule landed in a decent defensive position. With four boules left, our opponents scored four points and won 13:11. Looking back, I think I played very well and had a strong impact on the game. I’m not upset with my teammates — our shooting was solid, and the terrain wasn’t super easy too play. In retrospect, though, I think a substitution would have been better than switching positions. During the game I didn’t think that way, because I consider our pointer a very good player. And I think this is a mistake, even the best players may not get into the right rythm and play under their potential. Substitutions are often made too late, which is a general issue, especially without a dedicated coach. We won both league games overall, finished 4th, and I was quite happy with my shooting and pointing throughout the match day.