I played against Julian Lamour last year in Jersey in a final. He’s an ex world champ and I know he’s a great player. I definitely changed my approach based on this. Instead of pointing close to the coche I was purposely playing a boule wide and taking the game to him. The point I’m trying to make is that emotionally, yes you are playing the boule on the ground but your opponents are definately a factor to consider. I’d opt for the shot. Unless you put yourself in those situations and learn to stay calm, relaxed, present. It’s difficult to grow and learn from. I see it as an opportunity. Of course it will be disappointing if I miss but that’s part of the journey. If however I’m off form and not hitting a lot then I may not be as confident. In that sensario in a game with something on the line, I could also see myself pointing. Your gut/subconsciousness plays a huge part here. If you tell a player to shoot knowing it’s the right shot but they visibly look uncomfortable with the idea, then the likelihood is they will miss. There must always be balance with the decesion made to manifest that result.

Gl Kevin, everyone feels nerves. When you become more present, you learn to understand those nerves can be used as a positive trigger to help remind you what you need to do.

Try to relax your movement a little. When you’re tense, your throwing arm will often lead the motion and pull you off balance. If you’re right-handed, this usually means missing to the right. By softening the movement and keeping it subtle, you’ll maintain much better balance. Don’t focus on hitting the boule—focus on being present and feeling how the boule moves through your gesture. Combined with filming yourself and reviewing it, this should help you understand what your body is actually doing.

@Jimmy Skog There’s mainly 2 phases in Petanque. The thinking, I.e What are you trying to achieve. Whats the plan, where are you trying to land it, what does the shot look like. This should help build a mental image in your mind. The second part is the actual action. Well your subconscious knows what you want to do, you’ve just mentally rehearsed that. The second part is all about having trust in yourself and believing so your mind should be in a calmer state before you perform the action. A busy mind interferes with the subconscious part of the mind which is in use when you throw the boule. Often less is better. If you believe in yourself, you’ll notice any doubt disappear. @Kevin ORourke has some good wisdom touching on this in some of his boule mind series videos.

@James Clapper The correct size is the most Important aspect. They need to feel comfortable in your hand without the boule losing grip and coming loose as you throw. @Kevin ORourke it may be worth you doing a video on this talking about boule size and grip or perhaps you have one you can link?