Petanque; The Beautiful Game?

[Atheist]

1 Minimal equipment required, just three steel balls which can be bought for less than a tenner.
2 No pitch required; any old stretch of gravel or rough ground.
3 No need for an eleven or special clothing.
4 Young and old can play together - beginners welcome and can enjoy right from their first go.
5 New recruits always welcome.
6 Easy access to videos of old world championship matches and training/teaching videos online.

[gness]

Behave yourself now, Tony!!!

[tonyav]

I want to, but you know how it is ;-)

[Atheist]

Gness, 570gm are toys! You should get your palm around one of my 710 grammers!

[gness]

I have tiny hands, Atheist but I’ll give one of your 710s a go. :-)

[Atheist]

Gness, tiny hands might be a problem. 70 to 80 mm is the standard size. But that's OK if you use the recommended technique of cupping the boule in your palm rather than trying to grasp it with your fingers. And of course, always keep your thumb away from the side of the boule - let the palm do the work, and never squeeze, or you'll fail to achieve your target. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but it's worth it in the end, especially if you manage a good straight armed follow through and final flick of the wrist. I'd love to give you lessons, but it's not practical at the moment.

[gness]

Thanks, Atheist. I don't play badly. I've played lawn bowls lots too despite the small hands but when you're down this way I won't say no to some lessons...x