Posts Tagged ‘subjective selection’
What to report to club members on their performance and How to report
Posted by: adonis49 on: October 12, 2017
What to report to club members on their performance and How to report
In a previous article on Measuring Petanque (boules) performance I stated that the subjective selection is alienating many players and discarding great potentials, especially when travelling to other villages for competition.
Asking someone to take statistics of each player performance in each game in order to tabulate performance shouldn’t be such a great burden.
I suggested the following criteria for taking statistics:
- For punting, coming closer to the cochonet, a distance of less 20 cm is allocated 3 points, less than 50 cm two pts, less than one meter a single point
- For hitting the ball (tireurs), a carreaux (displacing the other team ball and taking its place) allocate 3 pts, just displacing the ball 2 pts, hitting but not making a significant difference a single point. If the player displace his winning team’s ball then we deduct 3 points (-3).
It is best to calculate the median instead of the average value. The median has significance to the player. If a club has 40 members, half the players have a score above the median and the other half lower. You can classify players according to quartiles: The 10 best scorers and the 10 lowest scorers and the ones in between.
Each week or month, a player would be reported his score and his place among the players, without mentioning names of the other performers.
Obviously, many players will boast of their scores, and this an opportunity to observe the techniques and adaptability of the better performer according to the terrain.
Averages (means) have no meaning: it is a mathematical formula that can be manipulated in other statistical equations for various results.
You may report scores over 6 months of the aggregate monthly scores, or when a competition is near for selection purposes of teams.
You may complicate the statistics by reporting on which field (terrain) it was taken. The terrain is the main factor in performance measures
It is important to discriminate between performance and consistency in potential skills.
Performance is measuring the scores and selecting the highest scorers for any competition.
Potential is just adding the binary numbers of 1 (Hit) and Zero, like hit or No hit, satisfactory punting or totally lousy, satisfactory hitting or Not.
For example, if you are consistent in hitting regardless of type of hits, or satisfactory punting like within one meter, then this consistency can be promising with additional training.
The types of field (terrain) is the main variable to study and accommodate your technique. Learn to be flexible and change your technique relative to the terrain.
Observe the other players: the trajectory (full plombing, semi or quarter plombing) and where their balls hit the field (distance) before the cochonet.
If you are not flexible and do Not exercise on different throwing methods, in holding the ball, the trajectory of the ball (high trajectory or rolling on the ground…), and flexing of the wrist… you will be at a disadvantage.
Lately, many players would like to impress on you that a certain throwing method is the rule (regulation), but I didn’t find any rule, pictures, graphs or anything of the sort of how you hold the ball and throw. (Usually, those who mention “rules” at leisure are lousy performers)
Note: I realized that balls made in China are practically discarded as Not fitting regulation? Why? I basically think it is a French political and economic colonial constraint for players. Chinese-made balls are fine to me. As long as they fit my palm for better grip.
Measuring petanque performance? Which club took this important step?
Posted by: adonis49 on: August 24, 2017
Measuring Petanque performance? Which club took this important step?
The game of Petanque is like playing horseshoes with additional complexities: We play with metal balls that could be hit and displaced and the target is a tiny light ball called cochonet that can also be hit, displaced with various consequences.
In Lebanon, the game of petanque (boules) is mushrooming in many villages because young and elder people can play it and gather and meet.
The drawback is that this physically relaxing game (though you end up walking a lot) is Not that relaxing emotionally: A few people (mostly the bullies) shoulder the responsibility of selecting subjectively who is a good player, who’s Not and forgetting the potential new arrivals.
Petanque is a relatively easy game that requires plenty of consistent training to conveniently acquire the skills for analyzing the field and controlling your nerves and muscles for punting (pointeur) to the target or hitting the closest enemy ball to target (tireur).
A team in competition is of 3 players, holding 2 balls for a total score of 13 points to win. Otherwise, we can play with 4 members or even 2 people holding each 3 balls. The target cochonet is to be located between 6 to 10 meters.
The subjective selection, usually done by lousy performers, is alienating many players and discarding great potentials, especially when travelling to other villages for competition.
Asking someone to take statistics of each player in each game in order to tabulate performance shouldn’t be such a great burden. A computer software usually manipulate most of the data, provides all kinds of ratios and print the best performers.
I suggest the following criteria for taking statistics:
- For punting, coming closer to the cochonet, a distance of less 20 cm is allocated 3 points, less than 30 cm two pts, less than 50 cm a single point
- For hitting the ball (tireurs), a carreaux (displacing the other team ball and taking its place) allocate 3 pts, just displacing the ball 2 pts, hitting but not making a significant difference a single point. If the player displace his team’s ball then we deduct 3 points (-3).
It is important to discriminate between performance and consistency in potential skills.
Performance is measuring the scores and selecting the highest scorers for any competition. Potential is just adding the binary numbers of 1 and Zero, like hit or No hit, satisfactory punting or totally lousy.
For example, if you are consistent in hitting regardless of type of hits, or satisfactory punting like within 50 cm, then this consistency can be promising with additional training.
The metallic ball can be of various weights (680 to 730 grams), of slightly different diameters and of various alloys.
I conjecture that the ball is a minor factor, but the types of field is the main variable.
If you are not flexible and do Not exercise on different throwing methods, in holding the ball, the trajectory of the ball (high or rolling on the ground…), and flexing of the wrist… you will be at a disadvantage.
I find that the wrist is an important factor: if you are Not conscious of the direction and position of your wrist before throwing, the ball will travel according to the normal direction of your wrist.
Also, take all your time to aim and throw: you have 10 seconds to throw. At least, you will enjoy throwing the ball and play on the nerves of the opposing team members.
Beware of those who volunteer to give you advice on their particular methods of throwing the ball: Just keep experimenting with what is best for you.
Lately, many players would like to impress on you that a certain throwing method is the rule (regulation), but I didn’t find any rule, pictures, graphs or anything of the sort of how you hold the ball and throw. (Usually, those who mention “rules” at leisure are lousy performers)
Note: I realized that balls made in China are practically discarded as Not fitting regulation? Why? I think it is a French political and economic colonial constraint for players.
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