Bocce Ball King

There are many ways to throw a bocce ball but how you throw it will depend on what you’re trying to achieve, the playing surface, and where the jack is resting. If you’re playing on a surface that doesn’t provide much movement after a ball lands, such as in sand or oyster shells, then it’s less important to arc the throw. If you’re playing on grass or a stiffer surface, where the ball is more likely to roll after landing, then height is more important because you want more force coming down to help stick the ball.

There are two basic characteristics in a throw: height and spin.

Height

The higher the throw the ball, the less likely it will roll when it hits the ground. The higher it arcs, the greater the force with which it will hit the ground. On soft surfaces like sand, it probably won’t move at all when it hits the ground because it will dig into the sand. On grass, where it won’t dig in as far, there’s a greater chance it will roll.

Think about what happens when you roll the ball, that’s when you put no height. It keeps on rolling until it runs out of energy right? Well how high you throw it will determine how much energy is in rolling and how much is in height.

Spin

Spin will, in part, determine how the ball will roll. Remember, if you’re throwing forward, the ball will tend to roll forward regardless of its spin. If you put forward spin, it will roll farther. If you put backspin, the backspin will slow the ball down initially and it won’t roll as far. If you want to plant the ball firmly where you land it, the best strategy is to throw it high and put backspin on it.

To throw it with frontspin, hold the ball in the palm of your hand with your hand below the ball. As you throw it, the ball will naturally spin towards the jack. If you want more spin, flick your fingers at the last moment and it will add some additional spin. It’s much like rolling a ball, except you’re giving it a little bump.

To throw with backspin, grip the ball in the palm of your hand but keep your hand above the ball, as if you were holding a cane. As you throw it, the ball will naturally have a backspin or no spin at all. If you want more spin, again flick your fingers at the last moment.

Practice!

As you can see, these aren’t difficult concepts to master but the key is to get used to the weight of the balls you’re using. There are other techniques you can use, such as throwing the bocce ball like a baseball or shotput, but they lack the consistency you get with a more controled technique. Aslo, bocce balls are heavier than baseballs, much heavier, and you risk injury to your shoulder and rotator cuff if you try to throw it like a baseball.

(Photo: locusolus)