The choice of hardness
To meet the needs of all kinds of petanque players, Obut offers a wide range of hardnesses;
Depending on the hardness chosen, the boule's behaviour will be radically different, which means there is a solution to suit every type of terrain, style of play and position taken by the player ("pointer", "middle player", "shooter").
The Impact Absorber + boules
An exclusive new Obut technology!
"Impact Absorber +" boules were created using steels with high internal resilience and a tempering process that is unique in the world, developed with the aim of significantly reducing the "internal resonance effect" of the petanque boule.
The Impact Absorber + boule also has an extraordinary capacity for absorbing shocks, particularly on very hard ground, when pointing with a "plombé" (or very high lobbed) trajectory, and its rebound will be minimal when making a direct hit on a "plein fer" lobbed stun shot.
Half-soft boules
Considered as the most versatile for both shooting and pointing on all types of ground, these boules combine the best performances with good resistance to impact marking. This is the ideal boule for all-rounders and for Jeu Provençal.
Soft boules
The softer a boule is (hardness close to, but never less than 110 kg/mm² or 35 HRC), the less it will bounce on hard ground and the less it will rebound when it hits another boule in a "carreau" (direct stun shot), a considerable advantage in a game. This will be therefore be the best choice if you are looking for a petanque boule for a shooter.
But it will be marked more by impacts.
Obut's advice
• The Impact Absorber + boule is the most effective for an attacking player today.
• Good players, and especially shooters, prefer to choose their boules from among the softest.
• The half-soft boule is the most versatile, suited to all types of ground.
More about boule hardnesses
To be used in official competitions, after meeting all the requirements of their specifications, petanque boules must be approved by the International and French Petanque and Jeu Provençal Federations (F.I.P.J.P. and F.F.P.J.P.).
The hardness of the boules must be over 35 HRC (110 kg/mm²), including for boules used by shooters.
Which means that all petanque boules must be tempered.
