Stephen Daykin ENFR
01 · Awareness
02 · Slow
03 · Arc
04 · Play
05 · Trust
06 · Review
01 · Awareness
OBUT 700
Vol. 01 · Build the Habit

The Pétanque
 Performance Journal.

A printed pétanque training book: six weeks, five small habits, and a guided cycle for players who want to practise with more purpose.

A printed training journal for pétanque players. Five small habits, a six-week cycle, and a session log that shows you your own progress. Written by Stephen Daykin, twice capped for England, now chasing a French Championship — for anyone who plays boules and wants the game they practise to be the game that turns up on match day.

New: Where Do You Want the Boule to Finish?
Scroll to begin
Week 01

Awareness.

Notice without fixing. The first week is for paying attention — not for correcting what you find.

Week 02

Slow.

Slow enough to see. Six boules thrown deliberately teach more than a hundred thrown in a rush.

Week 03

Arc.

See the flight path before you throw. Build the shape in the mind first; let the body deliver it.

Week 04

Play.

Take the work onto the piste. The habits move out of practice and into matches.

Week 05

Trust.

Let the routine do its work. Stop steering each throw; let the habits carry you.

Week 06 · Closing

Review.

Look back before you move on. What changed in your game. What changed in your thinking. What do you want to keep. What matters to you is what stays.

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What you replay is what you keep finding again.

— Habit 01 · Mental rewind

Week 01
01 / 06

Awareness.

Notice without fixing. The first week is for paying attention — not for correcting what you find.

What you replay is what you keep finding again.

— Habit 01 · Mental rewind
Week 02
02 / 06

Slow.

Slow enough to see. Six boules thrown deliberately teach more than a hundred thrown in a rush.

Slow enough to notice. Steady enough to repeat.

— Habit 02 · Slow-arm practice
Week 03
03 / 06

Arc.

See the flight path before you throw. Build the shape in the mind first; let the body deliver it.

Most of the shot happens before the boule leaves your hand.

— Habit 03 · Pre-shot routine
Week 04
04 / 06

Play.

Take the work onto the piste. The habits move out of practice and into matches.

A session becomes learning when you stop and look at it.

— Habit 04 · Session log
Week 05
05 / 06

Trust.

Let the routine do its work. Stop steering each throw; let the habits carry you.

Give the mind one job, then let the body throw.

— The pre-shot routine
Week 06 · Closing
06 / 06

Review.

Look back before you move on. What changed in your game. What changed in your thinking. What do you want to keep. What matters to you is what stays.

What you repeat with care is what starts to belong to you.

— Part One, closing
Pétanque training

Practice with purpose. Play with attention. Compete with trust.

A six-week printed journal for pétanque players who want to practise with more intent. Use it to track sessions, sharpen attention, and build habits that hold up in match play.

  • A six-week pétanque training cycle for players who already play and want more deliberate practice.
  • Weekly trackers, focus words, session logs and reviews for club nights, solo practice and competition weeks.
  • Pre-shot and mental routines for attention, match pressure, pointing, shooting and the terrain in front of you.
  • Available as an Amazon paperback, with club and bulk enquiries open while signed-copy direct sales are paused.
IV · Journal

Free training articles.

Read all training articles →

V · The Author

Stephen Daykin.

Started
Admiral Cunningham PC / sadly no more
Caps
2 England caps
Plays for
Cherbourg Pétanque Club
Also at
Cobbetts Pétanque
Chasing
French Championships
The gap between practice and match day closes one habit at a time.

If you play, you know this. There's the game that turns up when nobody's watching, and the game that has to find you when something is on the line. Those two are rarely the same. Most of what I've spent the last few years learning sits in the gap between them.

I started in the early 90's. The youngest player to take a Southern Counties Region singles title at the time. Two England caps later. A best-team award at the inter-regionals. And still I couldn't always trust which of the two games would turn up on the day. At the end of 2021 I gave up my English licence and took a French one with Cherbourg, starting the 2022 season. I wanted a new challenge, something to really push and test myself.

Five years in France has given me some answers. In 2025, Jérémie Bolle and I reached the Department Doubles final, one win from qualifying for the French Championship. That same summer I won the Jersey International Tête-à-Tête, beating former world champion Julien Lamour in the final. Two very different days, held together by the same quiet routines.

That's really the heart of this. The journal sits on three convictions and five small habits. Habits beat ambition. What you replay is what you keep. Progress is felt before it's measured. The habits make those concrete: mental rewind, slow-arm practice, a pre-shot routine, a session log, daily reading. I'm playing better boule today than I ever have, and most of it comes from doing those few things, quietly, on repeat. The journal is that structure, written down so you can run it yourself.

My next aim is to qualify for a French Championship. I genuinely believe I'm capable of this, and I sincerely hope I can share my journey getting there with you all.

If you see me at a competition or on a piste, please come and say hello. I would love to hear how the journal is helping you, what you are noticing, and what is changing in your game.

The journey, so far
  1. 2022 Department Doubles Semi-final with Franck Guillois
  2. 2023 Department Mixed Doubles Quarter-final with Isabelle Choubrac
  3. 2025 Department Doubles Finalist with Jérémie Bolle
  4. Jul 2025 Jersey International Tête-à-Tête Winner final v. Julien Lamour · ex-world champion
  5. Jan 2026 Rouen Indoor Doubles Winner with Jérémie Bolle · 128 teams
  6. Apr 2026 Department Triples Semi-final with Mathieu Coronne & Ludovic Endelin
→ Fr. Championships
VI · The Invitation

Get the Late Release drill, free.

The one I open my own practice with. One page, printable — take it to your next session.

No spam. More drills only when one is ready. Unsubscribe anytime.

VII · Order

Two ways to get a copy.

Signed-copy checkout is paused for now. Until direct sales reopen, use Amazon for individual copies or send a club enquiry for five or more.

The Pétanque Performance Journal · Volume 01 cover
Option A

Amazon

Paperback · 148 pages. Print-on-demand. Ships globally, quickly.

Order on Amazon ↗

Still deciding?

Is this only for advanced players?

No. It is for players who already play and want their practice to become more deliberate.

Do I need more time to train?

No. The work is designed around short ordinary sessions, with habits small enough to keep.

Is it just theory?

No. The journal gives you a six-week practice sequence, session logs, and review prompts.

VIII · Testimonials

From friends and readers.

From Amazon readers
★★★★★
Stephen is a very accomplished Petanque player in the UK and France. He has taken his journey to the player he is today and condensed it down into an easy to understand and implement journal. His technique has been refined over time and tested with many players who desire to improve. This journal is designed to make you think about your game, what you feel, what worked and didn't. To encourage you to look objectively, without judgement in order that you can progress in a six week practice period. Buy this journal if you are serious about improving your game AND willing to do the work necessary to change.
— kevin orourke · amazon.co.uk
★★★★★
Truly fantastic coaching piece that speaks to the way my brain works and learns the game. Well structured and reasoned and strips back your technique to the roots to let you rebuild with ease something you can rely upon and trust! Can't wait for next installment
— Matthew Dickie · amazon.co.uk
★★★★★
A very good tool to use for taking your game to the next level. Perfect for every boules player.
— Whyst · amazon.se · translated from Swedish
★★★★★
A great tool to track your petanque progress and keep you focused, from a author who a knowledgeable and generous spirit.
— PeteW · amazon.co.uk
★★★★★
I love my performance journal. I really like the breakdown into six simple segments that help keep you focussed. Having to note down how a shot ‘feels’ has been a game changer for me. Also love the quotes at the end of each page. I definitely feel more confident and clear when I step into the circle to play the shot. Would highly recommend 👌
— Hassi Leverett · amazon.co.uk
★★★★★
This journal is a great help for those players wanting to improve their performance, a training asset not to be missed.
— Mark N. Gay · amazon.co.uk
Coda

"For the players who stay with it, especially on the days it feels harder than it should."

The series · Vols 01 — 08
  1. 01 Build the Habit ✓ Available now
  2. 02 Sharpen the Shot ◐ Drafting now
  3. 03 Handle Pressure · In preparation
  4. 04 Play the Terrain · In preparation
  5. 05 Use the Tournament · In preparation
  6. 06 See the Situation · In preparation
  7. 07 Change One Thing · In preparation
  8. 08 Carry Forward · In preparation
Vol. 02 — Sharpen the Shot

The second cycle picks up where the first leaves off: pointing under pressure, shooting with intent, reading the head before you choose the shot. Drafting now. Late 2026.