Irene D’Aloisio, Publicity Director
The Sisk Park Bocce Ball League wraps up its first session on January 4th. The members-only potluck and awards party will be held at Sisk Park on January 11 at 1:00 p.m. Be sure to look for the names of the winners in the February Splash if you can’t make the party.
The second session will begin January 18, ending on March 22. If you missed the first session, be sure to sign up for the second one. Everyone who played in the first session is automatically in the second session. No extra fees are necessary. It’s lots of fun, great exercise and will get you out into our fresh, sunny Arizona air.
So, exactly what is a spock? Did you know there are many different kinds of shots in bocce, and the spock is just one. There’s the bank shot, which uses the side rails to change the angle of approach to get around any balls blocking the pallino. The blocking shot places the ball in a position to make it difficult for your opponents to score additional points. They can’t get to the pallino! The setup shot places a ball in a location so that you or your teammate can hit it into a scoring position. The safe shot is obvious, playing a ball in a manner that will not have a chance to affect the points you currently have on the court. A good example of this is at the end of the game when you are winning. Your balls on the court are already guaranteeing a win and your opponents have no balls left to play while you may have some left. Better to throw a safe shot than accidently hit your own ball taking away your winning points and giving the win to the other team.
The most exciting shot? Spocking! This shot is thrown harder in order to move balls out of their current position. It can be used for hitting the opponent’s balls, your own balls, or for moving the pallino. Be careful with this shot, though. The success rate is only about 50 percent! When should you spock? If your opponent has placed the first ball close to the pallino making it unlikely for you to score, it may pay to try a spock with your first ball. If done well, it should pop the opponent’s ball away from the pallino, moving yours closer to it. Consider a spock when your opponent has played all four balls and you have two or three left. This might decrease the opponent’s score or significantly improve your own. And it could open up an area in which you can sneak in a ball for a point.
Want to sign up? Questions? Call President Judy Hester at 480-339-0243; or Division Director Terry Sporleder at 815-248-9921; or email us at [email protected].