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Chat Area => Archives => Topic started by: gunar on June 01, 2005, 08:47:47 AM
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I have only played the same 6 people, but have played each one of them probably 500 times easy....that was about 5 years ago...looking to get back into foosball.....only saw 3 league groups in michigan...bay city, harper woods, flint.....any others out there?
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I have a few questions about league play...I have not been successful in getting a few of my calls returned (guessing some information about league play for michigan is outdated...)
does it cost anything to join up with a league?
do you just play against people, or as you play do you get instruction from the more experienced players?
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I have a few questions about league play...I have not been successful in getting a few of my calls returned (guessing some information about league play for michigan is outdated...)
does it cost anything to join up with a league?
do you just play against people, or as you play do you get instruction from the more experienced players?
It costs money to play. Some of the money goes to league overhead, a lot goes to the pot for the winning team. How much depends on your local league.
By playing in league you qualify for the VIFA events at Vegas.
There are a few formats. Most common:
You wind up on a team of 4 players, playing a bunch of different events including normal singles/doubles, roto-doubles (where you can only switch after scoring, and must do so), 4-on-4, goalie wars, forward shootout, etc.
The Michigan league has been historically very strong.
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sorry for the additional questions....
USTSA is the place (for a membership fee) will keep offical scoring (done with points) for its members....
You can only earn those points at tournements like VIFA....you can't earn offical points for joining local leagues??
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USTSA is the place (for a membership fee) will keep offical scoring (done with points) for its members....
You can only earn those points at tournements like VIFA....you can't earn offical points for joining local leagues??
World's, Vegas, and Nationals will earn official points. VIFA doesn't count toward your official points. Some of the regional tournaments (Texas states) are sanctioned USTSA events and do count toward your points. I know some midwest tournaments (Minnesota?) do count.
Some really big tournaments don't count toward your points, and some (Kentucky) use different points entirely.
BUT, the point system is going through an overhaul and may change completely.
Local leagues do NOT count toward your points.
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Here is a link for the .pdf file on Points Adjustments.
http://www.vifa.com/Points/PointsAdjustments.pdf
It does state that "Pro Tour Poster Tournament listings AND Pro Tour Major events are the only Tournaments that qualify for player points adjustments....
... then it lists the events at those tournaments that qualify.. and shows you the "math"
... note: there is a also a statement referring to a seldom used process... "Promoters and VIFA Charter Holders also have the option of submitting adjustments to USTSA Headquarters for discussion.
JimW
p.s. e-mail me if you want to speak about what you are trying to do... i can maybe suggest some alternatives, or help you get on the "radar" of USTSA (VIFA) poiints system. jim@foosball.com
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YES :D
Dispatch Lounge
Lansing, MI -Every Saturday Night, but call before Sept. to be sure.
Erik -517-484-6364
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;Dyes there is a group in mt.clemens that's very experienced and the group in lansing, and the group from grand rapids are all excellent instructors. see you there
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This is my first time contacting the site. I've been an avid fan of foosball for the last year-and-a-half, having played competitively for about the same amount of time. At 20, I am now starting a foosball club at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, and trying to set up intercollegiate matches between other nearby colleges and universities, such as Indiana University, and my Alma Mater, Southwestern Michigan College. If it starts to take off, I’ll let you guys know.
As I said, this is my first time contacting you guys, so I have a few questions. Bear with me if these questions seem dumb or redundant.
I had a question about training and practicing. Other than just simple practice, are there any types of training equipment, such as weights for wrists, to help strengthen them at a faster pace?
I also had a question regarding shooting strategies. I know shots like the rollover and such are very popular, and are great shots when executed well. However, I've been steering away from that and have been focusing a lot of my practice time and game time working on the tic-tac series. Would it be a good strategy to switch styles, or would it be safer to focus solely on one style or series of shots so that those become even better shots in the near future?
I also had a question in general about the tic-tac series. I like to do this 3-pass shot between the #1 and #2 man on the forward rod, and then shoot with the #2 man, or a 1-2-1-2. Some friends of mine used a stopwatch to see how fast I was getting off the passes and the shot, since all my buddies (whom I shut out quite regularly) say they can't see it, or at least can’t get there in time.
After doing a bunch of trials, I averaged about .6 seconds to get 3 passes and a shot from the #2 man. My question is how fast can the "average joe" at the professional level do this, and other similar moves, such as a 2-1-3 Hack, etc.? I imagine that some of the Pro Masters could rip this baby off in .3 sec or less.
Also, I was considering trying out foosball at the professional level sometime next year. All of my friends and colleagues at GVSU say that I’m the best fooser they’ve ever seen, and some of these people say they know guys that make tutorial videos for the sport, and some even say they’ve played alongside pros before. I was wondering if there are certain things I need to look for as indicators as to when would be the right time to join the USTSA. How fast and accurate do I need to be able to pass and shoot? Should I be able to stop the ball at defense 9 out of 10 times, or better? What do I need to be able to do to win games at the professional level, and if I’m not there yet, what can I do to get there?
Thanks a bunch, and Happy Foosin'.
Mick Witt
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I also had a question regarding shooting strategies. I know shots like the rollover and such are very popular, and are great shots when executed well. However, I've been steering away from that and have been focusing a lot of my practice time and game time working on the tic-tac series. Would it be a good strategy to switch styles, or would it be safer to focus solely on one style or series of shots so that those become even better shots in the near future?
I would strongly recommend against using a tic-tac as your primary shot series if you're looking to score consistently on good goalies. It can be highly effective against beginners.
There are only 2 pro-masters (of 200) who shoot this series regularly. Lazlo Teke does, but he switches to a front-pin against good goalies. John Zoller shoots it almost exclusively, but he has trouble scoring on pros (and has never won a major open title, or even really gotten close).
It's incredibly hard to execute consistently, day in and day out. Even when it's on, it has the same problems that push-kick and pull-kick series have (including being somewhat raceable). If goalies are buying your fakes, shifting out of the motion, failing to follow you, leaving dinks open, etc then you can score--but good goalies won't bite often, and your percentages will drop.
But if you find you can score effectively on top goalies, may as well stick with what works.
Also, I was considering trying out foosball at the professional level sometime next year. All of my friends and colleagues at GVSU say that I’m the best fooser they’ve ever seen, and some of these people say they know guys that make tutorial videos for the sport, and some even say they’ve played alongside pros before. I was wondering if there are certain things I need to look for as indicators as to when would be the right time to join the USTSA.
Join whenever you feel like going to a major tournament. There are different divisions (amateur, semipro, pro, open) and you'd start off as an amateur (meaning that you can play the amateur events and higher level events as well). It's well worth going to a local weekly tournament to see what the tournament players are like (Michigan has some great players), but even just jumpin in at a major can be a fun experience.
How fast and accurate do I need to be able to pass and shoot? Should I be able to stop the ball at defense 9 out of 10 times, or better? What do I need to be able to do to win games at the professional level, and if I’m not there yet, what can I do to get there?
If you can stop 50% of a good pro's shots then you're doing well. If you can stop 30% of his passes that's respectable.
To win a major title at the amateur level, you should be familiar with the rules (at least know and recognize stopped ball passes/adjustments/2-wall violations, jars/resets, and other common violations) and be able to:
1. Pass effectively from the 5-bar to the 3-bar against players with a good 5-bar defense. This means passing 90% or better against non-tournament players, and at least 60% against tournament-caliber players.
2. Score effectively; you should be scoring close to 100% (say 95%) against non-tournament players who are trying to race you around and you should be able to read a good motion defense and pick the holes to score at least half the time on good tournament goalies. You should have some experience blocking people who shoot less common shots (push, push/pull kick, tic-tac, front-pin) and you should have played enough to shut down gimmicks like texas T, scorpion, etc (which amateurs will go to).
3. Play effective defense: you should have a good 5-bar defense especially, and know how to block shooters who have a rollover or pull shot that you can't race. You should know at least a couple effective zone defenses to use in singles, and a couple to use in doubles. In singles, you should be comfortable defending against a 2-to-5 passing series without opening up a lot of shooting holes, and in doubles you should be able to stop 2-to-3 passing while maintaining your zone. In singles, you should be able to play 5-bar defense with your right hand to cut off the shooting options from the 5-bar.
4. Clear and shoot effectively from goal against a wide variety of defenses.
5. Control the ball; you should be good at catching loose balls, preventing hard shots from bouncing out of goal back to the opponent, be able to reign in those balls that are nearly out of reach, etc.
6. Shut down sloppy banks and angles to prevent easy junk from scoring.
7. Be able to adjust; have backup options for passing and shooting (this doesn't mean a second crappy shot; it usually means having enough options with your primary shot/pass so that you can try some new stuff).
8. In singles, at least be able to stop players with a very fast transition game (being able to play that style can wait).
And you need to be able to do all of the above for a couple days straight, consistently, and manage your sleep and endurance (don't shoot your arm out on day one).
To get there, you need both practice and tournament experience (playing weekly tournaments or other live-game experience against good tournament players).
Practice should be focused, and at the amateur level should center almost exclusively around ball control and passing. If you practice passing, then in your live play you'll get to pass against live opponents and then when you're successful you'll get to shoot against live opponents. If you practice shooting, then in the live play you'll never have the ball and you'll never get to practice passing or shooting. Just practice moving the ball back and forth across the 5-bar between all the men at first, and your passing will get a lot better just from being able to set the ball up and being comfortable with it.
I'm a fairly successful amateur (I've won MD States, Philly championship, just won the Maryland Classic amateur doubles this weekend, a few top-10 finishes at majors) and I've never practiced my shooting. Just shooting in games is plenty, and the solo table-time spent working on passing and ball control is a much better time investment.
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I have a question about finding tournaments.
First, other than at bars, how do you find a tounrament? Are there specific sites that have a bunch of info on them, or is there a newsletter that anounces specific tounreys and majors? Do you have to be a member of the USTSA to be in these tournaments?
Also, it seems that there arent many pro-tournaments in Michigan/Northern Indiana. Is this because I'm not looking in the right place, or is it that there really aren't that many tourneys held here?
There are sites, such as the Michigan Foosball Registry (a link is at foosball.com), and I registered my name there, too, just to let others know I'm here, but there has to be more. I mean, it doesn't make sense that a person would go pro in Michigan if there were no pro-tournaments held in the state.
Who do I contact (or what site should I check out) to find information on upcoming foosball tournaments and events close to me?
Thanks again, and Foos on!
Mick Witt
P.S.
The GVSU Foosball Club is up and running, and, after just three days of sign-ups, there are already over 30 people in the club! We're also going to get funding by the school, which we'll use to get new tables, extra equipment, and run tournaments and road trips to other colleges! Go Laker Foos!
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I am respectfully leaving this website due to no response to questions i had for the pro's. It seems you have to be a full fledged member to get any feedback here.
Happy Foosing.
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I have a question about finding tournaments.
First, other than at bars, how do you find a tounrament? Are there specific sites that have a bunch of info on them, or is there a newsletter that anounces specific tounreys and majors? Do you have to be a member of the USTSA to be in these tournaments?
Weekly tournaments happen in a lot of areas (usually in bars). I usually google for things like "virginia foosball" or whatever. "michigan foosball" turns up:
http://www.geocities.com/wilson_works/tournaments.html
Once you find a local player they can usually fill you in on other tournaments in the area.
Also, it seems that there arent many pro-tournaments in Michigan/Northern Indiana. Is this because I'm not looking in the right place, or is it that there really aren't that many tourneys held here?
There are sites, such as the Michigan Foosball Registry (a link is at foosball.com), and I registered my name there, too, just to let others know I'm here, but there has to be more. I mean, it doesn't make sense that a person would go pro in Michigan if there were no pro-tournaments held in the state.
Usually one state championship and a bunch of weekly tournaments is standard unless you're in a big foosball haven (Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kentucky).
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I am respectfully leaving this website due to no response to questions i had for the pro's. It seems you have to be a full fledged member to get any feedback here.
I don't think there are any pros that post on here. I try to answer questions if I know the answers, but your questions were all regional things I didn't know or one about wrist strengthening/snake that I have no answer for--I'm a pull shooter, and I've never tried to do any foos-specific excercises.
I've known some people who put that lead golf tape on the rods during practice but it doesn't seem too helpful to me.
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First, other than at bars, how do you find a tounrament? Are there specific sites that have a bunch of info on them, or is there a newsletter that anounces specific tounreys and majors? Do you have to be a member of the USTSA to be in these tournaments?
Oh: all the majors get announced at www.vifa.com.
For the past several years there have been 3 each year (Vegas "tour kick-off/hall of fame classic/international championship", Nationals, and Worlds). Worlds has been in Dallas but will move to Vegas next year. Nationals floats around (it's been in Chicago and Minneapolis recently).
Rumor is that next year will be the old Vegas (in Vegas), Worlds (in Vegas), US Open (in Colorado) and a Nationals replacement (in North Carolina), and possibly a 5th major in Europe.
You have to be in USTSA to play them, but you can join on-site if you show up (it's $20 a year fee).
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hope you dont mind all of my questions, Im still new at the whole "USTSA" and "VIFA" thing...
Do you have to be a member of the USTSA to participate in the USTSA events? If not, does it cost more for non-members? (the same question applies to VIFA)
Second, are there differences in how the tournaments are orginized? Are they all double-elimination? Is it always best 3 games out of 5 to win the match, or does it change for different tournaments?
Thanks, and Happy Foosin'
Mick Witt
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Just letting you guys know about the Club I was telling you on my first post here...
So far, the club has been unofficially active for a week, and already, we have 35 members signed up! A lot of buzz is already going around with the club and talks of playing other colleges and universitites.
We've been talking about what to do for tournaments, and we figured we'd let you guys know so you can let us know if it sounds like a good idea. Here's what we "decided"...
Break up the players in the tourney into two groups: Recreational (R-League) and Competitive (C-League). Both will have Double-Elim. Singles and PYP Doubles, best 2 of 3 games for the match. The only difference between the two "Leagues" is that Recreational players are allowed to spin, and have fewer rules. That way, the people that want to spin can spin all they want, and the people that don't like spinners don't have to play them. We also liked PYP as opposed to DYP becuase people want to play a doubles game with their friend, not some random person they might not even know.
Of the 20+ pages of rules in the Official Rule Book, we broke down the rules as follows:
*FOR RECREATIONAL (R-LEAGUE) PLAY*
1. If a goal is scored, the player last scored upon serves the ball.
2. If a ball dies or flies off the table, the ball is served by the player last scored upon.
3. No lifting or moving of the table.
4. No banging of the rods against the table walls.
5. No distractions, such as yelling, flagrant gestures, etc.
*FOR COMPETITIVE (C-LEAGUE) PLAY*
1. If a goal is scored, the player last scored upon serves the ball.
2. If a ball dies between two rods of different color, the player last scored upon serves the ball.
3. If a ball dies between two rods of the same color or a rod and the back wall, the player using those color rods may lightly nudge the ball with his/her hand to put the ball back into play.
4. If a ball flies outside the playing area (on or directly above the surface), the player last scored upon serves the ball.
5. No curve or squeeze shots.
6. No spinning of the rods.
7. No lifting or moving of the table.
8. No banging of the rods against the table walls.
9. No distractions, such as yelling, flagrant gestures, etc.
10. Have fun, and good luck!
That's all we felt we needed for the two leagues. We also plan to purchase small trophies and plaques for rewarding players and recording winners.
In addition, we want to start a website for the club. Once its up and running, I will post a link here so you guys can check it out.
One last thing that I found interesting...
One of the guys that signed up for the Foosball Club was talking about how his dad's a pro fooser. I asked for the guy's name, and it turns out that the guy that signed up for the GVSU Foosball club is the son of Mike Kuzawa. Pretty neat, eh?
All right, well, foos on!
Mick Witt
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hope you dont mind all of my questions, Im still new at the whole "USTSA" and "VIFA" thing...
Do you have to be a member of the USTSA to participate in the USTSA events?
The USTSA only runs the 3 majors (or 4/5 next year) and you do need to be in the USTSA to play anything but DYPs at the majors. As far as I know, those are the only events that you have to be a USTSA member to play. It costs $20 a year to be in USTSA, and you can join on the spot (so if you show up at Worlds, you can join USTSA and play--but it's cheaper to get a package deal ahead of time).
Many large regionals are USTSA-sanctioned (e.g. Texas States) but you don't have to be a USTSA member to play in them (sometimes there's a beginner's event for non-USTSA players)
None of the weekly DYPs require USTSA membership.
(the same question applies to VIFA)
You do have to be in VIFA to play VIFA leagues. And you have to play a certain number of VIFA league events to play in the VIFA championship events held in Vegas each year. So if you go to the March Vegas tournament, you need to be in USTSA (which anyone can join for a year for $20) to play most events, and you need to be in VIFA (which means you have to have played a certain number of sanctioned VIFA league events over the year) to play the handful of VIFA championship events.
Second, are there differences in how the tournaments are orginized? Are they all double-elimination? Is it always best 3 games out of 5 to win the match, or does it change for different tournaments?
It is all up to the tournament director.
Typically (but double-check first):
At a weekly DYP event, it'll be best 2 games out of 3. Sometimes the first round or two in the loser's bracket may be best 1 game to 7 points (aka "race to 7") if that is necessary to make the tournament end on time.
At a major or regional event, open singles and doubles will generally be best 3 games out of 5 in the winner's bracket, and best 2 of 3 in the loser's bracket. Other events will typically be best 2 of 3, possible 3/5 in open mixed or open women's events. Sometimes rookie/amateur events will be 1 game to 7 points in the loser's bracket (sometimes they're 2/3 all the way).
Normally an event goes back to the winner's bracket format once you're playing for money--so if it's 2/3 winners, race to 7 loser's, and pays out to 3rd place then you'll be playing 2/3 in the loser's bracket finals and possibly semifinals (whether it starts when the winner would get money or when you're already in the money varies from tournament to tournament).
Often specialty events like goalie wars and forward shootout are 2/3 single-elimination.
(Nonstandard format: Some of the IFP tournaments (KY States, Superbowl of Foos, etc) use a matchplay format where you play single elimination, but each match is best 2/3 of 3/5 matches. So you play the same opponent until one of you wins 2 3/5 matches, but if you get beat you're out of the event. IFP tournaments have a TON of events so you still wind up playing a lot of different opponents over the weekend)
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My apologies i guess i ran before i walked on my post. Sumner i used to have a smoking pull shot and gave it up for the Snake which has it's shining moments. So far the Snake has left me with a broken knuckle and alot of on and off again accuracy. As much as i like to use this shot i am considering going back to the pull BUT i have lost some of my speed and accuracy because of not using it frequently... any tips on a shooting series that might help?
Thanks
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My apologies i guess i ran before i walked on my post. Sumner i used to have a smoking pull shot and gave it up for the Snake which has it's shining moments. So far the Snake has left me with a broken knuckle and alot of on and off again accuracy. As much as i like to use this shot i am considering going back to the pull BUT i have lost some of my speed and accuracy because of not using it frequently... any tips on a shooting series that might help?
In my opinion, the snake is the easiest shot to learn to score some on good goalies, the easiest shot to learn to shoot at a high level, and the most consistent to shoot without a lot of practice. And it's the easiest on the arm and the most likely to crap in if you misexecute.
The pull is the next easiest to learn, but is far less consistent. Its major advantage is that you can use it from goal--it's a little different, but you're basically shooting the same stroke a lot of the time and so you can keep in practice out of goal to some extent. Also, I think when a top pull is really "on" then it's slightly harder to block than a good snake--but when it's "off" it's a ton more blockable.
Everything else is a far more difficult prospect to learn and requires even more work to keep up with.
I'm a pull shooter.
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Hey thanks for the information. It seems my snake sprays extremely wide on the pull side often missing the goal by a good 2 inches or more. I also have this problem with my pull shot. I guess maybe i should evaluate my grip? Push side no problems, snake or push. I have adopted a push kick from the first dot on the near side which a video i recently purchased showed a wrist roll for some power with some suprising results, maybe i should reconsider this for my primary shot. I realize percentage goals on push kicks unless just blinding fast are pretty slim. There are very few pro's that shoot this is that correct?
Thanks-
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Hey thanks for the information. It seems my snake sprays extremely wide on the pull side often missing the goal by a good 2 inches or more. I also have this problem with my pull shot. I guess maybe i should evaluate my grip? Push side no problems, snake or push. I have adopted a push kick from the first dot on the near side which a video i recently purchased showed a wrist roll for some power with some suprising results, maybe i should reconsider this for my primary shot. I realize percentage goals on push kicks unless just blinding fast are pretty slim. There are very few pro's that shoot this is that correct?
Last time I counted there were 4 push-kick shooting pro-masters (of 200 or so pro-masters), and all of them were over 40 years old and had turned pro on older tables or before the snake was popularized. The only one of them who's been successful on tour recently did so after switching to a rollover. OTOH, there's a good pro named Frank Balecha who got 3rd place in open doubles at Vegas in 2004. He highlights one of the major issues: he came out on day one and was killing his shot, scoring all over the place. Day 2 it was a little "off" and he had a lot more trouble scoring.
The problem is that with a shot that involves 2 men there are lots of consistency issues that make it hard to have it be "on" day-to-day, especially when you're playing at a tournament with slightly different tables than you practice on at home, etc.
I can't really help you with the snake other than saying that recoil is the key to any square shot: concentrate on having the rod wind up back in the middle after the shot rather than over on whatever side you shot toward, and that might help with the recoil.
On the pull, try to find the stance that is most comfortable when the rod is in the "long pull" position (pulled all the way toward you) and then shoot from there; that way you're always shooting into a comfort zone instead of out of it.
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Hey yes i remember this guy, he is from Hawaii right? Always passes form his 2 rod to his 5 man? I think i will just work on my rollover, not many around my neck of the woods shoot this shot so it gives me an advantage. So much for that if i attend any major tournaments. I will remember the recoil comment and make sure i am hitting the ball square.
Thanks-
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Hey yes i remember this guy, he is from Hawaii right? Always passes form his 2 rod to his 5 man? I think i will just work on my rollover, not many around my neck of the woods shoot this shot so it gives me an advantage. So much for that if i attend any major tournaments. I will remember the recoil comment and make sure i am hitting the ball square
Yeah, he's the one from Hawaii. Despite that unexpectedly high placement at Vegas he came out to the next majors that year shooting a rollover, which is telling.
That said, I do think a well-executed push-kick series is one of the most fun to watch and block, and it's one of the more fun shots to shoot. It's just not the easy road to success (and unless you spend infinite amounts of time practicing, whatever extra practice time you put into your shot is time taken away from working on the 5-bar and other facets of the game).
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I've decided to join the USTSA, and I plan on going to the Tourney in Lexington, KY, in late Janurary, and possibly the tourney in Las Vegas in March. I just have a few questions about them.
First, what should I expect in either of these tournaments? How should I expect to do? Should I be happy if I'm out in 3 in the Amateur Singles?
As far as doubles, should I find a partner that has a similar style to mine, or a style almost polar opposite, to throw off the opponent? How important is chemistry when it comes to a doubles partner?
What are the best strategies for Goalie War, and Forward Shootout?
Also, when I join the USTSA, do I start with 0 points, 800 points, 1000 points, or what?
What if, in Open Singles, I'm out in 2, but the two people I was defeated by were Terry Moore and Billy Pappas? It doesn't seem right to have the full point adjustment to go into affect if I, an ameteur, were creamed by two Pro-Masters. Do players in this situation get a "benefit of the doubt" point adjustement, or would such a situation be considered rotten luck? Does this ever even happen?
Are points even a very good indicator of how good a player is, or is it sometimes off by a bit?
Finally, I'd like to let you guys know about the club at GVSU. The club is still growing, and people are getting hooked. We've got 49 members now, and recently had our first tournament.
Here's a link to the site if you want to check it out:
http://www.angelfire.com/games6/gvsufoos
Happy Foosing!
Mick Witt
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I've decided to join the USTSA, and I plan on going to the Tourney in Lexington, KY, in late Janurary, and possibly the tourney in Las Vegas in March. I just have a few questions about them.
The KY tournaments are not USTSA, they're IFP. You don't have to be a USTSA member in order to play in them.
First, what should I expect in either of these tournaments? How should I expect to do? Should I be happy if I'm out in 3 in the Amateur Singles?
If you are very familiar with tournament style play and have experience playing tour players, you can do well even at your first major. If you've never or rarely played real tournament players, you could get killed. Either way you learn a _ton_ at the first major and will improve your game a lot.
My first major I did okay-ish. I got 25th (187 players) in rookie singles and 17th (97 teams) in rookie doubles. Basically won 5-6 matches in each event. I had only played 1 out-of-state tournament (NC States) before that, but I'd been playing local DYPs every week for a year or two.
As far as doubles, should I find a partner that has a similar style to mine, or a style almost polar opposite, to throw off the opponent? How important is chemistry when it comes to a doubles partner?
Chemistry mostly comes down to trust. Partially it's finding a complimentary style--if you are in goal and do a lot of quick transition stuff, you need a partner that can cope with that. But mostly it's finding a player you think will do their job.
I almost always go into an event expecting that I will either be staying in goal the whole time or staying up front the whole time--I know my level and my partners, and I know how we're better as a team. If we wind up switching that's a very bad sign, it means one of us (probably whoever's up front) is struggling.
That said, I find that having a different shot (pull vs. roller) can be moderately useful if the goalie is someone who can come up out of the pits during a timeout and really hammer their shot effectively--the goalie has no idea what their options are and has been facing a different shot all game.
I find different passing series less important--even if you both brush pass, you probably do it a lot differently, different timing, etc. Passing just naturally seems to have more variance even within a series.
But really, it's more important to get a good partner than to worry about these kinds of matchups.
What are the best strategies for Goalie War, and Forward Shootout?
The most important strategy for both of them is to not play them unless they're on the last day.
Your first major will be all about endurance management, trying to make sure you don't shoot your arm out after Amateur Singles, Am Doubles, DYP, Semipro singles, semipro doubles, open singles, open doubles, pro/am or 3500 LTD, endless pickup games, etc.
Learning how to not shoot out your arm, how to get enough sleep, deal with the tournament schedule, etc is a major part of doing well.
Goalie war is hell on the arm.
But, if you play, goalie war is all about:
1. Control the ball
2. Remember there's no forward rods so people will shoot completely different shots from what you'd actually use in a game
3. Control the ball! Don't let it bounce off your men or off your back wall
4. Hit it HARD so that even if they block it it bounces out of their area.
Forward shootout is almost like shooting during a game.
Also, when I join the USTSA, do I start with 0 points, 800 points, 1000 points, or what?
900 points.
What if, in Open Singles, I'm out in 2, but the two people I was defeated by were Terry Moore and Billy Pappas? It doesn't seem right to have the full point adjustment to go into affect if I, an ameteur, were creamed by two Pro-Masters.
They are using a new points system, and the details aren't out. But word is that it's an ELO-style system (like chess uses). In that system, your point adjustment is based on the difference between you and the ones you beat/lose to. So if you're at 1000 points, you might get 50 points for beating another 1000-point player. You'd only get 25 points for beating a 800-point player--but you might get 100 points for beating a 1200-point player.
So a new amateur getting clobbered by top-ranked players wouldn't lose very many points at all.
Also, you WANT to be ranked as low as possible--your entry fees are lower and you can play in more events. You can get better partners for 3500 LTD. There's really no advantage to having high points.
Are points even a very good indicator of how good a player is
Not really. You can be pretty sure a 1900-point player is better than an 1100-point player, but you can't really say much about a 2400-point player vs. a 2600-point player.
And points go up kind of slowly, so you'll wind up with players who have gotten better and are playing well above their level (particularly with amateurs).
Finally, I'd like to let you guys know about the club at GVSU. The club is still growing, and people are getting hooked. We've got 49 members now, and recently had our first tournament.
Awesome!
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I have a question about personal slumps.
For the last week, my game has been just plain awful. I've had trouble controlling the ball, my shots are nowhere near consistent, and my passing is hit-and-miss. This has been, without a doubt, some of the worst foosball I've played in the last year.
I really don't know what's wrong with me. I don't feel like I've been doing anything different with my playing, but it definately isnt working right now.
I imagine that, every once in a while, a pro player's game will be way off.
What is the best method for working yourself out of a foosball rut? Do you just keep playing until the slump "works itself out", or do you stay away from the table for a while, and take a break? Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanks
Mick Witt
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I have a question about personal slumps.
For the last week, my game has been just plain awful. I've had trouble controlling the ball, my shots are nowhere near consistent, and my passing is hit-and-miss. This has been, without a doubt, some of the worst foosball I've played in the last year.
I really don't know what's wrong with me. I don't feel like I've been doing anything different with my playing, but it definately isnt working right now.
That is painful, and it happens to everyone. One of the biggest skills in reaching pro level is learning to adjust and to cope with fluctuations in your game.
A few things to bear in mind:
1. During a match, you have to have the right mental approach. You _know_ that you play better than that, don't try to overcorrect and execute everything perfectly--relax and try to go with options that you know are well within your capabilities to execute correctly. Getting stressed and trying to really hit the tough stuff will make it worse. Visualize yourself from last week when you were blazing hot, and be confident that you are the same player you were then.
2. If you're between matches, try playing a few funsy pickup games where you're not using your primary shot series. Then once you're relaxed and have schooled some beginner with your backpin, you'll be more confident going back to the basics.
BUT, make sure you play at least one serious pickup game (with your primary stuff) before you get called back.
3. Between tournaments, take a break from what isn't working. If you're having trouble with your brush passes, go home and practice a stick pass or shooting from goal for a few days. Come back to your problem area once you're mentally more in a zone of "I know how to play this game" and you've loosened up with other options.
4. If all else fails, take a week off.
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I think that if you like to use a tick-tack series, that its worth practicing because improving your ball controll will help improve your game as much as anything. I personally have had some success in tournaments incorporating a pull kick into a tick-tack set. I think the best thing to do is play other players with more experience, this will excellerate your game faster than anything else! as far as waiting to pay a ustsa membership, you join at your first sanctioned event(this way it lasts as long as possible before you pay again). definately practice a snake shot because it has brought players up faster than any other shot and allows you to have more durability. Having more than one shot can be helpful in matches when the goilie has your number. by the way im not a pro but I have been ranked one in the past. contact me and i'll give you all the details on tournaments in mi. 8)
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There are a handful of pretty decent fooser that play on Thursday nights (many are tournament players) at Bilbo's Pizza and Brewing Company 3307 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo, MI. We usually start around 8:30 PM. Email me if you have any questions bradfrank@hotmail.com.
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Is there anyone HERE?????? :( :( :( $emi pro-$emi pay?????Ronzilla??? Anyone??????