Recent Posts

1

General Chat / Re: Foosball Tables

« Last post by Morgan26 on Yesterday at 03:38:41 PM »

I used to play both. Bonzini tables are the original french-style, while Rene Pierre is one of the better alternatives. Playing style is very similar for both brands. I personally find Bonzinis to be the stronger and smoother of the two. Also, Bonzini is one of the only 5 official ITSF competition tables in the world.
In the states, Bonzinis are sold by Bonzini USA, NC. Give them a call, and they should be able to help you find the closest place to play in your area.

2

General Chat / Re: Mastering Foosball: Skills, Strategies, and Cross‑Training Tips"

« Last post by eventbreakable on Yesterday at 03:43:33 AM »

I've been putting the methods here to use, and I have to say that learning these tricks can really help you improve your game. A lot of people seemed to be only focused on scoring or defense, but don't forget how important footwork is! It's what keeps you in charge when things get crazy. You can also change the way you play by trying out different grip styles. Have any other people tried that? Always happy to share my thoughts!

3

General Chat / My routine for keeping Tornado rods "lightning fast" without over-lubricating

« Last post by KhoSim on March 02, 2026, 03:36:54 AM »

Hi everyone,
______________
I’ve been playing on a T-3000 for about three years now, and one of the most common questions I get from local players is how I keep my rods so smooth. I’ve seen a lot of people make the mistake of over-lubricating, which actually ends up creating a "sludge" inside the bearings over time.

I wanted to share my personal maintenance routine to see if anyone has different tips or products they swear by.

1. The Cleaning Phase (Don't skip this!)
Before adding any new lube, I always wipe the rods down with a clean, lint-free microfiber cloth. If there’s visible gunk near the bearings, I use a tiny bit of isopropyl alcohol on the cloth. The goal is to get the steel bone-dry and shiny before the next step.

2. Choosing the right Silicone
I strictly use 100% liquid silicone. I’ve seen people try WD-40 or even cooking oil (believe it or not!), which is a nightmare for the life of your bushings. I usually apply just one or two drops to the rod near the bearing, then spin the rod and move it back and forth to distribute it evenly.

3. The "Thin Layer" Rule
If the rod feels "sticky" or heavy, you’ve probably used too much. After applying, I always take a dry part of my cloth and lightly wipe the rod again. You want a microscopic film, not a wet coating. This prevents the silicone from dripping onto the playfield, which is the last thing you want during a fast bank shot.

4. Cleaning the Bearings
Every few months, I actually take the rods out and use a Q-tip to clean the inside of the plastic bushings. You’d be surprised how much black dust (from the balls and wraps) gets trapped in there.

Quick question for the veterans here: Does anyone prefer the spray-on silicone over the liquid drops? I’ve heard some people say the spray provides a more even coat, but I’m always worried about overspray getting on the laminate.

Looking forward to hearing your maintenance hacks!
<a href="https://khosim.com/">Kho Sim</a>

4

General Chat / Foosball Tables

« Last post by Footballer@1958 on February 28, 2026, 12:07:36 PM »

Recently joined. Retired and played back in the 70s. Now that I have some time on my hands thought I would revisit the foosball world. I believe that most of the tables were Bonzini or Rene Pierre French tables. Can't seem to find any near Orlando area. I would love to try both Bonzini & Rene Pierre just to see if the price difference is worth it?
  If anyone out there can help me with these issues I would certainly appreciate it! Thank You.

5

General Chat / Re: Sullivan Rue - shot technique

« Last post by rosebl on February 23, 2026, 11:21:18 PM »

Hi everybody,
Retro Bowl
I've been playing foosball casually for a while, but I recently bought my own table to start practicing seriously. To decide which shot system to focus on ("Euro pin" vs. snake shot), I’ve been watching tons of YouTube videos, including footage from recent tournaments. I came across an incredible player, Sullivan Rue, who seems to be a top-tier foosball talent. Am I right in thinking she doesn’t use either the pin shot or the snake shot, but rather a "push shot," where the lateral movement starts with the ball positioned next to the player instead of under a front pin?

If that’s the case, can I assume it’s less about which specific shot system you master and more about being really proficient with at least one, combined with strong passing and overall technique?

I look forward to your comments!

Greetings from Germany
Tobi

I also noticed that Sullivan Rue often uses a push/pull style shot. It really shows that being consistent with one technique and having good passing can matter more than which shot system you choose.

6

General Chat / Re: Garlando G5000

« Last post by Dan Benavidez on February 17, 2026, 12:51:22 PM »

Where are you located CHN4?  There are a couple of Rene Pierre's on the market in North Carolina/ South Carolina.

7

General Chat / Re: Open-palm grip for beginners

« Last post by Beented on January 30, 2026, 01:42:00 AM »

An open-palm grip is the way to hold the rod handle on its side with a straight palm. This grip can initially be helpful to generate power behind the shot. The regular closed-palm grip uses only the flick of the wrist to turn the rod, which needs a few training sessions to make it powerful.

To shoot using the open-palm grip, open your palm with all fingers straight. Hold the rod handle on the right side with the handle being about half way in your palm. Make sure your thumb is not in the way by having it in line with the straight fingers. Rotate the handle approximately 90 degrees clockwise so that the foosman is close to the horizontal position with its feet pointing away from the opposition goal. Hit the ball by moving the palm up and grabbing the handle with the normal grip. After the shot the foosman should be rotated close to the horizontal position with the feet pointing towards the opposition goal.

The downside of using open-palm grip is poor ball control during passing. The ball needs to be passed around in the offence to set it up in a perfect place to execute a shot. Thus in most situations you would use the closed-palm grip to set up the ball and then change to the open-palm grip to shoot dinosaur game. The change of the grip causes delay between passing and shooting, which gives the defence time to prepare. It may also create a "tell", by which the opponent can see when the shot will be made.

The disadvantage means that open-palm grip should not be used beyond the very beginner levels of foosball. If you start using open-palm grip for your shots, you should consider switching to using the closed-palm grip in the near future. Avoiding open-palm grip altogether is a good idea, although it will mean the shots are slow and powerless at the beginning, but a few weeks of practice should improve the speed and power significantly without having to switch the grips.

---
To find this and other posts complete with clear diagrams, visit www.FoosGuide.com today. Sign up to receive the newsletter to get updates about new posts and the progress on The Foosball Guide.

Foosball Regards,
Alex Koudrin

Your explanation is great; it's very suitable for a beginner like me.

8

General Chat / Re: Foosball Tables For Sale (By Owner)

« Last post by hanmira on January 22, 2026, 02:28:21 AM »

       

Hello everybody I'm starting this post in the forum because I can't find a standard post that is strictly for "Foosball Tables For Sale". Tomorrow is also,  *I'm not going to say a good friend's, but I'll say an awesome acquaintance's*, birthday. This man is a foosball fanatic more than anybody I've ever met. If he were to see anyone, man, woman or child, spin a bar on a foosball table, then he would knock them out in public, at Chuck e cheese, a bar or at your mom's house, it doesn't matter. Long story short I'm trying to find him a good Tornado foosball table. He says tornado is the best followed by Warrior. My budget is tight and I live in the Northwest Arkansas area so if anybody could point me in the right direction or help me out I greatly appreciate it. On the real, this he's an ass hole, he is one of my best and closest friends so I really wanna surprise him with this one. Wacky Flip

What did you buy him? Can you give me a review of the gift you got? I was wondering what to buy too.

I actually haven’t pulled the trigger yet when I first posted that, but I did end up finding a used Tornado T-3000 a couple weeks later, and honestly it was the right call.

Picked it up locally to avoid shipping, table was in really solid shape—straight rods, good bearings, and the surface still had plenty of grip. Once we cleaned it up and put new balls in, it played great. My buddy lost his mind when he saw it, so mission accomplished

9

General Chat / Re: Searching for the right bearing for my table

« Last post by zjack2025 on January 16, 2026, 03:33:55 AM »

What you’re describing is a twist-lock, bayonet-style Backing bearings set that’s common on Costco and other mass-market tables, where the outside half has three holes or slots that accept the metal trim ring which locks on with a short twist, and the angled plastic inside half just acts as a bushing and wood cover, so as long as your rods are standard 5/8" (16 mm) you can replace them with any 5/8" bayonet-mount foosball bearings (often sold as “tornado-style” or “twist-lock” bearings) and keep your existing metal covers, even if the table has no brand name.

Yes, that description is accurate: those are twist-lock, bayonet-style precision bearings commonly used on Costco and other non-branded tables, where the outer piece locks in with a short rotation via the three slots and the angled inner plastic half serves mainly as a bushing and wood trim, so with standard 5/8" (16 mm) rods you can swap them for any compatible 5/8" bayonet-mount or “Tornado-style” bearings and still reuse your existing metal covers without issue.

10

General Chat / Re: Upgrading a Harvard Table

« Last post by Gaming Blaze on January 15, 2026, 02:34:41 AM »

From what I’ve seen, the pin-style men usually don’t work well with classic Harvard rods without modification. Most people end up sticking with nut-and-bolt men or swapping rods entirely if they want Tornado or Shelti men.