Topic: How many kinds of shots do you know?

[invisiblesmoke]

How many kinds of shots do you know, what are they, and how do you do them?

[grandmaster]

The pro set shot game has a series of shots placed so as to lead to the next option. The pull and push have straight, middle and long placement. The goalie can protect two of the three, thus leaving one opening in theory, at least.The snake is a front pin (heel) shot that has push, pull and middle, basically the same three options. The kick shots add slices and dinks (slow shots). When Bill Sumption showed me how to play Pro Foosball his pullkick had these options; long, short, middle pullkicks; inside slice and middle slice; short and middle dinks. He also did these from a motion set. Of course the same is true for pushkick from the other side. The back pins round out the offense. The most intimidating shot in all of foosball will never change- the "stuff". Some players go off the wall for a bank shot. I like the reverse. How about the "Neanderthal", it's a throwback. Masse' curves are fun. Best of all hit it where they ain't and slop it in!
Oly

[EDGEER]

I can shoot three shots and all their options.
#1  Pull Shot  (Straights, Slice, Middle, Middle Cutback, 3/4 spray, Long and of course DEADMAN.)

#2  Rollover  (deadman pushside, walking farside, farside cutback, Straight, nearside cutback, nearside spray and nearside deadman.)

#3  Pushkick  (Straight angle dink, Dink, Short ist hole, Middle and Long Spray) I can not shoot a long deadman pushkick.

Ed.

[Old Meister]

Hello, I'm not a current player but played religiously through the 70's. I loved to invent shots and had to learn any shot or style that I came across. One that was alot of fun and a real killer was to pin the ball forward with the middle man and rock the ball. By having the ball forward at the right point you could sqeeze as you pulled or pushed and squirt the ball to the side man(up front) and angle it in. With no lateral motion of the bar this shot was a blur, just a babump! Not fun to defend. I imagine this would probably be a nice alterative to that snake shot you guys think so highly of these days. I'd love to go goalie against someone who was good at that shot(snake) just to see what the big hubub is about. I always set up zone and defended the area. I can't see how coming over the ball could change that. I also liked to work behind the bar and do a three man kick, change it up with a side dink or do a simple tap-tap kick with the center. My money shot was the push, closed or open hand but I did them all. I learned first on Italian tables, then Deutcher Meisters, then Tournament Soccer blue tops, then TS brown tops. I played on the old Tornados but really wasn't happy to see the odd feet on new Tornados(new to me) It would be fun to play again I guess. Maybe I'll teach my two son's who are in their 20's. Then I could see getting back into tournaments. Meanwhile I remember a whole bunch about the game even if my hands might not. I might remember a few things I learned on the early tables that people don't do nowadays, like the WHIP!

[grandmaster]

Is that the "Whip pull shot" ? Or another whipshot? Guys like you need to come out and play no matter which table. Knowledge like that should be passed along to the curent generation.
Oly

[ZekeNDestroy]

I know about 233 shots.

[Old Meister]

Grand Master, the 'whip' I'm referring to is a shot that we did on the Italian tables. You couldn't pin on those tables as the men were hard and the balls were hard. Everything was done by maneuvering the ball within the limits of the reach of the man but not as far out as a pin. We did alot of reversal shots, the dance,, the whip I'm talking about was a pull shot from the far side up front. It froze your opponent by starting it by going away over the top of the ball causing it to move toward the side and infront of the rod in a lazy fashion then picking it up with a  over the top move and pulling it toward you in a whip fashion that was so long that it actually compressed the rubber cushion as it hit the maximum point behind the rod to then be stroked in. A thing of beauty when it is pushed to the limits. I was fortunate to win a match with one of the best players I ever met with that shot. I'm not saying I was better than him, he had my total admiration for his discipline. I was a loose cannon, I did shots most hadn't seen but I knew alot of them weren't high percentage shots and that seems to be the bottom line for tournament play. Alot of that was each table had it's own type of shots that were effective and I played them all until around 1980 when things died out. The pull and pull kick were the bread and butter of most champions in those days. I saw a forerunner of the snake but it was a roll over the top shot that didn't impress me at all. I'm thinking more and more about getting a table again just to see if the old stuff still works. Who knows, maybe the Wisco Kid will ride again, LOL.

[grandmaster]

Old Meister,
Right on. Get a new Tornado and play "like the wind". Just because tournament play is controlled high percentage play doesen't mean it always works. Around Dakota Territorty high speed high performance reverses have been the norm for a very long time. Quick shots where you beat the guy to the punch are a way of life. The Tornado does emphasize possesion  of the ball more than some other brands. If you get to five possesions on the three row before the other guy you are win  more often then not no matter what you shoot because of the Tornado's offensive/ defensive balance is slanted towards the "O". Welcome back Old Meister, and one of these days I'll see you across the table.
Oly
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