Topic: need tactical help

[aussi26]

I have been playing foosball casualy for a number of years know and I can beat just about everyone I play.My mate has all of a sudden become very good at the game and I need help,I use to beat him all the time but he is know to good .This has started  since he came back from his holiday to europe.

He seems to be able to score goals from all over the table and I try my hardest but I cant seem to stop him.When I have the ball in my hands  he puts lots of pressure on me and I cant move the ball quickly.The hardest part is clearing the ball out of my defence its like he knows where I am going to kick the ball ,he gets lots of goals from turnovers in my defence.When I have the ball near my goals I cant seem to control it.

I have played a number of people over the years and I have always looked very good  but thats because they were no good, I want to take my game to the next level can you please give me some help

[Steve]

There are lots of foosball to look at try www.thisweekinfoosball  or www.insidefoosball they sell dvd that wiil help you. On the other hand you should learn to clear the ball by setting it up in a push from your 2 bar you can bank it push it or straight at least you can clear it  you need to learn what his opptions are when he has the ball so you can defend it.          go through some of the old posts on here you will see people with the same questions and better answers that I have . good luck

[Chase Pennell]

"If you pass and score 100% you cant lose...." Todd told me that one day when I lost to someone i didnt feel i should lose too...kinda changed my game from that day forward....

[aussi26]

"If you pass and score 100% you cant lose...." Todd told me that one day when I lost to someone i didnt feel i should lose too...kinda changed my game from that day forward....

sounds like a good idea got any idea how i can go about doing that ?

[redterror]

IMO:

as a goalie do not EVER shoot a straight shot out, it will get slapped back in by a good offensive player (I do it all the time).  always do a pull or push shooting the ball diagonally.  I use the 3 man because its harder for the offense to follow/race it.  I know some recommend the 2 man (due to the longer travel of the 2 man) to send the ball out but i don't like being so close to the offense.

other than that, slow down, control the ball.  don't let him make you rush the ball.

[aussi26]

i started using the pull shot out of defence and it helped a lot.I won 4 out of 9 games tonight which is a big improvement.

Slowing my movement of the ball down also helped to gain better control

I still struggled to prevent my mate from kicking goals from his defence  and from the center , he only gets about 3 0r 4 goals a game from his forwards .Is their anyway i can stop this ?

areas where i have the upper hand are close to both goals, I am better at defending goals when my mates forwards have the ball and I am also better at shooting with my forwards, is their a way to take advantage of this ?

thanks for the help , I hate losing to someone that I am use to beating 

[bbtuna]

use a zone defense when he has the ball in goal

put your two bar 21* man with the inside of the man on the dead man line (push side - close to you leaving deadman 1 hole if you will**) and put the goalie man in the same deadman spot on the long pull side leaving deadman 5 hole

leave your 5 rod basically on the middle dot and don't move it...use your 3 rod to stay about a ball or ball and a half in front of whereever you mate has the ball on the push or pull side

this is very easy to show but hard to explain...if you can find some video on youtube of Terry Moore playing singles against Johnny Horton you will see what I am talking about...there are ways to refine this but this is the basics

good article here with pics that will better explain it and give you some of the variations...you want to work with this on your own placing the men in different positions and then walk around on both sides of the table so you can see the holes that are open and how to cover them...if your mate is a beginner, he will find this very very difficult to score on outside of slop...I mean, Terry Moore (and others) use it at the highest level...it is VERY effective

http://www.foosballboard.com/fqzone.pdf






* Number men on the rods starting with the man closest to you, it makes it easier to have these conversations...so on the 5 rod, the closest man to you is 51, second man is 52, third man is 53, etc...3 rod is 31, 32, 33...two 21, 22
** Break the goal down into 5 holes...the 1 hole starts closest to you, then 2, 3, 4, and 5 is the long pull side hole

[Old Meister]

It's funny how confidence is the oil that makes everything run smoothly and how lack of it makes it all go rough. It sounds like your mate showed you a different look and it caused you to lose your focus. Actually he is doing you a favor. You don't get better unless you play someone who is better or different. It's all in how you look at it.

[redterror]

+1, you are only as good as your competition.

You don't get better unless you play someone who is better or different

[FoosFanatic]

IMO:

as a goalie do not EVER shoot a straight shot out, it will get slapped back in by a good offensive player (I do it all the time).  always do a pull or push shooting the ball diagonally.  I use the 3 man because its harder for the offense to follow/race it.  I know some recommend the 2 man (due to the longer travel of the 2 man) to send the ball out but i don't like being so close to the offense.

other than that, slow down, control the ball.  don't let him make you rush the ball.

I agree its harder for them to follow it, but it very well could be much less accurate. If you learn to do a pull/push to the sweet spots(spots where he has to change gaurd between his 1st or 3rd guy and middle guy)you can shoot it straight. Best best would be to develop a quick, accurate pull/push short and long, and a slider. Once you do this you open up the game alot. I never get stuffed off my 2-man. More than anything, I shoot at what they're leaving me. If they are gaurding a long pull, ill shoot a short. If it means adjusting the ball closer to the wall or farther away. Either way, the defense is reacting to what you do, and you shouldn't react to them. Best defense is a good offense.