Topic: Whats the best way to guard a decent pull shot

[B,inSA]

 So this guy i play with is the only one that can beat me sometimes. I'd say its 50/50 as to who will win. The thing that gets me though is that he only has one shot. It's a long and middle pull. I'd never ask how to block the short cause thats just your own fault. But is there a strategic way to guard him if all he has is that pull (kinda like circle guarding a snake). I know you only get better by playing people better than you, but he's not better. Just that one shot. If i could take that away he would be clueless because he's not about practice or expanding his game. Anyway, just tryin to find out if theres a way to stop a person that will only shoot a pull.

[Steve]

Sometimes you only need one shot, take away the one he shoots the most.Long and straight take them away first bait the mid.Make him shoot where you want him to shoot dont let him shoot where he wants to.Check out some older threads there is more info.

[B,inSA]

i think thats real close to what i was looking for , steve. ill try that.  he really likes the middle , should i take that away first? makes sense to me. take away mid, he rarely ever gets a straight on me, and force the long. BRILLIANT ! thank you. i knew there was a logical strategy, i just have never been taught so i couldnt put my finger on it. thanks again. B

[bbtuna]

this won't work on really good players without some serious adjustments but this will work against a lot of people up into the rookie ranks and this person sounds like a bar player (or beginner in tournament play)

so, most people when defending as a beginner work from the short to the long hole trying basically to beat the other player out to the long

try a different approach, try working from the long hole to the short...this way you spend most of your time in the long hole which is usually what these players really want to shoot

second, show them a reverse defense, using the 22 in the long hole and goalie covering straight and middle

it is much harder for these people to see the inside with this defense and it sort of messes up their long because they are used to seeing a hole out there...

you don't want to do this and leave a gapping straight, you want to employ zone and positioning...you want to disguise the holes so it gets in their head

remember when Ice was talking about defending in the circle?  same thing applies here - outside edge of the circle or about 1/2 inch in from the big fat white line of the inside square

people like this usually have a hard time hitting accurate shots over and over...don't jump like crazy all over the place, just work on man placement and make it hard to see the holes and then make it hard to hit the holes

Remember Ice said, keep your men about a balls width apart (slightly more) tilt your 2 man back slightly and your goalie forward slightly making holes harder to read

cheat the straight hole a little...my guess is this person has an obvious change when he shoots a straight (a "tell") and so it should be easy to bait and get back to the straight...this will leave your goalie and 2 rod right in the middle of the split and long spots this person wants to shoot in...it will drive them crazy

if you do this right on this level of player, they will begin to mis-hit more shots than they hit

the other good thing about this D is that it takes away the spray long and makes the person have to hit a perfect squared off long...not many of them can do this twice in a row...not smooth and fast for sure

[PatRyan]

It sounds like he is hitting middles and longs because you are camping on the straight and trying to guard the middle and long with just one player figure.  Cheat off of the straight a bit (in a standard defense).  The straight is harder to see in a standard defense, so try using the "circle" you were talking about from your roll-over defense.  Make a circle with your 21 man covering the straight and the short middle,  then make a circle with your goalie man from the big dot to the 3/4 long hole.  Make him hit a really tight hole just inside the big dot. or a really well timed long.  If I was defending the person you describe, I would do the circle with the 21 man, then bait him with the goalie man (sit on the middle and race the long from the middle of the goal with the goalie.  He would have to have a really fast long get to the hole first.  And I wouldn't race all of the way to the long hole, I would leave the "7" hole there, just to see if he can really hit it.

Hope that helps!

[B,inSA]

man , guys , thank you so much. it all makes perfect sense. looks like i will be able to give him multiple looks next time we play.

1. take away the middle
2.bait the middle
3.work long to short
4. reverse defense- i really like that tuna. i can see how it would change the way he is able to see his holes
5.tilt 2 man back and goalie a little forward. again changing what holes and angles will look like
6.cheat the straight a little. this will be hard for me as i hate getting caught on the straight but i will try
7.make him have to really square off long (he has no spray or anything else for that matter)
8.use the "circle" to cover straight and short mid and goalie "circle" to cover mid long and long leaving only a super tight mid or very well timed long. got it
9.use "circle" again on straight/short mid and sit on mid with goalie and race long but not all the way. again making him hit a small hole

great stuff guys. its alot to take in , but im confident that i can make this happen. and you will def get an update the next time we play.

thanks again, B

[bbtuna]

here is a thought getting caught on the straight...which is worse, getting scored on Long or Straight?  Long or Middle?  Middle or Straight?  they are all worth one point right?  so,

favor no hole
this is true when you are on offense as well as defense

be willing to take or give whatever suits you whenever it suits you...you want to do what works and not let your bias for one hole or another keep you from shooting or blocking one place or another

it a classic beginner (and sometimes far beyond beginner) problem - especially pull shooters...it is like it doesn't count if they don't score long...at least the guy you are playing is willing to go middle...good pull shooters will use any part of the goal and you can't tell when

however, until we mature as players, it is easy to have tendencies or favorites...you have created "blocking a straight" as a favorite of yours, somehow along the way you have come to believe there is more value for the other person, or more embarassing for you, if they score a straight...forget figuring out how you got there, but quickly give that up

you are in a mind battle, you want to get this person thinking about something other than what makes them comfortable...you want timing, positions, his view, to be as mixed up and as un-predictable as possible...get in his head, that is the goal of the goalie

if you get in the player's head, they will mis-execute, or choose the wrong hole, or choose the wrong time


General to Specific
start from general and move to the specific
zone, averages, general tendencies of foosers, general tendencies of foosers at specific levels, personal tendencies, specific personal knowledge (ex. I know if he has his left elbo out he is going middle or he always shoots on 4 seconds)

[PatRyan]

Like bbtuna said.  If it scores, it counts.  AND they get the same ONE point if they hit a HUGE hole as compared to a very small hole.  Do not be mad when the opponent scores, that is his job.  Just make sure he is shooting at the holes you are leaving him.  If he times it right, or beats you to the hole, good for him, that'a his job.  NOW if he hit a hole you THOUGHT you had covered, then there is a problem.  You should always be aware of which holes you are leaving open at all times. 

More food for thought!

[Old Meister]

Good stuff Bbtuna! It's something I'm asking about in another thread and you put it nicely. Basically your saying to choose your battles, not let the opponent choose them.