To the Spray and theBodyGroove,
It's pretty obvious that those who grew up with a shot find nothing wrong with it, seeing it as the most natural shot. When Wiswell developed the pull in the early 70s, and outstanding players in Texas and Seattle and Colorado started using the correct techniques, it became a dominant shot, so dominant that it was allowed half-points in early dyps and pickups. It was the "devil's" shot, and vilified by those who couldn't shoot it, happy with their older styles. In fact, a lot of detractors said the pull dominated so much that it killed the variety in the game, despite the same folks agreeing that the game was in the 5bar passing and defense, not the 3bar. But by the time the Spray started in 1979, it was the accepted kill shot.
When Terry Moore started winning majors and regionals with the rollover in the early 90's, it started taking over, as more players learned how much easier it was to use the physics of the table to generate the same power as openhand palmroll shooters, but with almost the same accuracy and virtually the same precision of under-rod shots. And yes, rules change, which can drastically affect the game, just as when they lowered the height of the major league baseball pitching mound. This diminished the devastating nature of sinking fastballs and sliders, which of course increased scoring, the importance of having movement and timing pitches, and increased the excitement of the game, only helping baseball. So did incorporating the three-point shot in the NBA and amateur basketball, and they are all none the worse, although pure shooters now have a more specialized and extended lease on life in hoops.
Who the f*ck cares about the old rules? They are arbitrary parameters set by whomever "JoeBlow Tourney Director" to allow civilized play. When they are changed, as long as there are still rules accepted by those who play, then the new rules are just as valid. The only complaints seem to be coming from most players who cannot or never developed a decent rollover defense, which is not harder to learn than a decent pull or pullkick defense. Especially those who are on the comeback trail, thinking the foosball world owes them jacksh*t because they were THIS GOOD or SUCHANDSUCH SOBAD during the Carter and Reagan years. Instead of enjoying a second chance at learning foos all over again, with less strain on older hands, wrists, tendons and the back and upper musculature.
Plus for those "real" players, not the ones with the "punch N poke" 5bars, no matter how devastating their holy pull or pullkicks were, they never lost that 5bar advantage, and a few months on the comeback using their 5bar and the much easieronthebody rollover allowed them to go back on tour and keep up with their sons, daughters, nephews, and nieces, and old and new friends. And if they had the right pull in the first place, they would still have that ace up their sleeve. Just as today's top players who use the pull, old geezers shouldn't complain, either fix and enhance their pull with the help of 30 years of techniques, learn to defend against rollovers and Euros and keep that 5bar untracked, instead of whining about lost glories.
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