Foosball is known to be one of the most popular tabletop sports next to billiards. Over the years, foosball has evolved from being a simple clubhouse game to an actual competition game.
If you want to master the game of foosball, here are 3 foosball tips to make you look like a pro.
Tip 1: Mastering the One Shot
When it comes to foosball, it’s always best to master one move instead of trying to learn them all.
There are three primary shots that you can try to master so that you can look like a pro player.
Try to experiment with these shots and see which of them you most like and which one works best with you.
The first shot is the push and pull shot which is a primary shot among players. For this shot, you’ll be using your three-man attack line to make a direct goal.
In order to do this, all you have to do is pull or push the ball directly in front of the goal and shoot it.
The second shot is the bank shot which is a little bit more complex. However, if you master this shot, you’ll beat a lot of good defenders.
To do this shot, you’ll need a good knowledge of angular movements. You have to bounce the ball off a wall and into the goal.
This will help you get past strong defenses while you play.
The last shot is the mirror shot. This is one of the most interesting moves to play.
What you should do is imitate or mirror the movements of your opponent, both their defenders and goalie.
By doing this, you can understand how your opponent moves. After which, you can find blank spots in his defense and use it against him.
Also Read: 10 Best Foosball Tables on the Market
Tip 2: Passing The Ball Around
Just like in football, an essential part of the game is knowing how to pass the ball around to the other players.
Passing the ball around among players is a good way to confuse your opponent and get the ball closer to the goal.
If you shoot the ball from a faraway range, there is a big chance that it might be blocked.
One of the most well-loved and widely used strategies of pros is passing the ball from the 5 bar line to the 3 bar line.
The reason is that the 3 bar line will make it easier for you to score a goal since it’s nearer.
Also, it’s harder for the opponent to defend against the 3rd line because of the short distance.
Another passing technique that can be used is the brush pass. To do the brush pass, you simply have to tilt your man back so you are barely or lightly touching the ball.
This allows you to pass the ball from side to side. You can combine this with the 5 bar to 3 bar line technique.
The last is the tic-tac pass which is quite similar to the brush pass, but instead of tilting your men back slowly, you just keep your men straight and swiftly move the ball from side to side.
A rapid movement is used so that your opponent will have a hard time keeping up with your pace.
Just like shooting techniques, it’s really best if you master one first before you try to the others.
As long as you have the skills to pass the ball, you can confuse your opponent by dribbling the ball closer to the goal.
Tip 3: Learning How to Catch or Stop the Ball
You’ll need to learn how to catch or stop the ball if you want to properly defend the goal against your opponent.
You won’t have control of the ball every time in the game. If you want to take control of the ball, you need to steal it away from your opponent.
You’ll need some catching and stopping techniques to do that.
One of the best ways to catch or stop a ball is to tilt your men at a 40-degree angle. If your men are tilted at this angle, there is a higher chance that the ball will stop at your men.
If you keep your men straight during the whole game, the ball will just bounce off of them.
Another technique that the pros use to catch or stop the ball is to pin the ball against the wall.
Though this technique is not widely used, it is very effective if you know how to use it.
To do it, you need to time when the ball hits the wall. When it hits the wall, then you have to ram your corner man to it so the ball is stuck between your man and the wall.
The Importance of Timing in These Tips
While all three of these tips can vastly improve your game, there is one essential thing to make them work—timing.
With perfect timing, you can shoot, pass, and stop the ball easily. While your opponent is watching out for patterns in your movements, it is your timing that he can’t read.
Timing is something that you can change from time to time.
Changing the timing of your shooting, your passing, and ball stopping is one of the best ways to catch your opponent off guard.
Practice your timing by doing drills of these three aspects regularly so that you can get the perfect chance to move.
Conclusion
With these three tips, you’re sure to look like a pro the next time you get to a foosball table. Not only will you look like a pro, but you’ll begin to play like one.
The key here is to constantly practice and sharpen your senses. Through sharpening your moves, you’ll improve your game as a whole.
So if you’re a beginner, just keep on practicing these 3 foosball tips to make you look like a pro. You’ll definitely have better skills through that.
