Subject: Re: Foos lessons Date: Wed, 09 Jun 1999 19:53:21 -0400 (Edited 6/11/99) From: Bruce Nardoci Organization: AT&T WorldNet Services Newsgroups: rec.sport.table-soccer Here is what little advice I can give, but you're much better off getting someone to show you stuff in person. FIRST, SOME GENERAL TIPS ON SHOOTING/PASSING: Play with confidence, even if you have to artificially make yourself think you're confident. Otherwise, you'll be tentative and won't execute your shots or passes normally/properly. If you get real jittery, you'll limit yourself to just the stuff its easy/safe for you to execute and will become predictable to your opponent. RELAX when you're doing your shot/pass - it helps your execution, since you were relaxed when you practiced them. COMMIT FULLY to the shot or pass you're going to do - it helps your execution of it. If you're doubting if that hole will be there as you shoot it then you won't execute it properly so you might not hit the hole that was there after all. Don't try to KILL the ball - shoot/pass it at your normal speed or you will misexecute it. If necessary, in order to help your execution, slow the lateral motion of your shot/pass down some - usually the defense isn't racing you anyway and the same hole will be there if you do it at slightly slower than blazing speed. If you're having trouble executing a shot/pass, try visualizing the path of the shot/pass AS you do it (i.e., the lateral motion, the striking/release point of the shot/pass on the table, and the forward path to the man/goal). Enjoy the challenge of properly executing passes/shots/etc. When first learning a shot/pass, perform it slowly and build up the speed over a period of DAY, not minutes or hours), so your muscles have a chance to record the motion in "muscle memory" properly. HERE ARE SOME TIPS THAT APPLY TO DOING THE FRONT PIN "WALKING" SHOT SERIES: When shooting, roll the man's foot DOWNWARDS along the side of the ball (i.e., maintaining contact with the ball as long as possible) when you come around and behind it so you can strike it forwards. This helps the accuracy and power of the shot. This motion is one reason people have a much easier time learning a good pull pinshot rather than a push pinshot - the biomechanics of your arm cause you to naturally do this when you pull, but when you push you want to LIFT off the ball before you come around it. This lifting is where you lose contact with the ball, decreasing your accuracy. Grip: I've found it's easier to do a push pinshot (and you can still do a pull pinshot) if you grip the handle in the palm of your hand, rather than in the fingers. Try pushing the handle into your palm along the fat thumb extension/back portion of your palm, and then stretching/wrapping your fingers around it somewhat tightly (so no air gaps/spaces between palm and handle). Also, you might want to try gripping the end of the handle so that you only have 3 fingers fully on the rod, with your index and middle finger doing the main gripping and the pinky just barely on (or off the handle). This seems to give a freer motion (like turning a screwdriver) to the hand/wrist than having all 4 fingers holding the handle. However, this is just what works for me, and is certainly not the only (or best?) way to do it - you should do what you're comfortable doing, if it works for you. One note of caution, when I originally changed from the 4 finger to the 3 finger grip, I was surprised to learn than almost all my shooting ability/skill was contained in my pinky finger (I suppose since it was the one that gripped the handle the tightest in the 4 finger grip) - using the 3 finger grip was almost like learning to shoot over from scratch! If you're having trouble executing your change of directions (fakes) properly, pay attention (focus on) the details of how you're moving the ball on your fakes (i.e, watch the man/ball interface closely as you step on and off the ball as you walk it around and shoot). Slow your fakes sideways (lateral) motion down some, especially multiple fakes (if you do them too fast, the defense won't have time to fall for them, and instead of fakes they simply become disguises of where you're going to shoot (which is fine, as long as you understand that's what's happening). The fake is an important part of the shot - take the time/concentration to execute it properly so that it is effective (don't rush to strike the ball toward the goal). When doing your reverses, if you consciously think of each change of direction as you do it (rather than just instinctively doing it as fast as you can), it will slow the fakes down to where they're more effective. Try to widen your fakes (makes them more effective), and a little hesitation just as you change direction on the fake helps to "freeze" your opponent and make the fake "fakier". If you're not hitting the ball accurately, be sure you're not rushing to hit it and are getting enough "backswing" in the shot before striking the ball forward. Rushing to get the shot off as fast as you can is not usually necessary. The extra fraction of a second it takes to do a proper backswing won't often impact whether the hole you're shooting at will be there or not, and will make you hit the ball forward even harder on the forward swing saving some of the time you lost over doing a very short backswing. Relax when you're walking the ball around so you don't "load up" on your shot, telegraphing to the defense whether you're going to push or pull it. Relaxing also helps to execute the shot/fake at the proper (normal) speed for best execution. Try to put the tip of the man's foot (where it makes contact with the ball) on the exact centerline of the ball. Getting too much or too little of the ball can affect your range and accuracy.