Subject: Re: Front Pin: More Questions Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 10:04:38 +0200 From: Stefan Janssen Reply-To: stefan@foosball.de Organization: T-Online Newsgroups: rec.sport.table-soccer Average Bar Player schrieb: > Here are some other questions though: > > 1) Do you press downwards on the rod, the way most rollover > shooters do, when preparing to shoot? It seems if I don't do > this, the rod has a tendency to rattle around in the bearing > which I suspect decreases accuracy. By this I mean pressing > downwards on the rod so there is pressure on the six o'clock > position of the bearing... IMHO putting the pressure on six o'clock is only good for snake- shooter (like me) because when you press down the rod, you lift th middle man. This gives you a quick start for a rollover, but less accuracy for the "more controlled" european front pin. Most front pin players I know prefer a pressure on 9 to 11 o'clock of the bearing, that puts more pressure on the front pinned ball. It's more a feeling of a "clockwise pressure" for best control... I think. Some good front pin player like the german player Thorsten Petersen (who has been to Dallas the last three years, reached 1997 3rd place in no-pro mixed with Frederico's girlfriend) are using a special grip: The palm ist placed on the right side of the grip, the fingers are completly under the grip. > > 2) When learning this shot, like me, is it best to start > with a very simple series, i.e. pinning it on the center dot, > tiny walk/rock back and forth, then shoot? As boring as a > rollover I know, but keeps it simple as far as shot mechanics > go. Is it better even to just not walk the ball at all but > rock/fake back and forth, then shoot? This is just for > learning, I feel that if this is all you are going to do with > the shot there is very little benefit to using the front pin > vis the rollover. > When I switch for fun to the front pin, I place the ball one dot away from the center to the near side, and hover tiny over the ball. From this postion I try to score a pull, a push, a flip-over straight a pull-fake-and-angle-back-to-pushside, a push-fake-and-angle-back-to-pullside, or to reverse shots: fake pull and score to push or vice versa. This open less holes than tapping around, but it's more simple and a good start. Keep in mind to keep contact to the ball as long as possible (like Bruce told) and never practice only to one side. > > I'm making a little progress. After practicing at home, I > have started to play bar games with the shot and can win some. > I played my first DYP in months last week and used all front > pin (singles). Didn't win any matches but did take one of > the intermediate level players to match ball (couldn't put > it away, sigh). It's a real confidence builder to score on the > push, pull and middle holes in a tournament setting. > > -- > Steve Shiue > Average Bar Player > San Diego, CA I try to score the match ball with a slow angle shot or a straight when I play the front pin. It's cool to win with these slow balls on a fast defense ;.) Stefan Janssen http://www.foosball.de