Every foosball player would like to be able to razzle dazzle or amaze his or her friends with fancy ball control and trick shots. In this chapter, you will find a few of the fancy shots and maneuvers I have invented or learned in my years as a fooser. With practice, most of these shots can be developed with some degree of consistency. For a beginner, a few of the moves may seem a bit difficult; however, don't be discouraged. Remember, it has taken the best players in the world years even to think of some of the trick shots in this chapter!
Bank Shots
Probably the most amazing shot to a crowd of bar players is a bank shot from the three-man rod. Ironically, the three-man bank is really not so difficult to learn
Begin by backpinning the ball with the middle man. The middle man is best to use because it is easier to bank to both
walls. Now, with the ball securely pinned, move your man slightly to the side of the ball opposite the wall to which you wish to bank. Your man should now be on about a third of the ball (as in Figure 29 29k ). Now, using either the wrist or the palm roll technique, crank down on the one-third area of the ball. The ball should bank off the wall into the goal. You may need to adjust the position of the ball if the bank is not on goal.
The Rebound Smash
This shot is fairly easy to learn, yet almost unbelievable when seen the first time. When I score this shot, the reaction of most players is to ask me whether it was just lucky or a planned shot!
Set up the ball on your inside man on the three-man rod as if you were about to do a pushkick. Now, push the ball about an inch and a half and release it, hard, into the wall. (See Figure 30. 28k) The ball will come off the wall at an angle toward your middle man. You must be ready, because it really flies off the wall. As the ball comes off the wall. smash it into the goal with your middle man.
At first you will probably completely miss the ball as it comes off the wall. Keep working at it; it is all a matter of timing. The more you work at it, the easier it becomes.
Three-Man-to-Five-Man Reverse Smash
This shot is rather difficult and will require a little more practice to master. Begin with the ball backpinned on the three-man row right around the dot. Position your five row so the center man on the five row is in line with the center man on the three-man where the ball is pinned. (See Figure 31A 59k.) Now, without moving the ball, position your hand on the handle, with your fingertips on the edge (as in Figure 31B 59k). Now, roll your hand down the handle, causing your man to make one revolution clockwise. This will hit the ball backward to the spot where your five-man is waiting. You then smash the ball into the goal with your center man on the five-man row. (See Figure 31C 59k)
Two-Man-to-One-Man Reverse Smash
Backpin the ball in the center of the table with either the near or the far man on the two-man rod. Position the one-man goalie directly behind the ball. Now, using the same hand motion as described earlier on the three-man-to-five-man smash, pass the ball back to the goalie, who in turn shoots the ball on goal.
Once you have this down, instead of shooting with the goalie, try passing the ball back to the two-man and then shooting.
Goalie Field Goal Attempt
This shot is very difficult to master and requires much practice. However, it is truly one of the most amazing shots I have ever seen and is well worth the time if you want to learn a trick shot from the goalie position.
Begin with the ball backpinned just outside the goal (as in Figure 32A 53k). The one-man goalie should be directly in line with the ball, but its foot should be tipped forward high enough for the ball to pass underneath.
The object is to hit the ball backward and let it pass under the goalie. As it passes under the goalie, you make an attempt to move the goalie's foot back, catching the ball up on the backwall (as in Figure 32B 53k). As you can imagine, this is not easy and requires much practice. Once you have the ball in this position, you can then try to shoot it on goal. Simply flip the ball through the air toward the opponent's goal. (See Figure 32C. 53k) With practice, you should get it near the goal every time. This shot is tough to master and should never be tried in a tournament game.
