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Chat Area => Archives => Topic started by: bbtuna on February 12, 2008, 02:57:12 PM
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What are your goals?
How often do you practice?
How long do you practice?
What kind of things do you do during practice and what have you found most helpful and least helpful?
What level player do others think you are and do you agree? With this in mind, how much time do you spend on ball control? If you do ball control practice, what kind of things do you do?
it would be great to hear about all of this from as many people as possible but really these are just spring boards to get a discussion about practice started
I know I will benefit and I thought others might as well
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What are your goals?
To improve my game in some way each time I am finished practicing
How often do you practice?
Not as often as I should. I hadn't practiced in about 6 years until about 2 months ago. Now I practice about 2-3 times per week.
How long do you practice?
I try to practice about 2 hours at a time. I break that down into 20 minute periods of practice with 10 minute breaks in between. (to kind of simulate down time between matches and to work on warming back up quickly)
What kind of things do you do during practice and what have you found most helpful and least helpful?
Offensive 5-man practice with a twist. I made a couple of clip-on man to attach to the opposing 5-man rod to make the lanes much smaller when I practice. Holes look HUGE when it comes to game time! Also work on my pull shot and my weak rollover. I usually spend about 1/3 of my time doing ball control drills (used to be over 1/2 the practice time).
What level player do others think you are and do you agree? With this in mind, how much time do you spend on ball control? If you do ball control practice, what kind of things do you do?
You would have to ask other players at what level they think I play. I would rate may game as a VERY good 5-man and very good defense. My 3-rod is the weakest part of my game.
As far as ball control drills and practice, I use a variety (depends on my mood). lots of tic-tacs on all rods, utilizing the walls as well as the men. I also do pin control drills where I move the ball between the men on the rod switching from front pin to back pin all along the men on the rod. I also do drills where I move the ball between the rods (with the opposing rods raised out of the way).
it would be great to hear about all of this from as many people as possible but really these are just spring boards to get a discussion about practice started
I know I will benefit and I thought others might as well
Thats my 2 cents for now. I do some other stuff when I practice, too much to type for now. I'll try to post some more a bit later.
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What are your goals? To become pro rated again
How often do you practice? Practice 3days, Play 2 tournaments
How long do you practice? 2 to 3 hrs
What kind of things do you do during practice and what have you found most helpful and least helpful? Ball control on every rod. Least helpful, Shooting reps on the 3 rod unless I have a goalie to shoot at.
What level player do others think you are and do you agree? Semi-pro at best. Unfortunately yes.
With this in mind, how much time do you spend on ball control? If you do ball control practice, what kind of things do you do? I will do a pass 20 times successfully before moving to the next. I always begin practice with tic-tac rythmns.
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Q-What are your goals?
A-The same as everyone else getting better!
Q-How often do you practice?
A-a little everyday but if i know an event is coming up i practice everyday
Q-How long do you practice?
A-it isnt a case of how long it is a case of how many...i pick what i am going to practice say it is my long pull shot and wall pass...i will drop the ball and pass and shoot 100X it shouldnt take very long 30mins to an hours at most!
Q- What kind of things do you do during practice and what have you found most helpful and least helpful?
A-Most helpful is 5-bar practice
Q-What level player do others think you are and do you agree?
A- I am ranked 1420 Amateur on IFP yea sure i agree with it (hehe)
Q- With this in mind, how much time do you spend on ball control? If you do ball control practice, what kind of things do you do?
A- Pinning the ball and moving it around from man to man it really helps with catching lose balls and that is huge! and tic-tacking literally for extended periods of time!
it would be great to hear about all of this from as many people as possible but really these are just spring boards to get a discussion about practice started
I know I will benefit and I thought others might as well
Chase
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That's all I do is practice as there is nobody to play. What I practice is the new-to-me shots that seem to work best on Tornado tables like the Snake and a pin series or two. I also work a lot on my passing, tic tacking different men back and forth and letting it go into a pass without getting lost. What I really like is watching good matches on Youtube and getting fired up and then go smoke some shots. Then I come on here to throw out something or other but what I really want is to try to kick some a__ on you guys. There, that's my motivation and hopefully a someday goal.
One thing I've learned about practice is what really is going on during practice. Practice is about consciously trying to learn an action and repeating it so that muscle memory allows you to repeat that action with your subconscious. This game is way too fast paced to control with conscious play. When you play you recognize situations and react. Or you "feel" the shot before you execute that shot. You don't tell yourself,"I'm going to move the ball here and hit it hard there" as you do it. It's all preprogrammed, whether by practice or play. The hardest thing about what to practice is to recognize and be honest enough to admit you aren't so good on some portion of your game. Another thing to ""practice" is thinking right. Never beat yourself up! Don't berate yourself to an opponent so as to make an excuse should he happen to beat you. Be the "Iceman", act it and try to be it. You don't owe anyone an explanation for your play. Just keep looking for the edge. Your demeanor will either help you or help him, choose you. After learning effective play we are then involved with the mental play and that is something many haven't paid attention to yet it is what separates winners from losers. It is huge. Confidence is the oil that makes for solid play. Confidence comes from the right practice, an understanding of what you bring to the table even if it may not be the most skilled as compared to others. Knowing your limits is a strength in itself. And one more thing that is most important, acknowledge that you love this game and if you play a highly skilled opponent it is exactly what you want and have fun with it. If your having fun you will play your best.
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Ok, you have started a thread that will never end, lol. Like Pat, I will hit a couple and come back later.
First, I am a 2200 plus point pro, primarily a goalie. I consider myself to be a pro-master goalie. Others have also told me they consider me to be of pro-master caliber in goal.
If you are practicing properly, there is no such thing as "least" useful. It is all useful.
One thing I don't see mentioned is the use of video. I use this medium in my other disciplines to figure things out. Pool, drag racing, etc.. For example, identify someone you know does something well and videotape them. Then set the camera up and then try to do the same thing. You now have a visual record of yourself. Figure what you need to do by analyzing what you are doing wrong and right for that matter.
Time is not relevant in my eyes. I identify my biggest problem and work on it till I fix it. If I don't, I start my next session with same issue.
Ball control is everything. Without it, you can't get the ball in position to do what you need to. Tic-tacing is fine, but also work on caressing the ball to a stop after a strong toss on every rod, every man.
That's all for now. Be a little more specific next time like how do you practice shooting a straight pull or something and I'll try my best to explain.
Laters,
Iceman.
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Practice Session:
This mainly applies to the pin series, but hear it goes.
Beginners usually ask what's the best way to practice.
I'll ask, "Are you more concerned with passing, shooting or ball control?"
They usually go for the shooting option every time. In 1976, I was shown the
5-5-5-5 practice plan. It was developed by an old fooser that wanted to create
a mechanical practice routine while adding on simulated tournament pressure.
The player simply shoots:
5 pin pulls
5 pin pushes
5 pin put-cut(angle)
5 pin push-cut(angle)
in sequence and if he/she misses any shot at any time, they must start over again at the beginning.
We use to call it shooting for the "cycle". It will help develop focus and patience. It's not that easy 8)
Later,
AC
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my goal is to be pro. Ive been playing for a year and a half and have been told by many pros here that I am the most improved player and that Ive picked the game up as fast as theyve seen.
I practice every day at least 30 minutes. I play 2 tournaments a week most of the time...sometimes just one.
I video my practice and watch it after or the next day. I was a 3 sport athlete in high school and had the opportunity to play each in college but chose kicking footballs. I understand the importance of video. I feel you can learn more from that than just banging out ball after ball for hours on end...
I am a rookie when we have handicapped events....the points ive been assigned for the tournament we have here....I can beat most of the other guys he has a few hundred points ahead of me....but im not gonna say nothin...
I spend all of my time on ball control.....My weakness is my five bar. I have a really fast stick...and can jam it in the lane and to the wall pretty good. My problem is reading there 5 bar and going when i should. Im working on that. I see these things in video. The other night I had 2 pros and a guy that can be pro over to play. They are getting ready for a tournament here in orlando and Atl. I played back mostly but when I played up front struggled getting it to the 3. Of the time i was upfront i got the ball 8 times in the 2 or 3 games....I know that sucks, but I only had one shot blocked. I am confident shooting...not so much passing. So when i practice lately ive been working on passing lane with both my 1 and 2 guys. Really working on fakes a lot too..
I am not trying to learn all the really high level of difficulty stuff.....K.I.S.S. keep it simple stupid.....Basics are what everyone goes to when they struggle...so Im working on mastering and getting the basics down pat. A unraceable wall....a stick that sticks all the time.....a good fake or two....and the ability to READ
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wow, great stuff...I was hoping this would be helpful and it looks to be something all of us and others, can use
I will give answers to this later but as you can assume by all my other posting, I have a ton of opinions/ideas on the subject
just a note to Chance...if you want to learn about how and when to use the stick series, you need to study gummerson (assuming you are using a moving series) ... I have a number of really good things he has written on the subject if you are interested...if you are, start a seperate thread on the approach to stick passing (only because there is a lot of info and it will clutter up this thread and not be easy for people to find in the future
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bbtuna...first off Great thread as others agree....I have always practiced so much that people would see me at place and ask me why I was playing by myself. I told them that if you want to be good you need to practice. I can tell you I USED to practice get this. ...more than six to eight hours a day(when not working)maybe more. I would work on my ball control. Moving the ball around the entire table enabling me to be able to put the ball anywhere I needed. Then I'd work on my passing. Doing a couple of different series ,so I could have a back up. I would work on each thing for hours at a time.
As for what I feel I play as ..I have no doubt I play as good as a pro or above..Now that's not to toot my own horn but I've put the hours in for over twenty yrs and I can't or havn't been able to go to major events to gain the points needed to be at the level I actually am. So when I have played at the lower levels people say "why are you playing at this level aren't you a pro ?" Thinking I'm sand bagging for some reason. So my goals are to be a promaster someday like everyone who takes this game as seriously as I do 8) I know I have the physical abilities now it's the mental aspect of the game I need to work on
Sorry I had to go...So I'm back to finish up...Anyway I have always been one to do a hell of alot of practicing. Honestly, I've spent thousands in practice money I'm sure. A guy named Gary Connley taught me my five row. I spent hundreds of hours just doing five row wars with him. You get it clean you get it back, otherwise you fight for control!! It helped me to be focused cause he at first would always stop me. Then little by little I started to pass right by him and I knew I was going to be ok. It was all worth it in the end. What I could use time on is five row defense Mine sucks. >:( That is my true weakness so if anyone has some suggestions I'm open to them all!!!! I just love the game and what it does for me that's all. I've been blessed to be able to teach others and be taught as well. You can always learn more. I hope this game is played long after I'm gone. I'm greatful to places like this board and people who play this game with same passion as I have for the sport of foosball!!!!! Long live FOOSBALL :) >:( ;D
Happy Foosinaround!!!!
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Chance, thanks...well, here is first part of my answer to my own questions
What are your goals?
My foosball life is easily divided into 2 sections.
First was 1975 or 1976 through about 1980-81...there was about 4 years of serious attention to foosball and when I finally crossed the line and decided to become serious, I was extreme. I didn’t miss a day of foosball for over 3 years and at the heart of it, my friends and I would play all day (table was at my house) and when they left at 12 to 1pm, I would begin my practice and go for 7-8 hours. 45 min warm up in the back, 2 hours 5 bar, 2 hours push pin, 2 hours pull pin…remaining time on various transition and singles stuff and weight lifting...
I grew up with a desire, which increased the older I got, to be the best in the World at something. Despite my current embarrassing fatness, I was quite a fine athlete when I was young. 4.4 second 40 yard dash, 20 feet broad jump, 9 feet standing broad jump, serious vertical leap, very fast hands, etc. I didn’t start organized sports until my junior year in high-school and I expected in my senior year to be in the top 5 in my state (IL) in track (long jump) and wrestling (155lbs) and I thought for sure I would be at least all state if not better in football but I injured myself 3 games into my senior season and all my dreams of college and professional football were gone.
So, when foosball entered my life, I saw a chance to push myself to places I had never been and saw I had a chance to get to the top since this was such a young sport…I wanted to reinvent the game, or define it…I won’t go into more detail now but lets just say I was crazed
Then I stopped in 1980-1981 – lots of factors, won’t bore you all (I know, too late)
Then about 22 or 23 years later in Oct 2003, I got bit by the bug again…I was amazed by how much I could still do and equally amazed at things I couldn’t do….
It is in my nature to want to always improve and to push my limits…it doesn’t matter to me that I am 50 years old, I still want to be the best…I constantly dream of what it would be like if I could dedicate full-time to defining my game and goals like I did when I was young…of course that is not possible any more so I have refined my goals somewhat
I want to win Rookie and/or Semi-pro Worlds…I keep working toward that even though I have no money to travel which is an essential element to maturing my game
I still dream to get ranked at least in the top 20 and think about breaking through to the point of winning a “major” … setting history as the oldest person to ever win a major and the first person in 25-30 years to win a major shooting a backpin and probably only on Tornado since the changes on the table we play on today (what 20 years or so?)
How often do you practice?
I practice every day except when I occasionally take a day off or so to let some things settle in
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How long do you practice?
Well, this has been a declining number…I started out pushing for at least 2 hours a day and did pretty well toward that end for the first couple of years coming back. However, I am heavy enough that my feet wear out long before my mind and body do. This has impacted my practice and play…very sad, very bad situation.
I am fighting for my life right now trying to change my food life-style forever
I know, I would already be at pro-master level right now if I had been thin when I started because I would have pushed for 3+ hours a day and I would have tried to work in a 3-5 hour workout(s) on weekends
Even so, I think I have made real strides and think I am an extremely competitive player on any level except the best pro-masters but even that will change by the end of this year
What kind of things do you do during practice and what have you found most helpful and least helpful?
I am not going to go into much detail about this right now because this is already way too long but I will share on another post or thread some time in the not to distant future.
What level player do others think you are and do you agree?
Well, Kent Rhodes once said that he thought I was “the best no-points player in the World” … Kent doesn’t throw compliments around often and he was serious - this was a year and a half ago and I am much better now…with that said, I think he was being more than generous, I really appeciate the compliment but I am far from that…I was very competitive at that time with the best Rookies and Semi-pros (and there are a lot of very very good ones) but my game has improved considerablely over the last 16 months or so…as a general rule, I play better against better players, players who I can count on to do things…the trouble with lower level players is their unpredictability (for you and them)
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With this in mind, how much time do you spend on ball control?
I brought this up because this has been THE most significant mistake I have made during my foosball careers…first time around I spent almost no time practicing ball control (except back pin dribbling) and it seriously retarded my development
Second time around, I had a totally different mind about this and knew it was the key to greatness…so, I would do stuff and spent a fair amount of time mixing in ball control to my practice but I never totally dedicated myself to it
Last year, I dedicated myself to 5 bar almost exclusively for literally 12 months and it made a difference and I got unprovoked feedback telling me so but I still didn’t commit to ball control…even though, I believe it is the most important thing in foosball (physically)
However, this year, starting in Oct 07, I started dedicating myself to ball control and if no other goal ever comes to be for me, I plan on having ball control as good as it can get…my passing and shooting can be maintained with minimal work and I am trusting my body to remember what it needs to (so far so good) but what I try and do now is get in at least a hour a day and every time I step up to the table, I am determined to practice ball control that entire time…
it is hard, because I love to pass and shoot but it is amazing all the benefits you reap from ball control:
• Pick up and keep more balls during play and possession is 9/10 of the law
• Improves current execution of everything you do
• Cuts your learning curve for new offense or refining existing skills by exponential amounts…the better the ball control gets, the shorter the curve
• Improve your confidence when in serious competition
• It will improve you fun time pick up games by heaps
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If you do ball control practice, what kind of things do you do?
Absolutely everything I can think of…basic stuff like tic tacks (every creative move I can think of), weaves, pins, and inline smooth throws from one man to another (this is much harder than it looks to be able to throw the ball from one man to another (on the same rod) and catch and follow it to a stop without letting the ball tap tap tap on the man…this means the second man needs to be able to get right up next to the ball, even touch it, but move at the same speed and you slow it down with a cushion…that is terribly said but hopefully you get the idea
Back and forth from goalie to 2, 5, and 3 rods (all men), from 2 rod to 5r to 3r, from 5r to 3r…off the back wall from 5r and 3r with either hand and 5 man right hand, right hand pick up on the 3 rod – lots of 3 bar off the back wall stuff
Wild hard hit shots from goal practicing trapping them in my goal area and not letting them in the corners or off my wing men
Circles – ever seen Fred do his shot where he circles the ball (either direction) Jim Stevens coined it the “helicopter” and then in the middle of those circles with no changes in motion he picks up the ball and slams it home either direction…I have played with it, I have a poor man’s version but I was blown away at how hard I found it just to do the circling…he also does a "half-helicopter" where he goes over the top and dips to the other side and back again … very fast, very smooth, and again, shoots with no change slam bam thank you man
I have worked on circles front pin, no pin, back pin to strengthen my wrists, improve coordination, and extend my flexibility … this alone has gained me a number of snags on loose balls – by the way, think it is hard with the right hand, try that with the left hand ball on the 5 bar where there is less room to float around the ball
Last night I got a brainstorm and this morning before leaving for work I tried it out…set up a ball in back pin and one in front pin and then do figure 8’s around them in both directions
Then there is ball caressing…I read Todd Loffredo talking about this…moving around the ball, kind of like circles except you try and keep in contact with the ball and push it this way and that and still keep control
Off the side wall, goalie wall with the back side of your man (pretty hard with the left hand) – spin stuff – as an example, pull the ball down toward you like on the 5 near wall, second guy to first guy (52 to 51) and then spin the man over (360) and strike the ball as a lane, wall, or uphill…or tic tack ball from one 3 man to another and again a 360 spin and catch it before ball gets to the next man and still retain control and continue with your tic tack
…anything you can think of, anything that gives you more and more familiarity with the ball in as many positions as possible and gives you as much strength, confidence, and “control” as possible
my goal is 100% control, do anything I want, any time I want without fear of losing the ball…long, long, long way to go but on the road at least
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TODD LOFFREDO ON PRACTICE PART 1
Its not the amount of time as much as it is the quality of practice. For example. When I practice my pullshot for the worlds.. I practice with a tight grip because I know when I get under pressure that my grip will get tight just from the stress of getting amped up or nervous. Then when I am in a finals and get what I call the death grip, it doesn’t feel so foreign to me and that turns the abundant energy into comfortable speed instead of a chokey odd feel that is hard to foresee for a lot of inexperienced players.
It doesn’t mean that I don’t choke, I do. It just moves the percentages in my favor.
I also practice very hard on not giving my shot away with any movements away from the rod and that is something that very few people really work on that is the difference between giving your shot away and not giving it away.
I practice new philosophies in DYP’s to put them to the test and to get a comfort zone with them.. I practice ball control very often. As many different ways as I can think of. But when I practice for the years biggest tournament, I know what I am going to do and exactly what to practice. The rest of the year is trial and error of what to throw away and what to keep for that tournament.
I think about things and question the reasoning for everything so that I can verify my beliefs in what I do and what I don’t do. I don’t study tapes very often. I talk to people a lot and listen. And most important of all. I watch what is working on tour and have a need inside to understand why it works and then learn it. I rarely receive pointers anymore unfortunately. My peers tend to stay away from telling me anything which bothers me at times but I understand it also.
I do give advice to people I beat often even though they think its crud sometimes. But I try to do what’s best for this game (most of the time). Not always, I’m not a saint. I have received good advice from my partners in the past and I ask loads of questions which I know they get sick of.
I love criticism when it is logically engaged. Playing hard as you can is great practice, but most people don’t play against their friends or peers with that kind of intensity – it is however, probably your best testing ground. Its just hard to accept the frustrations of getting beat by a personal friend on a daily basis. But its the stuff champions are made of. That is Tommy Adkinson’s best quality in my mind, he always wants to win even for fun and it shows in his game when the pressure is on.
All this and more is involved in practicing and honestly trying to improve. The answer to your questions are not simple nor easy. Eventually with sincere hard effort it can seem easy. But that is where discipline and effort play a huge role. There are a lot of things that I know about this game that I forget consciously because they have become second nature and its only when I sit down and play against someone and ask them, why don’t you try this? that I understand its because they cant or have never tried it.
I believe in having more than one game because I have never found one game that beats all of the people all of the time. The key is to know when to change and adjust and having a lot of depth to make changes from. Much like a bench on a basketball team. When to change is still a rotating decision constantly changing as peoples games change, and most likely this will be an evolving philosophy as the game evolves…hope this helps somewhat... Godbless LordPull
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TODD LOFFREDO ON PRACTICE PART 2
What do you recommend a player who is just starting out practice?
ANSWER: Ball control... Lots of it... Learn to do circles with the ball and to tap the ball from man to man and to catch the ball from side to side smoothly without tapping it. To pin the ball from man to man in the front pin and the back pin.. To weave the ball on the five man like this.. Starting from the first man going toward the far wall push the ball towards the second man and let the ball go behind the second man and in front of the third man and behind the fourth man and in front of the fifth man and then reverse it.. Then when you get bored with that, practice tapping the ball on the five man with different patterns starting with the 1 or first man on the fiveman..1-3-2-4-3-5 or 2-1-3-2-4-3 and so on.. Use your imagination..
I use to practice like this often and it is great for your control and will help you later when you want to learn new things and also helps make you smooth.
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TODD LOFFREDO ON PRACTICE PART 3
How many hours do you practice a week?
ANSWER: Right now not very much.. maybe 3 hours a week but when a big tournament rolls around I put more energy into it. 20 hours a week when I was younger for a few years.. There need to be a time when you eat and drink and sleep foosball in order to master the game I believe.. At least for me..
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skip over my long replys but don't skip the quotes by Todd...like the thread on passing I will say, don't give up on this, lets keep at this thread and provide a helpful source for us and others in the days ahead...again, i have more from others on this subject and will take the time to put it together if I know you all want it...you all, we all, have ideas and experiences that can help the foosball community, lets get at it..."dude" (read your own emphasis into that)
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Dave Gummerson on Practice Part 1
Here is my 2 cents. It's important when practicing to have identified a few things before you start and have a plan for what you want to accomplish.
The first thing I would do is to make an honest self assessment of your game. You can do this both by asking other people who know your strengths and weaknesses as well as using what you know about yourself. Once you've identified what you need to work on make a plan for what you realistically want to accomplish and by when. I have very limited time available to practice and get out and play to get ready for a tournament so when I do play, I need to make the best possible use of that time. It's important to identify your strengths and weaknesses so that you can address them in your practice plans.
You want to minimize your weaknesses and maximize your strengths by working on both. If you have a great long pull and a weak inside you need to address that in your practice routine. Maybe your game is very mechanically sound but you have trouble with your timing or reading defenses. If you practice by yourself 2-3 hours working on your 5-man and shots what have you done to address the timing issue? Here is a quick example: Say your not real quick from rod to rod and get beat in the transition game in singles. What would be the best way to minimize or improve this weakness? Obviously the best way would be to find a player that excels in this area and play them in singles as much as possible. I believe it's also important to maintain your strengths though so when your playing this person it doesn't mean you need to speed your game up if you have a slower style game. Use your strengths and play your style of game when playing this person in singles and your hand speed will naturally improve just by playing this person. It's adapt or lose and believe me you will get tired of losing. Especially if your a competitive person.
I believe the most important part of any practice schedule is to plan it out and have the discipline to follow through. There are a lot of good drills and ideas out there on how to practice and what to practice. The key is following through with those plans and to constantly re-evaluate your game and know what your strengths and weaknesses are. First you need to identify what your strengths and weaknesses are, then and only then can you find the most efficient way to impact those areas.
Look at it this way. Envision a group of people cutting their way through the jungle with machetes. They are cutting their way through the undergrowth and clearing it out. Then someone climbs a tree, surveys the situation and yells, "wrong jungle!" How does the group respond? "Shut up! we're making progress." The point is a lot of foosers are too busy cutting through the undergrowth to even realize they're in the wrong jungle.
Kind of a long winded explanation but it's something I read that I think really makes the point "Take the time to evaluate what your own personal needs are on the table. Then come up with your plan to address them and continuously re-evaluate those needs." There is a million different practice drills and ideas out there. The important thing is finding the ones that work for you specifically and using those.
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Dave Gummerson on Practice Part 2 , 3/11/06
Practicing long hours without some predetermined goals and objectives at best is not an efficient use of your time. At worst it can be a complete waste of time and even hurt your game.
It's easy when your fairly new to the game to spend countless hours working on various aspects of your game. With every new day comes new discoveries and hopefully improvements in your game. After years of playing I find it very difficult to find the motivation to practice a lot or at all.
Here are some things to keep in mind to help motivate you to practice and some other ideas/drills to work on.
1. Schedule your practice time. Have a predetermined time that you intend to practice with specific things you want to work on. In the past I've used a timer to keep track of how long I'm spending on different parts of my game.
2. Take the time to make a list of areas of your game you want to work on and come up with a plan on how your going to improve those areas. If your not sure what your areas of opportunity are ask a local PM or someone you play with regularity to critique your game. You may find that you don't know your game as well as you thought you did.
3. Invite someone that’s a little better to practice with. I find myself more motivated to practice something after I've been blocked well or drilled on something. There’s nothing better then being humbled to stoke those competitive flames.
4. Use drills that are little mini competitions with yourself like having to hit 10 lane passes in a row before going on to the next thing. If you miss one you start over. You would be surprised at the little extra pressure that puts on you to make every pass or shot count. This also helps develop those good habits.
5. Break your practice sessions into smaller chunks of time. This allows you to maintain a fresh outlook and better focus during the entire time your practicing. If you start losing focus take a break and come back to it after a small break. This also simulates tournaments a little better since all weekend long is filled with short periods of playing with short and potentially long breaks in between.
6. Use a combination of drills to build muscle memory with timing drills where you are sitting on the ball for different lengths of time.
7. Have someone stand at the end of the table with the defense set-up so that all 3 main holes are open on your given shot. Have that person call out random holes at different lengths of time, Then try and shoot that hole as quickly after it is called as possible while still executing. It's harder then it sounds. You can even do this drill by yourself by setting the ball up and visualizing the defense moving in and out of certain holes and then shooting on it at various different timing counts.
8. Watch a foos video and make notes of different aspects of some of the PM's games that you like. Then go to your table and work on some of the things you saw. It's always easier to practice something when you have a mental image of what it is your trying to work on.
The bottom line is there is not a set number of hours that are too many or too few but, how you use that time to your benefit. It's possible to get more out of a hour then 3 hours if you go about it with the right mindset. If you can be enthusiastic and focused for several hours in a row then go for it. If you find that you get bored, tired or sore then take some breaks.
This probably sounds obvious but, it helps if it's fun and not a chore. Good luck and keep it fun and productive.
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my comments on length of time spent practicing
5 minutes of bad practice is too much and counter productive in most cases which is why I said,
"No you can't practice too much unless you are practicing wrong"
When you get to the level you ("you" meaning Gummerson) are at, the amount of time becomes less important because you can put in less time and maintain and you can put in smart time and learn things much faster.
However, if someone were to compare you to a person just starting out and lets assume you are both going to learn something new – the same something. I expect your learning curve to be much shorter because you have a lot of previous learning to draw on. You have muscle memory, tournament wisdom, practice experience, etc to draw on which helps you learn.
I don’t care how smart a person’s practice is, if they only practiced as often as you do now (what, less than 5 hours a week right, I contend they will never reach top PM level. I don’t think it is possible.
A person will make the best of his practice to do things like you mention in your post but, without quantity at some time in their development, they will, I propose, never get to the top level - this is why Todd Loffredo said, "20 hours a week when I was younger for a few years.. There needs to be a time when you eat and drink and sleep foosball in order to master the game I believe.. At least for me.. "
more time isn't better if the time is bad time but more time which is good, is always better than less time
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What are your goals? I'm 52 and have only been playing foos about 1.5 years and have shown a lot of progress and potential. I guess my goal is to be a fearful oponent to anyone who with thier hands on the opposite rods as mine.
How often do you practice? Every day
How long do you practice? 1-2 hours during the week and as much as three hours a dy on weekends
What kind of things do you do during practice and what have you found most helpful and least helpful? 5-bar control, passing, catching, 3-bar shots, goalie (2-bar) shots. A lot of ball control with the 3-bar working it from the front pin to the back pin position and a lot of wall and Tic-Tac action. I usually include about 10 minutes af just knocking the ball around the table trying to keep the ball moving quickily around the table and trying to catch it with the 5-bar and three bar and quickly passing forward with the goalie rods. This really seems to increase my time of posession
What level player do others think you are and do you agree? With this in mind, how much time do you spend on ball control? If you do ball control practice, what kind of things do you do? I think most local players think of me as a very good Amateur and I agree. I spend a lot of time on ball control. My practice regiment is described in the previous question.
I can honestly say that I had a good shooting game before I had good ball control. You can have the greatest shot in the world but it won't do any good if you never get the ball in your posession.
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Samsonite
thanks, good post
good luck, keep after it...increase your practice each chance you get, you game will follow the improvement curve after a time
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ReMiFaSolLahTi:
PRACTICE - WITH A PRO or PROMASTER is ....
the MotherF**R of Genius. ;) ...
and .... the FatherF**R, too! ;D
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Circles – ever seen Fred do his shot where he circles the ball (either direction) Jim Stevens coined it the “helicopter” and then in the middle of those circles with no changes in motion he picks up the ball and slams it home either direction…
Watch this vid at 3:07: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0iqwmG_sFI
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My Improvement Curve is not by any means a smooth one but fortunately it is a steady increase from month to month.
If it was to be drawn on a graph it would have a steady increase for a couple months then start leveling out through a week or so then it actually decreases and I feel kinda burnt out and take a break from practice or playing for 2-4 days. When I come back to the table after the break my level of play begins at a higher level than it ever was previously then starts a curve upward from that point and repeats itself.
The curve is a little flatter now that I have been at it for a year and a half but my skill level is still at a steady increase and follows the same upward line with a slight drop at the end. What I need now is to play more foosers that are at a higher skill level. Practice can only do so much.
When I started playing summer before last almost everyone was better than me and now not as many. I think I will have to go to some out of town tourneys to excelerate my playing level. The only way is to play people better than me.
We have some great foosers in the Spokane area but the best ones (pros and Pro Masters) don't come out and play as much as others and I don't get to play them as much as I would like. Like Larry & Lotus Chesbrough, Jack Lenty, Kathy Brainard. If only they were my neighbors and could get on the table with them a couple times a week I'd be in business.
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Samsonite,
that is good...I have watched more than one player in my area go from totaly bar scrub to well rounded tournament competitive upper level rookies in less than 3 years...this may not sound like much but the kind of talent range in the Rookie/Amature class is huge
I have watched my own game change and mature and I see several players right now locally whos games are going through some major transformations
it is great, i love the game, love people who love it, and am stoked about seeing people get better and there is nothing I won't do for them or tell them to help...can't say it is always helpful but I have seen enough to know I can help newer players
by the way, few improvement curves I have seen are smooth...good luck, your game will improve much faster the better competition you can find...gotta practice on your own 1 to 2 hours a day but also find better players to hang with
not having top flight players to kick around with week after week as definately stunted my growth...we have a few top flight players here I just don't hang with them...I am thinking about seeing if I can change that...
anyway, great to hear from you, good luck and keep in touch with the board and let us know how you progress...lots of info on the board and people who will answer questions so if you run into stuff, bring it back here
have a good holiday
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What are your goals?
To do something better after practice than I did before; and to maintain what little skill I have. I need to become a better forward so I can be more competitive when I draw another goalie in the local DYP.
How often do you practice?
Not often enough; Maybe 4 times a week.
How long do you practice?
30-45 minutes
What kind of things do you do during practice and what have you found most helpful and least helpful?
I start on the 5 bar with some ball control and move into passing. Mostly trying to get some more speed on my pass and kicking it harder from my 5 to my 3. (bbtuna can confirm how incredibly slow my pass is) Then I go into practicing my roll over. I'm still working on getting both sides down. I practice mostly forward stuff, as that's the part of my game that needs the most work.
What level player do others think you are and do you agree? With this in mind, how much time do you spend on ball control? If you do ball control practice, what kind of things do you do?
I think others see me as someone easliy beaten in singles or when I'm playing forward, but may have to think some more as a forward against my goalie. I'd agree with that. I have little to no forward game, but as a goalie with a decent forward, I've made some pretty good opposing forwards sweat a little.
I'm pretty content with my goalie game right now. I'd really like to get my forward game improved some to be more competitive on a rookie level. I've only been playing more competitively for about a year now (just over I think) and am just having a lot of fun playing. If I can get my forward game caught up to my goalie game, I'll start to work on both more evenly.