Topic: snake shot - lateral movement

[shon]

Are there any training routines specific for the width/speed of the lateral movement. Actually, any advice on lateral movement would be appreciated.

tnx!

[snake eyes]

Look at the rollover training kit in the online shopping section of this website. It looks interesting but I have never used it. Anybody out there tried this training tool yet?

[alaskan thunder]

Meh, I always figure that kit was for suckers. Just practice and ask an experienced player if you have any issues....

[korisu]

I'm just learning my snake shot too, and have been trying it out on the guys at work. A good snake shot is near-unstoppable precisely because you can reach any part of the goal from a single setup point with very little "tell" as to where you're going to shoot. (Experienced players, please feel free to correct me here, I'd love to learn more too.)

By "width", I assume you mean how far the ball moves laterally before you strike it? This can vary just as much as it does with a pull/push shot - you want to move the ball to where there's a hole in the defense, and slap it in right at that point. However, there's two things you want to keep in mind while moving the ball. First, you don't want to try to move it too far. You can't reliably generate as much push from the pinned position as you can with a push shot, and if you try to move it too far, the ball will slow down and lessen the effect of the shot. At most, you only want to move it from the center to the edge of the goal before hitting it. If there's a gap available, the most effective snake shots only move a player's width to get around a defender.

When you're moving the ball, remember that since it's pinned under your foot to start with, the player will move faster than the ball. So after you push, you'll actually need to pull the rod back when you start to yank up, to move the player back behind the ball as it strikes. This is what makes the shot go straight, and it ends up being a lot faster than waiting for the ball to arrive at the player's position. It's also the toughest part of the snake shot to coordinate and get used to the feel of. But once you do get used to it, you'll find that your shots actually start connecting.


For speed, the faster the better! The goal is to catch the defense with their pants on the ground, so to speak - pick the open hole and put it in before they can react. Practice to the point where the entire shot is one fluid motion. Then make it quick. It has to be done in the blink of an eye, otherwise it won't be long before the defense will get wise and will cover the hole as soon as they see you start to move.

[shon]

Thanks korisu but i'm very familiar with the snake shot theory. I just want to learn some exercises for lateral movement because I've noticed that I lack consistency and speed in hitting holes 1 and 5.

@alaskan: Unfortunately, in my country there aren't any players that are more experienced than me. I live in Europe and mostly compete in Garlando tournaments.

[snake eyes]

Shon- Why are you learning the Snake aren't Europeans specialized in front pin Euro toe shots? Or is it just a personal questm

[shon]

No, it's not just a personal quest It's true that the euro-pin is the main shot in a big part of Europe (France on Bonzini, Belgium on Jupiter and some other Belgian tables and Germany on Lemacher) but as I said, I mostly visit Garlando tournaments (and some tournaments on Roberto sport) which zake place in Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia etc. On the Garlando table, snake shot is far more common, easier to master and, I dare to say, more efficient.

[snake eyes]

Have you ever seen Spredeman's Snake on a Garlando? it's def. not the quality of his Tornado Rollover but really cool to watch.

[shon]

No, haven't seen Tony play on Garlando. I've seen Billy Pappas play, live and on many videos, and he's snake is definitely one of the best in the world on this table also. I've also seen few videos of Terry Moore, but it seems to me that he had some trouble adjusting to the table.

[ComebackKid]

Rob Mares also has a really good snake. I asked him for some tips on learning it and the one thing he told me that I have found to be the most helpful is that when you are rocking and/or walking the ball, do it without much down pressure on the ball, then the instant before you shoot, increase the down pressure. What this does is increase the take-off speed of the ball. Yes the man does move faster than the ball, but by the time you flip the man over to strike the ball, the ball has caught up with the man. Therefore you are not waiting on the ball or coming back to it. The result is a faster, smoother shot. Many years ago, long before the snake came into the game, one of the great players of the 70's told me," Smooth = Fast " his name was Ronnie Lewis.

[Old Meister]

I'm enjoying a static start to the snake where I set in the middle and do three different shots either direction. I do a straight push or pull, a one fake or a double fake either direction. You can really set a goalie back on their heels quick. Doing a double pull (pull-push-pull) followed next shot by a single fake push (pull-push) and throwing in single move pushes or pulls only when you really get them expecting a multiple move before the shot. The nice thing about the double fakes is how you can back cut these with a little practice. Like Comebackkid said, smooth is the key!
I have to modify this post as I played this past weekend and did real good with a half slow methodical rock which after rocking for a while I would simply extend one of the rocks into a smooth rollover with no tells. You don't let your body move or any hitches when you execute the shot. You can also make back cut angles the same way. I feel a goalie can't afford to keep covering longs on both sides  and remain clean in the middle even though it is a half speed rock . I beat a pro-master with it and he admitted to not knowing what was going to happen next. The more you relax and stay smooth the more effective it is. So there, there is two options for you to try.

[thebodygroove]

Here's a simple yet effective exercise for you:

1. Set up two balls: one in the middle, and one in front of the hole you want to hit, preferably at the most distant position from where it can still go in.

2. Put your man on the ball in the middle.

3. Without moving the ball, move your man to the side and strike the second ball into the corner.

4. Do this for at least 10 minutes, then switch to normal shooting.

This exercise gives you a good feeling for the right distance while liberating you from the need to do the toss right. Do the lateral motion slowly until it feels comfortable, then increase the speed.

Aber jetzt seh ich erst den Hinweis auf Garlando - hätte ich den ganzen Kram auch auf Deutsch schreiben können?

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