Topic: The snake shot

[foosinaround69]

I'm curious to know if anyone can remember how long the snake shot has been around? Also, who came up with it? I have a friend who says he did the shot first back in a tourny in California back in the either late 70's or early 80's. Far be it from me to know if he did or not but I would be interested in knowing what other people thought!! Truthfully,  I'd never seen the shot back then. Then all of the sudden everyone is using it for the past few years. Personally it is the only shot I have not taken the time to master. I have tried it a few times here and there and it has been hit and miss and it doesn't seem to be the shot for me. I shoot a backpin or pull mostly and a variety of shots(depending what's working that day) but I would like to try and get the snake shot down.   I don't have room for a table anymore so I don't get time to practice shots like I used to and it definatly takes practice to shoot this shot. Anyone got some tips on how to get the snakeshot down?  Thanks!!!





 

[bbtuna]

I have heard and read a number of stories before...I hear the earliest version of it was 60s no later than 70s but was really only a trick shot to wow people

first person of note to use it in a tournament but not entire tournament is John Smith...John shoots a pull but he whipped out the rollover late in a tournament which he ended up winning

Terry Moore however is the first person of note to start using it exclusively in tournaments and that was 1990 or 1991...Terry was very dominant for quite a few years and over that time, the rollover caught on until now it probably is 80%-85% of the shots...

slowly, it seems to me, the pull shot is making somewhat of a comeback even among some younger players but the rollover represents less wear on a persons arm over the course of a long tournament which is one of the many reasons it is popular...mainly because it is effective, if it was not effective but was easy on your arm, no one would shoot it

but, after 17-18 years now, people have learned how to D up against the roller and it isn't the gimmie shot it once was and for many people, the strategic battle involved with the pull holds more intrigue

I mean, a roller hasn't won Tornado Worlds in 11 years...Fredric Colligon (Euro Pin) has won I think 8 of 11 (including a stretch of 5 in a row I might add) and the other 3 were won by pull shooters - Adrain Zamora, Tom Yore, and Dave Gummerson

Todd Loffredo won 4 times in the 90's before becoming goalie for Fred and he shoots a pull...most of the others were rollover or mix from Tommy Addkinson who shoots both equally well and moves from one to the other when the mood hits him

I think Tommy is credited with being the first to win Worlds shooting a rollover...he was shooting primarily a pull and ran into some trouble toward the end, his goalie suggested he move to a rollover, he did, and they won

now some of my facts could be a little off because I am going on memory of others stories but I think this is pretty close

what is your friends name?

[EDGEER]

I have heard and read a number of stories before...I hear the earliest version of it was 60s no later than 70s but was really only a trick shot to wow people

first person of note to use it in a tournament but not entire tournament is John Smith...John shoots a pull but he whipped out the rollover late in a tournament which he ended up winning

Terry Moore however is the first person of note to start using it exclusively in tournaments and that was 1990 or 1991...Terry was very dominant for quite a few years and over that time, the rollover caught on until now it probably is 80%-85% of the shots...

slowly, it seems to me, the pull shot is making somewhat of a comeback even among some younger players but the rollover represents less wear on a persons arm over the course of a long tournament which is one of the many reasons it is popular...mainly because it is effective, if it was not effective but was easy on your arm, no one would shoot it

but, after 17-18 years now, people have learned how to D up against the roller and it isn't the gimmie shot it once was and for many people, the strategic battle involved with the pull holds more intrigue

I mean, a roller hasn't won Tornado Worlds in 11 years...Fredric Colligon (Euro Pin) has won I think 8 of 11 (including a stretch of 5 in a row I might add) and the other 3 were won by pull shooters - Adrain Zamora, Tom Yore, and Dave Gummerson

Todd Loffredo won 4 times in the 90's before becoming goalie for Fred and he shoots a pull...most of the others were rollover or mix from Tommy Addkinson who shoots both equally well and moves from one to the other when the mood hits him

I think Tommy is credited with being the first to win Worlds shooting a rollover...he was shooting primarily a pull and ran into some trouble toward the end, his goalie suggested he move to a rollover, he did, and they won

now some of my facts could be a little off because I am going on memory of others stories but I think this is pretty close

what is your friends name?

I think your dead on.  Based on what I have heard, John was the first to have permission to shoot it in a Tour event.   I think the shot was arround for several years beforehand as a bar-room only shot because it wasn't legal.  I also heard Dave Courrington tell the story of approving it as a legal shot for the first time at a Regional in Houston in like 1988 or 1989.  I beleave Courrington had prior knowledge of the shot before the tourny.  The word on the street was John had this un-blockable toe shot and was planning on using it in the tournament.  So when it came up at the event Courrington had all ready had in his mind it was going to be a legal shot.

[foosinaround69]

Steve Reuther.... I thought Terry Moore was the one popularized the shot I do remember that. The next thing I knew everyone started using it.  It is a shot where sometimes it's easy to block and other times it isn't. It really depends on who is shooting it.lol I'm no goalie so it is easy to shoot on me most of the time. Thanks for the info bbtuna!!!

[Billings Semi-pro]

The first time I saw a roller was in 1987 in OKC, OK and it was caled a rocket shot.  Later on in life, I seen it again, it was 1991 and the fooser who was shooting said he picked up the shot while living in California.  He said he played on Stricker (sp?) tables back then.  Anyway, we would not allow the shot during tourneys (in Durham, NC) cause it was a spin to us.  We played on Rene Pierre table (french style) and it was just a spin shot to us.   

[thebodygroove]

The Snake Shot was invented by a German guy named Friedrich Kircher back in the 70s. His claim to be the first player ever to execute it was corroborated in an interview by Todd Loffredo. I've heard Kircher tell the story in another interview: He said that he had injured some ligaments in his wrist, so that he wasn't able to shoot a wrist flick. Because he didn't want to quit playing, he tried to think of different way to move the rod - and the Snake was born.
When he attended Tournaments in the USA, some top players saw the potential of this "freak shot" and started practicing it. The rest is history.

[gitablok]

Yes, through my travels overseas, I too have heard this from many Euros. John Smith was credited with the shot mainly because of his well known name in the sport, Terry became the most prolific with the shot, but from what I have heard, Kircher was the originator.

ICEMAN

[Steve]

I heard it was Al Gore

[alaskan thunder]

As far as learning the snake, this helped me a ton.


http://www.foosballheaven.com/faqs/snake-and-pull-shots.txt