Topic: The switch of the 2 man on defense

[Old Meister]

Great post! Lot's to think about.

[foozkillah]

Just trying to help, we had the fortune to be near Tampa for decades, where 1-3 times a week you could join a DYP or BYP of 11-24 teams where 3/4 of the players were pros or better.

Kinda like the Dallas FtWorth area (Houston-Texas City before that) and Denver-Boulder areas were during the 80's & 90's.

We learned to forget about style and motion series' and flick here or there, and more like what Bobby Cox taught hitters and pitchers for decades in Atlanta... figure out the highest percentage spots in your strike zone and JUST FRIGGIN BE THERE most of the time while protecting your strike zone.  And for pitchers like Martinez or Lefty, or scorers like Mr. Jordan or Mr. Bryant:  develop the automatics and spots where if you go there and its not defended, ITS OVER == POINT/S.  And develop more spots (or kill pitches). 

The more weapons, the more kill lanes.  Get a deadbar automatic with a pump automatic and a "ghost" straight - sounds like Tracy from Texas.  But when Billy is always in two of those lanes at time of the shot ... you get 33% or less, guaranteed !! 

Kobe Bryant had a kill 3pointer from the right side, 45degrees, a kill drive to a layup when no double showed, and a crossover right-to-left when the other center had the back to him.  Boston knew they could discourage the other guys from shooting just by forcing them right or left, at least cutting their simpler lanes out.  Then they threw doubles and TRIPLES at Kobe's kill spots ..  He scored what, 15-20 points below his season, even lifetime average??  It's just math! = Celtics crush!

What I'm trying to say is, if you're defending with motion, and your two blockers are at some point or dot position where the forward will NEVERNEVERNEVERNEVER shoot through, PLUS, you're not either coming from a kill lane or going to one, your "D" is completely WORTHLESS.

If you're defending with a still or "fake" still "D" as in Diaz, you better race to two or more of the forwards lanes and correctly, no smooth motion, but snapping to them.  And when the forward adjusts, you ALSO know that a complementary adjustment (quarter inch this way or that way) on your part will keep your D solid.

And remember, as in any sport or hobby or game, the tighter & longer the game, the later the hour, the more tired the players... the more body memory comes into play, sometimes that's all you have left.  And I say this for all the old fogies like me who can't really start doing those high-energy "Super Shake D's" and magic "2bar switching strategies", especially if you're fortunate enough to last to the losers and then winners final.  Remember the MATH, and look good, look relaxed, doing it!  Y'er All-in!!!

If you like this, I have another brain-crushingly long treatise on the modern "Central Zone" D that makes all the old "short-long" D's look really stupid after you see the simple MATH.  It's on Foosworld.com, and it even shows you how to test the D by yourself.  I'm planning on a simple vid or two to demo them, like Zeke's (Ezekiel) on YouTube, very simple..

[bbtuna]

really good stuff...thanks, I collect this kind of thing and this is very well done and is very sound...well put

I read the Central Zone - I need to reread but I played some with it from the pull side and it looks like, if I am setting it up right, like the spray long, square long, 3/4, long, and cut back pullkicks are open as well as a short if you just go around the 3 bar and shoot the 1 hole

its late so I am not shooting on it but I practice shooting on stuff like this because I practice beating the best singles zones I have seen and test my own

granted, these are all less percentage shots but that is only because people don't usually do them because they aren't open as often

anyway, I would like to have some back and forth with it and it would be great to see a short video explaining what you mean

this looks like some zones I have played around with for singles (and of which I have toyed with, with great success, in doubles) not based on the same logic and percentages you are saying but ending, without knowing it, with most of the same results

but I really like the idea of the squaring off the ends and pushing the action to the middle and some places people are uncomfortable with and giving the goalie a chance to pick up some turnovers

again, lets talk more later....keep it coming

[Old Meister]

What you're saying makes a lot of sense Fooskillah. I'd like to see examples of it to understand it better. I think I'm getting my money's worth on this thread, thanks.

[foozkillah]

... read the Central Zone - I need to reread but I played some with it from the pull side and it looks like, if I am setting it up right, like the spray long, square long, 3/4, long, and cut back pullkicks are open as well as a short if you just go around the 3 bar and shoot the 1 hole

Test it...  Put a 2x4x6 block behind your 5bar in the middle of the defending forward's 52-53 lane.  Center the defending 5bar..  Move the defending 3bar from end to end, covering the four(4) quickset "natural" release points.  The defending 3bar must NEVER be caught freezing in the middle (32 in front of the big dot) and end to end doesn't have to be wall to wall.  The idea is to have the defending 3bar ALWAYS coming from or going to defend the 2 inch area around the two outer dots on both sides.  This also forces the 3bar's 31 and 33 players to always be coming from or going to the 2inch area near each wall.  Get a hundred balls and have a friend quickset from a pull. Next set for an opposing goalkeeper's pushshot: set the ball in the area within 2 inches of the wall, set the wood block in the 53-54 lane and set the defending 5bar at the far wall (because of the push' naturally shallower shooting lanes).   Have the friend shoot quicksets from a push while moving the 3bar end to end.  See how much easier it is to snag any shot short of the first two dots and to guard against passing and near banks.

Remember that assuming the defending goalkeeper stays tight, with either the G2 or either 2bar player in front of his/her big dot, there is no direct shot except for very tight 1 and 5 holes, which the forward is baiting for.

No quicksets, no easy runbacks for touchdowns or breakaway hockey shots or basketball fast breaks.  All shots that can't be easily stuffed, stolen or blocked to the near central lane are PUNTS: loss of possession.  You have division of labor, inviting quicksets that go to your goalkeeper, the forward can spare 2-5 times as much concentration shutting down lane and brushdown passes and nearbanks that the defending goalkeeper has NO HOPE of defending, and anything else is downright dumb.  Sure you can have a super forward fast enough to cover everything, but any decent goalkeeper can set, fake, tictac, back and forth to a push or pull or push/pull kick. And mixing it up with passes to any decent forward.

This way the opposing team HAS to use skill, develop crossover shots and passes.  Your team may still lose, but then it becomes the beautiful game foosball is, and the weaker or less experienced team gets a chance to stay in the game, not get run over 5zip or 5-1/5-2.

**Special note** in Singles play, there is no luxury of a player defending both the central lanes at goal.  But to go back to goal is usually only a desperation move, because passing from goal to forward is a lot more commonly practiced and perfected in singles rather than in doubles.  The math still counts... either the 52-53 or the 53-54 central lane will receive 65-70% of quicksets, instead of 95%+ with both central lanes covered.  So while defending at forward, he/she must remember which lane is the most critical and have to guard the outsides or "frame" of the critical center lane.  More area for the forward to cover, yes, but that's singles with no partner to help, so it is harder.  But if you shut down even just the most critical center lane, you are giving yourself a chance in singles, which can be often be a walking-jumping-screaming heart attack.  Most "feared" singles players usually count on their quicksets and quick passes to steamroll their opponent, and using the math might actually let you relax in a serious hack-to-hack singles match.