I know I must sound like a Loffredo BALL-HUGGER, but come on people! I am really serious about coming back to compete against these top players of today. I know that I will haft to adjust to the snake shot and learn the right defense for it, but if I can just get a hold of some Loffredo clippage in his prime shooting it , then I can have the advantage over them by duplicating Loffredo's stroke.
Tell me where, and who to call and I'm on it yesterday!
Also, I heard that Steve Murray shot it about as good as Loffredo in his prime. Was Murray's pull-shot in the elite class?
Old Meister gave you that link. I've rarely seen a smoother pull with lots of power as Minnesotan Jim Wiswell's, or the maddening no-tell rolling pull series from Todd, until I moved to Florida and saw Johnny Horton's. Johnny used to warm up for those Tampa tourneys in the 90s at Rudy's Sports Bar in Largo, FL (now owned by Boz Diaz) and somehow draw a bigger audience than the adjacent 2 or 3 pit matches currently in progress. He practiced by getting a bunch of balls in his left hand, throwing them one by one near the three bar, where he caught them in a pull set and proceeded to shoot pulls, both quicksets and timed ones. Unless you've physically been there, you will have a very hard time understanding why people would crowd to see him warm up. Hard to describe that crunching thumping sound, which was prolly close to a Mercedes door or trunk lid slamming shut. And he was definitely a showman, with often hilarious choice phrases after each shot. Only after seeing and hearing him do that did I begin to really understand why his videos were some of the most in-demand tapes (at the time) of foosball tournaments. Many righteously criticize and denounce Johnny for his off-table antics and behaviour, but his foosball AND HIS PULL were classic.
Question: Do you think the snake shot is good for the game. Do you guys think that it stole the integrity from true wrist shooters, and took the work ethic out of foosball? Isn't spinning illegal? I guess I just haft to accept reality of this lazy-boy progression, but its not how I remember it on TS
Have a good day! Thanks, Bob C.
Even with all the distaste from the oldschool pullshooters for the sudden and permanent addition of the rollover to the scene starting in the mid-90's, as pioneered and exemplified by Terry Moore, King Louie, Rob Mares and Tommy Adkisson, one has to be thankful that the rollover kept interest, especially from young recruits to the game, alive and well.
I agree with Old Meister that the rollover is just as hard to master as any other foosball kill or "money" shot, especially the pull. However, its use of physics to impart a very violent, pounding, but also smooth force to the ball, resulting in a very loud booming sound when going into the goal, is like adding sound effects and the pinwheeling show of the rollover motion, to the game. Even a straight or a 1/4 inch rollover is pretty impressive to those who have trouble even hitting the push, pull or kick shot with any loud and intimidating power. Not too many things will draw newbies to the game as a half-decent rollover, as I have noted repeatedly, over the past 10 years. And aerials are now illegal.
Many rollover shooters can also shoot without radically changing their stance and footwork from that used in passing or defending. One cannot say the same for pull, push, and kick shooters, where going into shooting stance often becomes an adventure that can really mess with the ease of playing the game. And yes, once wraps and wristband protectors became commonplace, rollover shooting became a lot less strenous and less injurious, physically. The fact that the rollover is a pinned power shot, makes it less susceptible to errors due to table roll and differences in table surface characteristics, the same advantage as classic front or back pin wrist and/or palmrolled shots.
You could say the snake or rollover is a culmination of several good features:
1. the power and weight of spun rods being transferred to the ball without additional stress on the shooter; usually no rheumatoid arthritis or tennis or wrist elbow, or back & upper shoulder problems for its proponents later in life.
2. taking advantage of the natural control for acceleration and even faking, of pinned shots
3. taking advantage of a front pinned shot that is over an inch closer in firing distance to the hole at all times.
4. no special grip or fingertip control is required, from the start.... can be shot by Peter Pan's Cap'n Hook. Once one gets past controlling and moving the ball with the inside of one's wrist, it only gets better and more reliable, and doesn't suffer the "touch" problems of standard double-roll (down then up) palmrollers.
5. can be shot effectively in any square-to-the-table or other stances, which really helps in doubles, too.
6. the straights can be as loud and pop-out visceral as any lateral shot, which really helps with feedback, especially for noobs and kids.
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