Topic: Shooting technique in the bars

[Pat]

I've been playing for about 6 months and have developed a decent snake shot that I use in league play.  However, it is sometimes not effective in the bars when the rods do not slide easily or the balls are slippery.

I'm looking for some recommendations on a second shot that will be consistant and effective when playing with suboptimal equipment.  I play mostly on Leonhart and Lehmacher tables.

I've found that the pin shot does not suffer as much from the rod quality but if the balls are slippery it is very difficult to pin them.  Tables that are not level make the setup required for a pull shot difficult and the atmosphere in the bars is sometimes not conducive to taking a long time to get the ball in exactly the right position.  However, I haven't practiced these shots a great deal even on tournament tables.

[thebodygroove]

Where are you from, playing on L-tables?

[Pat]

I'm originally from the US but I'm currently living in Hamburg.

[crazy8]

I can't speak for those brands - but, in the days of bar-foos in the US (mostly 70's) a good rolling-pull, back-pins and back-pins that transitioned into pull-shots were the rage - especially on bar-quality tables where the atmosphere and the table itself favored a more active, rather than stationary, game.  Pretend you're Italian or Greek and add a little zazzle-dazzle to your game - you'll look good even when the shot doesn't go in. 

Don't forget to employ at least two men for your shots (pull/push kicks), grow your sideburns a little longer and bushier and wear hip-huggers with you Frye boots.  You'll be boss.

 
Paul

[crazy8]

Clarification - it is pretty easy to front or back-pin the ball, then to bring the man along-side as you transition into a pull or push.  It's a fast way to stabilize the ball and can be pretty deceptive.

[thebodygroove]

Actually the Rollover is the most efficient shot on those tables, even with slippery balls. Maybe you might also want to try a Euro pin...

[Pat]

I've tried a few of these suggestions recently.  On an ancient Tournier Sieger the only shot I was successful with was a back pin.  The ball was too light for a pull and the rods didn't turn easily enough for an effective pin shot.  The snake was impossible.


I played on an old Leonhart with solid rods last weekend.  I could shoot a snake with success against goalies who didn't move much but the heavy rods prevented me from hitting holes quick enough to beat experienced goalies.  The pull shot was effective but unfortunately I haven't practiced it enough to be really dangerous.  Some guys were shooting pin shots with only a small amount of lateral movement this seemed to be a bit more effective than my snake.

[jagiar]

I often have the same problem on older tables where the rods are not maintained and stick or the goals are those older 'semi-circle' type (I use the euro pin).  On such tables, snake and pin shots are near impossible to score consistently as either the ball rises too much and hits the top of the goal or the stickiness of the rods do not allow for speed of execution.  In such instances I think a solid pull kick with multiple options (off timing, dinks, etc) will be effective.  The benefit of such tables is that your defense does not need to be as strong as defending against such shots, when the shooter is encumbered with sticky rods, is less difficult.

[foozkillah]

What were you doing, foosing in a war zone or something? Always bringing a little 0.5 oz vial or pocket applicator of silicone oil or Superlube (avail online, and at most hobby n hardware stores)  wouldn't help?  Perhaps the rods were that badly chipped and scarred, but a "widdle gwease" should help immensely, or at least a bit. I've played on bar tables with some nasty sticky rods, and a few times I've even simply got some SlimJims at the bar or some nearby store (3-in-1 or even baby oil if there is a store) and used that plus some bar napkins..  None of these worked? Always 5 min or less... 2 minutes to do your side if the other side didn't want working rods, or were too drunk to care ..  I used to say.. "Don't put the 1 yrs worth of LDL cholesterol in your body .... put it on the rods if there's no other lube!!!"
;
I've always carried a little lube vial with me whenever I went barhopping .. over 20 yrs now.. and it really helped me from getting frustrated and even upset at trying to foos on a gunky/grimy bar table.  And the past 10 yrs, I've carried that vial inside a little 6-7" standard black knit football gauntlet (with the rubberized strip, and the foam padding removed), which when folded over, even on the wrist, looks like any other black wristband.  That rubberized strip is pretty much impervious to water, beer, mud, sleet, snow, etc. and negates the need to bring or put on wraps on like a snotty/snooty "local pro"..
;
I've always hated not being able to completely and totally annihilate any barhack.  Remember, they asked for it, so do them a favor.  And if you need to wear gloves to compete effectively in a fooshack bar, you REALLY ARE one of them snotty/snooty local pros ... deal with it.

[jagiar]

Killah, as much as I agree with you that lube, in some form or another, is usually readily available, I think there are times where you come across an older table that for some reason or another does not accomodate a certain shot/pass type.  Try to picture a snake shot on an goal that is semi-circular with players that have squared feet, or a wall pass on a rod with a large spring on the end (versus a bumper).  If you have a wicked wall pass and snake and come across a table with these characteristics, no amount of lube is going to help.  You are at risk of losing to the guy who plays on this table as his 'home' table.  Now picture a scenario where you are known as a 'pro' player and come across this table and player.  If this bar hack gives you a hard time because the table won't allow you to execute your high percentage stuff, it's not going to look good.  That's why I believe you should really develop a set of shots and passess that can be performed on older tables as well (like solid pull kicks on the 3-bar and stick passes across the 5-bar).  After all, being a good player means being able to do more than just one shot.

[foozkillah]

Jag,
Doesn't matter one whit if you have 3-4 great shots that translate across most tables.  I do, by the way,since I went to jr high over in UK and the Low countries and been back there to visit often, since the 80's.  I've played on prolly 50 different tables from Leonhart/Jupiters to DeutscherMeisters to Dynamos and all versions of TS, the original bowlfield Garlandos and Roberto Sports and all manner of tables in Southeast Asia and South America... And in all manner of horrible conditions.
;
Pat, please just remember: ALL FOOSBALL TABLES ARE BUILT AND DESIGNED TO HAVE FREELY MOVING RODS.  If you got gunk/stickum/goo/babycrap on the rods AND YOU INSIST ON TRYING TO ADJUST and play competitively on an UNPLAYABLE FIELD... you deserve however badly you lose.
;
Clean the rods, then lube them... If the rods are bent,  let the other idiots have that side.  Or which side affects your game more. But I'd still do the basic shots, perhaps the frontpin Euro palmroll , pull or push shots, whichever ones you should still have that you did shoot or practice at one time, EVEN IF YOU ARE A rollover shooter.  But don't try these or your snake or other unpracticed shots if you can't even freely move the rods FIRST.