Foosworld.com

2008 Colorado State Live Streaming

Rainz — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:19:00 GMT

Live streaming will be available shortly.

To access the stream visit http://www.fooscam.com

You will need the latest version of RealPlayer located here:
http://forms.real.com/real/player/download.html?type=rp11b_us_i&pageid=unagi.16339580.wrapper&pageregion=column2Div1&src=realplayer_com&pcode=rn&opage=realplayer_com

FREE 2007 Kentucky State Championships Live Streaming!

Rainz — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:05:00 GMT

http://208.100.28.75/ramgen/broadcast/secure/fooscam.rm

user: demo
password: demo

Requires the latest RealPlayer located here:
http://www.real.com/R/RDX.downloadr_2.R/software-dl.real.com/038a1d3896d5f09f7017/windows/installer/stubinst/stub/rp11/en/rp11b_us/RN40PD/RealPlayer11BETA.exe

Free Live Italy World Championships Audio Feed

Rainz — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 14:37:00 GMT

Here is the link to the free live audio stream in Italy:
http://208.100.28.75/ramgen/broadcast/secure/fooscam.rm
user: radio
password: radio

Commentary by Jim Stevens of Inside Foos and Brad Anderson of Table Sports Radio

You can view the schedule online at:
http://www.tablesportsradio.com

Live Streaming

Rainz — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 14:09:00 GMT

Live streaming for the Tornado World Series will be available at 2pm Las Vegas time on Thursday. Any users with pending Foosworld applications will have their accounts approved before then.

Foosworld Rating Questions

Rainz — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 04:03:00 GMT

We've had quite a few questions regarding the new Foosworld rating, i'll try and respond here:

The Foosworld rating is based on a combination of all major (and many regional) ustsa and ifp events from the past several years. This includes all non-handicapped, non-specialty events. This includes draws, pro-ams, and limited events. Points are adjusted for each match (using Player ratings at the time of the match), and then tallied at the end of each tournament.

For doubles the strength of each player on the team is accounted for - by this I mean that winning with a lower-rated partner will gain more points than winning with a higher-rated player. So for the doubles rating, the ability of a player to win with varying levels of partners is rewarded. For example if I played Open Doubles with Terry and he wins the event, he would gain much more in points than if he had played with Todd and won. This is why a player like Ron Olson has such a high doubles rating, he beats high-rated teams frequently with lower-rated partners.

The Foosworld rating arguably gives the most accurate representation of Tornado player strength to date, however keep in mind that all rating systems are flawed to some degree. Since there's still not enough match data, some player ratings may be off. And of course a higher rating doesn't guarantee victory over a lower rated player. When it comes down to a match numbers are just numbers, and some players just match up well against certain styles of players.

Hope this answers some questions, just let us know if anyone has other questions, comments or suggestions.

New USTSA ELO Point System

Rainz — Wed, 17 May 2006 16:16:00 GMT

From Vifa.com, Mury Johnson gives us a great explanation of the new USTSA ELO point system. Attached below is the full article in PDF format.

Photo Gallery & Blogs

Rainz — Mon, 15 May 2006 15:10:00 GMT

Some of you may have noticed two new features available on Foosworld, members can access these features upon request:

1. Blogs
A Blog, or weblog, is a journal created and updated by a user. The user is often referred to as a "blogger". Click here if you would like to maintain a blog on Foosworld.com for sharing your foosball related experiences, thoughts, and comments.

2. Photo Galleries
Click here to contact us if you would like to have your own foosball-related photo gallery on Foosworld.com. Also remember this site is rated PG-13.

EverPlay Tournament Software

Rainz — Mon, 15 May 2006 14:47:00 GMT

I'll be spending the majority of my time the next few months working on the EverPlay tournament software. Mary Moore, the founder of Independent Foosball Promotions, will be helping with the project. Recently she gave us a brief feature listing:

All brackets and matches are monitored
Voice match announcements
Self-registration
Online registration with credit card and PayPal integration
Live Online brackets
Detailed event reporting
Integrated accounting system that keeps track of all money taken in and paid out, by user.
Multi-event registration
Text messaging match notification to players cell phones
Jukebox feature for players to select their music
Console that gives you full view of the events running
player profiles - where players can go see what they are doing and what events they are in or they can check out their friend's status.
Projected time of next match - this will give you an estimate on when your next match will be called
The biggest new feature we are adding is the AI (brain). It will oversee every match making sure there never is a hole in the charts. No more long waits.
Up to 512 team charts.

The ETA for the software is September 2006. This is much later than the previous January 2006 projection, but due to feature additions and further testing the release date had to be delayed.

If anyone has requests or suggestions for the tournament software, now would be the time to mention them. We may be able to fit in a few more features, but most likely these requests won't make it into the product until the 2007 update.

Where did all the results go?

Rainz — Mon, 15 May 2006 14:40:00 GMT

The old result system had quite a few problems, especially when it came to updating incorrect results, and submitting new results. We have taken the result system offline while we upgrade the site. The new and improved results system and player listing will be back online June 15th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

If anyone has any comments or suggestions for the result and player listings, now would be the time to mention them.

Christina Fuchs Interview

Rainz — Sat, 27 Mar 2004 00:13:00 GMT

Foosworld presents Susan's interview with 9-time Major titleholder Christina Fuchs. Aside from her great foosball career, Christina uses her other talents working with Jim Stevens at InsideFoos Productsions. Here is her interview:

Where were you born & raised?

I was born in Santa Monica, California on March 4th, 1968 and raised in the Venice area of Los Angeles. I currently live in Huntington Beach, California with my boyfriend Jim Stevens (the "Fooscaster") and my dog Smoky.

How old were you when you first started playing?

I began playing in 1989 at the age of 21 at the Sports Harbour tavern in Marina Del Rey, California. at the time it was one of the L.A area's real foosball hotspots with several weekly tournaments and really good competition. Players like Terry Moore, Evan Stachelek, Gregg Perrie, and Ron Sipiora used to regularly attend these events, so I had to get good quick, and I guess I did. I won my first tournament (a weekly DYP) just 2 months after starting, and I was hooked on the sport from there.

What was your first major tournament ever played?

The first major tournament I attended was the U.S. Open held in San Bernardino, CA in 1990. It was a real eye-opener. I had played against some good players in L.A. but the depth of talent at that major tournament was amazing to me. I played, and did okay, but I realized then that I still had a ton to learn!

What was your first Major title ever won?
I won my first major title in 1995 with Liz Hill in Womens Doubles at the U.S. Open in Cleveland, OH. We had just begun to play together that season, so to win that soon out was very exciting. Of course Liz was already, at the age of 18, one of the top lady forwards in the sport, so it was nothing new to her. But to me, it was exhilarating!

What is your primary position?

I've been fortunate enough to have won four Female Goalie of the Year titles, so I guess I'm a goalie. But I also enjoy playing forward, and have done so on several different occasions during my career. But most of my forward play comes when I play singles, or when we need to give the opponent a different look on the defensive five, or when defending the 3 rod.

Which do you like better?

By far the goalie position. I've spent most of my career in the back, playing with the likes of Liz Hill, Tom Yore, Dave Gummeson, and now Adrian Zamora. I enjoy the challenge of going up against the best forwards in the world and trying to out-think them. I especially enjoy Mixed and Open Doubles where I can go head to head with the big boys.

Primary & secondary shot as a forward? As a goalie?

When I first started playing I shot a pull shot. But in 1995 I switched to the roll-over which would now be considered my primary shot. I don't think I really have one single back up shot, but I can always shoot my old pull shot if necessary. At the goalie position I use a standard pull series with variations of course and different passing options. To be consistent at goalie I think it's important to have a basic shooting/passing series with lots of options to always keep the opponent guessing.

How about passing series. What is your primary? Do you have more than one?

When I DO play the forward position, I use a near wall brush and/or tic-tac series. If I'm not feeling comfortable with either, I'll switch to the far wall brush. I have a tendency to rush sometimes, and with the far wall series I seem to take more time and be more under control. Now as a goalie one of my strengths is my passing ability. I'm not a great scorer from goal, so I just try to continually feed my partner the ball. It has proven to be a very effective strategy over the years.

What is your favorite tournament?

Well, you can't really argue with either the World Championships or the Hall of Fame Classic as being special. They are both awesome events with first class competition. If I had to choose between them I guess I'd say my favorite tournament would probably be the Hall of Fame Classic, because it's in Las Vegas, and you get to see all your foos buddies after a 6 month tour season layoff. Not to mention it's closer to my home here in southern California. Now if you were to ask me my favorite venue, I'd say anything in Minnesota. I have had strong showings at many of the tourneys that I have attended in the Twin Cities, including a first place finish in mixed doubles with Adrian Zamora at last year¹s National Championships. I also have a few Minnesota State titles and won my only Open Women's Singles title at the 1996 U.S. Open at the Minneapolis Hilton.

What is your favorite event?

I really enjoy competing against the men in either Mixed or Open Doubles. Going against their natural speed and power and Trying to outsmart them with my wits and experience is truly the most exciting challenge in the sport for me. Of course I also enjoy going up against (and hopefully beating) the top lady forwards like Moya and Cindy. But to occasionally defeat a Terry Moore or Tony Spredeman in a big match really gives you a feeling of satisfaction.

What players have had the most influence on your game? What have you learned from them?

Early in my career I really enjoyed watching Thor Donovan because of the effort that he puts into each and every ball. In reality the first point of every game is just as important as the last, and I think Thor truly exemplifies that kind of play. Of course my old partner (now retired and raising children) Liz (Hill) Hellstern was probably the biggest influence on me. I loved playing with Liz. She was such a great partner and taught me so much. And of course my partner in life Jim Stevens who taught me to play "professional style" and continues to coach me to this day.

What was your biggest learning curve as a goalie?

The most difficult thing I had to learn early on was how to hit the ball with any power whatsoever. I was diagnosed with the severest form of Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 18, so my wrists simply don't work the way they are supposed to. I had to learn how to shoot pull shots (my main offensive series from goalie) by using a palm roll or open handed style in order to generate the power necessary to be any kind of offensive factor. I still am not a great shooter, choosing to primarily pass or clear the ball, but I seem to get the job done.

In your opinion, What is the hardest shot to defend?

I'd like to think that I can block them all. It's really a matter of finding your opponent's tendencies and adjusting appropriately. Knowing their weaknesses, timing, shot selection, tells, etc. makes it easier to get a read and hopefully a good percentage of the blocks. As a goalie in the open events, when playing against the top forwards, you are seldom going to stop every shot. So it's important to make sure you block a good percentage of them, to allow your partner the opportunity be successful at his or her offensive end. I have had some of my better performances playing against the men in Open and Mixed Doubles. The top pros always know why they're shooting to a specific hole, and they usually execute about 99% of the time, which makes it easier to think along with them and anticipate the shot. And of course you can generally count on the fact that they're not going to stub or spray the ball to the wrong hole.But if I had to pick one style of shot, I'd say (long pause) probably a pull-kick, since I rarely see them anymore. But if and when I do face them I'll be doing some serious reading and adjusting.

What training tips would you recommend for beginners?

Of course spending as much time on the table as possible is a big key. I always advise new players to practice handling the ball, passing from man to man, rod to rod, slowly at first, and gradually developing speed. When you can do what you want to with the ball, the rest (shots, passes etc.) comes much easier.
As a goalie, you want to start by perfecting the three basics: Blocking the slop, keeping the ball in your area after a block or opponent's missed shot, and developing a consistent offensive series in order to clear your zone. Scoring from goal is a bonus. If you can do the three basics, and block a decent percentage against the opposing forward, you're going to be a successful goalie.

It also helps to find an experienced player or "coach" to help you along. I think playing in a league definitely helps a "beginner" because he or she is motivated to do well for the team, and it's a good way to get some personalized coaching. Oh, and of course watch the videos of the top players from insidefoos.com!

How do you prepare yourself for a tournament?

I just try to get in some quality table time, both by myself and playing against other players. My daily practice regimen includes ball handling (as discussed earlier) and practicing the execution of the shots, passes, and defenses that I will use in tournament play. I also watch videos to pick up other players tendencies and strategies, and to review my performances against certain players. Of course I get my best practice playing against my boyfriend Jim (Stevens, the "Fooscaster")) to see who has to do the dishes or walk the dog. I hate doing the dishes (and so does Jim) so our games get pretty competitive.

What was your most memorable match?

I can remember almost all of them. Winning my first Mixed Doubles title with Tom Yore (at the time my regular partner) back in 1996 at the Masters in Atlanta is a great memory. After winning the winner's bracket, we were faced with a possible double-dip after a first set defeat. But we turned the match back around and came back to defeat Bob Diaz and Angela Sine for our first title together. It was an overwhelming victory for me. What a feeling! It felt like all the hard work had finally paid off in a big way. It was a huge step in my career.

My most memorable "weekend" would be the 1996 U.S. Open held in Minneapolis. I won my first and only singles tour title at that tournament, and finished 2nd in both Women's Doubles (with Liz Hill) and Mixed Doubles with Bobby Diaz. That tournament made me feel like I could compete with anyone on the pro tour, even though winning the singles title was as big a surprise to me as it was to everyone else.

What female players games do you respect?

The first female player to come to mind would be Cindy Head. She's been at the top of the sport for almost two decades and is showing no sign of stopping anytime soon (until she retires of course). She has numerous tour wins with an amazing 33 World titles alone. With a record like that how could you not respect a player like Cindy. You've also got to love the intense way that she plays the game. It's a lot of fun to watch her when she really gets rolling. Although not so much fun to play against her.
Moya Tielens is another player that I greatly respect. Not only has she proven herself by competing and winning mutiple titles in the lady's events, she has, on more than one occasion, raised many eyebrows with her success in the open events as a forward playing against the men. Her win this year in Vegas playing forward in mixed was an amazing achievement!
Of course my first regular partner, Liz Hellstern (aka Liz Hill), also had a huge impact on my playing career. She took a chance playing with me (I was only rated an expert at the time) back in 1995 and we hit it off immediately, winning our first 2 major tournaments. Liz at that time was among the top 3 lady forwards in the world and had already won more than 20 titles.
She taught me teamwork and camaraderie on and off the table. No matter what situation we may have found ourselves in, I always knew she wouldn't give up on me nor I her, not only for the sake of the "team" but also for not wanting to let your friend down. Playing beside her for more than five years, I learned what most of my strengths and weaknesses were, and she shared her time, insight, strength, knowledge and friendship with me. To this day we're still very good friends (even though she lives in Oklahoma and I'm in So Cal), and hopefully we'll see her out competing on the pro tour again in the future.

Do you think women get the recognition they deserve in this sport?

Yes, I think they mostly do. When I hear both male and female players talk about the most dominant players in the sport of foosball, Cindy Head and Moya Tielens are always two of the names that are immediately brought up. Of course when women make up only about 10% of all tournament attendees, you can't expect them to get as much notoriety as the men. Hopefully in the future, the sport will grow enough to where all players, men and women, will get more recognition from both their peers and the general public.

Thanks Christina!

Todd Loffredo Interview

Rainz — Fri, 26 Mar 2004 00:12:00 GMT

Foosworld presents Susan's interview with "The Duke" of foosball, Todd Loffredo.
Todd is considered by many to be the greatest fooser of all time and he was

kind enough to share his time and insight with us:

Where were you born & raised?

I was born in Aurora Colorado Aug 17 1960. Most of my Childhood was spent in Denver

except for 5 years that I Lived in Madrid and Toledo Spain. My father was in the Military.

How old were you when you started playing?

The first time I touched a table was when I was 12 at the Aurora mall with my brother.

The first time I played a tournament was when I was 14 and I played against Tom Spear

for the finals, I Won, it was also his first tournament. The next tournament was a

singles tournament and he beat me for first and we went on like that for a few

tournaments and then started to play together. The first Tour Tournament I played

in was the 1976 World Championships on Tournament Soccer.

When did you win your first major title?
In 1977 at Worlds I won Open doubles with my best friend and Partner Gil Jackson..

We Played Jim Wiswell and Doug Fury for the Winner of the Winners bracket and

then Ken Allwell and Mark "smiley" Shuer, I also won the Draw with a middle aged

guy that really helped guide me through that weekend, I can't remember his name

but I do remember that he really helped my confidence that weekend.

Which players have you learned the most from?

The obvious ones are Mike Bowers, Tom Spear, Gus Trevino. But the real list is
of the not so obvious. Like a Colorado local guy that doesn't play anymore named
Bob Sciba. He was a lefty who really taught me a lot about the 5 man and had a
great 5 man. Russell Dyerly, another Colorado player was another guy who I used to
practice with that showed me how to come up with creative solutions when I am
stumped. He was the first guy to really use the one hand on two rods effectively
to where I thought it could be advantageous to learn it. We would practice all
sorts of ball control styles and we were constantly trying new ideas on every
rod against one another. It definitely helped me to have confidence in my
creativity on offense and defense. I have learned so many different things from
listening and paying attention to the game from all sorts of players, both
rookie and pro. I have borrowed/stolen and modified many trick shots, passes and
defenses through the years. Collaboration with your fellow players and partners
is huge in the learning experience. Two people that want answers can see the
truth much easier than one I feel. I have ask a lot of questions over the years
to all sorts of players and am relentless in finding answers to certain problems
I have faced in the game.. Sometimes your answers can come from a player that you
watch in a bar and sometimes from a match or a fellow player at a tournament
just shooting the breeze.

In what ways has foosball evolved since the 70’s?

The game itself has gotten smarter over the years from the natural evolution of
the game. The game defensively has gotten better and the offenses much more
structured. The game use to have much more variety but now with video people have
learned what works best and are learning those things. For example, you don't
see many people shooting kick shots from the three rod and that is because it is
harder to learn, harder to shoot and harder on your arm through a tournament
than a one man shot. That is why you don't see them anymore, they don't win
enough. If it wins, it stays.

In what ways has your game evolved since you started playing?

Well I really think I first won because I had a very good 5 man and knew how to
time men on the three man and didn't realize that my process was so unique until
I became a student of the game and asked a lot of question and really paid
attention to learning..My five man was much better then than now just because I
had superior passes than most others and had a very fast wall pass to keep the
guesses honest on dee. Not to mention that 5 defenses were much much worse back
25 years ago.. Now I am smarter. I have a much better middle than I used to on my
pull shot.. My five bar is decent on offense and much stronger on defense. I
understand defense now and usually know what to do in dire times where most get
panicky. I used to rely on my offensive game much more. You do have to realize
that because of the table changes and having to play on seven different tables
over the years with about 20 different balls that it has slowed the process of
evolving and I have had to revamp my game a few times because of table changes.
Some tables play slow and some fast and some have more control than others. It
is still coming along and the players of today would beat the players of
yesterday until the older players learned some of the new ways. . As the table
gets better, so do the players and you just simply cannot avoid it.

Do you feel that there is still something left for you to accomplish?

It is the same game for me as it is for you. No matter how much you win, you
still want to win. It may get harder to get motivated sometimes in the beginning
of a match or I may get a little more lazy but the wanting to win is still the
main goal and thing to accomplish. All the records of wins that I have are just
me trying to win every time I play. It has never been to accomplish anything but
to win the next coming tournament. I practice more for worlds because the money
is more and I take it more personally when I lose there because I have always
revered the World Championships as the moment of truth. But there is no title
that really drives me, nor some dream goal I have set. It's like most things we
do in life. We do it to feel good, And When we win it feels good. I guess if
there is one thing every person wants to accomplish in every sport, it is to
have a game that is so strong that it always win. But then the challenge would
die and so would your love for the game. It's a nice catch-22.

What is the one thing you have struggled with most in your career?

I was always creative but lacked discipline. Like to get on my table and shoot a
hundred shots a day or something like that.. I had to learn it and was lucky
enough to live with Tom Spear for a few years and saw how much discipline was
what made his game so great. He was a machine at practicing. And the way that he
practiced was so strict and structured. It almost hurt to watch..hehe But after
watching his game improve from it I knew it was foundation of reliability in the
game and especially if you want to change something in your game.

Typically, how do you prepare yourself for a major tournament?

For me Major means Worlds.. It is the only tournament I really train for. I practice

the things I want to use at the tournament often and start about 4 to 5 weeks

ahead of the tournament. I play as much as I can. And the formula I use
is simple. The more I play, and the more serious I practice = The better I play.

How do you maintain a championship level of play while only attending a few tournaments per year?

I don't really know..lol

Tell us about the pros and cons of the Brush, Stick, and Tic-Tac as a primary passing series.

With The brush pass it's easier to control the attack position.The moment that
the pass is struck. So What it boils down to is that with a brush you can fake
repeatedly to expose the defense and at the same time create pattern habits that
you can use to your advantage if you hide the moment of impact on the passes.
Mis-direction, with a good brush series is a key to having a good five man.
Stick passes are harder to catch and take a bit more guess work, but still can
be valuable to use at times. And they *** in the goal more often than most
passes. A Tic-tac with a fast rhythm is hard to block if the person doing it
can tic-tac and read the defense at the same time. It is hard to do but hard
also to read. Can be devastating when done well.

Is there a rule you would like to see added or changed in foosball?

Yes. I think that when the ball is shot from the three bar and then comes off of
the table that the goalie defending the shot should get the ball. A rule should
reward superior play and not give an unfair advantage.

What are your thoughts on the Rollover?
I feel that the hardest hurdle to overcome in foosball is the same as in boxing
or karate, even Tennis and many other one on one sports.. The art of striking or
a sudden attacking movement without giving away the point at which one strikes.
I see it time and time again from player to player. Players will give away the
intent of what they want to do often with their body language in response to
what they see in the defenses ahead of their movements on the table. Players
need to learn to hide those intentions until the moment of action. This is a
giant key to scoring consistently. Good defenses challenge the slowest and or

weakest part of a shot sooner or later and can make a shooter reveal their intentions

ahead of time. Bobby Diaz for example is a Goalie that knows how to make a player

question their speed to a baited hole. That pressure that he creates can easily make a

player reveal what they are intending on shooting or passing through little telegraphing
idiosyncrasies ahead of the action of their choice of shot that they are about
to take. Most players fail to hide their intentions when facing such
circ*mstances and that is why they get shut out. The best shooters in this game
have not only learned how to hide the intent of their choice but even reveal
intentions that are false to throw off the baiter. Tommy Adkinson is one of the
better players that is good at this deceptive art at times. The art of hiding
intent is the 1 quality that I see more people fear in a shot that any other.
And it is the art that takes the game to a new level when you can hide that
intent until the last moment. I feel that the roll over eliminates this art
because speed is easily achieved without the control and giveaway issues that
come from a pivoting shot. To have a pivot point, a shot must have a back swing.
There are two directions that the man has to travel to initiate impact. The rollover

has eliminated this move/pivot and there for the shots intent is hidden much
much easier. Its obvious to most people that there is not much race anticipation
in a decent roll over, so you cannot get a body read nor apply pressure to make
someone feel fear of the race to the baited hole. And that inner game of
learning to hide the take off on your shots is 1/2 of the art of mastering this
game we call foosball in my opinion.

What is your theory on the origin of the Rollover?

The Rollover was invented by (Jet) He is a large German man that visits our

tournaments often. John Smith shot it as a trick shot and tried it a few times when

his wrist was wearing down from a weekend of pullshots because it is easy on the

wrist and a few people would see it every now and then. Terry Moore was the first

to practice it as a serious shot and after about a year started to make an impact

with it and the rest is history .

What is the key to overcoming pressure in a finals match?
The key is to embrace it as a normal part of fighting to win. Expect it, look forward to it.

And then understand that the fear is the reason you practice and play. And obviously

the fear is where the pressure comes from. So when you feel the most fear , you know

that you have arrived to the place where you can face it and do something about it..

Its a strange catch-22 I have always tried to have a good sense of humor when it comes

to pressure. I laugh when I am afraid. But I also laugh when I am having fun. I have

noticed that many top players use humor to communicate to thier partners at times

under pressure and I think it has a positive effect on your partners.

Thanks for your time Todd! And congratulations on your HoFC title!

Terry Moore Interview

Rainz — Tue, 15 Jul 2003 00:07:00 GMT

And here it is, Susan's interview with the legendary 47 time major titleholder Terry Moore:

How did you get into foosball and how old were you when you started
playing?
I started playing foos, when I as about 10 or 11. I played in an arcade in
a suburb in San Diego called El Cajon. They had two of the older Tornado
glass top tables there. I was a video game junky, but everyone else there
played foosball. On Friday and Saturday nights the tables were packed with
all the older teenagers and adults. One weekend my best friend and I decided
to put some quarters up on the table and see what happened. Well, needless
to say we got our asses whooped. But we were hooked. I really don't consider
my first 5 years of foos as really playing pro style foosball. The people
who played in that arcade, only played bar style foos. I mean, they knew
what a pull shot or a push kick was, but they had no idea what a five bar
passing series was or what at goalie defense was. They would just drop it
and poke at it and hope to catch it on their three rows or just sit still
with a race defense and try to race EVERYTHING. I didn't really get exposed
to pro style foosball till I was 16. After I got my drivers license, my best
friend and I drove a couple of towns over to a pool hall near San Diego
State University, where they had four Dynamo tables. They also had
tournaments on Sunday nights. So, my friend and I decided to come back on
Sunday and kick some ass at this tournament (seeing as we had become the
best two bar style players at our local arcade over the past five years).
Well, we had a rude awakening on Sunday. There were a lot of good players
playing in San Diego back then. I met Evan and Edan Stachelek, Dave
Gummenson, Gregg Perrie, Thor Donovan and Adrian Zamora at some of these
tournaments. I got to see what real foos was like. From that point on I
never looked back.

What players have been your biggest mentors?
Well, I have two really. First, has to be Todd. He taught me pretty much
everything I needed to know to become the player I am today. With out his
help, I think I would have been a good pro player at best. When I was coming
up, I was just some pudgy snot nose kid that wanted to get to know the great
Loffredo. Well, Todd took time to talk to me and teach me. Next thing I
knew, we were friends and I was staying at his house in Denver for a couple
months and he was teaching me everything. The best part of it all is that
over the years, we have become best friends. The second person is Evan
Stachelek. When I first started playing foos at that Sunday tournament, I
was the guy that NO ONE wanted to draw. But Evan still took time to talk to
me and teach me the basics. But the one thing I learned from Evan was
attitude. No matter what happened, Evan always had a good attitude and
always had a good time. When I started getting better, sometimes I would get
a bad attitude or talk s**t after I lost a match. I learned from Evan that
you don't have to be like that. Just have fun, and forget about the rest of
the bulls**t. That was one of the most important things I learned. Always
have fun and enjoy the game, that's what it's all about.

What players games do you have the most respect for and why?
Well, first off, I'd have to say Todd. I mean come on, he's Todd Loffredo.
He's done it all. There is pretty much nothing he can't do. He's been
winning for almost thirty years now. You can NEVER count him out. He has
made so many amazing comebacks over the years. Sometimes I almost expect
him to come back from a two games to zero deficit. Then there is Rico, he is
amazing in his own way. The guy has incredible hand speed. He can grab a
ball that ninety-nine percent of the players out there would never have a
chance at. And the fact that he has won some many titles in such a short
time is amazing in itself. Plus, he is one of the best sportsmen I have ever
played. Tony Spredeman is also someone that I think people need to keep an eye
on. He has tons of talent and desire, and he is still very young. I wouldn't
be surprised if he wins a major here in the next year.

What was the first major tournament you ever played in, and how did
you do?
My first Tour Major was the 1986 World Championships. I did pretty well. I
got third in Amateur doubles and fifth or seventh in Novice singles. The
first major tournament to me was five grander in Northern Cali in Fremont at
Galaxy game room in 1985, and I got my ass kicked in everything.

What were your key breakthrough performances?
Well, I think that my most significant tournament was in 1988 at the
Nationals. I played with Ron Sipiora in Open Doubles, we were both amateurs.
We got fifth place. We beat a lot of top seeds alone the way, including Tony
Bacon and Mike Roussuea. We finally lost match ball to Loffredo and Trevino.
I think at that tourney, I realized that I could win a major tournament some
day.

How often do you practice and what practice techniques do you
recommend?
I never really practice anymore. I only practice before the major
tournaments. Usually I will practice for two weeks before a major and for
three weeks before the Worlds. I practice repetitive passing and shooting to
get my consistency and confidence up. I would recommend to someone who is
starting out to practice ball control as much as they can. Good ball control
is the basis of any great player, and makes everything else a lot easier to
learn. Also, play as many tournaments as you possibly can. There is no way
to practice what you can learn in tournaments.

You have been one of the few players to defeat Frederico in Singles
on Tornado in recent years. It also seems that he has been improving
every year. What will it take to accomplish this feat again?
For me, the key to beating Rico is to be on the top of my game. I know that
if I make mistakes because of mis-execution or lack of confidence, he is
going to beat me. He is playing too well to make mistakes against. Even if
I play my best game, he still is capable of winning. But without my skills
at their best I don't have a very good chance of beating him. A little luck
always helps too.

What is your favorite major tournament and why?
I'd have to say the Hall of Fame Classic. For two reasons, one I always seem
to do well at that tournament. I don't now why, but I think I have won at
least one of the Open events there since they started having it in Las
Vegas. And the other is, IT'S VEGAS BABY!!! What's not to like about it!

Since 1998, Todd frequently switched from forward to goalie in the majors,
winning world titles left and right with Frederico. There have been
rumors that you may start doing the same thing. If so, could you tell
us who you might play with as your forward and when?
I have been pondering playing goalie lately, although I haven't made any
serious commitments to doing it. If I did, it would have to be with someone
that I believe has a strong mental game up front. My whole philosophy to the
forward position is to out think my opponent. So I would only feel
comfortable playing with someone who thinks in a similar manner. If I had to
pick someone to play goalie for right now, it would probably be Tony
Spredeman. But, I don't think it will be in the very near future. Maybe in a
year or two I will. Who knows?

Is there anything about foosball you would like to see changed?
I guess would like to see more people playing the sport, more table
manufacturers promoting tour events, and better media exposure, as well as
better sportsmanship and respect for your fellow players. I would also like
to see a player's organization that is not owned by the table manufacturer.
I think we as players would be better off if we could dictate our wants and
needs, and not have them dictated to us by the manufacturer.

In your opinion, list the players that have the best Forward shooting?

Rico, he has an awesome shot and he still has the advantage
that we, the American players, don't get to play Euro pins very often.

Goalie shooting
In doubles, it would have to be Todd. He is just so
unpredictable and he can hit just about any shot. In singles, I think my 2
rod is about as versatile as they come. Ron Nevois also has a great 2 rod in
singles. I saw him once beat Loffredo in singles three straight games, and
he scored 13 of his points from the back.

5-bar offense
To me, its Tom Spear. His five row passing is so smooth and
so sweet. I think I have played matches against him and never blocked even
one pass.

5-bar defense
I think that Evan Stachelek has one of the best all
defensive five bars. Scotty Wydman has some good five row "D" as well.

Goalie defense
That's an easy one. Diaz. Without a doubt.

Ball Control
There are few people out there with some ridiculous ball
control skills. First off, there is Loffredo. The guy was built to foos.
Terry Rue has some really great skills in ball control. Tom Yore also can do
some amazing s**t. Tommy Adkisson could do some really unbelievable things
with his ball control too.

Singles Game
Right now, Rico is the man. His game is sharp and we are all
chasing him. Todd's singles game has always impressed me. Mares has some
great hand speeding singles too. Honestly, when my singles game is on, I
like mine better than anything else, I really love playing singles and
shooting from my two rod.

Thanks Terry!

Rick Macias Interview

Rainz — Mon, 16 Jun 2003 23:50:00 GMT

Recently Foosworld's very own Susan had a chance to talk with Rick Macias, one of the most knowledgable and respected foosers on tour, and a great player too. Rick had come close to winning a major title several times in his career, and it finally happened for him this year when he and Terry Moore captured the 2003 HoFC Open Doubles title. Here is what he had to say:

Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Des Moines Iowa, raised in a little bit of everywhere. My family lives in Texas, but i've spent time in Germany, Japan, Nebraska, California, and Oregon.
I’ve resided in NC for the last 16 years.

How old were you when you first started playing seriously?
I was around 15, hanging out at the mall with some friends, when I started to play foosball competitively. I enjoyed competing head to head with the opponent across the table.

Was there anyone you started with?
In San Antonio I had a friend who took me under his wing. For 2 consecutive tournaments I won the winners bracket and he came back and double dipped me. The next tournament his partner didn’t show up and my partner was injured performing normal chores. We teamed up and ended up being a pretty good team in the area for a couple of years. His name was Keith Maynard and he taught me quite a bit about the game.

What is your primary position?
I used to play the forward, mainly because of my strong passing series. My weakness is my shot, but I get the ball often, so sometimes my game plan is to tire my opponent and maybe they’ll let me win.

What is your favorite passing series?
My primary pass is a hard near wall stick series. Out of desperation I sometimes switch to a far wall brush series, you’d be amazed at how many people have trouble with this.

What is a good passing series for beginners to learn?
I would encourage beginners to start with a brush pass. Tornado tables are more so now than in the past, built for the brush.

How many tables have you played on?
I’ve probably played on at least a dozen different types of tables.

What’s the first table you ever played on?
I played on a Deuscher-Meister when I was around 12 in Germany. After that I played on a Dynamo green top, the old Texas players used to play on that type of table, it was actually similar to the original Tornado.

In your mind, what is the hardest shot to defend?
Any shot is hard if the opponent is shooting his options well. If an opponent has consistent options, then you have to respect all of them, and it becomes a guessing game. Some forwards insist on shooting only certain options, and this type of tunnel vision plays back into the goalies hand, making them much easier to defend. Pulls and rollovers can be difficult. A good push kick is tough to defend, especially if they’re using the long in combination with a nice dink. The good shots will force you to take chances and play the percentages.

What is your favorite event?
I used to like Singles, but now that I’m older I prefer doubles events. I like DYPs, there’s something about drawing someone you know nothing about and I usually adjust well. I’m not the easiest person to play with but I’ve toned down as I’ve gotten older.

What is your favorite shot?
Anything that works? The pull is my primary shot up front. My secondary front shot is a push kick. I also shoot a push from the back.

When did the snake shot originate?
Supposedly from what I’ve heard the shot started with a player in North Carolina in the mid eighties. In Texas, John Smith saw the same guy shooting the shot, and someone nicknamed the shot the “Julio Wrist Pin”. The comment was often made that it was a novelty shot and that no one would ever win a major title shooting it.

Is the snake the easiest shot to learn?
Depending on the individual. In some ways it’s great and in some ways it’s sad because so many players learn the snake, and they learn a pass, and that’s all they learn. If they have trouble passing or scoring then they have to move to goalie and end up looking foolish back there. They just didn’t learn the fundamentals.

There are many pro-masters that disapprove of the rollover. The primary reason seems to be that there is no learning curve, and that snake shooters have an unfair advantage over players that shoot more difficult shots. What do you make of all this?
Well, it pretty much comes down to you either accept it or quit. It can be frustrating, especially for a player like me who has been working on a pull shot for over 20 years, and a rookie who has played for 6 months with a snake and a brush pass can hang with you shot for shot. It has definitely changed the game, for better and for worse. Many of the great goalies of the past have trouble blocking the snake. It’s a different mentality, going through your whole career, blocking from one side to the other, and then switching to worrying about the center as well as the corners. The good rollover shooters shoot 3 holes, the center and the two corners. The great shooters shoot 5 holes, working the inside too.

It’s been especially frustrating for me because my shot is my weakness, and haven’t quite picked up the snake and maybe I’m a bit jealous with all the good snake shooters out there.

When and why did you start refereeing?
I wanted good seats! I started refereeing about 18 years ago. A lot of it was to get a birds eye view of the game, and also to learn what wins. Most of what I’ve learned has been from watching, not from being taught. I would have loved to had a great player teach me the game when I was younger, but that time has passed now. For example take Frederico, at his young age to have an all time great like Todd teaching him the tricks of the trade, that is a golden opportunity.
As a ref you learn a lot about the people on and off the table. You have to differentiate between who takes the rules to the limit, and who crosses the line. There are a lot of people out there that will cross the line with no remorse. If you say nothing then they’ll say nothing.
Being a ref can earn you a little extra money, and soften the blow if you had a bad weekend at a tournament.
It’s good to have short memory and when it comes to reffing no one is perfect. No matter how good you are, you’re going to miss some calls, no matter what sport.

Whatever happens, you keep your personal feelings out of the match. I try to get along with everybody.

When did officiating start with foosball?
Refs have been around for a while, but enforcement has just started to pick up recently. To take foosball from a bar game to the next level that has to happen. A lot of players still have bar room habits, and they believe part of the game is pulling the sheet over the officials head. Some players actually practice these techniques, and to me, if you get caught doing that you should be forfeited right there on the spot – that fear should be there to keep the game honest.

Do you think officiating should be mandatory in Majors?
There’s more on the line so emotions are higher and you need to set the tone. Players are more aggressive and may do something they normally wouldn’t do just because there’s more on the line. Most players don’t want a tarnished match and an official helps insure a clean victory. The players don’t want to have to worry about whether an opponent is taking too much time or resetting.

What do you enjoy more, officiating or playing?
Playing, definitely.

How have some of the rules changed since you started?
Some rules were added for the rollover. For a while you had to wait for a full second in shooting position before shooting the ball. Then you didn’t. Then you did. Then you didn’t. It was so tough to call, and eventually it was decided that you didn’t. I personally liked the one second rule for the rollover.

When did the time limits start on each rod?
I believe they started in the late 70's. Back in the old days your opponent would just wait you out. When I first started playing the time limit on the 3-rod was 20 seconds. There’s actually a big difference between 15 and 20. When I started playing you couldn’t switch positions during timeouts either.

How often do you practice before a big tournament?
I’m probably one of the worst when it comes to practicing. At a worlds in the late eighties I practiced hard and every day before the tournament, and I was just tired the whole tournament and it didn’t help me a bit. There’s no shame in practicing hard, but I just don’t have the drive.

For practice I might go to a draw but nothing spectacular. I’ve had a table at home for 20 years but I hardly ever practice on it or have people come over and play on it. I usually just hang my jackets on it. I’ve had people offer to buy it, but I guess it has sentimental value. I’d rather be playing at a tournament than practicing. There’s so many flaws in my game that I could improve, but I just don’t have the desire. I’ve given a lot of people fits, even with my inconsistency. Sometimes it can be amusing to play someone that practices so hard and you can stumble in and actually give them a run for their money and beat them, it’s a good feeling.

How did you and Terry decide to team up?
Process of elimination. He had the pick of several great players and picked me over all of them! At an IFP Kentucky tournament Terry asked if I was going to Vegas and I told him I hadn’t really planned on it unless someone good was going to give me a phone call. Later he called me on a Sunday 3 weeks after Kentucky, and said that Todd Loffredo, Bobby Diaz and Louis Cartwright had all endorsed me over his other picks. When Terry Moore asks you to play with him it’s hard to pass that up. It certainly worked out for the best.

How were you and Terry able to double dip Mike and Brandon?
For one, we played within ourselves. We didn’t give up, even when we were down 2-0 in the first set, we just fought through it. Terry and I were both struggling, I think we were trying to do too much, but we managed to fight through it. There was some luck involved, a few breaks. Once we got past the first set, we just put the heat on them and rode the momentum. After scratching and clawing in the first set we had gained a lot of confidence. They had been in a commanding position, including having a shot to win. After losing that set they were probably down and frustrated and had lost their momentum. Even though it didn’t happen, they were certainly deserving of the victory because of their play and beating some great teams on the way to the finals.

How did that feel, finally winning your first major?
It was a great feeling. I had already resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to win a major because I felt my game wasn’t consistent enough, so achieving what I thought I couldn’t was a great feeling. One of my major goals had been attained, there are others but this was an important one for me.

Who are some of your favorite players?
I have to put Todd at the top of the list. He’s a natural. Awesome player, and a pretty good guy. Real laid back, and he has nothing to prove. He’s also not afraid to share knowledge, which is a rare quality with many great players.

Terry. He’s a student of the game and the model of consistency. Any major tournament, the road is going to run through Terry.

Rico, for his talent and what he’s done with it.

AZ and Ron Sipiora. Two solid players, but also two classy guys, those guys don’t get the credit they deserve.

How about the female players?
Cindy Head, she’s in a category all by herself.

Moya, she has come a long way.

April Devito was a good player out of NY who shot a rollover.

Lotus, a really steady player.

Tina Roton out of Colorado, a great player.

Cami Carter, a great player to play with, really had the fire.

Liz Hill and Tiffany Moore, very consistent players.

How has the foosball scene changed since you started. Was it bigger back in the 70s and 80s?
There was a pro tour in the 70s. The exposure was great. People swear by the old Tournament Soccer tables, but they were an inferior product. They had huge tournament back then, the tournaments now can’t compare. Players now have more talent and skill, but the raw size of the scene was just bigger back then. I think some things could be done that could help the game. Endorsements, lower entry fees, bigger payouts, changing mixed doubles from 2/3 to 3/5. Later start times for Open events. More majors spread throughout the country.

Why do you think foosball isn’t an Olympic sport yet?
They have had foosball tables at the Olympic villages and even the Olympic athletes playing around with the foosball tables have asked that same question. I think one of the biggest problems is that it’s hard for foosball to be a spectator sport. With ping pong you have 2 people spaced apart and it’s easy to see the action. With foosball you have four people cramped in a small area. The players hide a lot of the action. There are many other reasons, but the spectator issue is one that comes to mind.

Which players do you think have the best Forward shooting?
Terry Moore, Tracy Mcmillin, Rico, Gummeson

Goalie shooting?
Todd, Brandon-after what I saw at the HoFC Brandon impressed me. Billy Caylor- you couldn’t ask for a classier player.

5-bar offense
Terry and Rico have a really smooth 5-bar. Spredeman has his own style, and Tom Spear to name a few.

Singles game
Terry, Todd, Rico, Mares. They’ve all butted heads through the years, when any of them is on they’re a threat to win any title.

Who do you think in the next 5 years will be a threat to the Mares, Macias, Todd and Terry of today?
You can leave Macias out of that group . I can see Brandon and Spredeman getting better. Sometimes you wonder how good they can get. Right now Spredeman is where Billy Pappas was a few years ago. Billy is a great pro master, but at his level now it’s a lot tougher and there’s a lot more pressure. That’s why it’s amazing when a player like Todd, who has had a bullseye painted on his chest for ages, is still at the top of the game.

It sounds like you have quite a bit of respect for Todd, have you played any big matches against him?

I’ve known Todd for 18 years, met him at the US Open in Oklahoma City in 1985. He acknowledged me! He beat me twice in singles, he put me in the loser’s bracket and also knocked me out. I’ll never forget the first match because he scored the first 10 goals. That was when I was actually fairly good, and was able to come back and take the match to a 5th game. The next match against him in the losers bracket also went to a fifth game. I just ran out of gas. He ended up winning and I placed 3rd. 5 years later in the US Open in Denver, the same thing happened with Todd and I taking 1st and 3rd in singles.

Thanks for your time and sharing your story!

Rob Uyeyama's Guide to Learning Foosball

Rainz — Sat, 20 May 1995 16:15:00 GMT

**************************************
REC.SPORT.TABLE-SOCCER FAQ 4 v1.2a
Guide for Beginners and Intermediates
LEARNING FOOSBALL
*************************************

(C) Copyright 1995 Robert Uyeyama.
Permission granted to distribute free, freely. Rob Uyeyama
(uyey...@hawaii.SPAMNOTedu)

The latest version of this file is available at the table-soccer FTP
site at Foosball Heaven, http://www.foosballheaven.com/

____________
Introduction
____________

For whom is this file written? This essay is is intended for a
wide variety of players; there are three separate chapters for
three arbitrarily selected levels of play of people who have
little or no experience in competition. This ranges from the
absolute-beginner to someone who can be quite good, but not
"tournament-hardened".

This file is not intended to limit postings to RSTS. If you
have further questions, please feel free post. We're a friendly
bunch. :-)

The three chapters are as follows:
    Chapter One is for those who have essentially _never_ played
before, or are just learning how to play.
    Chapter Two is for those who have played for several months
to several years, but only on a casual level-- for these
people, they rarely have considered practicing, shots are
impressive only once in a while, but they certainly haven't
taken the game strategy seriously... until now... and wish to
learn more.
    Chapter Three is a short list of advice for those who have
played seriously, even for several years, but only on a very
local level. This would include bar-players and
college-players who are considered among the best at their
respective home ground, but who have not had any "big"
tournament experience.

Introduction:
____________
A fact which may come as a surprise (a welcome one) to many is
that foosball/table-soccer is played on a competitive (read:
"professional") level. There are several "tours" which exist,
and these tours organize various regional, national, and even
"world" championships! For example, in the United States, there
is the well-established United States Table Soccer Association
(USTSA) and the nascent American Table Soccer Federation (ATSF).
These organizations are manufacturer-based, in other words they
are not player organizations, but rather promoting organs
sponsored by the table manufacturers: USTSA for Tornado (817
561-0511), and ATSF for Dynamo/Striker (800 527-6054). Contact
these phone numbers for more information on regular
draw-your-partner events in your area, as well as for upcoming
national and regional events-- go see tournament foos today!

The older tours were played on Tournament Soccer (TS), Dynamo,
and Hurricane tables in the 60's and 70's, but now the quality
of the newer brands of tables has much improved, prompting some
players to label the older tables as mere "toys". So if you
haven't played on a Tornado or Striker, you really are missing a
lot, and perhaps even learning wrongly that some things are not
possible on a foosball table. For example, the "modern" balls
tend to be made of a very durable plastic (urethane), causing
the balls not to dent and therefore they will always roll
completely straight. The shapes and even fastenings for the men
have changed so that catching, kicking, and tic-tac-ing are much
easier; what is tic-tac-ing? Imagine passing rapidly between the
men on your three bar for up to several minutes on end-- the
sound the ball makes as it bounces between the men gives this
motion its name. Other improvements include very flat playing
fields, individually adjustable table legs, smoother bearings,
lighter rods, counterweighted men, etc. Most people which
switch over to these tables do not like them at first, but
within a few weeks of playing, the verdict is unanimous: no one
would dream of going back to playing seriously on their "old"
table, sentimental feelings aside.

So the purpose of this file, and indeed the newsgroup itself, is
to promote the sport of foosball. This particular file is
important, because by encouraging new players to begin playing,
and encouraging the large bulk of non-competitive experienced
players to enter competitive play, we will certainly make a
great step towards that goal.

Happy Foosing,
Rob Uyeyama (uyeyama@ hawaii.SPAMNOTedu)

___________________________________
CHAPTER 1
Getting Hooked: No Spinning Allowed
___________________________________

This chapter is intended for those who have little or no
experience in foosball at all, or for those who wish to "teach"
others who have little or no experience.

    If you're reading this, you've probably encountered good
players, perhaps so good you didn't even dream that this "game"
could be taken so seriously. But it is great fun, and you're
probably also on your way to getting hooked. This is the most
important part; take the sport as fun, and never be discouraged
by any silly, competitive attitudes you may run across when
playing other "good" players. Whether you want to learn how to
beat these people, or simply ignore them and just have fun with
your friends, it will benefit you to learn more about the sport.
    The main goals which will be discussed are: 1) Discovering
what is possible; 2) Learning basic skills; 3) Discovering what
to practice (yes, practice). Let us begin with the first
concept: what is possible? First of all, the game consists of
putting the ball in your opponent's goal, and keeping it out of
yours-- that's obvious. But there are good and bad ways of
accomplishing this. The most common problem is "spinning the
rods." Here are the most often-cited points that are good about
spinning the rods: 1) you can hit the ball HARD with little or
no effort 2) you hit the ball more often; 3) because of 1 & 2, you
probably score more often; 4) this method is fun and energetic;
5) if you don't spin, you miss the ball a lot, hit it slowly,
score less, and look lame.
    REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T SPIN THE RODS: 1) you can hit the
ball about as hard as your spin by practicing a wrist-flick (to
be described) in less than a week; 2) you can easily learn to
hit the ball more often than a random spin; 3) you can
accurately aim the ball and score, while a spin-shot is pretty
random or only straight and easily blockable by an alert
opponent; 4) you are in position to catch loose balls if you
don't spin, creating more scoring opportunities; 5) spinning
can damage the table (by breaking men, pins/screws, or damaging
the rod itself). The third and fourth reasons are the most
compelling since you'll score more often, while the first two
are just ways of saying, "you get the same benefits as spinning
anyways with very little practice."
    So: don't spin the rods. Now as far as offensive play, how
do you get these benefits? This is what is important: 1)
practicing your wrist-flick, and; 2) aiming the ball.   Not
spinning the rods also helps you on defense, and that will be
discussed immediately afterwards.
    WRIST FLICK: if you can't seem to hit the ball very hard
(without spinning), how do you do it? First of all, try it with
your right hand, since that hand will be doing almost all
shooting. Put the ball on the playfield under your front
three-man rod, in the center in front of an open goal (lift the
defending rods for an open shot). Now, practice hitting the
ball as hard as possible straight into the goal from this
position-- use your middle man and _don't_ push or pull the rod:
1) Stand slightly to the left of the rod, and away from the
table; 2) Hold on to the handle, and don't let go; 3) Now,
"forget" about both your arm and your hand, and only concentrate
on your WRIST; 4) "Throw" your wrist as hard as you can
_straight_ down towards the _floor_, past the side of the
handle, resulting in 5) your wrist snapping downward-- since of
course your hand is still gripping the handle, the motion stops
as your wrist locks abruptly-- this is the wrist flick!
    AIMING: set the ball up along the 3-rod as previously. This
time, instead of concentrating on speed, consider your control
of the aim. Observe that if you hit the ball dead-on, the ball
travels straight into the goal. Now change your rod's position,
so that if you swing (wrist flick) straight (without
push/pulling the rod), you'll hit the left 1/4 of the ball.
Swing. Notice that the ball angled to the right. Different
distances from the edge of the ball produce different angles.
Beginning your swing with the front of the man's toe touching
the back of the ball gives you more control than if the toe
begins from the air way out from behind the ball. Now try
aiming a shot into an undefended goal from every single man on
your five-man rod. You can even hit a ball in from the very
edge of the table!
    Before we go on, let me mention an alternative way of
hitting a ball hard, this is called the "open hand", or "fan"
technique. Basically, you *** your rod & men backwards to shoot by
rolling the handle clockwise up your palm as you open your hand,
fingers toward the floor. As you shoot, you reverse the motion
and roll the handle back (counterclockwise) to your fingers,
which catch the handle tightly. Done quickly, this open-close
motion can result in a very hard shot. Control with the
open-hand "fan" is more difficult that a normal wrist-flick, but
it can be learned.
    FUNDAMENTALS OF DEFENSE: Again, don't spin the rods. You
can only block an incoming shot if your men are straight down,
which they aren't about 80% time when they're spinning; yet it's
fairly common for beginners to do this anyways. Why? Because
it looks cool, and once in a while, a shot blocked by a spinning
rod will immediately become an offensive shot towards your
opponents goal-- neither of these reasons are compelling. Even
if you're not spinning, don't get eager to shoot the ball: Stop
the ball, then shoot it. ;)   Otherwise, you'll often lose the
ball, resulting usually in a possession and a quick goal from
your opponent's dreaded 3-rod.
     So, what else do you do? Your opponent can aim the ball
just like you can. Therefore, you want to guard both the
STRAIGHT shot, and all ANGLE shots. Remember if you can draw a
line from the ball to your goal, that shot is open. Never
position your two men (your middle goalie and one of the men on
the two-man rod) behind each other- if you do, you're just
blocking the same place twice, and you might as well just lift
one of the men, and your defense wouldn't be any worse for it!
Just experiment, placing the ball on _all_ parts along the
opposing 3-rod, and positioning your defensive men to block both
the straight and angle shots. Remember if you can draw a line
from the ball to your goal, that shot is open. (Did I just say
that?) Now your opponent either rely on you to flinch and open
these holes, or must "race" you, moving the ball horizontally
along his three-rod until it reaches a position where a
diiferent straight shot (or sometimes the angle) is open.
Defending against opponents who try this latter option will be
discussed in Chapter 2. Also, be very aware that shots from the
opposing 5-rod and 2-rod can also be blocked in this way-- you
just have to learn to expect a shot from these areas of the
table, and block most of the possible "lines" to your goal.
Just being aware of these "lines" and trying to block them will
make a big difference. Finally, if you're shooting from the
defensive region, remember you can still aim it, and take your
time to lift up your 5- and 3-rods (or in doubles, tell your
partenr) so that you'll never block your own shot!
    WITH WHICH HAND DO YOU HOLD WHICH ROD in singles play? 1)
When you're defending against a 3-rod shot, hold BOTH of your
defensive rods (goalie & 2-man)-- Ditto for when you're shooting from
your defensive region. 2) When you're defending an opponent's
defensive-region shot, you should have your right hand on your
3-rod, and your left either on your 5-rod or goalie-rod; the
latter may be more effective at first. When the ball is in the
center region, you should have your L & R hand on the goalie-rod and
5-rod (maximum defense). 3) Later, when you learn how to pass
and you have possession of the ball, you can stop the ball, and
switch to holding the 5-rod and the 3-rod (ready for offense or
passing to the 3-rod), and when you get much better, you may
wish to stay in this position for defense against the opposing
5-rod or 2-rod, so that you are ready to catch any loose balls
on your 3-rod.
    BALL-CONTROL (or how not to lose the ball): this is
especially for those playing on tables which are not Tornado or
Striker, and tables which are old, dented, and otherwise warped.
Ball control is much easier on the Tornado and Striker, but the
skills in this section are still essential to learn for these
tables too. To be able to use your growing arsenal, you need to
be able to "maneuver" the ball, and not lose it. There are
three exercises which are good to do, all on the 3-rod.
1) INTERCEPTION: Try _very_ lightly tapping the front of the
ball (with the back of your toe), then as the ball rolls back,
tapping the back of the ball (with the front of your toe).
Continue to gently tap the ball back and forth; this
back-and-forth distance will be less than an inch-- the skill
being learned here is to rapidly lift the man and swing it
around to the other side of the ball to prevent it from rolling
away. You will find the shape of the motion to be a series of
"C" shapes around the ball. 2) PINNING: In the second
exercise again begin by tapping one side (front or back) of the
ball, but this time let it roll further. Move in the same "C"
shape as if to intercept it, but leave your toe lifted in the
air. When the ball rolls under your man's toe, bring it down
forcefully on the _top_ surface of the ball to "pin" it to the
playing field, resulting in a sudden stop. Practice both
versions (i.e. tap back of ball then front-pin; tap front of
ball then back-pin). This develops the reflex to suddenly and
confidently "catch" a ball which is too difficult to intercept
by method 1). For example, this "pin" catch is very useful for
a ball which is rolling away at high speed. 3) BALL MOVEMENT:
The third exercise is to pass the ball from one man on the 3-rod
to another, steady the ball, and again pass it to the next man
on the rod. Continue passing among all three men on the rod.
The skill here is maneuvering the ball wherever you wish it to
be along your rod. Also try bringing the ball to a stop at
various points along the rod. You will find that the skills
learned in 1) and 2) are very useful to prevent the ball from
rolling away out of reach-- try and develop a feel for when it
is better to use 1) vs. 2) to retrieve a ball about to roll away
from you. These skills of interception, pinning, and
ball-movement are applicable to all rods of a foosball table.
    Now that you can wrist-flick hard, aim the ball, know how to
act on defense, and know how to maneuver a ball without losing
it, you are hereby no longer a "spinner"!

__________________________________________
Chapter 2
Learning that Consistency is the Key--
Resolving to Practice & Stop the Ball
__________________________________________

This chapter is intended for players who have casually played the game
(and never took it seriously) for many months or even years, and for
those who have been seriously playing but only for a few months.

    If you're reading this chapter, you may play the game largely to
pass time while being entertained-- you may have played the game like
this for a few years, even going through a few short periods of
"foos-addiction" and taking the game seriously. Now, after all this
time, you've finally become tired of that/those "good" players still
being much better than you are and would like to know if it's worth the
effort to get that good. Answer: The effort required is much less than
you think; the keys are knowing what to practice, and knowing strategy.
    What may seem to be the answer at first is acquiring an arsenal of
unstoppable shots; this is untrue! Although having such an arsenal
isn't necessarily a disadvantage, all you need on the 3-bar is one good
shot... learning all of the other shots will simply make you 2nd-best
in all of them, and very good at none. However one unstoppable shot
from the 3-rod is not enough either; you need a good 5-rod to pass it
to your 3-rod unstoppably. Re-learning your defense is less critical
at this point (for tips on learning a moving-defense see Chapter 3).
    So in summary: 1) choose a shot and learn it well; 2) Learn the
5-rod brush-pass, and use it so you can use your shot; and 3) learn
essential strategy so you can put your shot and pass to good use. All
of these parts must be performed consistently and effortlessly-- using
your best shot or pass once in a while, or having it be inconsistent
(i.e. it works great half of the time) will make all of your effort
moot. 1-3 are described in turn:

3-ROD SHOT:
___________
    You should choose _one_ main shot. My advice is choose the pull.
If you play on a Tornado or Stryker table, you can choose either the
pull or the snake; on some of the older tables, snake-shots are often
more difficult and less potent. Read FAQ6 for instructions on these
offensive weapons-- included are instructions for both beginners and
intermediates. Once you have chosen a shot, it is very important to
use it strategically... in other words _every single time_ you get the
ball on your 3-rod; the point here is that your favorite shot is also
your highest-percentage shot. Having a wide-arsenal is fun and flashy,
but the "one-shot-player" will win the most matches! Make sure your
setup is the best it can be; for example with a pull, make sure your
3-rod is pushed all the way to the wall; if it isn't, the defense has
less goal to defend, and your scoring percentage will simply go down!
    Why the pull is good: Good shooters can shoot the shot so fast the
defense cannot race the shooter to the hole. The pull-shot begins with
the ball on the right side of the middle-man with the 3-bar is pushed
to the wall; as you pull the rod, the ball moves horizontally, and you
eventually shoot the ball in. Remember a good stationary defense will
cover your straight shot and angle shot. By moving the ball
horizontally far enough you will be able to shoot a straight shot to
the right side of the goal; the defense will obviously move his men to
the right side of the goal. Therefore for the shot to succeed, you
must "race" the defense to that open hole; if you have a slow pull
shot, it's useless. If you have a fast one, you can _always_ beat a
set defense to the hole!
    Some caveats: A fast pull can be beaten by a set defense if the
timing of the shot is predictable... in other words don't set up your
shot, wait a consistently predictable two seconds, then shoot it-- a
blazing fast "2-second pull" is raceable. By USTSA rules, you have 15
seconds on your 3-rod, so use your time and "sit on it"! You will also
be able to analyze the defense during this time. Also, practice
shooting the straight shot (!) accurately in the case of a good
moving-defense.
    Why the snake is good: This shot begins in a front pin in the
exact center of the 3-bar. The shot is good because it can be as fast
as a pull shot, but can be shot in both directions: the pull-snake to
the right corner and the push-snake to the left-corner... the defense
doesn't know what to defend! If these are both covered, the straight
shot is open. For this reason, the snake is most useful when its setup
is in the center of the table. Most people think the snake-shot is
easier to learn than the pull, and for this reason some people
recommend learning the snake to beginners; people can get quite good at
the shot in only a month! And once you learn the shot, you will find
the soreness of your wrist will disappear. But learning to really
master the shot, however, is not easy either.
    If you don't want to _practice_ a shot _at all_, but still would
like to score better, doing the push-kick or the pull-kick (see
definition in FAQ1) _every time_ you get the ball on your 3-rod will
improve your scoring percentage. Why? I am not implying that these
are bad shots to learn in the long-run; many people have unstoppable
push-kicks and pull-kicks. The reason these shots are recommended in
this context is that even a medium-speed push-kick or pull-kick can
score reasonably against a good defender; a medium-speed pull or snake
is much easier to block! This is because where you intend to shoot the
ball is more unpredictable-- the ball begins on the inside of either of
the outer-men on the 3-rod (left man = pull-kick setup; right man =
push-kick setup). The ball is passed horizontally to the middle man,
who shoots it straight in. This middle man can shoot the ball straight
into either the left or right corner of the goal, depending on how far
the horizontal pass is. If the horizontal pass is even medium-fast, it
becomes difficult for the defender to predict which corner you are
aiming for. So practice shooting the _edges_: the edge of the near
corner and the far corner of the goal. The middle of the goal will
usually be blocked in any case, but if you always aim for the corners,
you will be most unpredictable to the defender! Also, be aware of two
more options: 1) a faked pass w/the outer man who instead angle-shoots
it toward the near corner, or 2) executes an outer-man push or pull
shot toward the near corner.
    However, mastering a pull-kick or push-kick shot so that your
scoring percentage is very high tends to be more difficult than getting
to this same percentage with a pull or a snake shot. So if you are
going to practice a shot, make it the pull or snake. If you refuse to
practice, but still want to score more, always use a push-kick or
pull-kick. And always use your best shot.

5-ROD PASS
__________
    Having an unstoppable 3-rod shot is useless if you never get the
ball on your 3-rod! A good opponent will do exactly this. Even if no
players in your area can keep the ball away from your 3-bar the entire
game, learning a good 5-rod pass will still do wonders! You can play
someone with a better shot, and if your pass is better, you will get
more scoring opportunities, and things will even out in your favor.
    If you're going to practice anything on your 5-bar at all, practice
the "Brush Pass"-- read FAQ2 and skip straight to the "brush passing"
section. The brush pass techniques will begin bearing improvements to
your game almost immediately. So the brush-pass is _as_ important as
learning a good 3-rod shot. Spend as much time practicing this as your
you do your shot.
    What else do you need to know about your 5-rod? You should be able
to: 1) block opposing defensive shots; 2) block opposing 5-rod passes.
The first point is difficult for many people because there are "too
many men" on the rod, and the range of motion of that rod is very
limited. The following exercise (also described in FAQ3) is very
helpful: Lift up the opposing 5-rod. Pass the ball back and forth
between your 5-rod and your 3-rod, doing ALL ANGLE PASSES. The
straight passes are easy to intercept, but the angle passes are the
ones which teach the range of motion for each man on the 5-rod; it may
be frustrating but even a few 10-15 minute sessions will help vastly.
Once your "intuition" for the 5-rod is improved, you will block more
shots from the opposing defensive region. Also, by using this
intuition, you can begin using your 3-rod men to block the "holes" in
your five-bar (usually the spaces between the 2nd & 3rd and 3rd & 4th
men). "Meshed" in this way, both your 3-rod and 5-rod can contribute in
the most effective way.
    The second point, blocking passes, will be improved just by the
intuitions developed while learning the brush pass; also you can block
slow-medium speed passes by moving your 5-rod back and forth rapidly,
so that you "swat" away any passes. Moving unpredictably back and
forth can also make it more difficult for a good passer to choose the
open pass. Remember that your wall pass is very open because the
bumper on the five-bar prevents your men from actually touching the
wall; against very good brush-passers, you can "twitch", pretending to
move the five-bar off of the wall (or lane), but actually keeping it
stationary-- mix your "twitches" and back-and-forth movements. This
advice even should be applied to on a standard moving-defense in the
defensive-region!
    Finally, if you have practice your brush-pass, a consequence will
be that you will habitually keep your 3-rod angled forward, making it
much easier to catch loose balls. If the defense is shooting, you can
angle it backwards to try to catch a blocked shot. When your 5 and 3
rod are both lifted for any reason, they should swing to the
horizontal, the 5 rod clockwise, the 3 rod counter-clockwise. In this
way, your 3-rod is ready to catch an incoming loose ball, and the 5-rod
is ready to block a bounce off of the opposing 5-rod.

STRATEGY:
    After you learn your chosen shot and the brush pass, you must do
two things with these: learn to execute these consistently (19 out of
20 times) and religiously use them in real play.
    In addition to your shot, pass, and shot-pass strategy, there
are
additional points 1) _never ever_ accidentally lose a ball you have
possession of-- practicing pinning hard any ball which is about to get
away from you; 2) learn to _always_ foos the ball to yourself--
practice this; 3) _never_ repeat bad strategies; 4) _never_ shoot the
ball from the 5-rod; 5) learn ball control & pass-catching, and when you
lift
your 3-rod up swing it up counter-clockwise/toes-forward-- this is so
you will learn to catch loose balls like velcro.
    In more detail:
    Your shot options (long, middle, straight) should be practiced to
at least 9 out of 10 consistency, and preferably 19 out of 20. The
same goes for each of your brush pass options (wall-pass/brush-down,
lane-pass/brush-up). Once you're this consistent, don't even dream of
using a less effective trick shot or second shot in a tournament. The
same goes for hacking from the 5-bar-- sure, you may sometimes score,
but since your pass and shot are so consistent, your scoring percentage
_per 5-bar possession_ will be higher if you brush pass and shoot from
your 3-bar instead! Maximize your percentages! Ditto goes for losing
the ball; a lost ball on a 5-rod possession may mean one less point for
you; losing the ball from the defensive region may give your opponent a
3-rod shot opportunity, which is _bad_ if his shot is as good as yours!
If you can't serve the ball to yourself, that's as bad as losing a
5-rod possession!
    Learn to keep your 3-rod either swung up counter-clockwise and
horizontally with toes-forward, or down with the toes still slightly
angled forward. In either case you are ready or almost-ready to catch
a loose ball or quick pass. On a Tornado, this forward-angle can also
"auto-stuff" defensive shots when the ball bounces hard off of the
3-man's toe. The uncommon exception to the rule is when your
opponent's defensive shots are weak, you can consider angling your
3-man backwards (in this case only) to try to "catch" the shot by
blocking it.
    But when you lift your 5-rod, lift it by turning the rod _clockwise_
. And when it is down defending against a 2-rod shot, angle it
toes-slightly-forward so that any hard shots will bounce hard off the
toe, and perhaps into the opposing goal (i.e. "auto-stuff") or at least
to you 3-rod which is waiting angled-forward (if you read the last
paragraph) and automatically ready to catch any such rebound; hence
when you lift both rods, the two lines will "swing away" from each
other, 3-rod counter clockwise, 5-rod clockwise.
    Never shooting from the 5-rod was explained above. Also, a blocked
5-rod shot may mean a 5-rod possession and therefore a point for your
opponent! Of course, there are some exceptions to the rule. These
exceptions will be discussed next, but remembers they are only
exceptions to fine-tune your strategy, not excuses to have lapses in
your strategy.
    The most difficult point is the one about not repeating bad
strategies. For example, let's pretend your chosen (and best) shot on
offense is the pull. If your opponent blocks your first attempt, you
should probably stick with the same shot. However, if many more pulls
are blocked, you may consider going to your second-shot, or even a
trick shot; in this case, although your pull is your best shot, it is
not the best shot to use _against this opponent_. You may find the
snake works better; you should experiment and find what your best shot
is, and stick with that. An unexpected one-time trick shot may also be
worth one point here, but no more than that.
    The same goes for a 5-rod shot, or a shot or pass immediately upon
foosing the ball. If it's unexpected, and you think your chances are
high for scoring, it may be justified. Try it once. Remember it's all
percentages: repeatedly using these tricks or hacks will only make you
score less.
    The same goes for defense. Suppose you use a stationary
race-defense and it usually works, but if one day you should run up
against someone who always scores on you, you should drop the race
defense, and experiment with a moving-defense; although if you're not
familiar with a moving-defense, you may still block 50% or 25% of the
shots, while previously you were blocking about 0% with the
race-defense. Now, instead of a hopeless race, the burden is now on
the shooter who has to guess which holes you are opening, and when.
     Remember, you can also vary the _type_ of moving defense that you
use; if the opponent is always scoring on your moving defense when you
use your far 2-man, switch to your 1-man periodically-- if the opponent
scores too often when you bait the long shot, bait the middle or
straight. So switching the 2-man that you use is good, just as long as
you don't do it too often-- if the shooter can count on you switching,
he can wait for the switch then shoot it in. Also, to increase the
unpredictability of your defensive motions, remember to experiment with
your mix of several techiniques: 1) a periodically standstill rod, 2) a
moving rod, (push/pull movement), 3) back-forth circular movements of
the men, 4) "twitching" movements to give the appearance that your men
are going to move to another spot in the defense, but actually stay
put; 5) switching your 2-man; 6) leaving the straight-shot open.
    In summary, when you are using a moving-defense, _think_ about what
areas you are blocking-- don't get caught just moving your men back and
forth across the front of the goal without being aware of which holes
are being opened most, and which hole is likely to look most enticing
to the shooter. A moving-defense is _not_ strictly a random defense;
there is a lot of subtle "baiting" to be done along with the
unpredictability. Be able to adjust your defense for different
opponents as soon as possible.
    You get the idea: figure out what works, then stick to it. This
means using your brush-pass and "best"-shot sequence. Keep the
exceptions infrequent, and make the exceptions work toward your scoring
and blocking percentages.
    Summary: use the tools you have practiced to your advantage!

_____________________________________________
Chapter 3
So You Thought You Were Good...
But Then You Went to the First Big Tournament
_____________________________________________

    This chapter will be short, but will also be on the topic most dear
to my heart. The chapter title describes me a few years ago, and the
only difference today is that I'm still not good, but now I know it...
    My only advice is that if you're beating all the players around
you, you _have_ to go out and find players who can beat _you_. Then
you'll see what great foosball is like, and then you may be motivated
to practice that brush-pass, that moving-defense, and all those other
techniques that seemed like sheer nonsense to you before.
    Probably the easiest way to find good players in your area is to
find local Tornado tournaments. Call the Tornado Promotions Hot Line
at (817) 561-0511, and they will be able to tell you the phone number
of a "promotor" (i.e. tournament-organizer) in your area. Then call
your promotor, who will give you all of the details. The Striker
foosball tables are starting to make inroads in the foos-world, so you
can also contact them at Dynamo at (800) 527-6054. Also, you can find
many tournament listings in alt.sport.foosball's FAQ 3: "Playing
Locations." And of course you can pipe up on alt.sport.foosball to see
if any other players are in your area. Finally, if you're suspicious
about these Tornado or Stryker tables you've heard of, give them a good
try anyways: go to these tournaments for a few months, then decide what
you think... I can almost guarantee you will eventually be a "convert"!
    The other advantage to playing better players is that you learn
faster... _much_ faster. You'll learn what a good moving-defense for a
pull shot or a snake is like; the subtleties are hard to figure out on
your own! You'll learn new options from regular shot set-ups that you
never knew existed. You'll learn the importance of ball spin, and how
quickly you will lose if you don't have a brush pass or stick pass
series. You may even learn downright useless things such as how to set
up and shoot the flamboyant Rainbow (aerial shot), or the Alien. You
get the idea.
    So, whether you're the current college champ, bar champ, or a
former addict, go ahead and find those better players... although you
may lose more games than you're accustomed to, you will probably have a
new drive to become better at the sport. And once you attend a Tour
event, you'll be hopelessly hooked, and the entire sport will benefit
from the widened base of competition players.

As a final word, please read Chapter 2 of this file. It contains
some general advice which is valid and useful no matter how good you
are at the sport. The sequence of choosing one shot, then learning and
always using the brush-pass are key, as is the advice on strategy; even
following these instructions will immediately improve your game (i.e.
stop hacking from 5-rod and pass, and concentrate on one shot). The
one thing I would add is to learn a good moving defense, since you
_will_ find that most players have 3-rod shots which can't be reliably
raced-- even if your moving defense is still letting shots through,
you'll find that the shots-against percentage has at least decreased
compared to your stationary race-defense; unfortunately there is not a
faq (frequently-asked-questions) file on this topic yet, but it should
be forthcoming. There are however, faq files on the brush-pass (faq2)
and the snake (aka rollover) and pull shots (faq6) that are worth
reading. Happy foosing!