Foosball is a popular tabletop game that requires skill, strategy, and quick reflexes. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, there are many ways to train and improve your foosball skills.
But if you’re just starting to play foosball or have had the misfortune of playing someone more experienced or skilled than you, you probably know how quickly a game can get out of hand. Within minutes you find yourself taking a 10-2 loss, or worse.
Sure, it’s supposed to be fun, but if you’re keeping score – and foosball tables always come with a score counter – you might as well try to win, right?
Let’s discuss some tips and tricks for foosball training to get you to 10 points quicker than your opponent.
How to get better at foosball
- Start with the basics: Before you jump into advanced moves, make sure you have a solid understanding of the basic shots, such as the pull shot, push shot, bank shot, and pass. Practice these shots until they become second nature. Don’t worry. We’ll explain these four shots in detail below.
- Improve your grip: The way you hold the handle of the foosball rod can greatly affect your accuracy and shot speed. Experiment with different grip styles and find the one that works best for you.
- Practice your aim: Try to hit specific spots on the foosball table, such as the corners of the goal or the middle of the opponent’s goal. This will help you develop accuracy and improve your aim.
- Practice drills: Set up specific drills to work on different skills, such as passing, shooting, or ball control. Repeat these drills regularly to improve your overall performance.
- Play against different opponents: Playing against different opponents will help you learn to adapt to different playing styles and challenge you to improve your skills.
- Focus on footwork: Good footwork is key to quick, efficient movements. Work on your footwork by practicing moves such as the T-shot or by moving the rods with your feet instead of your hands.
- Stay patient: Improving your foosball skills takes time and practice. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see improvement right away. Keep practicing and eventually you will see progress.
By following these tips and tricks, you can improve your foosball skills and become a more competitive player.
Pull shot, push shot, bank shot, and pass shots
To get better at foosball, you need to learn about how to take shots and how to pass the ball to your other players on the table.
While there are 12 main types of shots in foosball, we’ll first focus on the four main ones and then summarize the remaining 8 shots below that.
Pull shot
A pull shot in foosball is a basic shot made by pulling the rod backwards and then shooting the ball forward. It is a simple shot that is usually the first shot learned by a new player.
Practice the pull shot by yourself with different shot speeds and with different players and focus on getting as many shots on net as possible.
Push shot
A push shot in foosball is a more advanced shot that is made by pushing the rod forwards towards the opponent’s goal to push the ball along with one player and then shoot the ball with another. This shot is faster than the pull shot and can be more difficult to defend.
This can be a very effective shot since it catches your opponent by surprise. It’s kind of like a one-timer in hockey where a player takes a pass from a teammate and immediately shoots it without first corralling the puck.
Bank shot
A bank shot in foosball is a shot where the ball is deliberately aimed to bounce off the wall and into the goal. This shot can be difficult to make and requires a good understanding of angles and ball control.
Practice how you bank shots off the wall – or off other players – to improve your scoring chances by surprising your opponent before they can react. If you can figure out how your own foosball table reacts to various shots, you might get an advantage over visitors to your home who aren’t as familiar.
Pass shot
A pass shot in foosball is a shot made by passing the ball from one player to another. This shot requires good teamwork and communication between players and is often used to set up more advanced shots.
The funny thing about a pass shot is when you’re playing foosball 1 on 1 since you’re effectively passing the ball to yourself since you control all your players.
8 other foosball shots to master
We already listed four basic shots to learn but you can round out your game with another eight shots to take your game to the next level.
Pull Kick Shot: A shot where the player pulls the rod towards them and then quickly pushes it forward to hit the ball.
Push Kick Shot: A shot where the player pushes the rod forward and then quickly pulls it towards them to hit the ball.
Rollover (Snake) Shot: A shot where the player alternates between pulling and pushing the rod, rolling the ball over the miniature figures and towards the goal. You essentially start by resting your wrist or forearm against the bat and then quickly pull your arm up to rotate the bar, shooting the ball at the net.
Dead Man Shot: This is a tricky advanced shot. You have possession of the ball and it’s not in motion, just sitting there. It’s referred to as dead man because you pull your rod as far out as possible and then quickly push it in and shoot the ball on an angle towards the net. It’s a situational shot done in a way that your opponent’s defenders are also dead, in the sense that they ideally can’t move to block the shot.
Spray Shot: A shot where the player hits the ball in different directions to confuse the opponent. By quickly moving a rod back and forth and passing the ball between two of your players, you can then pass and quickly shoot the ball on an angle and bank it off the wall towards your opponent.
Aerial Shot: A shot where the player lifts the ball off the field and strikes it with the rod, aiming for the goal. The ball effectively flies towards the opponent’s net in the air. This is a very challenging, advanced shot. You can pass the ball quickly back and forth between two of your players on two different rods until the ball rests on the bottom of a player and then quickly flinging the ball in the air towards the goal.
Tic-Tac Shot: A shot where the player passes the ball back and forth between players on one rod without losing possession, until they see an opening and then taking a shot when it materializes.
Foos Shot: A shot where the player waits for their opponent to hit the ball and immediately hits the ball back at their opponent’s net. Not only does this catch your opponent off guard, there’s a good chance the bar that they hit the ball with will be raised meaning their players won’t be able to block the ball when you hit it back at them.