Nice tutorial, Zeke! I think you may wanna add for novice players to practice on the rock with the wrist so the feeling won't be so awkward and that the shot is actually 2 motions in either direction but looks like one motion in real time.
Zeke has gotta be a cyborg with foosball software programmed into him. That sorta dexterity is hard to comprehend. I think you need to get a high speed camera so pleebs like me can see it better.
With the euro/front pin you hold the handle with an open hand (palm) grip. While the snake shot is done using the wrist on the handle. Also the snake shot spins around a full rotation to hit the ball, while in the front pin the man pinning the ball comes behind the ball before impact (does not rotate around).
A front pin shot done with the wrist is called the snake shot or rollover. You use the wrist for speed and ability to go to either side. You can do a standard front pin shot with an open hand grip (also called the Euro pin) but it's a lot more difficult to do on the Tornado table.
@MitchKid432 The goal can basicaly fit 5 foosballs in side-by-side. Picture that as 5 hole you can shoot at. 2 and 4 would be the inside holes, 3 being the middle.
A table like mine is pretty expensive but definitely great quality. If you plan to just play at home and are not interested in local tournaments, then you could look for a used Tornado table (possibly a Storm or Cyclone II) on craigslist. You should not pay more than $300 for one depending on condition. The Fireball home model is also a great table. The Tornado tables have been around the longest and have lots of replacement parts widely available so that makes it nice.
The weight of the rods can make a difference. Some people shoot this shot on a bonzini table which has telescopic rods, but I dont think it has the same flexibility as on a tornado table. The ball can affect the effectiveness of this shot as well.
Hey Zeke man, just wanted to let you know that you're FUCKING AWESOME and Im glad you've uploaded these videos! Im going to try and get some of these moves down but I just wanted to let you know!
you are allowed to turn 360 before the ball contakt and after it. The front pin movement doesnt count as contact.. the schoot is really common in europe and the usa and there is no doubt that it is legal ( sory for the bad english . Its not my first language)
@tylerlime What type of table do you have? Make sure the rods are lubbed up with silicone. The rods need to be able to move freely. But the table and ball will make a difference.
Hi Zeke, I've been practicing snakes for a while and have a question. At 1:36 in this video I see you pin the ball and then roll the bar around and re-pin prior to the shot. I've also seen this technique a lot in tournament footage. Wouldn't it be safer/easier to just leave the ball pinned and move your grip without disturbing the pinned ball? Is there a reason this extra step is necessary?
@speedstakerguy It's a loaded question. If you mean how long does it take to get a Snake shot that is that good, then I would say that it takes a long time (years). You can learn to shoot it in a few months, but it takes time to perfect it. It also takes a lot of experience to learn to shoot it effectively against different defenses.
@TurboMerlot996 This is how you "square" the shot. So if I'm shooting to the push side, then at the point of impact the rod will be moving back to the pull side, and vice versa. Make sense?
@MistaFolgers Its controlled spinning. The rules are you cannot spin more than 360 before hitting the ball, and you cannot spin more 360 after hitting the ball.
Hitting a deadman snake shot is hard to do. The rule is, if the hole that's open is the deadman hole, then you are shooting at the wrong hole. I would suggest that you learn hitting the longs fairly fast and effortlessly. This develops good technique and opens up the inside game. Sometimes you'll need to hit squared longs (not necessarily deadman) and other times you can just spray longs.
@ouchymagoo Maybe not legal by your home rules. However, in professional foosball they are legal. In short, you cannot spin more than 360 before hitting the ball, and 360 after. Google "ITSF rules"
And to that account, i have no problem having both speed and taking it both sides without using the wrist. So i really wondered, whether it would be worth trying to learn the wrist grip, or just pratice and improve my own "under-grib" style?
@ubisoft5126 That's the style of this table. It has a flat surface (no ramps). So the extra man are used to get the ball out of the corners. Some tables have ramps so there is no need for the extra man.
hello ive a question: ive a foosball table at home but the problem is that the table was from the time when i was a kid and my parents bought a plastic one, with a shitty wooden ball. i rly like foosball and i would like to start practicing more to be alot better at it. the thing is everytime i practice shots and passes in my table i feel like i do not have the necessary table to evolve, it is hard to shot strongly and the table itself is unstable. do you think i should buy one like yours?
Yea, im aware of the difference between those two shots. But normally when i do the snake shot / rollover, i don't use my wrist, simply because it's almost impossible for me to control it propperly, and on most tables i play at, the rods aren't smooth enough for me to have enough power using the wrist only. Instead tho, i use a different grib (don't know whether it has a name or not). but the question was actually why using the wrist instead of any other grib when rolling over?
That was a Tornado Cyclone II. Costs around $1000 dollars new. The Tornado T-3000 costs around $1600 new. You can always buy a used tornado table for a much cheaper cost.
Hi Stu, We can practice on this next we see each other at a local tournament. In general the grip you use should allow you to shoot any option. The pressure point on your wrist should be more towards the side where your thumb is, rather than the center of the wrist. I think i'm going to make a part 2 of this tutorial to address this and other questions I've received. Thanks. -zeke
Hey like the shot tried it some times but when it comes to shoting with the rigth hand nothing works. Long ago when i was smaler i was as good as with my left hand. But one day i broke my radius and my Ulna close to my wrist since that day I lost all force i could but it a shot and all ball control is gone.Atm im shoting goals with the goaly or with the 5 bars.And if im not playing double i mostly lose. If you can help would be cool cause it hurts losing in the club im going with my friends.
@Dudefish420 I didnt know that rule. I recently started playing pro and yeah they can do a 359 degree turn. I dont like it either because i do this shot at same speed without turning :P
For the real foosball rules experts here, I have a question for you. Here is an excerpt from the ITSF rule book: 20.4 It is considered a distraction, after setting up a shot, to remove a hand from the handle and then immediately shoot the ball. The ball may only be shot after both hands (and/or wrist) have been on both handles for one full second. I'm trying to get a better understanding of this rule, specifically what the actual definition of "remove a hand from the handle" is. Say I am setting up a rollover and have the ball in a front pin with the handle in my hand. Scenario 1: I slide my arm downwards on the handle so that my wrist is now on the handle. I never lose physical contact with the handle as my slide downwards is brushing the handle the entire time. Scenario 2: I move the rod over slightly and do a forward flip to repin the ball with my wrist. Again, I never lose physical contact with the handle. Do either of these scenarios count as "remove a hand from the handle"? By the most strict interpretation, it does, because my hand is no longer on the handle, but I'm wondering whether the spirit of the rule intended it to mean "to lose contact with the handle". Basically I'm wondering in either scenario, whether I have to wait one second before making the shot. Thanks!
Neither of your scenarios applies to rule 20.4. That rule is mainly if you move your hand away from the handle to either adjust another rod (in singles), or if you need to wipe some sweat off it. The key thing is you can't move your hand and then come back to the handle and fire off a shot right away because the movement may be distracting to your opponent.
@odie798 Get a tornado. A new one is up to 2k, but people win them at tournaments and sell them, In my town, VVS runs the foosball leagues and regularly sells used table. You can get a decent one for 400 or 500 probably if there's a local foosball following.
I was wondering. Why do you always see players using their wrist when doing the snake? Is it because of some fear of rule violation or just a tool to control it better?
Where in the ITSF rules does it say releasing the grips during a shot is illegal? I have some friends who do just that but they claim that since the rod never rotates more than 360 degrees before they grab it, the shot is legal.
hi mate, i just got a foosball table and there is no control whatsoever, are these rubber balls? MY foosball table came with plastic balls and are damn hard to grip and slide right out of the players feet, i cant even pass the ball without the ball veering offtrack , where can i get the balls u use? i tried ebay but nothing good, same old cheap chinese stuff
just a suggestion here. doesn't that look like the man spun 360 degrees? no offence to whoever is doin snake but, no matter how u stop it b4 the 360 point, it is gonna go more than 360 due to the force applied to the spin. stopping it right b4 360 degrees is like stopping a F1 car immediately at the finish line at 300++km/h. but all in all zeke, ur videos are definately a keeper. keep it up!
so... you listed the variations of the shot. tutorials mean you tell us how you do the shot (i.e. - tips, tricks, drills). this isnt going to help my snake get any better.
i play at pacific mall and teamplay in markham toronto and mid's and uglys arent alowed either. In my opinion shooting with the middle guys is so stupid. It shows no class and no skill. Id rather pass the ball to the more capable 3 guys and doing a fast 3-2. but thats just my opinion
