12-Nov-2008, 02:23 PM
From the foosball board
Mastering the Coinflip: Strategies to establish control, project strength, avoid intimidation, and begin winning sooner in tournament foosball.
Before we begin this not-so-silly foray into a largely overlooked aspect of the game, ask yourself a few questions. How important is the coinflip? How do you typically handle it? Have you ever felt intimidated as a result of your opponent's pre-game ritual? Have you ever been bullied, or maybe encountered unethical conduct during the coinflip? To what degree do you believe luck is a factor in winning foosball? Have you ever walked up to the table knowing you were going to win, or lose? Ever regretted not choosing the side, or not getting the serve? Ever lost a match as a result either of making a bad decision after the coinflip, or more likely, ever gotten into your own head by second guessing your choice to the point where you lost?
If you're like me, you probably consider the coinflip to be only minorly important; you handle it as the situation presents; you've been intimidated, bullied, and cheated especially during your early tour career; you believe luck is a significant enough factor that it may make your coinflip decision irrelevant; you've walked up to the table and known you were going to win or lose and have been both correct and incorrect; you've regretted not choosing sides; and you've lost matches by being too mentally aware of what you perceive as a disadvantage, like an unfavorable roll.
But have you ever truly considered the coinflip for what it is?
The coinflip can be the defining moment of the game, even before you start playing. With the right strategy the coinflip can help you establish control over your opponents, their mental state, and your playing conditions. It can send a message that you are not a player who will be intimidated. And it can set the tone of "winning" before the match even begins.
So what is the coinflip? What its not is either a "heads" or "tails" call. Since the outcome of the flip is random, attempting to guess it, or more importantly attaching any desire for a particular outcome to the action of the flip, whether made by you or your opponent, is a mistake. Whether you or your opponent makes the actual call, its not the outcome that matters at all, its the decision made after, and as we'll see, decisions made before that have the much greater impact on the game.
The coinflip is the first mandatory confrontation between opponents in the match. It is the first and practically only time the players are required to communicate with one another. But communication does not imply confrontation, right? Well, true, but if you allow yourself to believe that you may already be losing the match. Because the coinflip is mandatory, your opponent must either flip the coin or make the call. He has no choice. Neither do you. As a result, this is the first opportunity to exert control in the match, or to be controlled by your opponent. It is the first opportunity to demonstrate strength. To apply tactics. To attack the mental game of the opponent. To intimidate.
I will not advocate unethical behavior. There's no need for it. Unethical behavior is always, always an attempt by a player to shore up a weakness, either real or perceived, in his own game by gaining an illegal advantage. Cheating is the behavior of a weak, cowardly mind. So by intimidation, I do not mean bullying. I mean "intimidation by strength of character,or by example."
Since I'm writing extemporaneously here, I'll jump back and forth between offensive and defensive tactics and strategies. By offensive, I mean those actions or behaviors that you undertake to exert control. By defensive, I mean those actions or behaviors you may observe in the other player and the successful responses to them.
Let's start with the very beginning of the coinflip process: when your match has been called. How does this have anything to do with flipping the coin? Well, because you have to be physically present to participate, and your opponent is required to communicate with you and you alone to put this silly coinflip issue behind you so you can start playing, your first
chance to exert control has to do with when you choose to arrive at the table.
1. Always arrive last.
If you want to warm up, warm up on another table elsewhere. If you can't stand it and you wind up arriving at the table first, leave and monitor the table from a distance. If its an important match, allow yourself to be put on recall.
If you can avoid it, however, do not put your opponent on recall until you are in danger of getting into trouble from the tournament directors for time violations.
It is a grave misconception that being put on recall is a bad thing. Quite the opposite. Putting someone on recall is a bad thing, especially for the inexperienced player. In almost all cases, putting someone on recall means you are probably annoyed, at least slightly. You may feel disrespected. Since you arrived at the table early, you are probably eager to play.
The longer you have to wait when you want to play right now, the less you'll feel eager and the more you'll feel upset or nervous. The inexperienced player may feel uncertain about the protocol of putting a player on recall, and will oftentimes apologize to the recalled player once he shows up. Apologizing for playing by the rules? What are you, a loser? Worse, the eager player will likely feel a sense of relief or happiness when the recalled or late player arrives at the table. Its hard to compete aggressively when you're just happy your opponent showed up.
Worst of all, and this is a feeling you want to induce, a player who has recalled another player may begin to feel hopeful that you'll not show up at all and you will forfeit your match and he will have a valuable and easy win to advance him to the next round. I've been this player. Specifically, I've been this player for a crucial 5th or better match in Semi-pro Doubles at a Nationals several years ago. My opponent took forever to arrive, forever, and reported that his partner was not even in the building! My opponent was a very skilled, very challenging player. The slightest thought that due to his logistical error I might advance to the 4th or better round (where i would have met an opponent i matched up more strongly against, and was likely to win) for free made me feel nothing but disappointment when his partner came running into the room, just in time. It was just enough of an emotional high and emotional low to take me down a notch in my game -- which was my fault entirely -- and against this opponent only my best game would have won. So I lost, and I attribute some of that loss to putting my opponent on recall.
Sometimes, you must put your opponent on recall. Before you do, pause for a moment and if you detect stress, anger, annoyance, nervousness, or trepidation due to having to do this (and these are all natural emotions for you to be feeling at this time), breathe and release them. Do not let your opponent exert any control over your mental state before you've even flipped the coin.
In fact, never let your opponent control your emotional state. You are playing by the rules, and the rules require this action. Be bored by it. If its your first time, pretend its your thousandth time. If you are concerned you'll piss off your opponent, or break protocol, take this to heart: how your opponent arrives at the table gives you valuable clues you can use to master the coinflip.
2. Arrive at the table like a soldier.
Dismounting onto the battlefield a veteran soldier is confident, cool, aware, focused, and intense. He has achieved a heightened state of arousal and is ready to take decisive action, but knows that strong emotions, particularly anger, effect his judgment negatively. He does not laugh, because laughter is a device of comfort for the fearful or an indication of carelessness- an inappropriate response to a serious situation. He does not want to befriend his enemy, neither does he hate his enemy. His enemy is merely a faceless obstacle inhibiting achievement of his objective.
A veteran soldier arriving like this onto the battlefield is not just hard to intimidate, he is impossible to intimidate. He knows what he has to do, knows how to do it, and is confident in his ability to execute. And against unfavorable odds, or even certain death, he has the courage to perform at his best. He will not let circumstance or chance get the better of him.
Arrive with this mindset to the table and you create a powerful and palpable energy of confrontation that is likely to seriously intimidate the mentally weak or unprepared.
As you walk up to the table, assess the environment: does your opponent appear "soldier-like" or is he careless? Is he quiet and serious, or is he joking with friends? Is he laughing and hiding fear? Is he displaying an emotion of anger, isolence, disgust, or annoyance? Is he smiling and eager? Is he wrapped up and practicing in a focused manner, or is he trying to slam home "intimidating" shots? Does he have an entourage with him? Is he a friend of yours? Are there crowds near the table that might distract you? Are you near a high-traffic area that a lot of people are walking through?
Sometimes you will meet the "nice guy" opponent. Wants to ask your name, where you're from, do the whole social thing. Now is not the time. Get immediately down to business. If that means cutting him short, do it. For one, you cannot be sure if the opponent is really just friendly or if he's trying to lull you out of your competitive focus. For two, there's time to be social AFTER you've beaten him and he knows this. The nice guys will always stick around afterward, the mind gamers pack up and leave. Remember who they are.
All too often, its a friend across the table. Now what? Treat him like the enemy: a faceless obstacle that is hindering your success. My personal tactic is to stare at the Tornado logo in the middle of the table, keeping my "game face" on and ensuring I don't break focus. Its not rude, its an important part of my mental strategy.
Worse than the nice guy is the "take it easy on me" guy, or worse still, the guy who has his buddy come tell me to take it easy on him cause he's inexperienced. My philosophy here is to assume I'm being conned and to take every effort to beat them as badly as I can. Afterwards, if they complain I can always say "I thought I was taking it easy on you". Don't ever give away a competitive advantage just because the player asks for it. Who cares if they're not very good? Should I increase my odds of losing by playing down to their level?
Good players appreciate being given the asswhupping of a lifetime. For one, because it means their opponent took them seriously and didn't condescend to them. For two, losing is the only way people learn to get better and the big losses can be incredibly valuable over the long run. Anyone who is afraid of losing in foosball is never going to be a winner.
You can easily deflect the nice guy and the take it easy guys, but what if you walk up to a player who is visibly upset because of your lateness, or who is openly hostile for no apparent reason, or has a member of his entourage who is openly hostile (*cough* Louisiana players *cough*)? What then?
First, be grateful. An angry or hostile player is an ineffective player. He hopes to win by intimidation more than by skill. Your soldier mindset immediately gives you a huge advantage here, and we haven't even flipped the coin. We've all played angry and we've all learned that angry play is sloppy play. The harder you try to hit the ball, the less effective your execution. The more tension in your muscles, the weaker your shot and the more likely you are to misexecute, making yourself even angrier.
An angry player will frequently take offense if you do something he judges as disrespectful, like a 5-bar shot, and he will then try to "show you" by executing the same shot back at you, only harder. This makes him enormously predictable. What better weapon to have at your disposal than to cause him to shoot a shot you are fully expecting, when you are fully expecting it, thus causing him to experience failure in his attempt at revenge? Players usually fall apart completely after an episode like this. So, if he's angry, be grateful. Remain dispassionate, confident, intense, and focused. Do not return his anger. Control him by not allowing him to control you.
Sometimes though the angry player makes it clear that he's not capable of respecting the rules. At this point, even before the match has begun, ESPECIALLY before th ematch has begun, immediately pivot, walk away from the table without any explanation, proceed to the director's table and request a ref. Come back and tell your opponent you're waiting for a
ref. Your opponent will likely berate you, insult you, get angrier. Great! Remember, you don't need a reason to call a ref. A ref is there to prevent conflicts. Its not a gesture of disrespect, its a safety device that relieves either player from having to enforce judgment calls.
To the good player, having a ref at the table is freeing. It means you don't have to worry. So why would a player NOT want a ref at the table, unless you just foiled their plans to cheat you? Calling a ref isn't about tattling on the opponent, its about exerting strength. You're saying, "I won't be cheated, and I'll play by the rules to ensure that." Very strong.
You've arrived at the table, assessed the situation, projected your confident, intense, focused, soldier energy and now what?
3 You flip the coin
Its not the hugest big deal in the world, but there's some psychological currency attached to the person who "calls the shots" and players want it. You'll see players practically mapping the inside of their pocket pretending to "find" a quarter to flip waiting for you to pull yours out and flip. Even though your odds are the same for either outcome whether you call it or not, most players tend to prefer to make the call rather than flip. So why not let them flip? The flipper controls the coinflip, the caller just guesses. If you want to give someone a playful jolt, insist on flipping AND making the call. While mathematically identical to any other flip scenario, most players will refuse to allow this. Don't push it, just let them experience some confrontation for a second and remove it. Its a MUCH more powerful psychological tool.
Since you are controlling the coinflip, you get to control when it happens, which frequently means you can make the player make the call when you want him to. I prefer to force the player to make the call before the flip so I'm sure I hear it clearly. Does it matter? Not at all. Its totally random. But it keeps me in control, even if subliminally. Hell, I can intentionally flip
the coin off the table just to annoy the opponent if i want, no skin off my teeth, but if I can rattle him I gain an advantage. Is using mindgames to rattle your opponent unethical? Not at all.
A soldier mindset couldn't care less if you act like a fool. If the opponent doesn't have the mental strength to maintain his composure, I want to know about it. That said, I rarely if ever do that.
What if an opponent makes the call in the air and its unintelligible? As soon as the coin hits the table, slap your hand down on it and say "i'm sorry, i didn't hear you clearly, let's reflip."
This behavior is not necessarily to prevent losing the toss so much as it is to send a powerful message, reinforced with the sound of your hand slapping the table, that says "I will not be hustled. Play fair." You have eliminated also any chance of a nagging intrusive thought during play regretting that you did not confront the opponent. Intrusive thoughts are like poison to being in the Zone. Prevent any circumstance that might produce them.
Aren't you giving away the call by always flipping? Well, for one, mathematically you aren't. Its the same as if you made the call. For two, don't insist on flipping like its a matter of life or death, but given the chance, take it. Does it impact your win probability? Not in the slightest. It does establish the maintenance of control and can provide the opportunity to exert strength.
No matter who flips, 50% of the time you are going to get to make the decision about side or serve.
4 Choose the side in uneven matchups, choose the serve in even matchups.
The logic here is simple: in a game to 5 against perfectly matched players, the person who serves first wins. In an overmatched situation, when you are playing someone with clearly superior skills, the first ball possession is not nearly as critical as having the side you prefer, especially if you are a less experienced players. Chances are not good in an overmatch that you'll even be able to do anything productive with that first possession anyway, and if you've thrown away your competitive advantage in the first 10seconds of play in exchange for a table with a slight forward roll, you are toast.
In an undermatch situation, the logic is the same but reversed. If you're confident you can steal the pass, wouldn't you prefer to force your opponent to play on the side with the slight forward roll and all but ensure your total domination of them? Of course you would. The first serve is then meaningless.
But in an equal match, the first possession can result in that first point that results in a squeaker win. Since playing an equal doesn't require once-in-a-lifetime play, having the first possession can give the mathematical advantage or it can also be the mitigating factor in the event that a luck ball rolls in. If you believe a single luck goal can be the difference in a win or a loss in an even matchup, and it most definitely can, then wouldn't it make more sense to bet on getting a first skill shot in the goal? If you make it, its a huge insurance policy.
Because of the simple logic in the first sentence of the paragraph above, the first possession in an equal matchup greatly outweighs any disadvantages a disfavorable roll can create on a given side. More importantly, a simple table maintenance call before play begins can eliminate that disadvantage altogether.
What if the sides are even and the matchup is unequal? Still choose the side. If nothing else to make your opponent have to reach for balls.
5 Develop a smart ritual for side selection
Since you're now choosing side a lot more than before (depending on your matchups), it helps to know in advance how to select the side the best serves you. Let's consider the factors that the table brings into play: level roll, bearing friction, bumper compression, shadows, exposure to interference non-players, ball return (in this order, in my opinion).
For all players, a level roll is ideal. Rarely do we get to play on a table that is perfectly level. Frequently are we playing on tables that have very, very slight rolls or have local warping of the surface. Sticky bearings are worst discovered when you've just draped your wrist over the rod and are rocking your roller; just the awareness of it can cause you to overcompensate and lose smoothness on the shot. Bumpers that overcompress on the 3-rod can mean dropping critical fast wall passes- bad. Shadows sometimes cannot be avoided but oftentimes shadows will favor one side if you know where to look. Interference can take the form of some hottie walking along a well trafficked path between tables in your peripheral line of sight, or can outright step on an outstretched back leg when blocking.
A good side checking routine is practiced, thorough, and quick. While we see pro-masters side checking the table for enormous amounts of time, we have to assume that most of us aren't primadonnas and also don't have the sensitivity that top pm's do (and its not that they are more effected by variation-- they're not, they have the best ability to compensate for table variance-- its that they don't want to give their opponent even the teeniest tiniest advantage.)
Check the rolls slowly using the slickest ball you can find. Minimally, check across the 5, across the 3, across the 2, and down the length of the table all the way. If the table is egregious, have it levelled. Then recheck. If the roll is slight, select for the type of roll that favors you. For a pullshooter, the best roll is backwards towards your goal and to the far side of the table - if you must play with a roll. This ensures the ball snugs up against your man and speeds yout setup. A forward roll is bad all over the place, but generally it effects a brush pass more than any other action on the table. A roll to the near wall tends to help a near-side stick passer whereas a roll to the far wall serves a brush passer better (except when it causes the ball to die on the wall).
Check all the rods for sticky spots. But don't just spin the rods or bump them back and forth. You're going for feel, not showing off. If you're a pull shooter, stroke a pull shot. Do your preferred pass. Use a ball, don't just whiff.
Check the 3 and 5 rod bumpers for compression by compressing them, not by banging them against the wall. Pull the 3 rod bumper to see if it collapses.
Check shadows as you walk around the table. Bad shadows are ones where you think the ball might move through often. Don't worry too much about the player figures, they'll move with their shadows. But if a player shadow is being cast right into where the goalie sets up his pull, see if the other side has better light.
This whole procedure should take 2mins, maximum, and if the opponents are smart they're watching closely. In the end, choose the side you prefer best, not the side you think the opponent will like the least. Who knows, maybe their home table has a condition you think you're smart by sticking them with. Meaning, don't take side with the badly bent goalie rod just so you can give them the side with the slight forward roll. All they have to do is have the table levelled and you've gained a disadvantage.
If the opponents talk to you during this process, or cajole you, ignore them. You're doing this for you, not for them.
6. Begin play with confidence and focus.
That's it, you've built a game plan around the critical pre-game and executed it. Even if it has had no perceptible effect on the opponents you can walk onto the battlefield with the right mental state, having just practiced your focus, exerted your control, projected your strength, and avoided intimidation.
Clearly, there's no one right way to do this, and take from it what you will, but if nothing else step up to the table more aware next time of the opportunities you have to win the mental game and to turn a simple act of random chance to your winning advantage.
Mastering the Coinflip: Strategies to establish control, project strength, avoid intimidation, and begin winning sooner in tournament foosball.
Before we begin this not-so-silly foray into a largely overlooked aspect of the game, ask yourself a few questions. How important is the coinflip? How do you typically handle it? Have you ever felt intimidated as a result of your opponent's pre-game ritual? Have you ever been bullied, or maybe encountered unethical conduct during the coinflip? To what degree do you believe luck is a factor in winning foosball? Have you ever walked up to the table knowing you were going to win, or lose? Ever regretted not choosing the side, or not getting the serve? Ever lost a match as a result either of making a bad decision after the coinflip, or more likely, ever gotten into your own head by second guessing your choice to the point where you lost?
If you're like me, you probably consider the coinflip to be only minorly important; you handle it as the situation presents; you've been intimidated, bullied, and cheated especially during your early tour career; you believe luck is a significant enough factor that it may make your coinflip decision irrelevant; you've walked up to the table and known you were going to win or lose and have been both correct and incorrect; you've regretted not choosing sides; and you've lost matches by being too mentally aware of what you perceive as a disadvantage, like an unfavorable roll.
But have you ever truly considered the coinflip for what it is?
The coinflip can be the defining moment of the game, even before you start playing. With the right strategy the coinflip can help you establish control over your opponents, their mental state, and your playing conditions. It can send a message that you are not a player who will be intimidated. And it can set the tone of "winning" before the match even begins.
So what is the coinflip? What its not is either a "heads" or "tails" call. Since the outcome of the flip is random, attempting to guess it, or more importantly attaching any desire for a particular outcome to the action of the flip, whether made by you or your opponent, is a mistake. Whether you or your opponent makes the actual call, its not the outcome that matters at all, its the decision made after, and as we'll see, decisions made before that have the much greater impact on the game.
The coinflip is the first mandatory confrontation between opponents in the match. It is the first and practically only time the players are required to communicate with one another. But communication does not imply confrontation, right? Well, true, but if you allow yourself to believe that you may already be losing the match. Because the coinflip is mandatory, your opponent must either flip the coin or make the call. He has no choice. Neither do you. As a result, this is the first opportunity to exert control in the match, or to be controlled by your opponent. It is the first opportunity to demonstrate strength. To apply tactics. To attack the mental game of the opponent. To intimidate.
I will not advocate unethical behavior. There's no need for it. Unethical behavior is always, always an attempt by a player to shore up a weakness, either real or perceived, in his own game by gaining an illegal advantage. Cheating is the behavior of a weak, cowardly mind. So by intimidation, I do not mean bullying. I mean "intimidation by strength of character,or by example."
Since I'm writing extemporaneously here, I'll jump back and forth between offensive and defensive tactics and strategies. By offensive, I mean those actions or behaviors that you undertake to exert control. By defensive, I mean those actions or behaviors you may observe in the other player and the successful responses to them.
Let's start with the very beginning of the coinflip process: when your match has been called. How does this have anything to do with flipping the coin? Well, because you have to be physically present to participate, and your opponent is required to communicate with you and you alone to put this silly coinflip issue behind you so you can start playing, your first
chance to exert control has to do with when you choose to arrive at the table.
1. Always arrive last.
If you want to warm up, warm up on another table elsewhere. If you can't stand it and you wind up arriving at the table first, leave and monitor the table from a distance. If its an important match, allow yourself to be put on recall.
If you can avoid it, however, do not put your opponent on recall until you are in danger of getting into trouble from the tournament directors for time violations.
It is a grave misconception that being put on recall is a bad thing. Quite the opposite. Putting someone on recall is a bad thing, especially for the inexperienced player. In almost all cases, putting someone on recall means you are probably annoyed, at least slightly. You may feel disrespected. Since you arrived at the table early, you are probably eager to play.
The longer you have to wait when you want to play right now, the less you'll feel eager and the more you'll feel upset or nervous. The inexperienced player may feel uncertain about the protocol of putting a player on recall, and will oftentimes apologize to the recalled player once he shows up. Apologizing for playing by the rules? What are you, a loser? Worse, the eager player will likely feel a sense of relief or happiness when the recalled or late player arrives at the table. Its hard to compete aggressively when you're just happy your opponent showed up.
Worst of all, and this is a feeling you want to induce, a player who has recalled another player may begin to feel hopeful that you'll not show up at all and you will forfeit your match and he will have a valuable and easy win to advance him to the next round. I've been this player. Specifically, I've been this player for a crucial 5th or better match in Semi-pro Doubles at a Nationals several years ago. My opponent took forever to arrive, forever, and reported that his partner was not even in the building! My opponent was a very skilled, very challenging player. The slightest thought that due to his logistical error I might advance to the 4th or better round (where i would have met an opponent i matched up more strongly against, and was likely to win) for free made me feel nothing but disappointment when his partner came running into the room, just in time. It was just enough of an emotional high and emotional low to take me down a notch in my game -- which was my fault entirely -- and against this opponent only my best game would have won. So I lost, and I attribute some of that loss to putting my opponent on recall.
Sometimes, you must put your opponent on recall. Before you do, pause for a moment and if you detect stress, anger, annoyance, nervousness, or trepidation due to having to do this (and these are all natural emotions for you to be feeling at this time), breathe and release them. Do not let your opponent exert any control over your mental state before you've even flipped the coin.
In fact, never let your opponent control your emotional state. You are playing by the rules, and the rules require this action. Be bored by it. If its your first time, pretend its your thousandth time. If you are concerned you'll piss off your opponent, or break protocol, take this to heart: how your opponent arrives at the table gives you valuable clues you can use to master the coinflip.
2. Arrive at the table like a soldier.
Dismounting onto the battlefield a veteran soldier is confident, cool, aware, focused, and intense. He has achieved a heightened state of arousal and is ready to take decisive action, but knows that strong emotions, particularly anger, effect his judgment negatively. He does not laugh, because laughter is a device of comfort for the fearful or an indication of carelessness- an inappropriate response to a serious situation. He does not want to befriend his enemy, neither does he hate his enemy. His enemy is merely a faceless obstacle inhibiting achievement of his objective.
A veteran soldier arriving like this onto the battlefield is not just hard to intimidate, he is impossible to intimidate. He knows what he has to do, knows how to do it, and is confident in his ability to execute. And against unfavorable odds, or even certain death, he has the courage to perform at his best. He will not let circumstance or chance get the better of him.
Arrive with this mindset to the table and you create a powerful and palpable energy of confrontation that is likely to seriously intimidate the mentally weak or unprepared.
As you walk up to the table, assess the environment: does your opponent appear "soldier-like" or is he careless? Is he quiet and serious, or is he joking with friends? Is he laughing and hiding fear? Is he displaying an emotion of anger, isolence, disgust, or annoyance? Is he smiling and eager? Is he wrapped up and practicing in a focused manner, or is he trying to slam home "intimidating" shots? Does he have an entourage with him? Is he a friend of yours? Are there crowds near the table that might distract you? Are you near a high-traffic area that a lot of people are walking through?
Sometimes you will meet the "nice guy" opponent. Wants to ask your name, where you're from, do the whole social thing. Now is not the time. Get immediately down to business. If that means cutting him short, do it. For one, you cannot be sure if the opponent is really just friendly or if he's trying to lull you out of your competitive focus. For two, there's time to be social AFTER you've beaten him and he knows this. The nice guys will always stick around afterward, the mind gamers pack up and leave. Remember who they are.
All too often, its a friend across the table. Now what? Treat him like the enemy: a faceless obstacle that is hindering your success. My personal tactic is to stare at the Tornado logo in the middle of the table, keeping my "game face" on and ensuring I don't break focus. Its not rude, its an important part of my mental strategy.
Worse than the nice guy is the "take it easy on me" guy, or worse still, the guy who has his buddy come tell me to take it easy on him cause he's inexperienced. My philosophy here is to assume I'm being conned and to take every effort to beat them as badly as I can. Afterwards, if they complain I can always say "I thought I was taking it easy on you". Don't ever give away a competitive advantage just because the player asks for it. Who cares if they're not very good? Should I increase my odds of losing by playing down to their level?
Good players appreciate being given the asswhupping of a lifetime. For one, because it means their opponent took them seriously and didn't condescend to them. For two, losing is the only way people learn to get better and the big losses can be incredibly valuable over the long run. Anyone who is afraid of losing in foosball is never going to be a winner.
You can easily deflect the nice guy and the take it easy guys, but what if you walk up to a player who is visibly upset because of your lateness, or who is openly hostile for no apparent reason, or has a member of his entourage who is openly hostile (*cough* Louisiana players *cough*)? What then?
First, be grateful. An angry or hostile player is an ineffective player. He hopes to win by intimidation more than by skill. Your soldier mindset immediately gives you a huge advantage here, and we haven't even flipped the coin. We've all played angry and we've all learned that angry play is sloppy play. The harder you try to hit the ball, the less effective your execution. The more tension in your muscles, the weaker your shot and the more likely you are to misexecute, making yourself even angrier.
An angry player will frequently take offense if you do something he judges as disrespectful, like a 5-bar shot, and he will then try to "show you" by executing the same shot back at you, only harder. This makes him enormously predictable. What better weapon to have at your disposal than to cause him to shoot a shot you are fully expecting, when you are fully expecting it, thus causing him to experience failure in his attempt at revenge? Players usually fall apart completely after an episode like this. So, if he's angry, be grateful. Remain dispassionate, confident, intense, and focused. Do not return his anger. Control him by not allowing him to control you.
Sometimes though the angry player makes it clear that he's not capable of respecting the rules. At this point, even before the match has begun, ESPECIALLY before th ematch has begun, immediately pivot, walk away from the table without any explanation, proceed to the director's table and request a ref. Come back and tell your opponent you're waiting for a
ref. Your opponent will likely berate you, insult you, get angrier. Great! Remember, you don't need a reason to call a ref. A ref is there to prevent conflicts. Its not a gesture of disrespect, its a safety device that relieves either player from having to enforce judgment calls.
To the good player, having a ref at the table is freeing. It means you don't have to worry. So why would a player NOT want a ref at the table, unless you just foiled their plans to cheat you? Calling a ref isn't about tattling on the opponent, its about exerting strength. You're saying, "I won't be cheated, and I'll play by the rules to ensure that." Very strong.
You've arrived at the table, assessed the situation, projected your confident, intense, focused, soldier energy and now what?
3 You flip the coin
Its not the hugest big deal in the world, but there's some psychological currency attached to the person who "calls the shots" and players want it. You'll see players practically mapping the inside of their pocket pretending to "find" a quarter to flip waiting for you to pull yours out and flip. Even though your odds are the same for either outcome whether you call it or not, most players tend to prefer to make the call rather than flip. So why not let them flip? The flipper controls the coinflip, the caller just guesses. If you want to give someone a playful jolt, insist on flipping AND making the call. While mathematically identical to any other flip scenario, most players will refuse to allow this. Don't push it, just let them experience some confrontation for a second and remove it. Its a MUCH more powerful psychological tool.
Since you are controlling the coinflip, you get to control when it happens, which frequently means you can make the player make the call when you want him to. I prefer to force the player to make the call before the flip so I'm sure I hear it clearly. Does it matter? Not at all. Its totally random. But it keeps me in control, even if subliminally. Hell, I can intentionally flip
the coin off the table just to annoy the opponent if i want, no skin off my teeth, but if I can rattle him I gain an advantage. Is using mindgames to rattle your opponent unethical? Not at all.
A soldier mindset couldn't care less if you act like a fool. If the opponent doesn't have the mental strength to maintain his composure, I want to know about it. That said, I rarely if ever do that.
What if an opponent makes the call in the air and its unintelligible? As soon as the coin hits the table, slap your hand down on it and say "i'm sorry, i didn't hear you clearly, let's reflip."
This behavior is not necessarily to prevent losing the toss so much as it is to send a powerful message, reinforced with the sound of your hand slapping the table, that says "I will not be hustled. Play fair." You have eliminated also any chance of a nagging intrusive thought during play regretting that you did not confront the opponent. Intrusive thoughts are like poison to being in the Zone. Prevent any circumstance that might produce them.
Aren't you giving away the call by always flipping? Well, for one, mathematically you aren't. Its the same as if you made the call. For two, don't insist on flipping like its a matter of life or death, but given the chance, take it. Does it impact your win probability? Not in the slightest. It does establish the maintenance of control and can provide the opportunity to exert strength.
No matter who flips, 50% of the time you are going to get to make the decision about side or serve.
4 Choose the side in uneven matchups, choose the serve in even matchups.
The logic here is simple: in a game to 5 against perfectly matched players, the person who serves first wins. In an overmatched situation, when you are playing someone with clearly superior skills, the first ball possession is not nearly as critical as having the side you prefer, especially if you are a less experienced players. Chances are not good in an overmatch that you'll even be able to do anything productive with that first possession anyway, and if you've thrown away your competitive advantage in the first 10seconds of play in exchange for a table with a slight forward roll, you are toast.
In an undermatch situation, the logic is the same but reversed. If you're confident you can steal the pass, wouldn't you prefer to force your opponent to play on the side with the slight forward roll and all but ensure your total domination of them? Of course you would. The first serve is then meaningless.
But in an equal match, the first possession can result in that first point that results in a squeaker win. Since playing an equal doesn't require once-in-a-lifetime play, having the first possession can give the mathematical advantage or it can also be the mitigating factor in the event that a luck ball rolls in. If you believe a single luck goal can be the difference in a win or a loss in an even matchup, and it most definitely can, then wouldn't it make more sense to bet on getting a first skill shot in the goal? If you make it, its a huge insurance policy.
Because of the simple logic in the first sentence of the paragraph above, the first possession in an equal matchup greatly outweighs any disadvantages a disfavorable roll can create on a given side. More importantly, a simple table maintenance call before play begins can eliminate that disadvantage altogether.
What if the sides are even and the matchup is unequal? Still choose the side. If nothing else to make your opponent have to reach for balls.
5 Develop a smart ritual for side selection
Since you're now choosing side a lot more than before (depending on your matchups), it helps to know in advance how to select the side the best serves you. Let's consider the factors that the table brings into play: level roll, bearing friction, bumper compression, shadows, exposure to interference non-players, ball return (in this order, in my opinion).
For all players, a level roll is ideal. Rarely do we get to play on a table that is perfectly level. Frequently are we playing on tables that have very, very slight rolls or have local warping of the surface. Sticky bearings are worst discovered when you've just draped your wrist over the rod and are rocking your roller; just the awareness of it can cause you to overcompensate and lose smoothness on the shot. Bumpers that overcompress on the 3-rod can mean dropping critical fast wall passes- bad. Shadows sometimes cannot be avoided but oftentimes shadows will favor one side if you know where to look. Interference can take the form of some hottie walking along a well trafficked path between tables in your peripheral line of sight, or can outright step on an outstretched back leg when blocking.
A good side checking routine is practiced, thorough, and quick. While we see pro-masters side checking the table for enormous amounts of time, we have to assume that most of us aren't primadonnas and also don't have the sensitivity that top pm's do (and its not that they are more effected by variation-- they're not, they have the best ability to compensate for table variance-- its that they don't want to give their opponent even the teeniest tiniest advantage.)
Check the rolls slowly using the slickest ball you can find. Minimally, check across the 5, across the 3, across the 2, and down the length of the table all the way. If the table is egregious, have it levelled. Then recheck. If the roll is slight, select for the type of roll that favors you. For a pullshooter, the best roll is backwards towards your goal and to the far side of the table - if you must play with a roll. This ensures the ball snugs up against your man and speeds yout setup. A forward roll is bad all over the place, but generally it effects a brush pass more than any other action on the table. A roll to the near wall tends to help a near-side stick passer whereas a roll to the far wall serves a brush passer better (except when it causes the ball to die on the wall).
Check all the rods for sticky spots. But don't just spin the rods or bump them back and forth. You're going for feel, not showing off. If you're a pull shooter, stroke a pull shot. Do your preferred pass. Use a ball, don't just whiff.
Check the 3 and 5 rod bumpers for compression by compressing them, not by banging them against the wall. Pull the 3 rod bumper to see if it collapses.
Check shadows as you walk around the table. Bad shadows are ones where you think the ball might move through often. Don't worry too much about the player figures, they'll move with their shadows. But if a player shadow is being cast right into where the goalie sets up his pull, see if the other side has better light.
This whole procedure should take 2mins, maximum, and if the opponents are smart they're watching closely. In the end, choose the side you prefer best, not the side you think the opponent will like the least. Who knows, maybe their home table has a condition you think you're smart by sticking them with. Meaning, don't take side with the badly bent goalie rod just so you can give them the side with the slight forward roll. All they have to do is have the table levelled and you've gained a disadvantage.
If the opponents talk to you during this process, or cajole you, ignore them. You're doing this for you, not for them.
6. Begin play with confidence and focus.
That's it, you've built a game plan around the critical pre-game and executed it. Even if it has had no perceptible effect on the opponents you can walk onto the battlefield with the right mental state, having just practiced your focus, exerted your control, projected your strength, and avoided intimidation.
Clearly, there's no one right way to do this, and take from it what you will, but if nothing else step up to the table more aware next time of the opportunities you have to win the mental game and to turn a simple act of random chance to your winning advantage.
"Man's way to God is with beer in hand." - some Belgium monk
