Foosball 101 > Catching
Catching the foosball
A catch is when you successfully stop a pass or a loose ball on the table and obtain control of the ball. Catching is an important part of the game to maximize your offensive opportunities and limit your opponent's time of possession. Learning this will help improve your overall foosball game because it will teach you ball control and help you overcome many situations where you may have previously fumbled the ball to your opponent. You will be surprised at how many loose balls you start to pick up with the right catching techniques you can learn below.
How to Catch the Ball
The key to foosball catching is tilting your bar at an angle so you can cushion the ball from bouncing right off your man. It is ideal to tilt your man at about an angle of 35-40 degrees. The diagram below will show you how to do this properly. You can always test your angle by making sure a ball does not fit under your man when it is tilted. If you simply leave your men straight up and down, it is much harder to catch a foosball pass. Even if your men are tilted at the right angle to receive the pass, you may need to swing your foosball man back around the other side of the ball in order to stop its momentum from rolling back to your opponent.
The key to foosball catching is tilting your bar at an angle so you can cushion the ball from bouncing right off your man. It is ideal to tilt your man at about an angle of 35-40 degrees. The diagram below will show you how to do this properly. You can always test your angle by making sure a ball does not fit under your man when it is tilted. If you simply leave your men straight up and down, it is much harder to catch a foosball pass. Even if your men are tilted at the right angle to receive the pass, you may need to swing your foosball man back around the other side of the ball in order to stop its momentum from rolling back to your opponent.
By leaning forward, this bounce back will occur under your rod and give you the chance to swing your man back around the ball and maintain control. Get in the habit of always having your offensive bars leaned away from the direction of the ball and be ready for a catch. You never know when a loose ball or shot will occur where you need to make a catch. Make sure to test that you have the right amount of tilt forward by trying to fit a ball under the toe. If it easily pushes through, you are leaned too far forward.
Other Foosball Catching Tips:
- Another tip is to pin the ball against the wall of the foosball table. This is just another method of absorbing the impact of the ball in order to catch the foosball. This method is typically used when doing a wall pass from your 5 bar to your 3 bar.
- Remember that you don't need a pass in order to catch. Use these techniques outlined on this page when your opponent has the ball, just in the opposite tilted angle on your men. This will help you catch a lot of loose balls and even some shots. Take this foosball catching strategy a step further and learn how to foos your opponent.
