Beer Can Fishing
Foosball 101 > Setting Your Stance

Setting Your Foosball Stance

The way you stand behind a foosball table can have a dramatic impact on your game. Its importance cannot be overlooked as you must take advantage of the physics of the game in order to play the best you can. Standing too close to the table can cause you to be stiff and limit the amount you can move the rod back and forth on the table. The key to setting the right stance is standing back and at an angle where the longer rods are free to move in and out of the table. Just like in other sports like baseball, having the right stance and grip will impact your performance. The key is to be comfortable and position your body to allow freedom of movement.
Make sure you angle your body and right foot away from the table at a diagonal angle. This will allow the longer rods such as the 3 bar on offense and 2 bar on defense to be fully pulled out without crashing into your hip. Your right arm should be able to pull the rod fully out of the table without having to adjust your stance at all. Your left foot should be closer to the table as those rods are shorter, while your right foot is set back further to allow for the longer rods to extend further out and your arm to move freely back and forth.

​Trying to play foosball with both your feet facing the table and up close is similar to swinging a bat with your elbows against your chest. Your arm motion is restricted and much more tense in this position. It simply doesn't allow your body to have full range of motion to eliminate resistance and maximize your speed.
As you can see from the professionals below, they are standing with their left feet closer to the table. Their right foot is set back which allows the rods to be extended further back without getting in their way. The reason why it is not recommended to stand also with your left foot back further is the advantage of your eyes being closer to the table. As you can see, they are leaning over the table which allows them to get a closer view of the action and respond quickly on defense.