Playing doubles on an air hockey table is seen more as a casual form of play instead of a serious exhibition of skill and wit. However, the addition of an extra player on either side of the air hockey table opens up many strategic possibilities that completely change the dynamics of the game, putting even veteran players in a vulnerable state. The following few strategies are some of the most popular ones used in air hockey team games.
One goal per entry, per player: Probably the most effective strategy in a doubles game is to focus on getting at least one goal individually every time a player enters a game. Instead of playing with full effort throughout the game, if players simply focus on getting one goal, they have a much higher chance of winning. This kind of strategy works best against more experienced players, especially when your team has a better offense than defense.
Support and cooperate: More often than not, in a team one of the players is more skilled than the other. When there is such a disparity in air hockey skills, it is best to make the more skilled player focus on performing runs, or streaks, while the less skilled player tries to even the game out for his partner. This kind of strategy also works when one of the players seems to be “in the zone”, so you can use his confidence and determination to drive the game in your favor.
Fight someone your own size: There are very few teams which have players who are evenly matched in skill. If your team is going against an uneven team, let the more skilled players from the two teams battle each other, while the lesser skilled players keep the game even. This kind of strategy works extremely well if your team’s secondary player is quite strong.
While designing a strategy for team-based air hockey matches, it is important to realize that all players cannot play with 100% effort all throughout the game. Also, it is very important to build a clear strategy that both players agree upon, so that team-mates can work with each other towards victory.
