According to Tim Weissman, advanced air-hockey is like a game of “physical chess”. He couldn’t have been more right. Air-hockey is a game of “physical chess” and it requires similar strategies to progress with your offence. Here are a few chess like tricks you can try to make sure your offence is effective.
Diagonal Drift from Right to Left Using Right-Wall-Under
This tactic involves starting off with an under on the Air Hockey table. This will convince the defence to habitually move back to the goal. As a result, making straight shots later in the game becomes easier and when it really matters.
Diagonal Drift from Right to Left Using Using a Cut
This is a straightforward and direct tactic. During early play, follow a properly blocked bank with a complementary straight. Use the same drift, shot location and release technique.
Open-V Left Rail Drift with Cut
The previous two shots were right to left shots. They are easy in terms of execution. However, here you will need to try a new drift tactic. Try using an open-v rail drift. There are certain reasons why you should. To begin with, it can be executed in the same way as right to left shots, while surprising the defence. Secondly, it tells you how the defence will react when facing a drift from the opposite direction. Thirdly, the extreme left to right direction will drag the defence towards the right. This becomes even more likely when you hit a right wall under and make a cut out of the right to left directional drift. Finally, taking a cut sends out the signal that you are capable of executing the same shot as and when you want, even if it’s being blocked.
Right to Left Diagonal Drift with Left-Wall-Under
Here, you will have to intentionally go back to using an established tactic. You should do this because the previous open-v left rail drift will have broken a pattern, leaving the defence perplexed. Apart from that, it also draws the defence into a false sense of security. This will make it easier for you to execute a left-wall-under, since the defence is expecting the previous right-to-left diagonal shot patterns.