Choosing Sides: Tips & Tricks for Aiming Your Shuffleboard Pucks
Although shuffleboard requires some strength for a successful game, the real way to win is all about honing your strategy. This is especially true as you try more difficult games, like Crazy Eight, where there are penalties for seemingly every minor misstep. The only way to really accomplish anything strategically is to master your shooting skills and learn how to gain the most control of the puck.
To begin with, you should be able to proficiently shoot using both your right and your left hands to launch the shuffleboard puck. One of the big reasons for this is that you’ll need to be able to proficiently lag the puck from either corner of the shuffleboard table to get optimal aim in a game where you need to land in a very specific spot.
For better aiming, shoot the puck from either the left or the right corner at the head of the table. This way, you can use all five fingers to shoot the puck and position your shot accurately.
Your pinky and ring finger can keep your hand steady by holding the side of the main alley at the end of the table when you’re taking the big shot. From there, your middle finger, pointer finger and thumb can all hold the puck in a steady position. The fingers that slide along the edge of the board will help balance your shot and keep your hand from lagging erratically when putting a lot of pressure on the puck.
By having the ability to shoot like this using either hand, you have the choice of taking shots that work to your advantage judging by which side of the table most of the pucks are leaning. If you need to protect your puck that is near the end foul line from being shot off the edge by an opponents puck, you can strategically shoot your weight from either corner to accomplish this.
This method also helps you gauge the pressure you put on your pucks easier, which can help you make more complicated shots as your skill level excels.
