Air Hockey > Offense > Angle Shot
Air Hockey Angle Shots
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Air Hockey Angle Shot Overview
The angle shot is when you use your mallet to make contact with the puck, striking it off at an angled position toward your opponent's goal. This and the bank shot are actually the two most common taken by offensive players and can be extremely difficult to block when performed with accuracy. It is best to use this shot when the defense has their mallet in position directly in front of their goal and not leaving space between the goal and the mallet. The further the mallet is away from their goal and closer to your end of the air hockey table, the more they are leaving the goal open for a bank instead. The reason why is because the closer they get to you the more they are cutting off the angle and blocking a higher percentage of the goal. |
Angle Shot Level of Difficulty
This shot ranks at a 2 out of 5 in the level of difficulty. The hardest thing about an angle shot is you will need to learn it from any location on the table. You don't always have the luxury of selecting where your shot will come from during a volley back and forth between you and your challenger. Practice from all kinds of locations and speeds that are coming at you so you can be ready when it counts.
This shot ranks at a 2 out of 5 in the level of difficulty. The hardest thing about an angle shot is you will need to learn it from any location on the table. You don't always have the luxury of selecting where your shot will come from during a volley back and forth between you and your challenger. Practice from all kinds of locations and speeds that are coming at you so you can be ready when it counts.
Defending Against the Angle Shot
Sometimes there is not a lot you can do when an angle shot is hit in a perfect direction at top speed because they can be hard to race. However, keeping your eyes always on the puck and in a defensive position to be ready for one will improve your odds of blocking them. Although pushing your mallet out a few more inches in front of your goal will help protect the angles and block more of the goal, going too far will leave it exposed to a bank that will travel off the wall and behind your defense.
Sometimes there is not a lot you can do when an angle shot is hit in a perfect direction at top speed because they can be hard to race. However, keeping your eyes always on the puck and in a defensive position to be ready for one will improve your odds of blocking them. Although pushing your mallet out a few more inches in front of your goal will help protect the angles and block more of the goal, going too far will leave it exposed to a bank that will travel off the wall and behind your defense.
