Are you interested in getting better at the fun and competitive game known as air hockey? It’s understandable to be confused about getting help, as air hockey isn’t as popular as basketball or football. It doesn’t have the same oomph, so most people see it as a simple arcade game people play in their leisure time. But, of course, much like any other competitive game, there is nuance and depth right below the surface. So don’t let the simplicity of the game fool you.

With guidance, anyone can improve at a game such as air hockey. So, do you want to learn how to play air hockey table? Let’s improve your game with a few simple tricks.

Learning to Improve Your Defense

The most crucial thing to consider when getting better at air hockey is to figure out how to tighten your defense. The idea of the game is to keep the opponent from scoring against you while you try to knock the air hockey puck into the opposite slot. Protecting your slot is a top priority, so you’ll want to keep the air hockey mallet positioned in the center.

For most beginners, it’s a good idea to have the mallet as close to the goal point as possible. That way, you’ll only need to move the mallet left and right slightly to create a strong defense. While it might be challenging at first to get the hang of the movement, it won’t be long before you start understanding the intricacies of defense.

Learning to Hold the Mallet

The air hockey mallet is used to attack and defend, and it’s built in such a way that you place your palm firmly on the middle of the mallet. However, you’ll find that pro players hold the part of the mallet closest to them, with their fingers tucked inside. All you have to do is look at a video of a pro air hockey player to understand their grip.

Such a grip is used mainly to add more agility and control to your game. Once again, it might take time to get used to controlling the mallet this way, but much like everything else, practice makes perfect.

Understanding How to Attack

Attacking is as simple as getting the puck to the enemy’s goal slot. However, with some practice, you’ll notice that you can’t just hit a puck however you want and expect results. Depending on how you hit it, it could go straight into your goal (a common issue for beginners). As such, the idea is to learn the right angles for attacking. You’ll quickly figure things out through trial and error, especially if you’re holding your mallet like the pros.

Conclusion

Last but certainly not least, the most important part of playing air hockey is to keep practicing. The more you practice, the easier it will be to remember specific angles through muscle memory. Eventually, you’ll start playing like an air hockey pro, and you likely won’t even realize just how far you’ve come!