More on flicking

[Mark Biggar <mark.a.biggar@...>]

All the Carabande rules say about this is:

"A good player will use the same technique as the Indian game Carrom.
Use the fingernail to actually contact the piece. You can use either
the goat-finger (???), the middle finger, or the thumb for the snap.
Simply pushing the disc is forbidden."

Quote from the FAQ on the Crokinole Centeral web-site:

"CROKINOLE hurts my FINGER!

That's because you're not doing it right.

A fillip is the snap of a finger - not the snap of a disk. The reason it
hurts is that you are holding your finger away from the disk and
striking it. Hold your shooting finger against the disk, thereby pushing
it. Developing/correcting this technique will not only prevent you from
injuring your finger, but greatly improve your control over speed and
accuracy of your shots."

From the basic rules file at www.crokinole.com:

"A crokinole shot is accomplished by firmly holding the end of your
index or middle finger against the thumb and then flicking or snapping
it against the disc in order to propel the disc across the playing
surface."

From the FAQ on www.crokinole.com:

"Why does it hurt my finger when I shoot a disc ?
Good question! The answer is simple. If you live in a society that
understands hockey or soccer, picture the slap shot (hockey) as opposed
to the wrist shot, or the grand swing kick (soccer) compared to a
well-aimed toe kick. The secret of an accurate, pain-free shot is to
move your finger up as close to the disc as possible. Don't hit it. Push
it!!! Get that finger up really close. Take aim and shoot. Pain will not
be a factor - even if you hit the post with your disc. Get your
fingernail right on the disc. You will have more accurate shots and no
pain."

From carron.org "how to play":

"Shooting styles are very personal - whichever 'grip' works for you is
fine as long as you 'flick' the striker and don't push it. Generally,
it's best to orient your body in order to see the line of your aim while
shooting comfortably; you may not move or leave your chair.

For forward shots, you can use your index finger, middle finger, or even
the 'scissors' shot (right).

Tip on technique: Before shooting, try touching the striker with your
fingernail, to be sure that it's really on line. This will improve your
accuracy and prevent you from hurting your finger."

Finally from carron.org "tips and techniques":

"Probably the most important aspect of a player's game is their grip.
Having a proper grip is essential for maintaining consistency and
accuracy in ones stroke. Here we will examine some of the basic grip
configurations and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.

The Straight Grip

The straight grip, in some form, is probably the most commonly used grip
in carrom today. For the straight grip, the hand is held palm side down,
with the fingertips resting lightly on the carromboard. The wrist rests
on the frame of the board. The shot is made by the index finger (or
sometimes the middle finger) with a simple forward "push" of the finger.
Many players find that if they hold the striker between the thumb and
third finger (as shown in photo), and release the striker as they are
making the stroke, it adds greater stability and increased accuracy to
their shot.

A common mistake made by beginners is to "cock" their index finger
behind the tip of the thumb, and then release the finger violently,
"smacking" the striker with the tip of their finger. This can have a
painful result, and more importantly, it is very difficult to maintain
accuracy when making the shot in this fashion. A better approach is to
rest the index finger lightly on the carromboard, directly behind and
just touching the striker, and to make the shot with a slight "push" of
the finger, as opposed to a "smack". This approach will result in far
greater accuracy and a more pleasant experience of the game.

The Scissor Grip

The other, less common grip used for forward shots is known as the
"scissor" grip. This grip is best understood by looking at the
photograph at right. In the scissor grip, the stroke is made by the
middle finger, which is laid flat on the carrom board, perpendicular to
the intended path of the striker. The index finger rests atop the middle
finger, holding it back until the moment of release, which provides a
"snap" that can create great power when performed correctly. As a
result, many players who use the straight grip for their normal shots
are known to use the scissor grip when breaking.

The advantage of the scissor grip, in addition to the increased power,
is (at least in theory) that the the finger, while resting at
right-angles to the path of the shot, more likely, in the arc of it's
stroke, to propel the striker in the proper direction. One can imagine,
for example, that when making a shot with the straight grip, the striker
may tend to "roll off" one side of the fingernail or the other, due to
the roundness of the nail.

General

Most importantly, a player should feel "at home" with whatever grip they
have chosen. It is important that the position feel quite stable, while
at the same time allowing the player to feel relaxed. If it does not
feel comfortable to address the striker and take your normal stroke, you
may want to experiment with another grip. And, like everything else,
practice is the only way to truly achieve the result you desire!"


--
Mark Biggar
mark.a.biggar@...