The Mayday Games Blog

Crokinole is a Canadian game for up to four players. It involves shooting small wooden discs at the hole in the center of the round game board, but in order to score a point, you must avoid the ring of pegs positioned strategically around the hole. It's a fun game that requires a lot of skill and strategy to win. Learning how to make trick shots and knock opponents' discs out of play is crucial for success. Here's what you need to know to help you make Crokinole trick shots.

Perfect Your Striking Technique

You can't master trick shots until you perfect your shooting technique. Crokinole rules state that you must always aim for either an opponent's disc or the center hole, and improper shooting techniques prevent you from striking your target. Before you get fancy and try to bank shots off barrier pegs or opposing discs, make sure you have the basics down.

Start by practicing your finger flick. The best way to shoot Crokinole discs is with a firm flick of your index finger. If you flick too hard, you'll overshoot your target, and if you don't strike with enough force, the disc won't reach its target. Learning the proper amount of force to use for a proper flick takes practice and patience.

You should strike the middle of your shooter disc. The discs are small, but striking too close to either edge is enough to mess up your shot. The only time this is effective is when you are aiming for an opponent's disc that is not in the center of the board, and even if this is your strategy, it's risky at best. One firm flick to the middle of your shooter disc is the best way to become a skilled crokinole player.

Anchoring your wrist helps you aim accurately. Hovering your hand above the board and flicking downward may seem like a good idea, but it's hard to aim accurately when you don't have a solid anchor. Try resting your wrist on the edge of the board before you make a shot. This provides a strong anchor to stabilize your shots and give them the proper amount of force. You must master this technique before you can make Crokinole trick shots.

Aiming Bank Shots

You want to knock your opponent's disc out of play while getting your own disc to the hole in the center of the board. In order to make both tasks happen with a single shot, you need to understand basic physics. Both discs will glide in the opposite direction of impact, so choosing where to hit the discs is crucial for trick shots.

For example, if your opponent's disc is between your disc and the scoring hole, striking it in the middle will likely cause your game piece to glide back after impact. You may even accidentally knock your opponent's piece into the scoring hole.

However, if you strike slightly to the left or right of the opposing disc, your game piece will ricochet off the other piece and is more likely to settle into the scoring hole. This technique will send your opponent's disc in the opposite direction, removing it from gameplay. Finding just the right angle for bank shots takes a lot of practice, but will vastly improve your gameplay.

Strike the Middle of Two Opposing Discs

One of the fanciest Crokinole trick shots involves striking two opposing disks and sending them in opposite directions. Not only does it look cool when you eliminate two pieces from the board, but it also increases your chances of winning and proving that you have mastered this complicated trick shot. If the pieces are not near each other, you must rely on a classic bank shot. It is a risky endeavor, but if you can pull it off, it always pays off. If they discharge side by side, it is best practice to aim for the center of the two game pieces. If you stay right in the middle, they will each ricochet in opposite directions, hopefully eliminating them from gameplay. If you aim fully for one or the other, you are unlikely to remove both pieces from the board.

Remember the Pegs

Crokinole would be a much easier game without the barrier pegs positioned strategically around the scoring hole. You must take into consideration their positions before planning your trick shots. If a peg is in the way of your disc's path, it will ruin your plan for scoring. The pegs are useful for banking shots off of, but you need to avoid them if you are aiming for a straight shot.

For example, if an opponent's disk is on the board and lies between your shooter and the center hole, the rules state that you must aim for the other game piece. If you aim for the other disc and use a bank shot technique to strike the game piece slightly to one side, the piece will hopefully shoot off the game board. You don't get a second shot, however, so you need to correct the path of your disk after it ricochets from the impact. If you aim right, you can position the disc so that it ricochets off one of the barrier pegs and slides into the center hole.

This technique sounds complicated because it is one of the hardest crokinole trick shots to master. You must make two bank shots to make this technique work. However, once you have perfected your shooting technique and learned how to angle your disc to your advantage, you can start implementing this technique into your strategy. It is a flashy move that not only looks cool but can also be an effective way to help you score points.

Master Crokinole Trick Shots

It takes lots of practice to become a skilled Crokinole player. The best way to learn how to make Crokinole trick shots is to set up various scenarios on your own until you are confident in your shooting technique. If you want to master the game of Crokinole, browse the selection of boards at Mayday Games today and find one that will provide you with hours of entertainment.