If you’re a fan of table shuffleboard, you may have heard of Roadhouse shuffleboard legend Billy Mays. He has a repertoire of tricks that he can do. If he watches his techniques, he can learn to play shuffleboard better than his opponent. Roadhouse shuffleboard legend Billy Mays has a YouTube video that’s only a couple of minutes long, but if you look closely, you’ll see that he has complete control over the weights and it seems like he can control exactly where they end up.
Watching his shots, you’ll see that he seems to use a lot of English, side spin, and control when setting up his shots. Perfecting these techniques can help you get more points. For those who play shuffleboard, Roadhouse Billy Mays is someone who has practiced these shots over a period of years, but learning to reverse weights using English is involved in many of his shots.
To apply English, the thumb and forefinger are used to twist the weight back. This takes practice because the weight can actually drop enough to keep you from going off the end, but too much English and you’ll fall back on point values, which isn’t what you’re looking for. Getting used to the surface of the board and practicing how much strength and English you need is the key to this control. Because English puts a braking action on the weight’s forward movement, you just have to make sure it goes far enough down the shuffleboard table.
Another trick that Roadhouse shuffleboard legend Billy Mays uses is the side spin technique, in which you’ll shoot from the side of the table, using your third and fourth fingers to “guide” your weight down the table. Like bowling, shuffleboard is very much about knowing where to start with a controlled spin or angle on the weight to place it where you want it and in a space that will be too risky for your opponent to remove. Along the sides can be a safe bet, but you don’t want to end up in the gutter, so practice can be perfect on this type of controlled shot.
If you listen to Roadhouse shuffleboard legend Billy Mays, he says it’s easy to play shuffleboard and he certainly makes it look that way. The key is to use the techniques to get the right amount of force and control where you place the weight for the best chance of scoring. This may take a bit of practice. The best players will have a shuffleboard table at home. If you have your sights set on becoming a pro at shuffleboard, you’ll probably want to get one of the best tables that are closest to tournament tables. Higher-quality wood tables are made from solid maple, cherry, walnut, and kiln-dried with polymer finishes to keep the table slippery.
A good table, good technique and practice are the keys to learning to play shuffleboard as well as Roadhouse shuffleboard legend Billy Mays. Practice the skills of putting English on your shots and use the side wheel to control.