Suggestions for Experienced Birkball Players

General Suggestions:

Anticipate where the target will be and get there first.
Avoid hitting the target ball into steel balls on the table, thereby blocking downfield progress.
If a random steel ball is between your chute and the target, you can wait for it to get out of the way, you can hit it to get it out of the way, or you can shoot through it so it hits the target.
Develop a technique that lets you collect, aim, and launch a lot of steel balls. See the various approaches for manipulating steel balls on the Play Page.

Typically it is advantageous to hit the target ball far to your left, where your wing can score and where opponents do not have a good shot at your goal, so you can safely pick up balls.
As a steel ball rolls down your chute and you are taking final aim to defend against a target, look at the direction of steel balls coming from opponents, and other nearby steel balls, to avoid hitting the target into those balls.
Try to perfect the double hit serve. The first steel ball gets the target moving toward the opponent's goal and the second powers it toward the opposing goal. Release the second (and possibly third) ball before the first ball leaves the chute so that your second ball deflects the target before any other player hits the target. See the Two Hit Serve video. A back up ball might also cause a fly ball toward the opposing goal if an opponent hits the target first.
Grasp balls in front of your goal to prevent random deflections between the target and steel balls, during the target's path to your goal.
If the target is in the goal area, behind your barrier, and has not yet scored, angle your chute so your wing can attempt to knock the target out of your goal area.
Don't forget you can stop a target with a stationary or receding chute.

When the target is in front of your goalie, collect steel balls in front of your chute in the direction of the opposing goalie, in order to: prevent the opposing goalie from getting too many steel balls, prevent random balls from interfering with downfield progress of the target, and prevent the target from getting tangled in a bunch of balls in front of your chute.
Aim the target just left of the end of the barrier, to access that part of the goal area opening that can't be blocked with the tip of the opposing goalie's chute.
If the target is rolling to your side, wait before hitting it so that it comes closer to your side.
Don't hit the target to the barrier of the opposing wing so that the opposing wing has a direct shot at your goal.
As the defensive wing on point initiation, intercept the target and send it back toward the initiating goalie. See the Wing Defense on Serve video.
Hit the target to the wall on the right side and then hit it into the goal when it comes back across. See the Hit Across then Hit In video.