How To Place & Shoot The Striker in Carrom

Well, you want to win the Carrom Game and committing to fouls loosens the chance! So, here are some of the tips on how to place and shoot the striker in Carrom to prevent these fouls. 

Did the gritty of losing the game catch you? Yep, we understand that sometimes you gotta win and the small techniques (that you are missing out on) get in the way. Placing and shooting the striker in Carrom can be a little tricky. The formal professional Laws of Carrom by the International Carrom Federation and the number of fouls that you are likely to commit when you do not know about these simple rules. 

So, let’s talk about them in detail to make you win the next game you play with zero fouls and awesome shooting techniques: 

How To Shoot The Striker in Carrom 

In a game, there are a number of shooting styles that makes pocketing any game piece easy. Your angle of strike sure does matter a lot but so does your style of flicking makes the striker slide in the desired direction at a calculated speed to make the game piece slide according to your desire. 

Let us take a look at these striking styles so that you can nail the game next time your play: 

Long Fingers – Scissors Shooting Style

• To begin with, place the edge of your palm on the board to make it steady 
• Now place your middle finger behind the edge of the striker. Place in a such a way that your fingernail touches the striker 
• Overlap your index finger on your middle finger
• Build some pressure by making your middle finger move forward and the index finger holding it back 
• Release the index finger from holding back the middle finger
• Your middle finger shoots the striker in forward direction 

If you are a right handed player, your striker will move slightly in the right direction from the intended direction. Whenever your finger is bent and then straightened, it moves in an arc so be a little cautious of your direction and the intended destination. 

Middle Finger and Thumb Shooting Style

It is just another version of the long finger striking style but the main difference is that you hold the middle finger back with the help of your thumb rather than index finger. 

• This way the pressure is generated on the middle finger 
• And when you release the middle finger, it will shoot the striker with extra force making the game piece pocket easily 
• You change your angle of target according to the game piece on the board 

Upright or Vertical Long Finger Shooting Style 

In this particular striking style, you have your middle finger perpendicular to the board and the edge of your palm doesn’t rest on the board. This striking style comes in handy when you have a lot of game pieces around your baseline and you are targeting more than one game piece at once. 

PRO TIP: Use this style when there is no space around your baseline. 

Index Finger Shooting Style 

• Make your edge of the palm rest on the board to steady it
• Make your thumb touch the board lengthwise 
• Just like you hold a ball in your palms, curl your fingers and let your fingertips rest the board
• Make your index finger rest on the board behind your middle of the edge of the striker. Touch the fingernail and the striker before striking 
• Give downward pressure on the tip of your index finger 
• Flick the index finger by building up a forward pressure so as to propel the striker

Other Similar Index Finger Shooting Styles 

• Index Finger and Thumb Shooting Style 

It is similar to the index finger shooting style, just the difference is that you use the thumb to hold back the index finger before flicking. 

• Middle Finger Shooting Style 

This is a complete middle finger style where you use your middle finger for striking instead of your index finger. 

Thumb Shot Shooting Style 

There are some exceptions where backshots are allowed. Now, a thumb shot striking style is used when you have to pocket your game piece behind the baseline or near the baseline. 

• You position your hand as if you are aiming for index finger shooting style
• Your index finger or the middle finger holds  back the thumb before it is flicked sideways or backwards 

How To Place the Striker in Carrom 

If you do not want to commit fouls and lose the game, you need to know the correct method of placing the striker. 

• You can place the striker between the lines of the rectangle on the board. 
• When you are placing the striker on the board to shoot, it must touch both baselines (the lines of the rectangle with two circles on both ends) 
• The striker should cover the end circle completely, or not touch it at all.
• The striker cannot touch the diagonal arrow line as it will be a foul 

Frequently Asked Questions about Shoot The Striker in Carrom

Q) How do you hit a striker? 

A) Hitting or striking means the same. The aforementioned methods of striking will surely help you hit your striker in the correct way. Just remember that you need to strike your striker and not push it. Otherwise, you will have to incur the penalty as a foul.

Q) What is the motion of the striker in carrom? 

A) Well, if we have to talk about the motion then it is rectilinear motion. If somehow, when you strike the striker and it starts rotating then the motion would be rectilinear but also rotational. 

Q) What happens when I pocket the striker?

A) If you happen to pocket a striker, it is a foul and you are penalized. Generally, you have to give one of your pocketed game pieces to the opponent. Now, the opponent uses this as his advantage. 

Final Words 

We understand that placing and shooting a striker can be a little tricky and it takes time to fully get well-versed with it. But, practice makes a man perfect and when you start shooting solely without any game pieces on the board, you will gradually learn the trick. 

You can always pick a few of the striking styles that work best for you. Although, please take care of your nails as you might hurt them while striking. 

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