One of the best pieces of decor that anyone can have in their home, office, or other space is a foosball table. This is one of the ultimate selections for those spaces because it brings people together to play an excellent game that so many people enjoy.
However, there are many things to consider about putting a foosball table together. For example, it is necessary to think about how you will get all of the parts together that you may need to construct your foosball table and make it as functional as possible.
Today, we want to go over some of the foosball parts and accessories that you may want to consider purchasing to get your table up to the standards that you expect of it.
1. Foosball Players
An attractive feature of a foosball table are the players that are set up as part of the table itself. These are the figures that will push the ball around the table, and they are literally what determines the winner of the game. Thus, you want to make sure you have some great foosball players to help you play the game that you want to play.
Over the years that foosball has been around there have been many evolutions to the way that the foosball players look. There are new crafts and designs to the way that these players look and the shape that they have taken.
If you are looking for the most ball control possible when playing the game, you will want to get foosball men with a pointed toe and a cross-hatching design.
You can sense how much better the game plays out for you when you have players that are designed like this. Thus, you may want to keep looking around the marketplace of foosball equipment until you are able to find something that resembles this.
The pointed shape is better because the traditional foosball players design had a rounded toe that doesn’t make it possible to pass the ball between players on the same row.
The problem with this is that the most advanced players out there will want to make sure they can pass to players along the same row in order to achieve some of the advanced moves that they are attempting to make when they play the game.
It makes sense that they might get upset if they are not able to have the players push the ball along the line just like this. Go for the pointed toe players to make it work best for you.
2. Foosball Rods
Along with the players themselves, the foosball rods are probably among the most important elements that impact how the game itself will play out.
If you don’t have the best foosball rods, then your gameplay will suffer. The most important thing that foosball rods impact within the game is the speed of the game itself.
Newbie foosball players may not realize that they need to be on the lookout for the best foosball rods that they can get their hands on, but more experienced players know that they need to keep an eye out for the best possible types of foosball rods.
Manufacturers will sometimes put out sub-par rods because they think that they can slip this by amateur players. Don’t let yourself fall into their trap! You deserve to play foosball with the best possible equipment out there.
3. Foosball Bearings
The part of the table where the rods go through the table and connect on the other end are known as foosball bearings.
This accessory is sometimes overlooked by certain people, but the bearings are an important part of the process of setting up a great foosball table as well, and it is ideal to make sure that you know what you are getting into when you get the foosball bearings that you will ultimately use to power your game forward.
Great foosball bearings allow for a reduction in friction between the rods and the table itself. Reducing friction means that a player’s movements can better reflect what actually happens on the foosball table itself.
Those who care deeply about having a great foosball game known that they need to check on even the seemingly small factors such as the friction levels between foosball rods and the table itself.
Shopping for quality bearings is a great way to set yourself up for a more enjoyable foosball experience in general. This is not to be overlooked!
4. Foosball Balls
The actual ball that is being kicked around the foosball table is something that shouldn’t be ignored. There are a lot of factors that go into a foosball game, but we cannot ignore the fact that the foosball ball itself is something that has an impact on who wins or who loses.
If we are to play the most enjoyable round of foosball possible, then it seems pretty relevant that we focus on the kind of ball that we are using to make an impact on the game itself.
There are many different types of foosball balls that are available for you to try out today, so make sure you spend some time working out which one works the best for you.
The last thing you want to do is spend your time playing on a table that is set up great but has a sub-optimal ball to knock around. You need to be sure that your ball will go where it needs to go based on how it was hit.
Try to steer clear of balls that are made from plastic or have a shiny finish to them. They may look great at first, but you will probably be less than thrilled about how they perform in real-world conditions.
If you are going to rely on your foosball game being top-notch, then you need to be sure that you are only using the highest-quality equipment, and the plastic balls with a lot of shine simply don’t qualify.
They don’t have the grip that you would hope for when it comes to the ball that you use. That is simply unacceptable when it comes to getting the kind of equipment that you know that you need for your foosball table.
5. Foosball Silicone
This isn’t directly a part of the foosball table itself, but it is an essential element for keeping your foosball rods clean and great for use in the future.
You will want to keep some of this handy so that you don’t have to worry about the rods losing some of their quality over the years due to getting dirty or otherwise becoming damaged in some way that makes it impossible for you to use them as desired.
Foosball silicone may be purchased in whichever quantity you feel that you may need. There are many people who stock up on it in bulk so that they don’t have to think about it again in the future.
There is nothing wrong with that, and you may end up with a more effective product that you can get a lot of advantage out of. If you are going to take your Foosball game seriously, then you need to be sure to keep the rods clean and all of the equipment up to quality.
Liquid silicone is the way to go for keeping the rods as clean as possible. There are powdered options as well, but most agree that the liquid option is better for keeping the rods clean just the way that you need them.
One quick note on this is that you never want to use WD-40 on the foosball rods that you have. This may seem like a good idea at first, but that is not really the case. WD-40 can actually be damaging to the rods that you use on your foosball table.
Avoid it so you don’t end up in a spot where you damage a piece of your foosball table when you don’t have to. Make sure you take all proper precautions and you should be just fine.
6. Foosball Handles
Every time one places Foosball it is necessary to use the handles to get a great grip and to maneuver the pieces of the table as necessary.
It is often the case that having a great set of foosball handles makes all the difference between those who know how to truly play this game right and those who don’t. Say what you will, but a great foosball handle may make all of the difference for you in the long run.
Too many casual foosball players think that they don’t need to worry that much about the handle that they use. They make the assumption that as long as they have handles on their table at all that they are in good shape.
Unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth. Foosball handles need to be specifically designed to maximize one’s grip and ability to handle the game just perfectly.
This type of thing doesn’t just happen unless one takes the time to invest in a great set of foosball handles that can be used time and time again without any decline in the amount of grip and support that they provide. Obviously, that is not easy to do unless one gets serious about the handles that they invest in.
What you should try to do is get wooden handles if at all possible. These are better designed in terms of providing the right amount of spin to the game. You don’t want to allow yourself to just stick with the plastic handles that your foosball table may naturally come with.
The problem with those is that they are only designed to work for the minimal functions of the game. Instead, you want to get handles that you can put in the work with and that will continue to perform for you for a very long time.
After all, you want to get a lot out of your foosball table, and the only way you get there is if you have materials that are built to last.
7. Foosball Wraps
There is no getting around the fact that foosball wraps are designed for the seasoned pros of the foosball world. They are used at virtually every high-level tournament by every player in those tournaments who wants to compete at an elite level.
This is the case because they know that wrapping up their hands can help them gain a strong grip on the table as they are working out how they will ultimately play their best game.
You can buy foosball wraps in bulk quantities if you want to, and they will certainly come in handy when you are progressing your way up the ranks of competitive foosball.
It is understandable that some people think that they could never need this level of equipment to better their game, but they may be surprised to learn how much it comes in handy. After all, most of us want to compete at a high level to some extent, and foosball wraps are a great way to make that happen.
8. Scoring Units
You will want to keep score of your foosball game as it is in progress. The best way to do so is to use a sliding score-keeping tool. Many foosball tables come with one built in, but you may need to purchase your own at times in order to supplement the one that comes with the table or to have one at all.
This sliding scoring unit can prove extremely helpful in the sense that it will make it easier for players to know where they stand in the game at any point in time. Knowing if you are ahead by 2 goals or behind by 2 goals in the game is pretty important for your overall strategy.
It also simply allows everyone to get on the same page with each other so that there are never any questions about who is doing what or what the score was before this moment in time, or anything of that nature. It is all available for all players to see, and that is exactly the way that it should be.
You need to know that scoring units are among the more delicate pieces that you can buy for this game, so you may expect that they will get damaged and break over time.
This is to be expected, but you should be prepared to buy replacement parts when you need them. You may need to do so on a regular basis if you use your foosball table regularly, so don’t get frustrated by this fact.
9. Table Covers
To protect your investment, when your foosball table is not in use it should be covered. You will almost never get this item included with your table, so you will need to fork over some extra money on your own to get a table cover that can keep your table protected.
Still, it is well worthwhile because you will want to keep your table from being damaged in any way. That is something that can serious diminish the value of the table and your ability to enjoy it.
A table cover can protect your table from accidental damage as well as from the debris, dirt, and dust that can fall onto the surface of the table if you are not careful. All of those things are highly worrisome and annoying, and you simply don’t want to take any chances with something like that when you clearly don’t need to do so.
10. Lighting
The lighting selection that you make for your foosball table will say a lot about the type of foosball experience that you are going to have.
This game truthfully requires just the right kind of lighting so that it is easy enough to see what you are doing, but not so bright that the reflection causes a distraction or inability to play your best game.
Striking the perfect balance between those two goals is not easy to pull off, but you can make it happen. What you need to remember to do is invest wisely in the proper lighting to take care of this situation so you aren’t always worried about getting something messed up with how you are performing in the game.
11. Cup Holders
This may not be a completely necessary accessory, but it is something that can make your experience with the game a bit more enjoyable.
Not only is it more comfortable for people to have somewhere to stick their drink, but it may also help you avoid a situation whereby someone places their drink down on your foosball table and ends up spilling it.
If a drink gets spilled on your table, then you may end up with a completely ruined table that can cause you to get frustrated, lose value in the table, and even get irritated with somehow who had been your friend before. In short, a spilled drink can be a very serious situation.
Instead of letting things get to that level, consider buying cup holders that you can use to help keep drinks off of the table and continue to allow everyone to get to enjoy the experience of playing foosball on your particular table.
12. Pins and Pin Punch
You may not have realized it before, but the men who stand on the rods are held to those rods by a series of pins that are inserted to make sure the men remain in place on the rod.
This is necessary or else the men would literally be all over the place on the rod, and then the game itself would be impossible to play. Obviously, no one wants that, and this is why it is necessary to have great pins and a pin punch to use to keep those men on the rod and able to function the way that they are supposed to.
There is nothing quite like making sure you have the little men on your foosball table set up how they are supposed to so that they flow with the game like they are designed to do.
You can’t get that if you don’t have the right pins and pin punch set to go along with it. That is why this is one accessory that you should absolutely look at purchased for yourself in the near future.
Get the Proper Accessories for a Great Game
The game of foosball is made so much better when you have all of the proper tools and supplies to go along with it.
Remember, this is the kind of game that is best played with friends, and that is why you need to make sure you have the tools that you require to keep your foosball table completely operational at all times.
If you cannot do that, then you are not going to get very far when it comes to hosting the ultimate game night for yourself and your friends.
You will need to stock up on the specific supplies described above if you want to have the ultimate foosball table that you know for certain will function just the way that you need it to.
It is up to you to get those tools and to make sure that the tools that you use are all top-quality. The foosball table is meant to last for a long time, and the best way to ensure that happens is to invest in tools that you know for certain are built to last.
Think through every aspect of what you need to do in order to get the kind of foosball setup that will actually make it easier for you to enjoy the game and play to your heart’s content.
After that, you can start the process of buying the pieces that you need to make your foosball table the kind of table that will stand the test of time. Purchase the pieces now so that they are ready for the next time you have people over to play a round or two.
