Beer Pong Universe

Bouncing off the ceiling? Genius.

Here’s a tip for complete beer pong domination: instead of bouncing off the table, why not try the ceiling?

This is utter genius. To pull off a bounce shot using the table, your opponent either has to be distracted or just really slow. Bouncing a ball off the ceiling not only adds an element of surprise (who would be expecting that, honestly?) but the ball only has to go up and back down again, leaving your opponent less prepared to slap it away. When you bounce off the table, the ball must travel from your hand, down onto the table, back up again and then down once more into the cup; three direction changes instead of two.

Of course, you’ll have to defend your shot against complaints, but hey - a bounce is a bounce, right?

Bouncing: A deadly beer pong weapon

In my particular beer pong rule set, the bounce shot eliminates not only the cup it entered but another cup of your choice. This can be devastating to the opposition. Of course, a bounce shot is difficult to sink because opposing players can slap the ball away before it reaches the cup. The keys here are distractions and skills. Take a look above at the trajectory with which you should bounce the ball off the beer pong table. Below are a few methods to get your opponent’s eyes off the cups so you can bounce your way to victory.

• The terrible shot. This requires that the first player take a wild and ugly shot. The ball should actually hit one of the players and ricochet elsewhere, or fly over their shoulder. Unless they are closely watching for the bounce, both opposing players might try to retrieve the ball at the same time. Quickly have the second person on the team attempt a bounce shot.
• Rapid fire. Try to shoot a bounce shot quickly after the first person on the team has taken their shot. This has a better chance of working if the first person sank a cup. As the opponent picks that cup up, take a bounce shot.
• The opposite sex. Have a member of the opposite sex flirt with your opponents. Lines like, “Oh no, I’m out of beer” or “I’m really cold, do you have a jacket?” work the best. As your opponent’s head turns to answer, bounce away.

If you’ve been hesitant to attempt a bounce shot during beer pong, try these methods and see if they work for you. If you can sink two bounce shots a game, you’ve eliminated four cups. For those who play with six, three of these shots can win you a game. They may be more difficult to sink, but the payoff is well worth it.