Getting a Hand on the Finger Rail Guide Shot

The rail guide shot or the “finger rail shot” is one of the most fundamental shots that every shuffleboard player should have in their bag of tricks. The finger rail shot allows you to use the edge of the shuffleboard table to guide your shot.

Excellent form and a fan to cheer you on!

How to Shoot a Finger Rail Shot

Place your thumb and index finger on the puck. This is called the 3 finger rail shot. You can also use variations to suit your own preferences:

  • 2 Finger Rail Shot– Index, thumb, and middle finger are placed on the puck. The other two are placed along the edge of the rail to guide your throw.
  • Span Shot– Only 1 finger rests on the rail and the puck is held by the thumb and index finger.
  • Thumb Shot– The only thing touching the puck is your thumb.

Next, place your other three fingers along the edge of the table (the part that runs vertically). In doing so, you will use the edge of the shuffleboard table to guide your throw.

When to Use It

You can use the finger rail shot to aim straight or shoot across the board using a cross board shot. The rail shot works great to when throwing in a straight line because it forces you to keep your hand moving in a straight line. This should be done before attempting more difficult shots that hook like the Go Around Hanger. In fact, you can even use this as a drill to practice on your accuracy.

The rail shot can also be used in combination with the Hanger. This is when the puck ends up hanging off the edge of the table. By using the rail as a guide, you eliminate another variable (side-to-side movement) and can place all of your focus on applying just the right amount of force/touch to get your puck to the other side of the table without falling over.

More Shuffleboard Tips:

  1. Shooting the Ol’ Go Around
  2. Table Shuffleboard: How to Look Like You’ve Done This Before
  3. Shuffleboard Strategy Tips You Can Use to Improve Your Game
  4. How to Play Shuffleboard the Right Way