Fluttering high above the earth, the white sphere soars over the orange table, yearning to land in a moist red cup to quench its thirst. These 7.5 feet are what separate the contenders from the pretenders.

The ball doesn’t care how it splashes down into the pool of beer. It doesn’t mind if its path originated from a superstitious tap, an underhand lob or a behind the back flip.

If it is wet, the ball is happy.

Forty-six teams tried to make the ball happy last night during the New York Beer Pong Tour’s competition at Chuck’s Cafe. Only one pair took home the crown, but along the way, several competitors entertained patrons with a multitude of unique shooting styles.

Ryan Pogue cannot just throw the ball. He has to score his way, and no one can change him. The senior business administration major at LeMoyne College has a thing for threes.

‘I was born on the third. I’m a third child,’ Pogue said. ‘Three is my lucky number.’

Pogue stands over the table, dressed in a T-shirt that says ‘We Bring the Whuppin.’ He holds the ball in his right hand with three fingers and dips it in the water cup three times. Next, he taps it on the table three times and flicks the ball three times. Then he takes two practice shots, and on the third, he lets it fly.

‘Everyone calls him Sergio Garcia because he takes forever to shoot,’ said Eamon O’Brien, senior finance major at LeMoyne, who lives with Pogue and played against him in a practice game. ‘It doesn’t bother me. We just make fun of him.’

Pogue’s unorthodox style doesn’t end with the preparation. He uses a circular motion with his wrist to release the ball like an underhand flip. The shot appears awkward, but it is always consistent.

‘People are always telling me they think I have backspin,’ Pogue said. ‘It’s just a natural motion.’

The natural motion may be the secret, whether it is a unique flick of the wrist or just the standard basketball shot. Justin Jiunta, senior exercise science major, said beer pong form always comes down to muscle memory.

He gives credit to his exercise science professor, Dali Xu, for teaching him about short motor programs and repeating the same motions for every shot.

‘It’s like a foul shot,’ Jiunta said. ‘You do the same thing every time, and it’s programmed in. As long as you’re comfortable, it doesn’t matter how you shoot.’

For some, comfort takes on a whole new meaning when they have to adjust to meet physical needs.

Dave Kelsey, a 1999 graduate from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and current Syracuse resident, is right-handed, but left-eye dominant.

‘It’s like aiming a gun,’ Kelsey said. ‘If you’re aiming with the wrong eye, it is very difficult.’

To compensate, Kelsey holds the ball between his index finger and ring finger, in front of his left eye, before every toss. Once he feels properly aligned, he pulls the ball back, holding it with his middle finger and thumb and fires off a shot.

The strange finger placement has no real explanation, except for the fact that it makes Kelsey feel confident.

‘In all honesty, I don’t even know why I do it,’ he said. ‘I just started doing it, and it worked. When I don’t do that, I don’t do as well.’

Manlius residents Brandon Woodcock and Mike Doolittle believe their differing styles will give them an advantage in beer pong. The two members of Blue Doggies came to the event clad in yellow baseball jerseys. The shirts were custom-made – for $22.50 – and had pictures of blue dachshunds and the words ‘The Wellington House’ printed on them, in reference to a restaurant Doolittle used to work at.

Doolittle is the touch shooter. He said the high ceilings at Chuck’s were designed for his type of lofting shot.

Woodcock is the straight shooter. He grew up playing with quarters instead of ping pong balls and said the different projectile led him to adapt a lower, faster shot, more like throwing darts.

‘We’ve got the best of both worlds,’ Woodcock said. ‘No matter what happens, we can adjust.’

But for O’Brien, the game is not about making adjustments. It is not about fancy rituals or muscle memory. It’s about confidence, and saying ‘Vegas’ as he shoots.

‘Pretend it’s like basketball,’ O’Brien suggests. ‘Square up, line it up, nothing but brew.’

Published on April 24, 2007 at 12:00 pm