The Opening Day of Beer Pong Season is September 4th which reminded me that I wanted to draw some attention to The Book of Beer Pong which details all the strategy, tactics, rules and lore behind America’s quickest growing competitive sport. Think that on Labor Day weekend you can set up a ping pong table and a few cups and just start blindly lobbing balls in hopes of winning? Sure you can, but if you want to dominate (and humiliate) your competition, you’ll need to bring more to the table.
To get motivated I suggest visiting TheBookofBeerPong.com for videos, e-postcards, and a Facebook connection application to keep your friends in the loop. Don’t forget to sign the petition to make Beer Pong an Olympic sport!
Having never played Beer Pong before, I was a little nervous about my ability to deliver on Opening Day. So, I posed some questions to Dan DiSorbo and Ben Applebaum, the authors of The Book of Beer Pong:
Q: What are the most common mistakes that new players make?
A: The biggest mistake is not taking the sport seriously. Many new players just pick up the ball and hurl it across the table without regard to form, strategy or even appreciation of the sports storied history. Those people are not just missing a chance to taste the foamy head of victory—they are missing a chance to really take the time to understand the newest unofficial American pastime.
Q: What are three simple tactics that a neophyte Pong player can employ to instantly improve his/her game?
1. Aim at a particular cup – Don’t just toss the ball up with a hope and a prayer that it will magically land in a cup. This is a sport of skill so aim at one particular cup every time you shoot. Your game will improve drastically especially towards the finish.
2. Pick and Perfect a Throw – You can’t just pick up the ball and throw it. Between the grip, the stance and the arc—there are hundreds of combinations of proven techniques. It’s just a matter of fitting the right combination to your natural style and focusing on form.
3. Get Your Head Right – Many new players let a missed shot or a silly distraction ruin their game. They need to zone out any distractions and have confidence in their ability.
Q: The Book of Beer Pong has a section dedicated to showmanship. How important is it?
A: Showmanship is very important to the sport. Beer Pong is considered a “Gentleman’s (or woman’s) Game” in that respect of others, sportsmanship and camaraderie all play a huge role not only in your showmanship but also the sport as a whole. It’s like Tiger Woods or Hulk Hogan celebrating and pumping their fists after a victory. It shows their love for a sport, gets everyone excited and, at the same time, they are respecting their opponents.
Q: Your book has several suggestions for how to distract opponents and ways to deflect shots such as “blowing” and “fingering.” Are these forms of cheating?
A: They are not technically cheating if they are allowed. Distractions and taunting may seem cheap and annoying but its just part of the sport. Some players do it, some don’t. However, “blowing” and “fingering” are actually rule variations meaning, they are not the norm but some people play with them. Bottom line is if they are permitted, have fun; if not, then it’s cheating. Just know all the rules before you ever step up to the table. House Rules trump everything.
Q: Do Beer Pong players ever grow up to amount to anything?
A: Barack Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe got the first black president elected and played beer pong throughout college. According to Esquire, “Plouffe and his college roommate were prolific (at beer pong). ‘For two years,’ says Barack Obama’s campaign manager, ‘that’s all we did.’”
Jimmy Fallon—once a SNL star and now Late Nigh host—plays beer pong with tennis stars Serena Williams and Anna Kournikova.
Michael Phelps is an Olympic Legend who loves Beer Pong. According to New York Post “At the same South Carolina house party where he was snapped sucking on a bong, the Olympics hero lost a pile of money betting in a high-stakes session of beer pong.”
Michael “Pop” Popielarski is a seven-time World Beer Pong Tour Champion and just won the $50,000 grand prize at the World Series of Beer Pong in Las Vegas. He plays beer pong full time.
Q: What are some unexpected benefits to playing Beer Pong?
A: There’s the obvious hand-eye coordination but Beer Pong also promotes:
Bonding: Thanks to its universality, Beer Pong helps cement new bonds. While not a formal part of orientation, any college student can attest to the powers of a few well-intentioned games for establishing rapport and friendship between strangers.
Gender Neutrality: Beer Pong is a sport with a truly glassless ceiling. Men and women compete side by side, as equals.
Patriotism: Nothing is more American than playing Beer Pong. America’s relative youth has caused its footprint on the sports world to be more “me too” than “me first.” Unfortunately, true homegrown all-American sports are few and far between. Only three major American sports have originated on domestic soil—basketball, lacrosse and Beer Pong. If you don’t love Beer Pong what does that say about your love for America?
Do you have the skills to pay the bills? Leave a comment and tell us how you plan to celebrate Opening Day on September 4th and win a copy of the book. Enter by Saturday, August 8 at midnight. A winner will be randomly chosen.
April Whitney
Publicist
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