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This section discusses many of the various types of shots that
are known to have been attempted during a Rat Puck round. Each
is also given a Nancyboy Rating from one Nancyboy rat to five
Nancyboy rats indicating how much of a whimp out shot it is. Our
friend the Nancyboy rat is used to indicate the rating. Click on
him to see the full sized image of the Nancyboy rat. We think
he's pretty cute!
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Nancyboy Rating:
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None!
This is Stud Puckin' we're talkin' about!
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Stud Puckin' refers to making shots in the most basic
manner. The rat is pucked straight forward off the end of
the stick. All shots are assumed to be Stud Pucks unless
called otherwise. All of the rest of the shots listed below
are called shots and must be announced prior to attempting
them. Forgetting to call a shot appropriately is a
"Stroke penalty!" Most of the tournaments are run
as Stud Puckin' only.
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The Irish Curve is useful when your rat is lying directly
behind a tree such that you would have to Stud Puck to the
side to get out in the clear. With this shot the puck stick
is moved in an arc thus allowing the pucker to clear around
obstacles in the way. The Irish Curve is often referred to
as a Nancyboy Shot.
The Australian Float is a shot where the pucker is allowed
to take one step while balancing the rat upon the end of his
pucking stick for several seconds. This shot is used to
ensure good placement of the rat upon the target -- usually
in order to get a Stroke Off. The Australian Float is often
referred to as a Nancyboy Shot
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With the Spanish O'erthrow the pucker actually faces away
from his intended target and pucks his rat up and backwards
over his head thus gaining quite a bit of loft and distance.
This shot isn't usually considered as much of a Nancyboy
Shot as some of the others, but it's still not Stud Puckin'.
The Armada is a combination of the Spanish O'erthrow and the
Australian Float. The pucker faces away from his intended
target and pucks backward over his head as with the Spanish
O'erthrow, but also takes one step and gently floats his rat
on the end of his stick like the Australian Float. This is a
Nancyboy Shot if I've ever seen one.
The Armada was created and named one fine puckin' morning in
1997 at the Sterling Faire. The hole being pucked was
"Alan's Hole" so named because Alan
"Tiger" Killenbeck had scored a Rat In Naught on
this very hole in 1996. The object of the hole is to puck
from the start line through the crotch of a tree and strike
an only tree directly beyond. Passing through the crotch of
the first tree and striking the target tree on the same shot
is considered a Stroke Off.
On this particular day in 1997 Alan had pucked past the tree
with the crotch without passing through it. He therefore had
to come back and go through the crotch of the first tree. He
was debating between an Australian Float and a Spanish
O'erthrow in order to accomplish this with only one shot
when he decided to use a Floating Spanish Overthrow. After
his successful completion of the Floating Spanish O'erthrow
some debate between Alan, Nathaniel, and myself ensued as to
what to name the shot. Thus was born the Armada!
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The Beasley Bumble. Oh, where to start! This shot is loosely
defined as any shot involving extreme stupidity, clumsiness,
bodily harm, and showmanship -- all on the part of the
pucker performing the shot. The hard part about this one is
that you never know if you've successfully met the criteria
until after you've completed the shot. For, your fellow
puckers are the final judges and usually render their
verdict by popular vote.
There have been two great occurrances of the Beasley Bumble.
The first was its creation. The second was its re-enactment
at the Muddy Pit by its creator. While puckin' the
Pesky Hole at the Sterling Faire in 1996, Friar Beasley
found himself a fair distance from the target and at an
awkward approach angle. I believe he had called a Nordic
Track in order to get his rat into the target. In performing
his shot the good Friar tripped, jammed his puckin' stick
between the tree and the ground, fell upon it, and snapped
his stick right in half. Oh, the howls of laughter! That was
the birth of the Beasley Bumble, and the game of Rat Puck
would never be the same again.
Later in 1996 Friar Beasley was puckin' at the Muddy Pit
when his rat went to the left and behind the stage area. The
target for the hole was a bit of cloth hanging on the
stage's back wall facing the audience that had gathered in
preparation for the upcoming Mud Show. From behind and to
the left of the stage was heard the good Friar's voice,
"I'm callin' the Bumble!" Soon followed the cry
of, "Cheese!" And then, Friar Beasley appeared,
hurling his rat at the target as he flung himself full body
into the Muddy Pit! "Huzzah!" the crowd cheered!
It was the greatest Bumble re-enactment to date, and one
that may never be topped!
The Bumble is not really a Nancyboy Shot, but it's still not
Stud Puckin'.
The ultimate in Nancyboy Shots, the Nordic Track combines
the Irish Curve with a two step Australian Float. If you
ever use this shot, be prepared to take a lot of razzing
from your fellow puckers. That and you'll probably end up
buyin' at the pub after the round!
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This stroke was created by Pucker Corbin, and he describes
it thusly:
"This technique came about because my rat landed
very close to a fence that I had to puck over. The
height of the fence and the angle that my rat was at
made it impossible to stud puck it over the fence. Thus,
I stud pucked my rat strait up far over my head (I'm
6'5" so thats way up there) as the rat fell I spun
the stick round so that the business end was towards me
I then smacked the rat gently with the other end of the
stick causeing the rat to fly in a horizontal manner.
The move was called the Rat-o-thopter because it
causes the rat to take off verticaly then travel in a
horizontal manner. similar to Leanardo Devinchie's
Ornathopter."
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