Beer Pong Trick Shots: 8 Shots to Learn (and the Best Videos)
The best beer pong trick shots to learn are the bounce shot, the wrong-hand shot, the eyes-closed shot, the behind-the-back shot and the off-the-wall shot. They’re ranked below from “you’ll hit one tonight” to “film it or it didn’t happen,” with how to throw each one and the videos that made the internet lose its mind.
Trick shots are how one guy at the party becomes a legend. You know him. He’s the one who sank a behind-the-back shot in 2019 and still brings it up. This is how you become that guy.
When trick shots count in a real game
At most houses, a trick shot counts like any other shot. Two of our house rules make them worth more:
- Trick shot rule (#18): if your shot comes back to your side without touching the floor, you get one extra shot, and it has to be a trick shot.
- Bounce shot (#23): a bounced ball that goes in counts for two cups.
The catch: once any shot hits the table, the other team can swat it away under the defense rule. Every trick shot that bounces is a gift to a good defender.
8 beer pong trick shots, easiest to hardest
1. The bounce shot
The only trick shot that’s also a real strategy. Throw the ball down so it bounces once on the table, about a foot in front of the rack, and drops into a cup. It counts for two cups at our house, but the defense knows it’s coming.
How: a firm, flat throw, not a lob. Aim for the table, not the cup. Use it on teams that aren’t paying attention. Full breakdown in how to throw a beer pong ball.
2. The wrong-hand shot
Same arc, other hand. It looks harmless until you sink it and the whole table groans.
How: square your shoulders to the table, slow everything down and shoot a high, soft arc. Practice ten at the end of every warm-up and it’s a real weapon by the end of the month.
3. The eyes-closed shot
Line it up, close your eyes, shoot your normal shot. Your arm already knows where the cups are.
How: aim at the middle of the rack, not one cup, so you have the most room for error. Don’t change your motion once your eyes close; that’s where the misses come from.
4. The no-look
Stare at your opponent (or the ceiling, or your phone) and shoot. It’s eye to eye with extra disrespect.
How: take one long look at the rack, then turn your head and keep your shoulders exactly where they were.
5. Behind the back
The crowd favorite. Make one of these and you’re on the group chat by morning.
How: stand sideways with your throwing side away from the table. Bring the ball behind your back and release it over the opposite shoulder with a high arc. Aim at the middle of the rack and let the cups do the rest.
6. Between the legs
Face away from the table, bend over and toss the ball underhand between your legs. It’s not pretty, which is the point.
How: an underhand toss, a little firmer than you think. The ball comes out low, so you need extra arc to get it to the cups.
7. Off the wall or ceiling
Basement and dorm-room players have an edge here: low ceilings and walls close to the table.
How: bank it softly. A hard throw comes off the wall too fast and skips past the rack. The best target is a spot just above and behind the cups, so the ball drops straight down.
8. The stack and the vertical pyramid
The shots from the videos below: cups stacked high, shots sunk from across the room, the yard or the roof. Don’t try these in a real game. Do try them in the backyard on a Sunday afternoon with somebody filming.
How: patience and a lot of balls. Video trick shots take dozens of tries; that’s normal.
How to get good at trick shots
- Practice with water cups. Save the beer for the game.
- Bring a bucket of balls. Ten balls means ten tries before you walk to pick them up.
- One trick at a time. Get to one make in five before you add another.
- Warm up straight first. Our practice drills fix your normal shot, and every trick shot starts there.
Our take: in a real game, use trick shots for your extra shots and when you’re way ahead. When it’s close, shoot your normal shot. Nobody remembers the guy who lost on a behind-the-back miss. See our strategy guide for when to go for it.
The best beer pong trick shot videos
Our favorite trick-shot videos from over the years. They all still play on YouTube.
The Real Masters of Trick Shots 3
Stacked cups, impossible angles and a lot of patience from the TrickshotMasters crew.
6 in a Row: Vertical Pyramid Trick Shot
BBsDoingNothing sinking a ball into a vertical stack of cups, six times in a row.
Incredible Pong Trick Shots
More from BBsDoingNothing: long-range shots, bank shots and rafters.
Cal Beer Pong Trick Shot Montage
A college classic: real trick shots from a real house, no studio.
Want something wilder? Rope swing beer pong is the lake version.
FAQ
Do trick shots count in beer pong?
Yes. At most houses a made trick shot counts like any other cup. Under our trick shot rule, your extra shot after a ball comes back to you has to be a trick shot.
Does a bounce shot count for two cups?
At our house, yes, but the other team can swat it once it hits the table. See bounce shot.
What’s the easiest trick shot?
The wrong-hand shot or the eyes-closed shot. Both use your normal arc, so you’ll hit one the first night you try.
Can the other team block a trick shot?
Only after it bounces on the table. Block it in the air and it counts as a made cup. More quick answers on our rulings page.
See all the rules in the complete beer pong rules guide.