How Do Air Hockey Tables Work?

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At Carolina Pool Tables Plus, we are passionate about all kinds of table games, ranging from poker and pool to foosball and air hockey. Air hockey is a beloved fixture of arcades and a game that many people remember fondly from childhood, but most players don’t really know how air hockey tables work. In this article, our team will provide an overview of how air hockey tables work to give you a more complete appreciation for this technology.

How Do Air Hockey Tables Work?

Air hockey is designed to mimic ice hockey on a smaller scale, so the table is designed to be as slick as possible to let the puck glide over the surface the way a real hockey puck does over the ice. Air hockey tables are typically made of a laminate cover over plywood to create the necessary slickness. In addition, the table contains hundreds of tiny air holes which work with the blower to create the air cushion the puck and paddles rest on.

Air hockey tables also include a blower, which forces air up through the air holes. This creates a thorough air cushion that allows the puck to glide over the table the way it would on an ice rink, giving the game its characteristic feel. The air cushion is also what allows the puck to move so fast, ricocheting around the table, giving the game its break-neck pace and excitement. Without the blower, the game of air hockey would be much less fun, as the puck wouldn’t move much and the whole game would be much slower.