Other Combinations
Total Desperation
Not all hope is lost with a 1/5/6 combination. Although the opposing team has achieved the solid 2/3/4, the race is not over until you cross the finish line. With a 1/5/6, fifth and sixth should first try to fool one of the opponents into slowing down so that fifth or sixth may move ahead of that opponent and then perform a 4/6 passback with the other teammate to effect a 1/4/5 combination. If fifth and sixth are not having any luck or are well behind, first might begin to feel total desperation. If this occurs, first should try to condense the competitors and hope for a favorable outcome. A condense move might consist of first stopping at the reach mark and forcing the opponents behind to slow down as they cautiously approach first’s offensive set up. Hopefully, first will force the opponents into a confusing rounding, while the teammates in fifth and sixth have the opportunity to catch up and get closer… maybe even break through!
Perhaps an even more desperate situation might be when your team has a 3/4/6 combination. With this scenario, the team has to realize that they must work toward accomplishing the 2/3/4 combination. They do not hold anyone in the first place position so they must work toward the solid combination which does not include having first place. To accomplish the 2/3/4, third or fourth must fool second into going slow or the wrong way so that the other teammate may move ahead of her. With that accomplished, the teammates now in second and fourth, must effect a 2/4 passback and then send the passed back opponent to the back. The two teammates ahead must cover their opponents and balance them back so that they can bring up their teammate who was in sixth. With all this accomplished, the team can achieve a solid 2/3/4 and win the race.
This manual stresses the importance of these three combinations, 1/2/X, 2/3/4, and the 1/4/5. Once one of these is achieved, it becomes very difficult for the losing team to convert to a winning combination. While reading the paragraphs which follow, it is important for the reader to always hunt for ways to convert from losing combinations to winning combinations, or more importantly, coordinate with teammates to convert to one of the three stable combinations. The rest of this manual is based on converting losing combinations to one of the three stable combinations and maintaining position to ensure victory across the finish line. Established Team Racers always have a game plan -be it certain moves to convert positions or just manipulating the opponents so that they have no chance to break through.
