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Il veut jouer un tel coup, pourtant l'angle est mauvais.

Il veut jouer un tel coup, pourtant l'angle est mauvais.
He wants to play such a shot, yet the angle is bad.
From Lesson 353:Indefinite adjectives of intensity (tel / telle)·French

Questions & Answers about Il veut jouer un tel coup, pourtant l'angle est mauvais.

Why is it un tel coup instead of tel un coup, which would match the English "such a shot"?
In French, tel functions as an adjective. When used with a singular noun to mean "such a", the indefinite article (un or une) must come before tel, just like it does with other preceding adjectives. You are literally saying "a such shot".
How would this phrase change if he wanted to play plural "such shots"?
It would become de tels coups. Remember the rule that the plural indefinite article des usually reduces to de when it is placed directly before an adjective like tels.
What exactly does coup mean in this specific sentence?
Coup is an extremely versatile word that generally means a blow, strike, or sudden action. Because this sentence mentions jouer (to play) and l'angle (the angle), coup here specifically translates to a "shot" or "move" in a sport or game, such as billiards or tennis.
Could I use another word instead of pourtant to mean "yet" or "however"?
Yes, you could use cependant or néanmoins. Pourtant is an excellent choice here because it highlights a strong, somewhat illogical contradiction: despite the objectively bad angle, he still wants to attempt the shot anyway.

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