Skills for the Novice Pinball Player

Skills for the Novice Pinball Player

The first problem that usually faces a novice pinball player is avoiding losing the ball. The skills in this section are the most basic skills to playing pinball -- whacking the ball with the flipper in a controlled manner.


Double Flipper Hit


This is not really a skill, but rather a definite sign of inexperience. If you have a natural tendency towards hitting both flippers at once, try to break it. Hitting both flippers at once usually causes a ball near to tips of the flipper to bounce between the flippers and drain down the middle. It also interferes with more advanced skills that require coordination between the flippers. Yet if you are just getting used to pinball, make sure you can hit the ball with two flippers before going to one.

Single Flipper Hit


Advantageous because it allows for further skills to be employed. Single flipper hits allow the possibility of Slap Saves, and improve timing and aiming, which thus improves control and power. Get familiar with using only one flipper at a time to flip the ball before continuing to the intermediate skills.

Aiming


Aiming is usually the first skill which provides a challenge to new players. The basic concept is to wait until the ball is on a certain part of the flipper before flipping, thus sending the ball toward the target you are aiming for. Flipping the ball from closer to the tip of the flipper sends the ball across the playfield to the opposite side, while flipping with the ball further from the tip send the ball upwards. If you have the ball coming down the left inlane, and you want to hit a target on the far right, then hit the ball when the ball is above the tip rather than when it just reaches the base.