How do people who are “good” at pinball manage to consistently avoid those random bounces that just go right down the middle out that there is no counter-play for?

Question

I have always wanted to get into pinball. But the few times I decided to really give it a go. I could do alright but most of my games seemed to end with a bounce that went straight down the middle out with nothing I can do about it.

When you watch professional pinball players. It doesnt matter what game it is they always seem to be able to avoid those shots even if its their first time on a machine.

So there has to be a method or developable skill to it. But I cant for the life of me understand it.

In: Other

Answer 1

There’s no one trick. The best players know the rulesets of every game and how to maximize points (Escher Lefkoff and his dad know rules better than anyone I’ve ever met) They know when to bump and which direction and with what force to have the ball glance off obstacles for better angles and avoid sdtm. Use tilt warnings. Bumping the right time and directions to avoid outlane drains. Proper timing and use of live catch, drop catch, dead bounce, etc. … And doing all of that for three balls in a row every game. There are tons of videos and tutorials out there. If you go to tournaments, most people love to teach. Having a game at home, if you can swing it, is good for learning the bumping and flipper tricks without spending hours at the arcade wasting quarters. I recommend this channel for descriptions of how to execute different shots: https://youtube.com/@AbeFlips?si=9pxBjAaOFv5oBzqc