Tips? I dont seem to be getting any better!

Spbeyond

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I play pinball everyday (as the rest of you do I am sure) But I dont seem to be getting any better than a novice! Anyone have any tips to help?
 
To me tips vary machine to machine......General tips I use is the some ramp shots etc can be "backhanded" and sometimes in multiball I hold the some pinballs with one flipper and concentrate on the other ball with the other. Are you talking about Fishtales' tips?
 
Learn how to do a flipper-trap when a ball is coming down the entire playfield at full speed, and you'll be able to do most everything.

Learn when NOT to hit the flipper, and let the ball just bounce over to the other flipper where you need it for the next shot.

Pay attention to how far down the flipper you need to let the ball travel before hitting the button, so that you can hit the various things you're aiming at. Don't ever hit both flippers at the same time.

If you think you're going to lose the ball and you want to try to save it, try a quick 1-2 so that if the first flipper deflects it slightly, the 2nd flipper will catch it. Otherwise the deflected ball just hits the bottom of the 2nd flipper...
 
Sound like I need to keep chuging along. I have never been able to make the ball do anything by nudging. Aight, I will keep at it!
 
Sound like I need to keep chuging along. I have never been able to make the ball do anything by nudging. Aight, I will keep at it!

I found that by disabling the tilt on my machine I was able to really move the machine and see what type of response that it would give me. Then I tightened up the tilt and learned how to do the soft nudges. Most SS games will at least give you a warning if you are too enthusiastic with your nudges.
 
I still suck but I am a lot better then I was 2 years ago when I got my first machine. I would say just practice and watch some videos or watch someone who is good at pinball and learn the techniques the right way the first time. I don't play everyday, although I wish I could and sometimes I can walk up to the machine and have a good game and other times my game is over before it even started.
 
I'm pretty damn good at pinball (after all the testing over the years to make sure they are fixed). I never 'nudge' either....
 
pinball play tips

Me beeing a little guy i really can'nt over power the pin and Nudge it. I have learned over the years each pin plays different and feels different.
 
I have always been better at repairing then playing...I can spend hours and some time days at restoring a Game to make sure it is perfect, then when done with it only play a few games then grab the next one. I suppose that comes from all the years of not ever needing to put in coins (shop a machine-get it ready for route-move on). But I must not be to bad at it, I can still get the scores when it comes to playing for a Penney a point on the score difference on tournament nights with the Guys so learned something along the way....
 
Some games work better with nudging than others. The older games didn't have alot of slope, so they were more effected by nudge. The rollover lanes were also a major part of scoring - not just a worthless afterthought like on new games. You had to physically move the ball over to the lane you wanted. Newer games, you can control which lanes are lit - making nudging uneccessary.

There are only 2 semi-effective uses for nudgin in newer pins I have found:
1. Keeping balls in the pop bumper trap
2. Avoiding outlane drains.

I use nudging alot when I play the new 24 game. I can keep a ball in play for a really long time thanks to nudging.
 
There is a "Pinball 101" video that recently came out that is supposed to be quite good, might be worth checking out, I'd like to see it. Don't have a link but if you searched on RGP, you'd find it.
 
Practice makes perfect. I've found that most people who have a pin at home and play out regularly too end up being really good and can get some REALLY long games going.

That... and finding where the Tilt warnings are set and taking advantage of the slop. On a lot of games, nudging will have a HUGE impact. I used to be a big nudger. (I hardly play pins now). After setting a high score on a friend's game, I switched games and noticed the pin I had been on was now about a foot out of the line from where it started. Took me a minute to figure out what happened. It was an Indiana Jones which is a game where you can save from the right outlane 9/10 times by bumping it so the little rubber post bounces the ball back into the inlane. Most pins have some weak spots like that where you can really take advantage.

Wade
 
I also nudge when the ball hits the lower pop bumper to keep it in the bumpers, timing is everything. Nudging in the outlanes can be key. You have to try to assess whether the ball WILL drain and alter the path before it does, usually by bumping at the moment the ball hits the post between the inlane/outlane. I also nudge on slingshot impacts if I feel the slings are passing the ball too left/right to avoid the ball getting passed into an outlane. Also, on many games a smack to the side of the cabinet when the ball is rolling along a guide rail or other object can help get the ball cleanly to a flipper. Depends on the game there.
 
Good point about nudging as soon as ball hits the post, but it also depends on the speed on the ball, which is something I haven't really gotten yet, at least not intuitively. (sp) For example, I find if you nudge in the direction you want the ball to go as it's hitting the post for a slower moving ball, it'll jump the opposite direction, and drain. (like a ball going left side, hitting post, you nudging the table right, and the ball 'jumping' left) It's just instinct to push the way you want the ball to go, but it seems it doesn't always work for me, especially playing my older table where the ball is always rolling slow. Rookie here so take tip with grain of salt

*edit*

said table 'jumping' left, meant ball 'jumping' left

*second edit*

sorry If I"m being captain obvious here, although I've had my Spy Hunter for about a year I'm in every aspect of the game a newbie
 
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Think of it like this, if you are vibrating the whole game left/right quickly by about 1/2", then the outlane path just got much narrower. Too narrow for a ball to fit through... You can sometimes make the ball shoot up out of the outlane by doing this.

Wade
 
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