How can I improve my Pinball skills?

Hello,

my Name is Michael, I'm 29 years old and from Germany.

Since I can think of I am fascinated about pinball games.
Due to a lack of availability in my area I had not often the chance to play real tables.

Since I discovered TPA and buying all tables I play them every day.
My favorites are TOTAN and BoP.

I really like playing but I got the feeling that everything I do is somewhat uncoordinated, untactical and depending on luck.
Although I read the manual of the tables a few times, it's hard to memorize the targets and the orders one have to hit them.
I also started nudging when the ball comes in the area of the outlanes.
Despite I feel some progress, I am asking myself if all that is the right approach.

Do you have any tips on how to improve my skills? Is there some kind of tutorial/text/video you could recommend regarding that topic?

I was playing The Addams Family table in real a few days ago and it was a mess. It was very dark and the ball was much faster than it is in TPA. I also got the feeling that the distance between the flippers is very big as well as the ball tends to hitting the outlane like there is another magnet involved

Thank you very much in advance for your help.

If you find any errors in my English, please feel free to correct me.


Regards

Michael

Check great video tutorials on this site http://pinball.org/videos/

Sites like ipdb have tip sheets, and Youtube has a ton of videos. Pinball 101 is especially good: though I've never seen the full video, the previews and snippets I have seen are amazing.
Also keep in mind that, though modern tables can be complex, there are also many aspects that carry over from table to table. Getting intimately familiar with a handful of tables (like the TPA ones) will allow you to figure out the rules and features on other tables much faster.

http://www.ipdb.org/playing/skills.html

Here's a good listing of various pinball skills for all skill levels. Focus on the Intermediate and Advanced Skills.

In particular... learning when to use the bounce pass is key to improving ball control. There are numerous times in which doing nothing and letting the ball take a bounce from one flipper to the other allows you to trap the ball.

(as an example, when playing Bride of PinBot (since you mentioned that one), as the ball is dropping down from the jet bumpers towards the right flipper, do nothing, allow the ball to bounce from the right flipper over to the left flipper, once the ball is past or near to past the far left edge of the left flipper you can raise the left flipper for a trap. I usually follow that up with a center ramp shot and then hit either the left shuttle ramp or continue to hit center ramp loop combos depending on the situation.)

EDIT:
I should add that I've not had any success in using the Wizard Skills of the "Drop Stop" and the "Flip Trap" in TPA. The physics engine doesn't seem to like those concepts. I can regularly use the Drop Stop on actual tables, but they act differently within the game and are not very predictable or useful here. The Flip Trap is something that I can't do often in real life, so whether or not it's viable in TPA, I'm unsure.

In general, the Wizard Skills section isn't very useful within TPA as the ball behaves a little bit differently. If you want to do Bangbacks and Death Saves... play Zen Pinball they're much much simpler to do in that game.

EDIT PART 2:
you beat me to the ipdb suggestion.

Pinball 101 is pretty cool, but it doesn't have anything you can't see elsewhere. I'd only suggest buying it if you don't mind considering yourself a true pinball nerd. That being said... I own a copy. The production is very good quality and seeing some of the more popular tables from the perspective of the ball was certainly enjoyable.
Here's a youtube preview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5VW3BJQN3g

Welcome to the forums, Michael!

My advice is practice. Lots and lots of practice. There's really no other way, and as you practice you will find that some techniques work for you and others not so much. There is no one right way to play pinball.

Since TPA doesn't charge you per game (unlike the real tables), this means you can practice as much as you want. Can't hit the Super Jackpot shot in Ripley's? Spend a couple of games and do nothing but hit that shot, regardless of if it's lit or not. If the Ball and Chain mode in Monster Bash gives you fits, spend five games alternating those ramps until you can do it better than the Phantom Flip feature. If the ricochets off the lamp in TotAN puzzle you, just play a game where you whack the lamp from different angles and see where the ball goes (and try to save it).

Or just play a game exploring what happens if you do different things. Hold up the right flipper when TotAN's Bazaar ejects and watch what happens. Hold up the left flipper when MB's Concert Hall ejects and observe the nice trap you get on the right flipper. All the games have these little tricks just waiting to be discovered.

If you're interested in specific table strategies, we have good threads going for Theatre of Magic and Tales of the Arabian Nights. The other tables don't have a consolidated thread (Ripley's has half of one), but once the 360 gets Medieval Madness, Cirqus Voltaire, FunHouse and Monster Bash, I'll try to put down the controller long enough to write out my advice for those tables. I might do the MB one soon anyway, for whatever reason the iOS version of MB is being particularly agreeable to me.

Void said:

Check great video tutorials on this site http://pinball.org/videos/

Click to expand...

Very great table-specific tutorials on that site. Bowen Kerins, the director for PAPA, also posts some tutorials on CGRpinball (the pinball-specific Classic Game Room channel, CGR is a GREAT video game review show.) http://www.youtube.com/user/cgrpinball?feature=results_main

hi michael,

this is exactly why i was asking for "unlimited balls" or a "training field" in the wishlist section - it would just be perfect to have a library of skills and when you select one an empty table with just the fingers appear and the ball comes rolling down the right way. You can then train that skill as long as you want and till you quit the training. This would really improve skills.

Thank you very much for your replies. The videos at pinball.org are just great.

Now I have much to read and to watch

Thanks again for all tips / recommendations.

Take time to go though the instructions. TPA has a lot of insight into the various tables it offers. While they are specific to the table they pertain to, they do give insight to the way pinball tables work and strategies to succeed at a large multitude of them.

Ball control is the key concept to practice when first learning how to get better at pinball. There are many skills to develop for very good ball control but keep in mind of the concept as you learn different techniques from watching the videos. Also keep in mind that because of limited flipper physics, not all the techniques that you see in the videos are possible, at least for now, in TPA.

I think when learning it is better to learn on one table and become a master at it. Then once you've mastered a table, take what you've learned and move on to other tables. TPA can be a help in this respect. Instead of playing for points or for the "story" just play for a particular shot or bonus. Pick something from the goals of the table and read the the tutorial on how to do it. Then play games just working on that one goal until you master it. Do this for each goal on a table or for selected shots in the table's tutorial.

Work on these on one table while always thinking "ball control" and you will develop good pinball skills.

Whenever I play a new pinball, there are several things I look for, that are common among all tables.
1. Skill shot - very easy way to get extra points right off the bat. Some, such as TOM and STTNG, allow you to select a specific feature and plunge to get that feature, but most reward you for plunging at a specific strength. These are extremely easy to figure out and memorize.
2. Extra Ball - Most tables award extra balls for reaching certain conditions. Find out what you have to do, and do it! This is the easiest way to lengthen your games, and thus your scores.
3. Missions - most modern tables, particularly those after 1992, have features, or "missions", where you can earn major points by hitting certain targets and areas. Find out what you have to hit to activate these missions (most often it's a sink hole or saucer), and what you have to do to re-light it following the missions. Most machines do a good job telling you what you need to do for a specific mission, so that isn't much of an issue.
4. Multiball - Most machines have a multiball mode, with many having several. Find out how to get them. Even though it is tough to keep all those balls in play, they worth a lot of points, especially if you can activate it while in a mission.
5. Combos - Most modern machines reward you for hitting a series of shots, usually ramps, loops, and orbits, rapidly, without hitting any other targets. This is an easy way to rack up big points. Some machines, like Funhouse and STTNG, have specific combos that are worth huge points. Learn them and nail them, as they are often worth more than anything else on the table, save completing the Wizard Mode.
6. Common features - there are many features that have become standardized, such as rollovers to increase multipliers. Then there is the old adage - if in doubt, shoot for what is flashing, or what the machine tells you to shoot for. There are exceptions to this (see Tommy), but generally, this is good advice.

Welcome to the forum Michael!

• Don’t restart a game when you’ve got a bad first ball. You probably won’t get a high score but it will take the pressure off your game and you’ll be able to experiment.
• Practice your ball control. Learn which shots can cause ball drains should you miss them and be careful taking them on.
• Play a few games using the right or left flipper exclusively. I did this with a mate when we were bored, trying to get the highest score with only the left flipper and it’s actually good practice: you’ll get to learn the ball trajectory when coming off the unused flipper and you can practice shots with the flipper you’re using.

@Michael

Also i am a amature and i have played a lot of pinball in the 90's.
Now i'm only playing Pinball Arcade because there are not many pinball machines in this area.
I also be a member of the NFV (A dutch flipper club) and they have +80 flipper machines but it's not nearby so i have to concentrate on the digital version. (I'm a donator ;-)
In the beginnen i was a bad player but after sometime playing with it, it's getting better and better.
So my advice keep on playing and concentrate on 1 table.

(sorry for my bad english, i can read everything but writing is not my speciality)

DON'T ALWAYS HIT BOTH FLIPPERS AT THE SAME TIME!


sorry, couldn't resist.
That's what I see so many "new" pinball players do so much of the time.

Practice!
As the others have said, don't focus on getting the high score or playing a long game.
Focus on making particular shots for a while.
Once you have the digital version of the game, it's not costing you coins for each play.

If there are ramps on the machine you like... play several dozen games just trying to hit the ramps consistantly...
Try to see if you can get them from either flipper.

If there are drop-targets, focus on them for more games. See if you can hit specific targets consistantly.

Learn how to get the ball to STOP on the flippers, so you can pause to catch your breath and make a focused shot.
Learn how to pass the ball from one flipper to the other, to help you set up a specific shot you have learned how to do.

THEN worry about the rules and scores.

Knowing the rules for most modern machines is critical to get high scores, extra balls and into certain modes.
You need to know the basics first.

Good luck!

Willkommen

The biggest element in my eyes is learning to not instantly flip the ball every chance you get, but catch the ball and then think about where to shoot next. When I panic and just wildly flail around, more often than not the ball will gain speed, bump around completely out of control and then drain. Every time you miss a shot, try first to get the ball back, and then go for the next move.

And learning the shots on each table is indeed good advice. On Whirlwind (PHOF 360) I always had problems to get to the small extra ball drop target at the very end to the table, at the end of a narrow path. I tried with the left flipper and it very often just bounced off the two spot targets next to it or the bumpers and went straight down the middle. Then, out of pure curiosity, I discovered today that it was much easier from the right flipper (backhanded, as I've heard it's called), with maybe 70% success rate - and this made my games much longer and higher scoring, thanks to the generous extra balls. Another important shot, the super cellar door, can be made from both the left and right flipper, each with its pros and cons.

Another thing to note is that flipping the ball after you have trapped it, aiming is much easier because it slowly rolls down your flipper. I tend to memorize at what point on the flipper it will hit certain targets.

Or take the scoops: These will shoot out the ball at a predetermined angle and speed. On Whirlwind it's left and above the left flipper. Now, once the little jingle plays and the ball comes, I can either hold the left flipper up and trap the ball there, or let of bounce off, let it go to the right flipper, and trap it there. Because pinball has many random elements, you should maximize your skills with the things you CAN predict.

In the Medieval Madness video on pinball.org, you can see that one the main shots, the castle, is very risky, because it can cause the ball to bounce off in a problematic angle, and send it straight down the middle (STDM). Something you can train: Aim for the ramps left and right or the outer loops, get the multiball modes lit, start them by shooting the Merlin hole and THEN hit the castle, because losing a ball during multiball is much less dramatic as during single ball play.

Something I have a lot of fun with learning is trapping one or two balls during multiball, while trying to hit the jackpot shots with the other ball. It's very easy to lose your head and just rapid-flip all three (or more!) balls around blindly, but juggling the balls in a more careful, controlled manner is hard, but very satisfying.

Good luck, and to quote Theatre Of Magic: "You must concentrate. The magic is within you!"

Man, there is a lot of really great advice in this thread. So inspiring to see!

mmmagnetic said:

In the Medieval Madness video on pinball.org, you can see that one the main shots, the castle, is very risky, because it can cause the ball to bounce off in a problematic angle, and send it straight down the middle (STDM). Something you can train: Aim for the ramps left and right or the outer loops, get the multiball modes lit, start them by shooting the Merlin hole and THEN hit the castle, because losing a ball during multiball is much less dramatic as during single ball play.

Click to expand...

What I have found works pretty well is to only shoot for the castle from the left flipper and to bounce it off the barrier on the right side so that the ball deflects before hitting the castle. This makes it far less likely to STDM after hitting the castle.

Not that I'm an expert at the game or anything

My skills are still nowhere near where they need to be on most games. It's no coincidence that my best game - Funhouse - is also the one I understand best. I know exactly how the ball will bounce most of the time. I know how to pass from one flipper to the other and so on. And the result is that it's a very controlled game where most of the other tables I flip the ball around wildly quite a bit

Tabe

...oh, and yeah, real pinball is much harder! I found a Spiderman machine at a cinema, went pretty well, but the Batman machine next to it ate my euro within 2 minutes.

Tabe said:

My skills are still nowhere near where they need to be on most games. It's no coincidence that my best game - Funhouse - is also the one I understand best.

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I agree, while there are a lot of general pinball skills, every table has its own, distinct flavour that has to be learned. PinBot, Taxi, Medieval Madness, Whirlwind - all very different from each other, all brilliant A deep understanding and awareness of the tables rules is really important to good scores.

mmmagnetic said:

...oh, and yeah, real pinball is much harder! I found a Spiderman machine at a cinema, went pretty well, but the Batman machine next to it ate my euro within 2 minutes.

Click to expand...

Batman is considered a tough table, while Spider-Man is an easier one.