Developing Your Game

Intermediate

Player with solid basics who can cradle and dead bounce, ready to learn intermediate techniques.

Mission

Master passing and catching techniques to control the ball from any position on the playfield.

14 drills

Start sprint

Skill: Ball Control Basics

Cradle

Refine your cradle to be rock-solid on both sides.

Both-Side Cradle

Medium

Practice trapping on your weaker flipper. Most players have a dominant side — even it out.

Goal: Hold 5-second cradles on both sides consistently

Skill: Ball Control Basics

Dead Bounce

A reliable dead bounce is the backbone of ball control.

Fast Ball Dead Bounce

Medium

Practice dead bouncing faster balls. Keep the flipper completely down — don't flinch.

Goal: Dead bounce 6 out of 8 fast balls

Skill: Flipper Techniques

Micro Flips

Micro flips give precision for short redirects.

Micro Redirect

Medium

Use tiny flipper taps to redirect a slow ball toward a specific inlane or short ramp.

Goal: Hit a short target with micro flips 4 out of 5 times

Skill: Flipper Techniques

Extending the Flippers Reach

Hit shots that seem out of reach by varying your flip timing.

Extreme Angle Practice

Medium

Try hitting the farthest target on each side by flipping earlier or later than usual.

Goal: Hit both extreme targets in one ball

Skill: Basic Passing

Post Pass

The post pass is your primary tool for transferring the ball between flippers.

Post Pass Both Ways

High

Practice post passing from both flippers. Shoot gently into the slingshot post to bounce across.

Goal: Successfully post pass 4 out of 5 from each side

Skill: Basic Passing

Ski Pass

The ski pass is a smooth way to transfer ball control.

Controlled Roll

Medium

Let the ball roll down a raised flipper. Time it so the ball slides across to the other flipper.

Goal: 3 out of 5 successful ski passes

Skill: Basic Passing

Tap Pass

The tap pass is a quick, light pass through the inlane — fast and effective.

Light Tap Transfer

High

Give the flipper the lightest possible tap to send the ball gently through the inlane to the other side.

Goal: Successfully tap pass 4 out of 6 attempts

Skill: Catching Techniques

Drop Catch

The drop catch lets you trap fast balls by dropping the flipper at the right moment.

Drop Timing

High

Hold the flipper UP, and as the ball arrives, DROP it to absorb the momentum. Then raise to cradle.

Goal: Successfully drop catch 3 out of 5 fast balls

Drop Catch from Inlane

High

Practice drop catching balls rolling in from the inlane — they have a consistent speed, good for learning timing.

Goal: Drop catch 4 inlane balls in a row

Skill: Catching Techniques

Live Catch

The live catch traps fast incoming balls by raising the flipper at exactly the right moment.

Raise to Meet

High

With the flipper DOWN, raise it to meet the incoming ball at just the right moment to trap it in a cradle.

Goal: Successfully live catch 3 out of 6 attempts

Skill: Save Techniques

Slap Save

Refine your slap save to rescue more center drains.

Quick Double Slap

Medium

Slap both flippers the instant you see a center drain developing. Speed is everything.

Goal: Save 3 out of 5 center drains

Skill: Nudging

Nudging

Nudging lets you physically influence the ball — a game-changer when mastered.

Side Nudge

High

When a ball is heading for a side drain, give the machine a quick sideways push to redirect it toward the flipper.

Goal: Save 2 out of 5 side drains with a nudge

Tilt Awareness

High

Practice nudging while watching the tilt bob. Learn how much force you can use before tilting.

Goal: Nudge 5 times in a row without tilting

Skill: Game Strategy

Multiball

Multiball is where big points happen — learn to manage multiple balls.

Trap and Focus

Medium

During multiball, trap one ball and focus on shooting the other. Don't panic-flip at everything.

Goal: Keep at least 2 balls alive for 30 seconds during multiball