How to improve my skills?

[JohnAtl]

I seem to be in a rut. I don't play for hours on end, but play a little each day. I'm not a both-flippers-at-once player, but I'm missing something. My scores aren't improving. I STILL haven't gotten the 250k goal on Big Shot, etc.
Thank for any tips.

 

[Naildriver74]

Hello JohnAlt, Some games I'm good at others I'm not but it just keeps the drive going to get better. Sit back and have fun. I haven't got there either.

 

[neglectoid]

learning and mastering simple techniques such as post passing and dead flipper passing will greatly improve your game.

I wouldn't worry about that goal on big shot. it's a tough one on a tough table.

 

[netizen]

hmmm, i think I read something somewhere

 

[norbert26]

there are good balls and bad balls. skills will come with time and please remember your playing on a touch screen device or whatever device your using .

 

[Espy]

I have been playing seriously for over two years and I still feel like I'm learning. I literally went a whole year without feeling the need to nudge, now I do it as naturally as flipping. Just pick up skills over time. The IPDB has a good list of skills: http://www.ipdb.org/playing/skills.html Try to learn one at a time. Some you'll learn instinctively (I realised I had already taught myself the slap save before reading about it), but there are things that you won't think of yourself, like the post pass and dead flipper pass. They really help you in getting the ball to the flipper you need it in. Post pass is really easy as it's just a rapid tap on a trapped ball (and failed attempts are safe as it stays on the flipper). And the dead flipper pass is pretty easy to pick up, as it literally involves you doing nothing!

Learn to get a feel for each table. Most importantly, how does each shot, including failed ramp shots, return the ball? This is probably more important in keeping the ball alive than making the shots. For example, when playing T2 I realised that a failed left ramp shot nearly always results in a drain, so I nudge impulsively whenever I see it's not going to make it. Also in White Water, a game changer is to know that when the ball is kicked out of the cave, holding the right flipper up turns a potentially deadly return into one that's safe 99% of the time. Also look for little tricks, like in most tables with a kickback, if the ball goes down the centre but rolls to the left of the table, a downwards nudge will hopefully get it to the rollover, which will fire the ball back up into play. Impressive and satisfying

One important thing, know when to quit. If you're tired and frustrated, or if nature is calling, take a rest. Even just a ten-minute break may be enough. A huge amount of pinball skill is mental. If you feel you're suddenly making a lot of mistakes, just take a break.

 

[Deltaechoe]

250k+ is really freaking difficult on big shot, you only see those a couple times per week on the leaderboards so I wouldn't feel too bad about not breaking that all the time.

 

[Tabe]

I am hardly great - don't have a single top 100 score on any table - but I have learned a few things. Two main things that helped my scores jump up a level were these:

- the dead flipper pass. I was already doing this on Funhouse but I've learned where I can use it on other tables and that's been a big help
- nudging. For at least a year after I got TPA, I only nudged on Funhouse and only on the start of the midnight multiball, since it's an automatic drain if you don't. I basically forced myself to start nudging on other tables and I now do it all the time. As a result, I topped my scores on a number of tables almost immediately

 

[Squid]

Patience and a level head is all I use to play anything. Just go from there.

Please keep in mind that this advice comes from someone that usually plays while drinking.

 

[Tokyo Rose]

Espy's advice is excellent, in my opinion.

 

[Clawhammer]

I can't imagine going to TPA without real world pinball experience, in that learning thinks like dead bouncing takes a lot of intuition that is learned from experience. That being said, if you aren't one to control the ball (just flip at it when it comes), look up some guides for techniques to do so. Not all of them work on TPA- but dead bouncing, letting a ball bounce from one flipper to other in order to get control, is absolutely essential in my opinion. Post passing, which is flipping quickly when a ball is trapped to get it to the other flipper, is also very useful. The 250k goal on BS is very tough, and that particular table requires a lot of nudging to succeed. That is something else to practice, particularly nudging not only when the ball is in danger, but to get it away from a slingshot that it is headed towards or to set up a dead bounce to get control. If you are nudging only when you want a ball to not drain down an outlane, it is often too late. One thing that is much easier on TPA than in real pinball is predicting the returns from failed and made shots, and kickouts. Your goal should always be to control the ball (and not drain) so if you find yourself losing the ball a lot from missing a certain shot, evaluate how important it is and only shoot at it when necessary or during multiball if possible. For every kickout, ask yourself if you can trap the ball or let it bounce (you can do both from the slot machine on TZ for example). For made shots, look at how the ball returns- if it's from a ramp, can you trap the ball to a stop or let it roll over to the other flipper for a more controlled shot? It may seem like more boring play at first, but trust me, with practice it will help your scores immensely. And finally, and this may seem obvious, read the rules for the tables you are playing! Both online rulesheets and the built in TPA guides are good starts. Learning the rule sets to the best of your ability can help in decision making and evaluating the risk/reward for given situations. I find even on machines where I think that I know the rulesets front and back, there is still more to learn. Once you know the rules, think about the reasoning for every shot that you make; be intentional with your shot-making and always ask yourself whether or not the decisions you are making are the best ones for minizming risk (of draining or losing control) and maximizing points. Good luck!

Tl;dr- work on ball control, preemptive nudging and game knowledge.

 

[JohnAtl]

Thanks for the advice everyone. It also helps knowing I'm not the only one
I definitely need to work on nudging. Usually when I find myself holding a flipper hard is when I realize I should have nudged.
Working on ball control, etc. too.
Anyway, thanks again!