I Hate Drop Catching

[MontanaFrank]

The reason I'm not fond of drop catching is that after I do it, most of the time I can't his the darn target I shoot at anyway. Dang Nabit, I wish I had the hand and eye coordination as I did from 14 to 40.

 

[Mark Miwurdz]

The reason I'm not fond of drop catching is that after I do it, most of the time I can't his the darn target I shoot at anyway. Dang Nabit, I wish I had the hand and eye coordination as I did from 14 to 40.

I'm 46 and I do alright.

If you've watched my streams, you know my thoughts on this topic.

 

[PoSTedUP]

If you want to fight with it and "overpower" it with your reflexes, by all means do. But if you want to slow dance and "score"...

the only fight is "learning" it with your reflexes, then it becomes your friend and we score while doing the "cha-cha".

 

[Jeff Strong]

Everyone has their own style. That's one of the great things about pinball. It's sort of like playing an instrument. There are many different approaches and techniques, and none of them are necessarily right or wrong. For instance, some guitar players swear by using a pick; some only use their fingers and thumb. Some use a combination of both or switch up depending on the song. What works for one doesn't work for everyone. You just have to go with what suits you the best. Same for pinball, or anything really.

 

[PoSTedUP]

The reason I'm not fond of drop catching is that after I do it, most of the time I can't his the darn target I shoot at anyway. Dang Nabit, I wish I had the hand and eye coordination as I did from 14 to 40.

hah. so what's your favorite table(s), frank? and you probably can improve your hand-eye coordination and/or your reflexes. this may sound silly, but, eat a lot of garlic, fruits, nuts and veggies and drink a lot of water. the more you use your motor skills and the healthier you are, the better youll get. it also declines with age. the garlic increases blood circulation, and more blood flowing to your brain plays a part in how well you can focus and increase your reflexes, i think. idk, maybe only on paper, sounds cool tho. xD

 

[PoSTedUP]

Everyone has their own style. That's one of the great things about pinball. It's sort of like playing an instrument. There are many different approaches and techniques, and none of them are necessarily right or wrong. For instance, some guitar players swear by using a pick; some only use their fingers and thumb. Some use a combination of both or switch up depending on the song. What works for one doesn't work for everyone. You just have to go with what suits you the best. Same for pinball, or anything really.

indeed. like, id much rather listen to someone play a guitar, playing is way too hard! heh. but yeah, ive noted what you said. there's no right or wrong way to play, definitely.

 

[Espy]

In my opinion, at the end of the day, if you catch the ball you will get better scores and see more of the table's features. I have a number of top-20 scores on some tables and I would have scores nowhere near those levels if I didn't catch. If you don't want to trap because you like the challenge, fine by me, but you are making things overly difficult for yourself.

 

[PoSTedUP]

In my opinion, at the end of the day, if you catch the ball you will get better scores and see more of the table's features. I have a number of top-20 scores on some tables and I would have scores nowhere near those levels if I didn't catch. If you don't want to trap because you like the challenge, fine by me, but you are making things overly difficult for yourself.

that might be true. but i just took the #5 spot on centaur not trapping once. with practice, it works pretty well for me. so tbh, id say it is the complete opposite for me. since i posted this thread iv actually been trapping occasionally just for the hell of it. i dont hate it as much now, i think its kinda cool actually. just makes it a lot slower for me and i feel like i would have been playing for 6 hours trying to get to 50m on centaur opposed to the about an hour and a half it took me.

 

[vikingerik]

Centaur is indeed probably the table where you need to trap the least. Just constantly whacking towards the ORBS targets and chamber pretty much does everything you need.

You'll go down in flames if you try something like Twilight Zone or Ripley's without ever trapping, though.

 

[PoSTedUP]

Centaur is indeed probably the table where you need to trap the least. Just constantly whacking towards the ORBS targets and chamber pretty much does everything you need.

You'll go down in flames if you try something like Twilight Zone or Ripley's without ever trapping, though.

im not too crazy about ripleys. but ill accept your challenge on TZ, i am a rookie pinball player, but i didnt see a problem playing flow on TZ when i played it a while ago. i just never took the time to practice TZ. set a fair score for me to reach for the next few days and ill see if i can hit it. ill learn as i go along i guess.

also could you give me some good advice on what's a good strategy? i would really appreciate it.

whats your thoughts on ToM? i got 6.4B w/o trapping but stopped playing, i felt i couldve done better if i kept at it. id deff be down to start playing ToM hardcore again.

 

[Kratos3]

Once I started cradling the ball when need be, my scores went up and I started knocking goals down. ST:TNG is another one that will crush you if you just bat it around, but you can really hit shots if your catching the ball.

BK2K is probably my favorite table, and it's more fun when you play flow, because that's how the table is built. High Speed is one of my favorites as well. I guess I like those fast "flow" tables.

 

[mattenno]

You can't drop catch in The Pinball Arcade

 

[PoSTedUP]

Once I started cradling the ball when need be, my scores went up and I started knocking goals down. ST:TNG is another one that will crush you if you just bat it around, but you can really hit shots if your catching the ball.

BK2K is probably my favorite table, and it's more fun when you play flow, because that's how the table is built. High Speed is one of my favorites as well. I guess I like those fast "flow" tables.

i have been getting better playing flow on ST:tNG, slowly but surly im starting to get the hang of nailing thoes shots w/o trapping. i didnt really play it all that much bc of bugs on vita, its good after the super patch and i just started playing it more recently. it deff takes more practice, but thats why i like to play flow more bc in the end it makes it a lot more fun for me. i just took up a challenge from one of my friends, 8B, so im gonna try and beat that. edit: during multiball is hard for me atm, im just flailing my flippers qround, lol.

 

[switch3flip]

Fly shots vs. cradling is almost a non-discussion, because to play the best you can you have to master both techniques. Some shots are easier one way and some the other. The best way is to be open and do what's best in every separate situation, not force one technique over the other. It's almost like comparing left flipper to right flipper or backhand shots vs. regular shots.

 

[vikingerik]

im not too crazy about ripleys. but ill accept your challenge on TZ, i am a rookie pinball player, but i didnt see a problem playing flow on TZ when i played it a while ago. i just never took the time to practice TZ. set a fair score for me to reach for the next few days and ill see if i can hit it. ill learn as i go along i guess.

also could you give me some good advice on what's a good strategy? i would really appreciate it.

whats your thoughts on ToM? i got 6.4B w/o trapping but stopped playing, i felt i couldve done better if i kept at it. id deff be down to start playing ToM hardcore again.

Yeah, ToM is one of the better flowy games. TZ and ToM have quite similar score scales (jackpots 50M, most modes 20-40M, wizard mode ~400M), so 6.4B on TZ is probably just about a similar benchmark.

TZ is all about that slot machine kickout. If you're willing to catch and shoot from that, 6B shouldn't be much trouble. If you always attack the ball on the fly, 6B will be a fantastic feat.

 

[MonkeyGrass]

Just because you can score decently on a couple tables that don't require trapping, doesn't mean your flow method is any more "valid" than trapping and catching. It means you like to play flow tables. Good luck with that on most Lawlor tables and anything that has a wicked kickout. TZ is a great example. Wanna flush your ball? Try to react and hit that kickout to the left flipper. ~50% of the time, it bounces off the edge of the Town Square and goes SDTM. Buh-bye Mr Nice Score!!

Simply put - There are different tables which require different skill sets. You may be able to score well on some tables, but I guarantee you won't be top-5 on many, many tables that require ball control.

If you want to be a complete pinball player, being practiced with ALL the different shots and techniques and executing them is the trick.

I'm glad you seem to like "flow" more than "control". But please don't try and invalidate the VAST MAJORITY of pinballers who use trapping and catching as part of their regular game. You keep repeating yourself about the "challenge" of not trapping, like you are somehow a better player for not using the technique. Sorry, but you are dead wrong. You are simply cutting yourself off from being able to score higher on certain tables.

And just to keep things real here - nudging on TPA is not even CLOSE to nudging in real like. The only thing "easier" about it, is how easy it is to rock the machine straight into a tilt. There are so many degrees of nudging that go on with a real table, TPA's 8-way system PALES in comparison with how you can massage and work a real table.

 

[Zaphod77]

There are three main types of shots.

1) shots from a trap

2) shots from a predictable feed

3) shots from neither.

Shots from traps tend to be the most consistent, but they are not always possible.

TAF has very good examples of all, on a properly setup machine.

From a trap on the right flipper you can shoot the bear kick ramp, or you can backhand the bookcase. You can also try the chair or the orbit, but the chair is dangerous, though it's even more risky on the fly. from a trap on the left flipper we have a backhand to the chair (safest way to shoot it), a shot up the bearkick ramp, the vault, or the orbit (usually a bad idea). shoot the swamp kickout? why, when the chair backhand is the safer shot. If you want to shoot the swamp kickout, do it on the fly.

Immediately after shooting the bear kick ramp from a trap on either flipper, you have an easy flow shot off that feed to THING (it's much more difficult from a trap), which then feeds to the upper flipper for a shot at the side ramp, which you then shoot into the swamp.

You also have the through the bumpers orbit shot, which is intended to be shot right after the bear kick ramp. Try that form a trap and it will stick in the bumpers.

For type 3, you can flail the ball into the open vault from the electric chair kickout. it's a very important shot to learn, as the vault is nearly impossible from a trap on either flipper, and requires a perfect shot. but on the fly from the left flipper, it's a lot more doable. but since there is no guaranteed feed for the left flipper, you use the chair kickout instead to do it.

Lawlor has a mix of flow and control in his tables. While twilight zone responds well to trapping, trapping is also very difficult, so learning on the fly sots is very helpful. because the flippers don't raise as high, it's harder to trap.

 

[PoSTedUP]

Yeah, ToM is one of the better flowy games. TZ and ToM have quite similar score scales (jackpots 50M, most modes 20-40M, wizard mode ~400M), so 6.4B on TZ is probably just about a similar benchmark.

TZ is all about that slot machine kickout. If you're willing to catch and shoot from that, 6B shouldn't be much trouble. If you always attack the ball on the fly, 6B will be a fantastic feat.

ok cool, ill have to play it a lot to get the hang of it. as of right now, i can prob hit 1B. ill keep you posted ok. sounds like fun, most importantly

 

[PoSTedUP]

Just because you can score decently on a couple tables that don't require trapping, doesn't mean your flow method is any more "valid" than trapping and catching. It means you like to play flow tables. Good luck with that on most Lawlor tables and anything that has a wicked kickout. TZ is a great example. Wanna flush your ball? Try to react and hit that kickout to the left flipper. ~50% of the time, it bounces off the edge of the Town Square and goes SDTM. Buh-bye Mr Nice Score!!

Simply put - There are different tables which require different skill sets. You may be able to score well on some tables, but I guarantee you won't be top-5 on many, many tables that require ball control.

If you want to be a complete pinball player, being practiced with ALL the different shots and techniques and executing them is the trick.

I'm glad you seem to like "flow" more than "control". But please don't try and invalidate the VAST MAJORITY of pinballers who use trapping and catching as part of their regular game. You keep repeating yourself about the "challenge" of not trapping, like you are somehow a better player for not using the technique. Sorry, but you are dead wrong. You are simply cutting yourself off from being able to score higher on certain tables.

And just to keep things real here - nudging on TPA is not even CLOSE to nudging in real like. The only thing "easier" about it, is how easy it is to rock the machine straight into a tilt. There are so many degrees of nudging that go on with a real table, TPA's 8-way system PALES in comparison with how you can massage and work a real table.

well, to be fair, you only assume that i think i am a better pinball player bc of playing flow. dont put words in my mouth. it is more of a challenge, which is why i like it. ive already addressed that i am a rookie player AND that i dont take anything away from people who trap. i like the challenge, and i am up for Vikinerics challenge, which even he said it would be an amzing feat to hit 6B playing flow on TZ. nudging on TPA is far from a real table(s), it is good on TPA to line up my shots better, tho.

i didnt say i could get top 5 on most tables. but there are top pro pinball players that are better playing flow, and, are some of the top in the world. so it is very possible to get good playing flow.

 

[PoSTedUP]

There are three main types of shots.

1) shots from a trap

2) shots from a predictable feed

3) shots from neither.

Shots from traps tend to be the most consistent, but they are not always possible.

TAF has very good examples of all, on a properly setup machine.

From a trap on the right flipper you can shoot the bear kick ramp, or you can backhand the bookcase. You can also try the chair or the orbit, but the chair is dangerous, though it's even more risky on the fly. from a trap on the left flipper we have a backhand to the chair (safest way to shoot it), a shot up the bearkick ramp, the vault, or the orbit (usually a bad idea). shoot the swamp kickout? why, when the chair backhand is the safer shot. If you want to shoot the swamp kickout, do it on the fly.

Immediately after shooting the bear kick ramp from a trap on either flipper, you have an easy flow shot off that feed to THING (it's much more difficult from a trap), which then feeds to the upper flipper for a shot at the side ramp, which you then shoot into the swamp.

You also have the through the bumpers orbit shot, which is intended to be shot right after the bear kick ramp. Try that form a trap and it will stick in the bumpers.

For type 3, you can flail the ball into the open vault from the electric chair kickout. it's a very important shot to learn, as the vault is nearly impossible from a trap on either flipper, and requires a perfect shot. but on the fly from the left flipper, it's a lot more doable. but since there is no guaranteed feed for the left flipper, you use the chair kickout instead to do it.

Lawlor has a mix of flow and control in his tables. While twilight zone responds well to trapping, trapping is also very difficult, so learning on the fly sots is very helpful. because the flippers don't raise as high, it's harder to trap.

thanks for that, very helpful. tho i havent played adams family in ages. i cant find one around me and have a hard time
finding A pinball table. but i agree with you guys, its good to know and get good at both. plus ive noticed that the trajectory for a lot of pinball tables are off when playing flow. the game isnt perfect. TZ seemed "ok", but its a ways away from accurate, imo, playing flow. still doable i think, tho.