The Center Post

[Fungi]

When tables are designed with making money in mind, certain design choices are made. Such as aiming slingshots and dividers directly at the outlanes. Maybe this is a question for the Lawlors and Ritchies of the world, but I've always wondered, why do some machines have center posts? Such as in Whirlwind. I don't find that machine anymore drain happy than others. So I wonder what made Pat say, "we need one of those here".

Granted, they are FAR from guaranteed saves, and maybe that's the point. False sense of security? Did I just answer my own question? Whatever. What do all you fine people think?

 

[Clawhammer]

For people unexperienced with using center posts, it probably increases the amount of center drains from misjudged bounces. If you look at games with center posts though, they tend to be ones where an important shot can lead to a center drain- T2's lock shot, WWs NW target, JB or PB's visor, lock target or sandman visor on SM. In my opinion, that's probably in part where the design decision comes from. From an operator standpoint, casual players might be more likely to play the game from a false sense of security, but not actually have longer games because of the center post.

 

[Worf]

The hardest move with the center post is known as the "chill maneuver". That's where you see the ball, and the best course of action is to NOT do anything. The goal is to have it hit the post and bounce off back into play. The shots it works for usually are ones where if you don't "chill", the ball will bounce off the post, off the back of the flipper and into the drain.