Jason here.
Last time, my dad said that you should look before you plunge. Most of you joined after that edition went out. It's on the site at zahlerpinball.com/learn-pinball/how-to-play-any-pinball-machine if you want to start there. I'm writing this email so that you know what I'm thinking about when it comes to flipping, and how often I'm not doing it.
Tip #2
The best flip is no flip.
I know the feeling. The ball comes down, you want to press both flipper buttons, and the ball goes somewhere you didn't intend. Gone. I've lost hundreds of balls that way.
What I do instead, most of the time, is nothing. I let the ball come down and bounce off the flipper I'm not using. It loses most of its energy, goes to the other flipper, and I'm waiting there. It's called a dead bounce. It's boring to watch. That's why it works.
The reason it works: a moving flipper adds energy to a moving ball and makes the bounce unpredictable. A still flipper absorbs energy. When the ball is coming down at a manageable speed, the best move is usually no move. Fewer responses, fewer ways to lose the ball.
I learned this when I was very young. The part after the bounce (the post pass, tap pass, trap-up) took me thousands of games.
If you want to try it: pick one ball you'd normally flip at and let it bounce. You'll drain a few while you learn the feel. Eventually you stop draining them.
I'm keeping this email short on purpose. The dead bounce is the important part.
Keep on flipping (or not),
Jason