Flipper Skill Tutorials
Here are some quick tutorials to improve your flipper (or basic fundamental pinball) skills. These are roughly listed from easiest to master to most difficult. Feel free to jump around to any tutorial, as you don't have to learn them in chronological order.
Dead Bounce or Dead Flip
This is one of the most important skills for beginners to master, as it allows the player to gain control by cradling the ball. Cradling gives the player a moment of rest, making shots easier than hitting them on the fly. Mastering a dead bounce will help you control the game and also can be helpful to get the ball onto a particular flipper, setting up your next shot.
Ski Pass
Ski Passes are an excellent way to gain control of a ball that is coming down an inlane quickly. Please note that Ski Passes do not always work on all machines--and sometimes you need to add a nudge or micro flip to get the ball safely to the other flipper. King Kong is the best local pin to practice this skill--going from the left flipper to the right flipper. You can also do this in the same direction on Jaws, but it is a little harder.
How to Aim