It takes a lot of practice - I've been playing for about a decade now and still can't pocket a ball in any given hole reliably. Some, yes. Others, no.

Pushing, pulling, and twisting are all crucial skills when playing a bingo, and the skills transfer to flipper games as well. But bingos are the real nudging test.

Being able to walk a ball from one side to the other by passing across posts is an easy way to start learning. If the ball starts circling the pocket, pulling the game is usually the more effective way to pull it free.

Small twists can give the ball just enough spin to pull it free of the pockets' orbit.

And sometimes you just have a bad shot. Sometimes there's nothing you can do to save it, and you then have to adjust your strategy.

Plunge strength is huge, but once it's on the playing surface is when the real test begins. I generally try to plunge for one side or the other then move the ball where I want it to go +/- left/right.

It takes time and patience to learn how to do it well, but it's really a great feeling when you manage to scoop a ball into the -one- pocket you need for a really great win.

Ah, and newer rubbers make it far easier to bounce from post to post. The older the rubber, the less 'action' the playfield will have. There are two sizes of rubbers that will fit on the posts. You need 5/16", IIRC.

I would recommend against that for most bingos.

You're totally right - following the ball down the playfield and grabbing the sides and following all the way down is a trick I learned from Vic_Camp and Steve S. There are many folks that prefer to control just via the lockbar - pushing and pulling using that as a control stick. This mostly applies to later games with a metal instruction plate or metal wrapped lockbar, but I'm sure the same principle can be applied to earlier games.

It might - that's the control part. Figuring out how to move the game without losing it is key.