I thought I would share this in case anyone out there has some solutions that I am unaware of, or if someone has it, and need some ideas.
Flipper hop is a plague. It needs to be eradicated. We discussed this on one of our episodes of our podcast and I had several people ask for clarification of what it is. For anyone who doesn't know what I am talking about, I have a simple diagram below and some solutions, in order of cost/hassle.
Solutions:
1.) Adjust lane guides. This can range from simple, to nearly impossible based on the setup of the machine and the lane guide types. Classic games often had a simple wire lane guide that can get misadjusted over time from balls hitting it at high velocity screaming towards the drain area. Often, a simple bend can fix it. Classic Stern/Bally's and Williams games often had a hole drilled near the flippers that this wire connected to. This can become enlarged over time. A more complicated fix involved patching or filling this hole and either retapping/redrilling it carefully, or in extreme examples, relocating it slightly. Just be sure to move the flipper through its extremes of movement before drilling into your beloved playfield. It doesn't matter a damn to have the transition smooth if the flipper can not travel to its upper most location without hitting the guide. On later modern games, often the screws can be loosened that hold the lane guide, moved, and re tightened. This has mixed results as often the guide will move again after being hit repeatedly. It is the simplest option though.
2.) Titan thin flipper rubbers. Titan deserves the pinball equivalent of the Nobel Prize for providing these in my opinion. They address the Flipper hop type that results from the flipper being mounted slightly above the lane guide. The thinner depth of the rubber allows for more slightly more clearance which is often enough. It won't help rounded corners on metal lane guides or when the flipper is mounted too far below the lane guide, but 70% of games it seems can benefit from them. It would be awesome if other manufactures of traditional rubber and Super Bands would provide these as well. Found here: https://www.titanpinball.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=33&product_id=52
3.) Cliffy makes lane guides that supplement the existing guides. I have installed these twice. The most successful being a Gorgar that had horribly rounded corners. They are drilled in a way that offers some adjustment and they are stacked, or layered in a way that prevents Flipper Hop. The only draw back is that Cliffy is too good at what he makes, and the wait time can sometimes be long, and the selection is pretty limited to specific games and eras, but they are a life saver and relatively inexpensive. They can be found here. http://www.passionforpinball.com/FlipFrames.htm
4.) Lexan. Finally, the most involved but worth it if none of the above works. I recommend Lexan in .093 that can be found in different sizes readily at hardware stores like Menards, Home Depot and Lowes or your hardware store of choice. It is strong as hell and inexpensive. It can be used a lot for different pinball projects including ball jam protectors, but these might be better addressed with a slightly thinner sheet (I'm looking at you Dialed In). Buy a bigger piece and keep the rest for a rainy day. I take off the stock lane guide, and trace it in dry erase marker on the Lexan adding a slight amount to the problem area and then use a jig saw that is fitted with a plastic cutting blade. Cut it out, and sand down the edges to your satisfaction. It can then be drilled or and screwed on, or press fit in some cases, and this will knock out our nemesis. The example below is a poorly done cell phone video of me doing this to a TNA in my collection that suffered from it. The way the mount is attached, it leaves ZERO room for adjustment so this was my only solution. It has helped a ton.
