Think of it this way: If the ball is in free space, you're not moving the ball. You're moving the machine.
If the ball is against a piece of the playfield (rubber), you're using the machine to move the ball.

That make sense?

The ball stays where it is relative to the world. You're pulling the tablecloth out from under the ball.

An ideal pin has the least amount of playfield friction as possible.

So if the ball is moving SDTM, any movement to the machine doesn’t change the path of the ball relative to the floor (it’s still moving in a straight line)... but nudging does move parts of the playfield relative to the ball.

So if you think a right flipper flip can save a ball heading SDTM, you hit the right side of the machine to the left. You’re not moving the ball to the right flipper, you’re moving the right flipper towards the ball.

if the ball is going down the middle, right before it is going down between the flippers....Quick pick a side , and give it a quick slap on either side. This will slide the playfield under the ball, just enough for you to get the tip of your flipper to contact the ball, and save the drain. You are actually sliding the game over, thus moving the playfield over under the ball , while the ball is continuing in a straight line. Physics baby !!

I often misjudge which flipper the ball will be closer to. Nudging is definitely a skill. Pretty cool when you get it right and save the ball. It's probably a bad technique, but I like to hold up a flipper and then try to push the pin over so the flipper tip hits the ball over to the other flipper as it comes down. I find that easier than trying to flip and nudge at same time.

There was a video on you tube I think is where it was, and a guy was demonstrating that he can "nudge" a ball that already went past the flippers and about to go down the drain, he could get the ball back up on the playfield with a right left then push of the machine and I think there is some physical contact with the back wall of the apron to do it. Seems like cheating. My guess is for non-physical contact with the ball, you'd slap the opposite side of the cab then where the ball is, push the left side of the cab if you want to knock the ball to the left out of the right outlane. For a physical contact move, you'd want to hit in the direction you want the ball to move, that guy wanted the ball to move upward from the drain so he pushed the cab front to back.

It's called a Death Save and it is illegal:

It’s not illegal in Georgia. It’s not allowed in tournaments though.

Only in tournaments.

This is essentially what a slap save is doing.

Just slap save!

This is a very common trick. If the ball is headed down the center drain at an angle, it's not unlikely that the ball is closest to the flippers when one's at the up position than the down position. Also, the gap between the flippers is sometimes smaller with both flippers up, versus both flippers down, so you need less movement left/right to protect the gap when a flipper is up.

How the hell does the game not "tilt" doing that? My games are set pretty liberal but would definitely tilt on those moves.

don't know what moves you're talking about, but a game with tilt warnings usually has a cooldown timer (debounce) allowing big moves to earn only one or two warnings, instead of tilting. An EM or early SS with a tilt bob installed will usually not allow a death save/bang back. A slap save (hitting one side and then the other very quickly) is aimed at minimizing game displacement, essentially putting it back in the original position as quickly as possible, so as little movement as possible translates to the bob's movement.

Most definitely illegal in CA I’m sure lolol. It prolly gives you cancer also

josh sharpe shows how to move the ball to the left [slide right]. slide the machine left if you want to move the ball to the right.

heres another by robert gagno. timestamp 9:22:22.
check out his first move at timestamp 9:20:13.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=33740&v=jBnIEQY3ccw

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