Newsom - where ya been? Pinholics is 9/28, be there!!!

Borrowed one for the makeup date. Won't be without again cuz that Murphy guy has impeccable timing

I've been working on both over the last year and a half. I use live catches more but prefer the drop catch when it comes to the wow factor. Live catches are probably more instinctive at this point for me, especially with balls coming down from an orbit down the side of the slingshot.

Certain games I own I have learned the drop catch very well and it is very rewarding when I pull it off. For instance on Jackbot, coming out of the saucer having chosen double or nothing. If it comes down at the right angle, easy drop catch and shot to the cashier. Feel like I'm showing off when I pull it off. I think that is why I prefer the look and feel of the drop catch when I do it successfully. But I still have a lot of work to do on choosing when to do a drop catch. I find myself resorting to bounce passes more often when a drop catch might have worked. Of course, sometimes that is just because I want it on the other flipper, but most often I just haven't wired my brain to try it.

One thing I try to do at home sometimes is to just work on drop catches, as in try it every time and see what happens. That is helping with quick responses and quicker decision making. And based on how many times the ball drains, I'm figuring out real quick what doesn't work.

What I'm really trying to learn is the little flicker drop catch. I don't know a better name but it is when someone does what looks like a drop catch but it is usually closer to the shaft of the flipper and the player doesn't drop the flipper the entire way, but rather flicks the flipper as if trying to do a cradle separation. I see the pros doing this a lot and if you watch the PAPA videos or PAPA circuit you will see many of these. I've done it occassionally but really it was kind of by accident. Trying to figure out how to do this more frequently as it seems to be a combination between a drop and live catch. Anyone have any tips on this???

Funny I was telling friends last night about Jason doing that as well during one of his qualifier games. I kept re-watching it trying to figure it out and I think you're right about how it's done. I need to start practicing that because it seems to be the perfect merge of live and drop catch.