Perhaps instead of using the terms beginner and intermediate, maybe have sections like basic and advanced. However for any basic techniques that could expand\include into advanced techniques, maybe mention those advanced technique terms and then reference where those sections are or have a quick link to them.

Don’t know if that makes sense, hard to explain.

Too bad a supplement to your book\guide couldn’t be what Multimorphic was going to come out with to help the player learn skills. This platform can auto feed balls to specific locations repeatedly and in a consistent way and the screen can then illustrate the technique and I’m sure it could even be programmed to do an automatic demonstration with the flippers before then letting the player try themselves. The game was called “Wizard Pinball Trainer”, however I’m sure the majority of people wouldn’t buy a P3 just for this, but again could be a supplement to those who already have the platform and future owners. Below is a thread that has a very early prototype video demonstration:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-trainer#post-6402018

Thanks for all you do ABE_FLIPS , your videos thus far have truly been very helpful.

I've lingered around Pinside for a while before creating a profile. I've watched, re-watched, and shared your videos ABE_FLIPS - great stuff. Really excited to hear that you're working on something more at length and in-depth as well.

I wouldn't overthink the video-format. You're making a pinball skills documentary. The people that are going to watch it are looking for detailed and advanced content in the first-place. Include the basic stuff, as you would, but don't shy away from going deep and elaborating on advanced skills in the "tutorial films".

I'm not sure you should worry about intimidating a "beginner player." What is intimidating is watching someone absolutely slay but not explain what they're doing. It can make a beginner feel like they just had a really lucky ball. But you don't know what you don't know. An advanced tutorial film that starts with the basics allows the beginner to understand why a good player stays on the table longer. They might not master a given technique right away, but they'll have the knowledge from your video regarding the logic of the mechanics to rely on and that, by itself, is empowering. To feel empowered is to reduce intimidation.

Make the "tutorial film" you want to make, as in-depth as you want to make it. If it proves to be a bit too cerebral to grasp, well that just creates an opportunity for more short-films down to road! Thanks for your contribution to the pinball community, you've already made this hobby more accessible to many.

Abe, here's how I'm going to use your videos and introduce pinball to middle school kids. Keep in mind it's a fun class, but also "educational" kind of...this may or may not help you think about how you want to organize or approach your expanded videos.

The first item on the agenda is to get kids to conclude that pinball is a game of skill, not a game of luck, and that it's more than just keeping the ball in play! So I've structured the learnings or overview of pinball into 4 key themes or areas of discussion around utilizing that skill to achieve a higher score or to get further into a game.

1. Know the rules / know the game / know where to shoot
2. Know how to aim and make those shots
3. know how to control the ball and set up those shots
4. Know how to stop the ball from draining when poop is hitting the fan

I've got 4 days with kids at 1.5 hours each day. I'm covering topics 1&2 on day 1, topic 3 on day 2, topic 4 on day 3, and day 4 is pingolf and stall ball and free play (there is also free play and skill practice on days 1/2/3...)

1. KNOW THE RULES (your videos don't cover this today)
Every game has a different story and a different ruleset. Different shots and series of shots advance modes or multiballs or create jackpot shots. You've got to know and understand that progression in the game youre playing so you know where to shoot. And many modern games have different ways to approach, so you've got to know the rules to determine how you want to strategicially approach that game...and therefore where to shoot!

2. KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE SHOTS
your video: Aiming
This is all about geometry and flipper/ball interaction. The ball can actually go where you want it to go!

3. KNOW HOW TO CONTROL THE BALL TO MAKE THE SHOTS
your videos: (in progression from basic to more advanced skills) Dead bounce, ski pass, post pass, drop catch, live catch, micro flips
This is all about being able to control the ball so that you can take advantage of the geometry and make the shots you're intending! It's about the "offensive" plays in pinball to make the shots.

4. KNOW HOW TO KEEP THE BALL ALIVE!
your videos: (in progression from basic to more advanced) shielding, slap save, nudging
This is all about playing defense. Inevitably, either because a shot was missed or because a shot was required to hit a drop or standup...the ball will randomize, and this is all about playing defense to keep the ball alive until you can apply some offensive ball control

To me, organizing content along those 4 lines helps to introduce somebody into pinball taking them from "you just dont want the ball to disappear...right?" to "wow...this is actually a skillful game of strategy!" So it might make sense to group you skills into these buckets. I like the ideas you have of taking some of these skills deeper and deeper. you're right, theres a ton on aiming you can explore. I think you can make a video that goes totally advanced and deep on each of these skills. But then it would be pretty easy to cut or edit about 90 seconds from each skill to create a "beginner" intro series...or a singular 5 minute beginner intro which goes through all of this in progression of these skills. In the full beginner intro...maybe you you only cover basic aiming/geometry; dead bounce/skipass/post pass/drop catch; shielding/slapsave/basic nudging -- and thats enough to tell the story to someone new. But that content is kind of repeated in each of the deeper more advanced skill dives.

Good luck in your efforts. Your vids are awesome!

Wow this framework and structure is so helpful even to me. Great post to complement the videos.

Day 1 of pinball camp complete. The crew learned about geometry and aiming today from Abe Flips. Really great vid.

Tomorrow this crew will focus on ball control and some offensive maneuvers.

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This is awesome!

As you teach this, be sure to highlight that EARLIER IS BETTER in terms of doing something defensive to prevent the ball from draining. The most common are:
- upward nudging as soon as the ball gets anywhere outside the top of the sling (or at the top of the sling), and not waiting for the ball to already be "in" the top of the outlane requiring a more difficult and more tilt-inducing sideways move
- nudging when the ball is still in contact with a "higher" portion of the playfield to prevent a usual path SDTM, toward an outlane, or toward a sling -- always influence the ball to go to the flippers.

I want to enroll!

I'm reminded of the caution "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good."

Nice just what this new guy to the hobby needed.

always great vids. Looking forward to seeing what’s released.

Abe, your videos are shot and edited so well that I watch them again every month or two and gain more insight after getting more hands on experience. I understand more of what you’re showing with each viewing. Great stuff!

Wow.... what are you calling that move? "Just the Tip"

Awsome to here that this did not die out!
Is this thread the best way to get update about your project or is there other places aswell?

Well produced an good tempo on that video! Interesting mix of machines aswell.

Thank you for producing these videos Abe .They are very well done .I’ve been watching them ,applying them ,and things a finally clicking .There is no doubt I’m finally moving forward in a big way .

Hey Abe just wanted to post that I came across your YT channel a few months ago and like someone else on here mentioned refer back to and rewatch them once a month or so. All the videos are very well done and being in video production I love the high quality and appreciate the time and energy you put into not only shooting but also the editing side of it. Bravo.

Got my first home pin a few month ago as well (TMNT 2020) and my wife has taken a liking to the hobby now as well. She's still pretty timid as far as nudging and what-not but I liked your videos so much that as I was showing them to her I thought it might be cool/helpful if you created a playlist on Youtube of what you would consider your "recommended viewing order' for your skills tutorials.

To be more specific, the order you would recommend a novice watch the videos in to get "break them in" with the most basic / useful techniques and then work them up through each subsequent video.

Haven't seen any new skills videos in a bit so hope you're not done making them! I've recommended your "play in the background skills video" to a few of my local pincades and they've been very receptive to it!

Abe, I have really enjoyed your channel being new to the hobby. Also your work is exceptionally high quaility, thaks for sharing your knowledge.

Some of those center drains were hard to watch. The one that kills me the most is catching it right on the tip and then just watching it drain. Those anger me more than anything. Well, maybe not as much as up the inlane and down the outlane

Me too! Although I've been playing machines since as a rug-rat, always learn something new!

Annual pinball week long class with Abe Flips vids…

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Man I tried to upvote Abe, but I’m being ignored . Someone tell him “great videos” from me .

No.

He's got good instincts.

If only you hadn't gotten rid of both Rush and GnR maybe I'd consider it, sorry, but that's going just too far.... unrecoverable.

Hall-of-fame exchange right here.

.

It was on purpose.

Wish something like that was offered around here