After a few years of playing. I started to watch a lot of competition pinball. I'm just a casual player. I can play a bit, I can live catch, drop catch, post pass and I'm finally getting comfortable with the alley pass. I can't tap pass to save my life. I guess I'm wondering what the top competitive players have that we mere mortals don't. I'm guessing shot accuracy is the most important thing, if you never miss a shot you'll win everytime. From what I have observed in top players like Keith Elwin or Daniele Acciari is their incredible multiball control. They don't call it the Elwin pose for nothing. I'm comparing these two players because they are very different and both very successful. Keith plays a controlled game, always cradling up and measuring his shots. The man has total flipper skills and sick control. Daniele is fast and loose, doesn't cradle much, doesn't tap pass but he is also very successful, he has amazing accuracy. The thing they both have in common other than ice in their veins is their innate ability to control multiple balls it's superhuman. Watch Daniele play Jackbot against Cayle George and you will see what I'm talking about. So I pose the question to our best players here like Levi and Colin . What is it that truly separates a great competitive player from a great arcade player?

Any thoughts?

I was just focusing on multiball ability on my post. I agree nudging and the ability to get the ball out of dangerous situations is incredibly important. Keith has to be one of the best subtle nudgers in the game, his outlane shakes are epic. Another great nudger I have noticed is Andy Rosa, he is so good controlling the balls trajectory a master of the quick powerful nudge.

Maybe Xanax is the pinball player's steroids ?

I think luck is a factor in an individual game or tournament but you always see the same top guys tournament after tournament. It's kind of like golf or tennis. A player can beat Roger Federer or Tiger Woods in a given tournament on a given day but over time the cream rises to the top.

A lot of older games are light the spinner, rip the spinner but those shots don't return to an inlane so they are not infinitely repeatable.

I think this helps Keith a lot. Other players play like their is an everlasting hurry up to collect and Keith is cool, calm and collected. Keith doesn't feel like he is on a timer and it pays off

I watched a Bowen tutorial a while back. I think it was Fathom. He said on that game he didn't feel comfortable EVER taking a shot while the ball was still moving. He also said the difference between a player that is getting good to a player that is good is their willingness to forgo the desire shoot the moving ball, every shot other than bail out type shots should be taken from a position of complete control. Food for thought.

Thanks for that Colin and congrats on the Pinburgh win. I was real impressed with your play. I don't know how you kept your cool on Andromeda.

Odin I think the three inch flipper games seem easier because they were designed to have longer ball times. When you play the old 60'S style games you can't trap up and the smaller flippers create more randomness. These games require a whole different skill set that most aren't use to. I love those games North Star being a personal favorite.

That precisely what makes Pinburgh the ultimate tournament. You have to do well at all styles of play. EM , early SS, system 11 thru Dmd and beyond.

Let's keep it going. I love hearing from these guys. Where's Levi? Hot date night maybe?

I like my balls a little softer

Great insight Rich. When I first started playing it was high speed then whirlwind, then found girls and then I remember my jaw dropped seeing the Addams family pin at the mall in Rockaway NJ. I loved that pin at the time a few years later I really liked Revenge from Mars. I know it gets ragged on now but in1999 pinball 2000 was the bomb in the vernacular of the time. Times change and the older I get the more I appreciate early solid state machines. I think they have the randomness of an EM and a decent rule set that makes the replayability off the charts. Newer games are certainly more advanced and interesting but I feel early SS games have the most replayability. I always feel I can do better next time on Flash Gordon or EBD. In my opinion they have the perfect rulesets, both simple looking and yet difficult to achieve, the pinball Othello if you will

There is definitely something to be said of the mathematicians of our ilk. Bowen knows at all times what the most valuable shot is at any given time and shoots at the appropriate target. I'm more likely to drool on myself before I figure that out.

Right on Blitz. Have you are anyone else played a firepower with the drop target "MOD". I was wondering if it a big impact on game play?

CrazyLevi if you are around I would like to hear your take on the topic question. Thanks.

Frax, my Red Dwarf friend. What's up?

Thanks Levi it is much appreciated. I knew you were going to have a unique outlook. If it wasn't for guys like you pinball would be boring.

You love prog, Levi, everyone does they just don't realize it. If you like drum or guitar, bass or , keyboard solos, you like prog!

Ouch! Go to a Dream Theater concert and tell me it's dull.

Levi , you are always welcome on the Prog is Awesome thread. We like to convert the misguided!

If you like Roger Waters, you like prog!!. It's OK Levi. It's like AA. You like prog and it's OK, we can help.

I'm a big metal fan myself. I don't know if you're familiar with a great NY metal band called Fates Warning. Check them out if your not.

Thanks Tim. That's definitely food for thought. I'm not a competitive guy but I never understood the multiball all day strategy in AFM. Unless you know where the shots are, how are you gonna find those jackpot shots. I like to work on a Total while I work on the first multiball. Half Total then start first multiball then start Total multiball. From a successful competitive player as yourself, I'm I looking at this the right way?

Why is it wrong to go for the super skill shot?

Thanks for the response Levi. Definitely gives me something to think about.