If you are looking to improve your pinball playing skills, increase the enjoyment of your games, and reach new high scores, a new book from Tasker Smith could be just what you need.
Pinball: A Quest for Mastery was released in the US on July 28th, with worldwide availability coming later this year. In it, Tasker, who is a Technical Educator at Boston University, explores not only the physical skills of high-end gameplay, but also the psychological aspect and how to we might attain that elusive ‘flow state’ where all external distractions melt away as we become as one with the machine.
The 256-page hardback book is published by Schiffer Publishing. The matte finish is enhanced by a reflective gloss for the title text and pinball illustration. The front and back covers, as well as the spine, are made from rigid card stock to give weight and solidity.
The pages inside use high quality matte paper with a degree of thickness that occasionally makes you think you’ve turned over two pages at once.
So, who is the book for?
While undoubtedly popular with Pinball News readers, pinball is still a relatively niche subject. As a result, Pinball: A Quest for Mastery looks to appeal to the widest possible audience by covering everything from the game’s origins and the essential components of a pinball machine, through to tournament formats, advanced ball control skills, and managing your emotional and physical energies.
The content is divided into four parts, each dedicated to mastering a separate aspect of the game. Although there are almost no photographs, there are multiple illustrations throughout the book ranging from entire playfield layouts to the workings of individual mechanisms, as well as graphical depictions of various types of ball control techniques.
The history of pinball is covered first. Pat Lawlor once said at Pinball Expo how he never wanted to read again how, “It all started with bagatelle“. Realistically though, that’s where most authors covering the history of pinball begin, and Tasker is no different in that regard. After describing the early table games, the game-changing patent for a spring-loaded plunger by Montague Redmond then follows, as does the introduction of player-operated flippers in Gottlieb’s Humpty Dumpty.
All this leads to the start of machine-calculated scoring, first with illuminated numbers on the backglass, then the introduction of score reels, leading to digital displays using various versions of gas plasma devices, and finally to the LCD panels we see used today.
Then, Chapter 2 of Part One begins the examination of what constitutes a pinball machine.
The need to explain everything from first principles for newcomers to the game means that, for many readers, the early sections covering detail about how machines evolved, are constructed, the score, credits, and ball count information presented to players, along with how points are accumulated, will be information with which we are already largely conversant.
That said, there are still plenty of moments of clarity where features we frequently take for granted and their purpose within the game are more overtly defined, possibly in ways we have never fully considered.
The final chapter of Part One delves into the ball skills needed to actually play the game successfully, with the accent on keeping the ball under control to the maximum extent possible. This largely involves techniques to manage the ball’s speed and trajectory, while considering which playfield elements can be your friend and which are liable to introduce dangerously unpredictable motion.
Many of these ball control methods are illustrated with diagrams, which can prove a challenge when attempting to explain the ball’s bounces, spin, motion path and velocity. To better help visualise them, there almost needs to be an accompanying YouTube video playlist or links to a website showing real players demonstrating these techniques in real time and in slow motion.
Part Two skews us from playing the game purely for fun, viewing those newly acquired gameplay skills through the lens of competitive pinball.
The plethora of tournament formats covered illustrates the many ways the competitive side of the game can be enjoyed. Tasker’s experience of league play began with the New England Pinball League, so the formats used by that organisation for individual league meetings and the season finale play-offs are covered in some depth.
After explaining the etiquette of playing in both tournaments and leagues, including how to behave in victory as well as in defeat, Part Two moves into less familiar territory to cover personal mental and physical preparation.
While the effectiveness of these steps will vary with each individual, it includes tips on what and when to eat and drink, as well as making sure you are well rested and free of distractions. This last aspect will be explored in much greater depth later in the book.
It also includes fundamentals such as familiarising yourself with the environment, the format used, the machines played, any tournament-specific modifications that may have been made, the machine-specific rules, and having a game plan with your objectives for each title clearly defined in your head.
Part Three gets to the core of the book’s content, which is where all the knowledge, training and preparation from the first two parts comes together.
We mentioned earlier about the importance of eliminating distractions when playing, and this idea is covered in some depth in Part Three with multiple techniques to help with achieving and maintaining focus on differing aspects of the game.
Focus is one of the key components to entering the ‘flow state’ experienced by performers, athletes, and sportspeople, amongst others, where external distractions fade away so that they become fully immersed in the task at hand, entering a period of sustained peak performance where their skills are stretched to their limits.
While this ‘flow state’ might seem elusive or uncontrollable, Tasker breaks it down into separate conditions which need to be satisfied, along with ways to overcome the obstacles preventing you reaching them.
The book continues with ways to understand and regulate your own emotions, as well as appreciating those affecting other players, in order to get yourself in your optimal mental state. Preventing personal and external distractions from affecting your state of mind is addressed, with relaxation and isolation techniques offered to aid your path towards reaching that ‘flow state’.
Energy is then considered – both personal energy levels controlled by nutrition, hydration, and relaxation, and the kinetic energy of the ball on the playfield as it is flipped, forms collisions with posts and targets, and bounces off bumpers and slingshots. Structured training regimes to understand, predict and manage those energies using the ball control skills described earlier are provided at the end of Part Three.
In case all this serious competition makes pinball feel like too much hard work, Part Four returns to the fun aspects of enjoying and playing the game.
The competitive side in never too far away though, as the first chapter describes numerous ‘fun’ multiplayer gameplay formats such as pingolf, speed runs, selfie leagues, split flipper and stall ball.
The remainder of Part Four is a mix of Tasker’s personal favourite features in certain games, hidden features (Easter eggs) and flipper codes to activate secret sounds and display effects.
There are several appendices at the back of the book, covering must-see pinball locations in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia, pinball museums around the world, some major US shows and tournaments, pinball books and magazines, as well as online resources for up-to-date news, live streams and podcasts.
Finally, just in case any of the game-specific terms used in the book need clarification, a glossary of pinball jargon is included to help explain them.
We began this review by asking who the book is for.
While Pinball: A Quest for Mastery will undoubtedly be of maximum benefit to competitive players looking to extend their skills and find techniques to better apply them, it also provides multiple ways everyone can improve their pinball playing experiences.
The detailed exploration of psychological and physiological techniques to achieve that ‘mastery’ is a unique and refreshing take on achieving improved outcomes. Ball control skills are certainly fundamental to this, but Tasker looks beyond those to raise our game further through better preparing and controlling our minds and our bodies.
It’s certainly a lot to take in – and, of course, the results achieved will be highly individual – but understanding and utilising those underlying principles will undoubtedly lead to better scores, greater enjoyment, and take you one more step towards that Quest for Mastery.
Tasker Smith’s Pinball: A Quest for Mastery is available now direct from Schiffer Books in the US. It is priced at $34.99 plus shipping, and can be shipped to most countries. There are several other resellers in the US who are listed on the pinballmastery.org website where you can also find more details about the book along with a selection of pinball playing tips.
It’s also available to pre-order in the UK from PaperBack Shop for delivery at the end of August at a special discounted price of £20.92 including domestic shipping.
Tasker will also have a stand at Pinball Expo this October 14th-17th at the Schaumburg Convention Center where you will be able to purchase copies of his book and get them signed by the author.
