Flipper staging

Partially press a two-stage flipper button to hold one flipper—usually the lower one—without activating another flipper on the same side.

Also called: Stage flipping, Staged flipping, Staged flipper, Staged upper flipper, Staged upper flippers, Half-press flippers

The lower right flipper stays raised while the upper right flipper moves independently. Source: Planet Pinball: Stage Flipping at 0:20.

How it works

  1. Confirm that the machine has staged button switches and which flipper activates first.
  2. Press only to the first switch and hold that flipper in position.
  3. Press through the second switch only when the other flipper is needed.
Use it when
You need to cradle on a lower flipper while keeping an upper flipper available, especially during multiball.
Watch for
Not every machine supports staging, and some machines are adjusted or wired in reverse order.
Practice
With no ball near the flippers, slowly find and hold the first-switch position before practicing during play.

Machine-dependent technique. It requires a compatible two-stage flipper-button switch and may behave differently between machines.