Plungers

A type of Ball Shooters consisting of a spring-loaded metal rod with a knob, mounted in the lockdown bar or apron at the front-right corner of the cabinet. The player pulls the knob back against spring tension, then releases it to propel the ball up the shooter lane and onto the playfield. The distance of the pull determines launch force, giving the player direct control over where the ball lands — a mechanic central to the Skill Shot. Plungers have served as the standard ball-launch mechanism since the earliest coin-operated pinball machines of the 1930s.