Playing a pinball machine comes with a multitude of benefits. Although it may just seem like a fun past time, there is much to benefit from it. Playing with a pinball machine has proven to be crucial in developing and maintaining motor skills. It is without a doubt that for one to be good at playing pinball, he/she has to have good hand eye coordination. By hand-eye coordination, we are referring to the ability to effectively track the movements of the hands with the eye, thereby enabling the eyes to send important signals to the brain about hand movement.
Note that a poor hand-eye coordination can greatly compromise your ability to exercise and can as well affect everyday task such as writing. However, in learning how to play or by playing pinball frequently, hand-eye coordination can be increased two-fold, as well as developing lighting fast flexes and incredible timing. It is also worth pointing out that pinball can be quite a mental game, as it keeps you regularly thinking of moves and strategies on the spot. It is known that hand-eye coordination tends to deteriorate with age. However, the regular physical activity that makes use of both fine and gross motor skills can be of great help. Playing a pinball machine has proven to be helpful to those dealing with grief. The mourners’ movement between different stages of grief such as shock and depression can be unpredictable and as thus has been likened to the workings of a pinball machine, according to Mental Health Practice Journal. It is important for us to understand here that the authors of the September 2012 journal are in no way trying to downplay grief or suggest it is a game, but they are trying to explain through the metaphor of pinball that the process of grieving is not linear. Concerning grief, there can be prolonging triggers that can as well restart the process – just like on a pinball machine in which a press on the buttons can actually prolong the game. Special events or anniversaries can be triggers for mourners. Several mourners have been portrayed describing themselves as ‘bouncing’ from stage to stage in the grieving process, which is a similar imagery to pinball.