Editing Pinball (section)

=== Plunger ===

The ''plunger'' is a [[Spring (device)|spring]]-loaded rod with a small handle, used to propel the ball into the playfield. The player can control the amount of [[force]] used for launching by pulling the plunger a certain distance (thus changing the spring [[compression (physics)|compression]]). This is often used for a "skill shot", in which a player attempts to launch a ball so that it exactly hits a specified target. Once the ball is in motion in the main area of the playfield, the plunger is not used again until another ball must be brought onto the playfield. An [[electronics|electronically controlled]] launcher is sometimes substituted for the plunger in modern machines.
The shape of the ball launch button that replaces the plunger may be modified to fit the aesthetics of a particular game's theme, such as being made to look like the trigger of a gun in a game with a military or action-hero theme.