- description
- A [[gameplay-feature:kickers]] variant that launches the ball on an angled trajectory through the air toward a specific target, rather than firing it straight up like a [[gameplay-feature:vertical-up-kickers]]. The solenoid sends the ball on a parabolic arc — an aimed aerial shot more closely related to [[gameplay-feature:catapults]] than to any vertical mechanism. Both IPDB-cataloged machines equipped with trajectory up-kickers are basketball-themed: [[manufacturer:bally]]'s *[[title:hy-roll]]* (1947), where the ball flies toward a scoring basket, and [[manufacturer:stern-pinball]]'s *[[title:nba]]* (2009), where it sails toward a backboard hoop. The feature turns a mechanical kicker into a miniature free-throw shooter.