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If you want a pinball machine to play correctly, you don’t just make it “flat” — you level it side to side and then set the front-to-back pitch. That pitch is what changes how fast the ball moves, how hard ramps play, and how often the outlanes punish you.

A good starting point for many modern solid-state games is around 6.5° of pitch, but that is not a universal rule. Older EM and wood-rail games often play better with less slope, and a machine that has worn legs, uneven floors, or seized levelers may need hardware work before the measurements mean much.

If you’re buying or restoring a project machine, pinball machine prices and pinball machine values can help you decide whether to replace the feet, shim the cabinet, or go further with repairs. And if you’re comparing a real cabinet to a home setup, virtual pinball vs. real pinball is a useful reality check.

What you need before you start

You do not need special shop equipment, but you do need a few basics:

A small carpenter’s level or, better yet, a digital inclinometer
A phone level app if you don’t have a digital tool, calibrated on a flat surface
The correct wrench for the leg leveler nuts
Another person if the machine is heavy or the levelers are stubborn
Penetrating oil if the levelers are rusty or seized
A marker to note your starting position once the game is where you want it

The most important thing to remember is that the playfield is what you’re measuring, not the cabinet bubble on the front glass or the floor under the game.

Step-by-step: level the cabinet, then set the pitch

Turn the game off and remove the ball. If possible, take the glass off so you can measure directly on the playfield.
Check the floor first. If the room slopes badly, no amount of tweaking the feet will make the machine behave well. Move the game or use shims if needed.
Set side-to-side level first. Place your level across the playfield surface, usually near the flippers. Adjust the front feet until the bubble is centered or your digital tool reads true level left to right.
Set the front-to-back pitch next. Raise or lower the back feet to reach the target angle. Keep the front levelers from being run all the way out unless you truly need that height; too much extension can make the machine less stable.
Tighten the lock nuts. Once the machine sits where you want it, snug the jam nut on each leveler so the setting does not drift during play.
Test the game, then fine-tune. Play a few balls and see how they move. If the game feels too slow, add a little pitch. If the ball flies too fast or drains unfairly, back it off slightly.
Recheck after it settles. After a few hours or a day of play, check the measurements again. Cabinets can settle a little once weight shifts and the feet seat into the floor.

How to read pitch correctly

“Level” and “pitch” are not the same thing. Side-to-side should be level. Front-to-back should have a slope, and that slope is the pitch.

Tool	What it’s good for	Watch out for
Bubble level	Quick, rough check	Factory bubbles can be off, and cabinet placement can mislead you
Digital inclinometer	Best overall for pitch	It needs to sit flat and be calibrated first
Phone app	Handy and inexpensive	Only trust it if it is calibrated and placed on the playfield itself

For the most reliable reading, put the tool directly on the playfield with the glass removed. Measuring on the cabinet or trusting the built-in bubble alone can leave you chasing a number that does not match how the game actually plays.

What pitch should a pinball machine have?

For many modern games, about 6.5° is a common starting point. That said, the right setting depends on the machine, its age, and the way it was designed to play.

As a general rule:

Modern solid-state games: often around 6 to 7 degrees as a baseline
Older EM and wood-rail games: often happier at a shallower angle
Location-style or faster setups: sometimes set a little steeper for a quicker game

The number matters less than the result. If the ball hangs up on shots, refuses to roll cleanly, or sits too long in dead areas, the pitch is probably off for that game. If the ball screams down the middle and outlanes everything, you may have too much slope.

Common mistakes to avoid

Only checking the cabinet bubble. It’s a rough reference, not the final answer.
Leveling side to side after you set pitch. Do it in the right order: side to side first, then front to back.
Forcing rusty levelers. If a foot is seized, stop before you strip the threads or bend something.
Ignoring the floor. A bad floor can make the game feel wrong even if the cabinet itself is adjusted correctly.
Chasing tiny changes forever. Small changes matter, but you should also play the machine and judge the actual ball flow.

If the levelers are rusted or stuck

Seized levelers are common on older machines, especially if they have lived in a damp basement or sat for years without adjustment. The safest approach is to support the cabinet slightly, give the threads time with penetrating oil, and use the correct wrench before you apply real force.

Lift the cabinet just enough to take weight off the foot
Apply penetrating oil to the threads and let it work
Use the right wrench or locking pliers carefully if the nut is damaged
Replace badly rusted feet instead of fighting them forever

If the feet are bent, the threads are stripped, or the cabinet still rocks after adjustment, new levelers or shims are usually a better long-term fix than trying to keep worn hardware alive.

When to adjust by feel instead of chasing a number

Pitch numbers are helpful, but they are not the whole story. Two machines at the same angle can play very differently because of rubber condition, playfield wear, flipper strength, and the design of the game itself.

Use the number as a baseline, then tune by how the machine actually behaves:

If ramps are impossible, lower the pitch a little
If the game feels too slow or easy, raise it slightly
If one side drains more often than the other, recheck side-to-side level before touching pitch again

If the machine is old, rare, or highly original, make smaller adjustments and keep notes. Some games simply do not want the same angle as a modern Stern-style table.

Official setup walkthrough

Stern publishes a straightforward setup video that shows the basic process visually:

Stern pinball leveling video

That is a good reference if you want to see how the adjustment sequence looks on a real machine.

Troubleshooting if the game still plays badly

If the machine is technically level but still feels wrong, use this quick checklist:

The game rocks: check for uneven feet, worn levelers, or a sloped floor
Balls move too fast: reduce pitch slightly
Balls stick or drain sluggishly: raise pitch a little
Side drains feel unfair: verify side-to-side level again
Adjustment keeps drifting: tighten the lock nuts and inspect the hardware for wear

If you keep adjusting the feet and nothing improves, the problem may not be leveling at all. Worn flippers, dirty rubbers, old coils, a bad playfield slope in the room, or damaged feet can all make the machine feel worse than it should.

FAQ

Should a pinball machine be perfectly level?

Side-to-side, yes. Front-to-back, no. A pinball machine normally needs pitch so the ball moves properly down the playfield.

Is 6.5 degrees the right setting for every pinball machine?

No. It is a common starting point for many modern games, but older EM and wood-rail machines often play better at a shallower angle.

Can I use a phone app to level a pinball machine?

Yes, as long as the app is calibrated and placed directly on the playfield. It is still a good idea to verify the result with a real level if you have one.

Do I need to remove the glass first?

For the best reading, yes. Measuring on the playfield surface is more reliable than trying to work around the glass or the cabinet bubble.

Once the machine is set, lock the feet down, play a few games, and make one small change at a time if the ball flow does not feel right. That is usually the difference between a machine that only looks level and one that actually plays right.

How Do You Level a Pinball Machine?