Gates

On gate stages, a gate slides up and down in front of the hole. A good drawing isn't enough: the gate has to be open when the ball arrives. On these stages, the moment you let go is part of the solution.

How the gate moves

The gate follows a smooth, repeating cycle: it opens gradually, passes through fully open, and closes gradually. Each stage has its own cycle length; some gates open every few seconds, others less often. The motion is a smooth wave, so the gate lingers a little at fully open and fully closed and moves faster in between.

The gate's position is taken from the moment you release the ball and keeps cycling during the shot. The physics engine is deterministic: the same drawing, the same power and the same point in the cycle send the ball to the same place every time. The server replays your shot exactly that way.

How to time it

1. Ignore the gate at first. Find a drawing and power that would get the ball into the hole if the gate were open. Shots that hit the gate are useful here: if the ball touches the gate, your path is right.
2. Estimate the flight time. Count how long the ball takes from release to the hole. At the same power it's the same every time.
3. Watch the cycle. Release that long before the gate is fully open. A few tries and you'll have the rhythm.

Gates with other obstacles

Gates sometimes appear on a wall behind the ball or on a hole with spiked edges. With the wall behind, the ball travels forward and then back, so the flight is longer and timing gets harder. The approach is the same: find the path, then tune the timing. Other obstacles that need timing like this are Pistons and drifting meteors in space stages.

More in this section

• SpikesTouch them and the ball pops and the stage restarts. Your margin is a few centimetres.
• PitsA ball that falls in is lost. Jump it, or cross it at speed.
• PipesTakes a slow ball from the floor and drops it from the ceiling. Speed is everything.
• Wall behind the ballThe target is behind you. Send the ball forward, then bring it back.
• TrianglesTheir slope carries the ball upward. Used well, a free ramp.
• No-draw zonesYou can't draw in the hatched area. The solution has to live outside it.
• Rubber blocksBounces the ball without losing speed. Think of it as a spring you can't move.
• Magnetic floorsSlows a touching ball by 18 m/s every second. Cross fast or don't touch it.
• Sticky floorsThe ball sticks and the shot ends. Your drawings stay, though.
• PistonsExtends from the floor or ceiling and pulls back. You get past by choosing your moment.
• Ceiling targetThe hole is in the ceiling, not the wall. You have to send the ball up through it.
• Black holesPulls in a passing ball and swallows one that gets too close. A slingshot at the right distance.