The flipper bat has play and feels weak.

Sloppy Gottlieb flipper: loose pawl collar or pin

Cause: On pre-1956 Gottlieb pawls the pressed-together collar and pin work loose.

Checks

• Hold the shaft and try to move the pawl; check the pin for movement.

Fix

• Tap the pressed area of the collar with a hammer to tighten it.
• A loose pin can be replaced by pressing in a new one; otherwise replace the pawl (the old-style pawl is preferred).

Systems

• Electro-mechanical

Related tips

• Replace 1969+ Gottlieb roll-pin pawls with the earlier clip type
• Weak flipper from an over-tight return spring
• Sloppy zipper flippers: worn base plate slots and bushings
• Weak flipper on older Gottlieb EM with lever-operated switch
• Stronger flipper coils for Gottlieb EMs
• Gottlieb large flipper coils by wrapper colour
• Gottlieb flipper coil windings (power/hold)
• Gottlieb yellow-dot A-5141 flipper coils

Source: Repairing Electro-Mechanical (EM) Coin Operated Games to 1978, Part Two, Clay Harrell (pinrepair.com)