How to bank a mini golf shot off the wall
Bank shots look like trick shots, but they follow one simple rule: the ball leaves a straight rail at the same angle it hit it. Learn the mirror trick and corners stop being scary.
The mirror trick
Imagine the rail is a mirror and the cup is reflected on the other side of it. Aim straight at the reflected cup. Where that line crosses the rail is your bank point.
Add power for every bounce
Rails take some speed off the ball. In Pocket Golf a bounce keeps about three quarters of the speed, so a one-rail shot needs a bit more pull than the distance suggests.
Two-rail shots around corners
For an L-shaped hole, mirror the cup in the far rail, then mirror that image in the near rail. Aim at the second reflection. It sounds hard; after a few tries it becomes natural.
Use the aim line
Pocket Golf draws a dotted aim line while you pull back, so you can check that it points at your bank spot before you let go. Stuck on a hole? Tap Line to see a good path.
When not to bank
If a straight putt is open, take it. Banks add distance and risk. Use them to get around walls, to avoid a bunker, or to come in slowly from a better angle.
Questions
What is a bank shot in mini golf?
A putt that bounces off a wall or rail on its way to the cup, used when there is no straight line.
Where do you aim a bank shot?
At the point on the rail where a line to the mirrored image of the cup crosses it. The ball leaves the rail at the same angle it arrived.