Why Does the Pong Ball Sometimes Slide and Wobble Along the Paddle?

Understanding the Occasionally Atypical Ball Bounce in Pong

In the classic pong game, it has been observed that on certain occasions, the ball does not exhibit the expected bounce behavior when colliding with the paddle. Instead, it appears to slide and wobble along the paddle's surface, creating an unpredictable movement.

Identifying the Cause

This unusual behavior stems from the fact that the ball can sometimes collide with the top or bottom edge of the paddle rather than its front. When this occurs, the collision is detected, and the ball's direction is reversed. However, due to the ball's ongoing momentum, it penetrates deeply into the paddle, preventing it from exiting the collision area on its next move. This leads to repeated collision detections and directional changes, causing the ball to zigzag along the paddle's edge.

Solutions to the Issue

To address this issue, several solutions can be implemented:

• Adjusting Direction: Instead of reversing the ball's direction upon collision with either paddle, its direction can be set to the left when it collides with the right paddle and to the right when it collides with the left paddle. This ensures that the ball always moves in the opposite direction of the paddle it hits.
• Refining Ball Position: Alternatively, the ball's position can be adjusted after collision. When it collides with the right paddle, the right side of the ball is repositioned to the left of the paddle. Conversely, when it collides with the left paddle, the left side of the ball is moved to the right of the paddle. This prevents the ball from penetrating too deeply into the paddle and eliminates the zigzag behavior.

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