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TOY CRANE / Centre of mass

Centre of Mass and Balance — Why Prizes Slip and Where to Aim

When the claw clearly wraps a plush and it still slides out on the way up, the cause is usually not grip strength — it is grabbing away from the centre of mass.

Last updated: 2026-10-30 · GOGOCOM

1. What the centre of mass is

The centre of mass is the single point where an object's weight can be treated as concentrated. Balance a ruler on one finger and the spot where it stays level is its centre of mass; support it anywhere else and it tips toward the heavier side.

A claw works the same way. If the point where the claw supports the plush sits directly above its centre of mass, it hangs straight. If the two are offset sideways, the plush tries to rotate toward its heavy side, and that turning force pries the prongs apart. In TOY CRANE every prize has its own simulated weight and centre of mass, with no hidden roll, so understanding balance pays off honestly.

2. Three ways a prize slips

  1. Tips and slides out — you grabbed the light side; the heavy side sags, the plush rotates and slips between the prongs. Head held, body dangling, is the classic case.
  2. Squeezed out upward — the tips closed above the widest part, pushing the prize up until it pops free. Common with round plushies and balls.
  3. Drops at the top — it lifted fine, but the jolt at the top or the swing in transit shook it loose (see section 5).

Fix 1 by moving your aim toward the heavy side, 2 by aiming more centrally and deeper, and 3 by changing where you grab and how you carry.

3. Head or body — which is heavier?

Most plushies have big heads, so "grab the head" sounds sensible. In practice the neck is usually more stable. The combined centre of mass of head plus body generally sits low in the head, near the neck; and the neck is narrow, so the prongs wrap it with the head above and the shoulders below acting as latches.

It varies: very big-headed plushies such as the panda, bear or koala move the balance point up toward the head; body-heavy ones such as the elephant, dino or alpaca move it down. For long plushies like whales and sharks, the balance point sits a little head-side of the middle. Size matters too — an L prize punishes small misses far more than an S one.

4. Sitting, lying and upside-down prizes

  • Sitting — the easiest pose. Drop just above the head–body line so the tips go under the shoulders. Too high and you only cup the head and squeeze it out.
  • On its back — the balance point is slightly head-side of the tummy. Wrap across the body with one prong under an arm.
  • Face down — limbs are tucked underneath, so there are fewer hooks. Aim slightly head-side of mid-body and drop deep so the tips get under the flanks; use any gap beside a neighbouring prize.
  • Head down — the hardest. You see legs, but the weight is below. A leg grab almost always fails. Lift and drop it to change its pose, clear its neighbours so it topples, or use Shake on a jammed pile.

Repositioning is a real tactic: while carrying, DROP becomes RELEASE, so you can set a prize down wherever a better pose awaits.

5. The swing and the jolt at the top

The claw hangs on a line, so two moments are dangerous. The jolt at the top — when the claw stops rising — snaps an off-centre plush sideways and out; a well-centred grab rides it out, so the jolt is really a test of your aim. The swing in transit builds the longer the carry, punishing long prizes and one-prong grabs.

  1. Take prizes near the chute first — shorter carry, less swing.
  2. Release early when it is shaky. Set the prize on the chute lip with RELEASE, then push it in next play with No-Open. See chute tactics.
  3. Use a slip-resistant claw such as Rubber Grip or Golden Titan (claw guide).

6. Reading the centre of mass by eye

  • Find the bulkiest part — plushies are solid stuffing, so volume means weight.
  • Look at the tilt — a plush leaning on others sags on its heavy side.
  • Remember the last lift — if the head dropped, the balance point is further toward the head than you thought.
  • Check both views — front for left/right balance, side for front/back (views and aiming).

7. How to practise

  1. Practise neck grabs on small plushies in levels 1–100.
  2. After each miss, name which of the three slips it was.
  3. Move your aim point a little at a time so you can tell what worked.
  4. Grab the same species repeatedly until its balance point feels natural, and fill the collection book along the way.

Continue with grabbing by shape.

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