Because I keep reading about how hard it is, how fast the ball is, how steep the ramps, etc.
Yes... indeed. I've played quite a few pinball machines at arcades (nowhere near a pro or even skilled but still... I know how they feel on average...) and the slopes usually aren't as high as they are in the Pro Pinball games by default. Just go to the Table options after starting the simulation and lower the slope setting. Then you'll have regular ball speed and actually enough power to manage those ramps more easily.