Paintball Advance 8 Tips for Experienced or Beginner

Paintball Advance 8 Tips for Experienced or Beginner

1. Invest in a Quality Mask with a Thermal Lens

A good mask is essential for enjoying paintball. It should have a thermal lens, which is a double-layered lens that prevents fogging. If you can't see your enemies, you will get hit more often and hit less people, which defeats the purpose of this fun game! You don't have to spend a fortune on a mask, as you can find decent ones from $80.00, like the Base – GS O Operator mask. But if you can afford it, I would recommend the Push Unite mask, which costs $379. This mask is very comfortable, fog-resistant, and looks fierce and cool! Your vision is the most important thing in paintball.

2. Communicate with your Team about the Enemy Numbers

Before the game starts, count how many players are on the other team, and tell your squad that number. "They have 15 players, and when we shoot one, we call G1(1 kill), or G2(2 kills)." If you don't trust your team to call the kills, it is YOUR responsibility to keep track of the kills and tell your team at least once every 30 seconds. Every team has that one player who is very good at shooting but doesn't communicate well with the team. Calling the kills motivates your team and gives them confidence to move forward, knowing that they might get to shoot the last few players at close range!!!!

3. Use Gunfighting Tricks to Outsmart your Opponent

When you are in a fierce battle with 1 other player, you have to gain dominance in the fight. That means that you have your gun ready and are waiting for the other player to try and come out and shoot you. If you establish the dominance and have the other player hiding behind their bunker, you are now ready to use some tricks. The first trick is to shoot 1 paintball at a time very slowly, 1 per second, right next to their bunker. This annoys them because you can do this forever, and it also makes them think they have a chance to come out for a quick shot. Chances are that they get impatient and come out for one. Odds are in your favor to shoot them in the head! If you want to use the second trick, keep shooting the slow 1 per second, followed by a random 3 shot burst. This increases your chances of getting a kill even more. If you know the person wants to move and will do anything to make you hide and gain dominance, it becomes easier. Shoot slowly and randomly shoot other possible spots they might try to come out. If they are being pressured they WILL do something stupid.

4. NEVER shoot your last ball.

No matter what happens you never shoot your last paintball. If you run out of paintballs you have failed and are useless, you might as well quit. The game might last longer than expected and you can always help your team by being a distraction. If you save the last few shots, you have the option of moving closer and running them down and giving them 1 shot to the hard part of their mask (goggle). You can win the game if you have 1 paintball left. Too many times I have seen tournament players just give up because they shoot all their paintballs and their last one. Do not do it unless you are shooting the last player and winning the game.

5. Shoot at the Maximum Allowed Speed.

Whether you are new or experienced in paintball, check the field speed limit and make sure you are shooting at that speed. It's as easy as asking your referee or having the right tool for your gun. Shooting at 300 feet per second (fps), not 285, not 270, and not 290, is a huge difference in gun performance and a huge boost to your kill ratio. You can shoot people further and faster than everyone else. Your paintballs fly straighter and quicker. Your paintballs hit harder and discourage cheating the closer you get to 300fps. The only acceptable reason to shoot lower than 300fps is that the paintballs are too fragile, and your gun is breaking them in the barrel. All good paintball fields have a device to measure the speed of your paintballs.

6. Keep your Paintballs in Good Condition

Keep your paintballs dry. Do not pour them into an open container, do not pour them into their cardboard box. Unless you want your paintballs to bounce off players and lose accuracy! Paint shoots the best dry and fresh out of the bag. Consider using a lid on your hopper if you have a speed feed and you are about to go on a long game in the woods. If you are only going out for 30 minutes or less, speed feeds are fine. You can also improve the paintballs' brittleness or hardness by changing the temperature of the paintballs. In Canada, we had a propane outdoor heater for our paintballs in winter as they were too cold and extremely brittle. In Australia, keeping your paintballs cold, in the shade, and unopened can also help a lot. Humidity and heat kills paintball performance. Do not load 20 pods and leave them in a cart or on your table thinking you are saving time for later, you are actually helping the enemy.

7. Don't Forget These Items for Your Gear and Game Day

These items are not optional. Have them handy in case you need them. High-quality, expensive batteries for your gun and hopper. Only use Duracell or Energizer. Check voltage with a multimeter and discard any doubtful batteries. Modern guns have a battery level meter on them, so when they read ¾, just change the 9V!

Microfiber Towel(s)

Have 3 or more. They allow you to keep vision even in rain. Keep them in your pocket, keep them in your gear bag, keep them in your car. Everywhere…
Squeegee / Swab
Have 2, a dirty barrel makes you an easy target, and stupid for having a dirty barrel!

Yes, they are more important than all other soft playing gear. You can play in a t-shirt, but without elbow pads you are not crawling, playing on the ground, or getting bounces on one of the most common places to get shot. These are essential, the bigger, more padding the better….

Camo Headwrap

Keep the sweat out of your goggles. Look awesome. Get bounces off your head and keep playing. No sunburn. Comfort and a better goggle fit. Camouflage. Less pain when you get blasted in the forehead. The list goes on and on… Get a Headwrap!!!!! Click here to see my favorites

Footwear

No, your Adidas running shoes are not good enough for paintball. You need a 0 slip, ankle supported ground destroying shoe to do well in paintball. You need different types of shoe for the playing surface you are on. For example, tournament is 90% grass. In this case soccer cleats are essential. Traction = speed = less chances of getting shot. If you are playing in the woods, I highly recommend an aggressive trail running shoe such as the Salomon range of off road footwear. Ankle support is highly recommended for playing in the woods or scrub and the ground is always un-even and prone to tripping. If you are playing on artificial turf, sports cleats are horrible, and so are outdoor trail running shoes/boots. You will need a flat bottom indoor soccer shoes with tons of small spikes to get the most traction on the slippery surface. These can be hard to find.

8. Drink Plenty of Water

You must stay hydrated. If you just go to paintball and drink 1 or 2 sports drinks, you will be dehydrated and not thinking clearly by the end of the day. You should be drinking 3+ liters of fluid in a day of paintball. Light snacks and lunch are also a must. If you skip either your mental game and performance will be sub-par. Just by being prepared with food and drinks, you will play better than 70% of people that just “wing” it on the day. I have over 20 years or playing tournament, social, and scenario paintball, the above tips will make you a better player.