wookie
04-01-2005, 09:16 AM
http://paintball.about.com/od/basicstrategy/a/practiceshot_p.htm
From Isaac Kennen
Practice Makes Perfect
There is only one thing that will allow you to improve your shot: practice. Only practice will let you truly get familiar with handling your paintball gun, and get more confident in your abilities. Get some cheapo paintballs and get out into your back yard or a field and start shooting at targets. Then practice, practice, practice.
This article goes through what you should be doing during practice. Another article gives you specific paintball drills.
First Things First
First, dress properly and follow the basic safety guidelines. Wear your mask-- after all, in a game you will have to aim with it on. Make sure that there are no people or animals or other peoples property anywhere near where you will be shooting. Do this every time you get ready to begin firing you never know when someone will wander into your firing line.
Holding the Paintball Gun
You may have never paid much attention to this, but how you hold a paintball gun matters. Dont try to fire from your hip you shouldnt be doing it in a game, and you shouldnt do it in practice. Sure, sometimes you can get a hit by firing from the hip, but you will always be more accurate if you have that paintball gun up by your head so that you can aim.
Holding the gun properly can be complicated because of the CO2/HPA tank. One way to deal with this is to get a drop forward or some other sort of adapter that literally gets the tank out of the way. You can also put your arm underneath the tank so that it rests in the place where your elbow bends, then, using the hand on that same arm, you can reach up to operate the trigger. This lets you bring the gun right up to your head where it belongs.
Whatever way that you choose to hold your paintball gun, make sure that it is comfortable and puts the gun near your head this way you can see where your shots are going by looking down the barrel. Whether you are looking down the barrel from the top or the side really doesnt matter, so long as you are looking down it. Pick a position and stick with it. Fire from that position whenever you practice.
Just Shoot
The next thing you need to do to improve your shot accuracy is to not hesitate. Be ready to fire as soon as you have the paintball gun in position. Be aggressive, but be loose: you dont want to jerk the gun off trajectory. When you see a target, dont stop to think about it: shoot at it calmly and confidently, and dont hesitate just because it is a hard shot to make. If you think you can make the hit the first time you see the opportunity, you probably can. Dont wait. Dont overthink the shoot, either; once you are properly position, just let your body take the shots. With practice, you will become a much better instinctual shooter than if you carefully and slowly plan your shots.
Study Yourself
Finally, analyze your shooting. When you miss, ask yourself whether you hesitated or didnt have the gun in proper position. If your target was moving, did you lead the shot properly? Did you flinch or close your eyes before firing? Were you calm and smooth when aiming and pulling the trigger? Did you arc the paintball gun enough so the ball could reach the target? Did you shoot over their head?
When you hit your target, analyze your performance even more. How much did you lead the moving target and how fast was the target moving? What position were you holding the paintball gun in? What sort of arc did you put on the paintball to make it go the distance?
Doing these things will make you a more thoughtful paintball player, and also a better one. Accuracy is largely mental. If you believe you are able to be more accurate, your accuracy will improve with practice and mental training. Thinking and practice are the keys.
From Isaac Kennen
Practice Makes Perfect
There is only one thing that will allow you to improve your shot: practice. Only practice will let you truly get familiar with handling your paintball gun, and get more confident in your abilities. Get some cheapo paintballs and get out into your back yard or a field and start shooting at targets. Then practice, practice, practice.
This article goes through what you should be doing during practice. Another article gives you specific paintball drills.
First Things First
First, dress properly and follow the basic safety guidelines. Wear your mask-- after all, in a game you will have to aim with it on. Make sure that there are no people or animals or other peoples property anywhere near where you will be shooting. Do this every time you get ready to begin firing you never know when someone will wander into your firing line.
Holding the Paintball Gun
You may have never paid much attention to this, but how you hold a paintball gun matters. Dont try to fire from your hip you shouldnt be doing it in a game, and you shouldnt do it in practice. Sure, sometimes you can get a hit by firing from the hip, but you will always be more accurate if you have that paintball gun up by your head so that you can aim.
Holding the gun properly can be complicated because of the CO2/HPA tank. One way to deal with this is to get a drop forward or some other sort of adapter that literally gets the tank out of the way. You can also put your arm underneath the tank so that it rests in the place where your elbow bends, then, using the hand on that same arm, you can reach up to operate the trigger. This lets you bring the gun right up to your head where it belongs.
Whatever way that you choose to hold your paintball gun, make sure that it is comfortable and puts the gun near your head this way you can see where your shots are going by looking down the barrel. Whether you are looking down the barrel from the top or the side really doesnt matter, so long as you are looking down it. Pick a position and stick with it. Fire from that position whenever you practice.
Just Shoot
The next thing you need to do to improve your shot accuracy is to not hesitate. Be ready to fire as soon as you have the paintball gun in position. Be aggressive, but be loose: you dont want to jerk the gun off trajectory. When you see a target, dont stop to think about it: shoot at it calmly and confidently, and dont hesitate just because it is a hard shot to make. If you think you can make the hit the first time you see the opportunity, you probably can. Dont wait. Dont overthink the shoot, either; once you are properly position, just let your body take the shots. With practice, you will become a much better instinctual shooter than if you carefully and slowly plan your shots.
Study Yourself
Finally, analyze your shooting. When you miss, ask yourself whether you hesitated or didnt have the gun in proper position. If your target was moving, did you lead the shot properly? Did you flinch or close your eyes before firing? Were you calm and smooth when aiming and pulling the trigger? Did you arc the paintball gun enough so the ball could reach the target? Did you shoot over their head?
When you hit your target, analyze your performance even more. How much did you lead the moving target and how fast was the target moving? What position were you holding the paintball gun in? What sort of arc did you put on the paintball to make it go the distance?
Doing these things will make you a more thoughtful paintball player, and also a better one. Accuracy is largely mental. If you believe you are able to be more accurate, your accuracy will improve with practice and mental training. Thinking and practice are the keys.