Paintball

[MacWhorter]

I made a transition to pump play some months ago, I have always been a woodsball person, and have never been a huge fan of the whole "faster is better" mentality. So I was looking for some tips for developing my game, and I have collected quite a few different pump guns recently and I am trying to determine which one would suit me best. So, if anyone has any tips or advice on pump play it would be greatly appreciated!

[Hatchet]

The biggest tip I can give you is Practice, Practice, Practice. Move a lot, and be aggressive. You don't have firepower to get you outta situations you mess up, so you've gotta use skill instead. Practice shooting, reloading, and switching 12ies. Get a couple empty tubes and empty 12ies and practice switching air and paint. A lot of people suggest you start out open class, or with a hopper and tank. I started out pump play with a true stock class marker, horizontal stick feed and 12ies. Best of luck! If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me.

Hatchet

[SSniper13]

Welcome to MCB, and to pump. I've been playing almost exclusively pump for almost 10 years now, and it is still a blast. There are all kinds of threads you can find here that offer tons of advice. I'll stick here to a few of the basics and then you can browse to your hearts content.

First, practice snapshooting -alot. One of your advantages is the lighter weight and smaller profile of the typical pump setup. Use it to your advantage by developing a good snap shot -being able to come out of cover, make a quick aimed shot, and duck back in before the other guy can react. This holds any time you are in a bunker or a gunfight. Get good at quick shots coming out of multiple locations around your cover. One way I practice that is to set up pods or pop bottles beside bunkers (to simulate feet and hoppers) and then spend 20-30 shots popping out of a bunker and one-balling them. Start slow -make sure you hit each time. As you get your shot down, try to come out, shoot, and go back in faster and faster. Just don't go any faster than you can guarantee a hit. Do that a few times and you'll be surprised how easy it starts to feel. My goal is to be back into my cover and coming out another side before the ball gets to the target.

Second, move -alot. It's much easier to move and disappear with a pump. Many players today locate the other team by listening for shooting. Disappear by not giving them that clue. Don't shoot without purpose so you maintain that advantage. Also, use your eyes to identify when your opponent is ducking or looking the other way and move when he is. The advantage you gain by not being where they think you are -even if its only a split second while they find you again- is huge in terms of getting off the first successful shot.

Third, communicate -alot. Once they know where you are you have no reason not to be talking to your teammates. Call out positions, act as a distraction, let them know when a move is coming, etc. I usually start the game by calling out the opening moves of the other team, and then fill in as needed based on what they do. I am loud initially, and then only get quiet when it serves me well. This compounds my ability to disappear, because when they hear me stop yelling, they sometimes assume I've been shot and I'm golden at that point as they're not even looking for me then.

While a pump won't make you a better player without hard work on your part, it is -or was for me- a stimulus to develop my game on many levels that go beyond just shooting straight. Movement and communication go a long ways towards winning games as a team that individual accuracy can't do alone.

SSniper13

[Railgun]

Playing with the pump guys out here has taught me to move more and shoot less. It's best to advance or retreat to circle around than to try to maintain and work a fixed spot that's heating up. Keep moving and keep them guessing.

Getting your snap shooting skills up will help a lot as well but that's sort of something that comes just from playing. But adjusting your philosophy towards being more mobile is something you can work on right away.

[drg]

Field awareness is critical, so look around a lot. Peek even, you don't even have to have your gun up. Do not necessarily take the first available shot at a target. You will find that when a person is comfortable with their position they will often open up an even better shot for you in a little while, and since you don't have the luxury of third and fourth chances, that helps.

Limit your follow-up shots, or space them out more. You won't want to drive your target tighter to the bunker, you want to catch him without warning.

[MacWhorter]

Thanks for the tips! I guess I have a lot to work on, now to find a place where I can practice... I was also wondering what your take is on different guns, I currently have a VSC phantom, a sniper I built from used parts, various sheridan pumps and an sl68II and I am trying to figure out which is best to use in a game. I bought the the phantom and built the sniper for actual play, and the others were what I bought to collect, but I quickly found that the SL68II and sheridans are also very capable.

[SSniper13]

I'd say use whatever you are most comfortable with. There is no "Best" gun of those you mentioned. All are quality and dependable products. I have a Phantom, 2 Snipers, a Sterling, and several other pumps in the gearbag, and they all shoot well for me. I use what feels good that day -usually decided by which one chronos in the easiest at the start of the day.

That said, I know at this point how I like my set-ups. All my guns have 45 grips with bottomlines and are RF. I also try to balance the guns so the center of gravity is at the trigger with a hopper but no tank. I like longer (14-16") barrels. That's what works for me, and my muscle memory can pull any of my guns up quickly and put a ball on target virtually with my eyes closed.

Nothing will interfere with learning a good snapshot faster than alternating between multiple grip and feed configurations every time you play. Learn your basics on one set-up first. Drill the feel of your gun into your muscles so that every time you shoulder it it points to the same place, and that place is where you are looking. I still watch TV sometimes holding a new gun. I'll randomly pick out things on the screen and snap the gun up as if I was going to shoot it. Within several dozen repetitions, I know that when I pull the gun up the barrel will be where I want it.

If I consistently see that the barrel isn't where I want it to be, I can be pretty sure that come game time the same thing will happen when I need to make a quick shot. For me, I found the any gun with an M-16 grip always ended up pointing high and left for me when I shouldered it quickly, and that was supported by my results using them in a game. I could make aimed shots, but anything quick (snap-shots, an unexpected runner appears, etc.) sailed high and left.

For me, the 45 grip was key to the barrel ending up pointing where I wanted it to when shouldering quickly. For others, an M-16 grip points more naturally. That's what it comes down to, too, feel. If it sits well in your hand, and you can look at something, point the gun at it, and the barrel is dead on, then you're on to something. If it feels akward, no amount of wishing it would get better will change that. I know there are amazing center-feed guns out there that are ball-on-ball accurate, but I'll never be able to shoot them well because they just don't sit or sight naturally for me. Some people love thick grips, others thin. Some love a drop forward and tiny package, others want a more rifle-like feel.

I'd say start with whatever gun "feels" the best to you and spend some quality time just holding it and practicing acquiring a sight picture with it. Snap around corners in your house using a mirror and aiming at yourself (bathroom mirrors are great for this), watch TV and practice aiming at moving objects, just get comfortable with the feel and look of your gun. Then, the next time you go play, spend some time at the range before your first game and just get to know how your gun is shooting that day.

I used to just go to the field and play with whatever new gun I had that day. The results were less than impressive, and I was getting frustrated. Then I started taking 20 shots at the range before I played my first game each day. I'd pick which gun I was using, chrono it in, and then spend those 20 shots just getting comfortable with the gun. I'd start by taking 5 aimed shots at close targets, and then 5 aimed shots at further targets. Then I'd put the gun down and bring it up quickly and shoot 1 ball as quickly as possible at those close targets 5 times. If I hit all 5, I'd do the same with the far targets. If not, I'd repeat the drill with the closer targets. I always aimed to end with a hit -even if I had to had a shot #21 or 22. Just that added 5 minutes made a dramatic difference in how well I played. I started making those tough shots rather than "almost" making them. I also had alot more confidence in my gun and myself since I knew what I was dealing with.

If you are trying to learn how to play at a disadvantage, the last thing you need to be doing is worrying about your equipment too. Go with what you know will work, and what you know feels good to you.

Good luck,

SSniper13