Paintball

[Paintballfiend]

So...
I have been playing with my Phantom since January at my local rec-ball field and I am sad to say I have only eliminated at max 3 people. I know I am just starting and it will be some time before I get any good, but if you guys could give me some tips on how to go up against paint slinging Semis it would greatly appreciated. Oh, I run my Phantom with a 15 round stock feed, 3.5 oz tank, and T-stock.
Thanks,
PBfiend.

[Frontier_Bill]

All I can say is to keep pluggin' away. If you desire to get good (and have a lot of free-time) you can practice at home. Set up some targets out back (assuming you have a place you can consider 'out back' and practice snap-shooting them. Snap-shooting is your friend in pump play. Your opponents can shoot strings, whereas you have 1 shot... make it count. Get your snap-shots to the point where you can confidently hit whatever you want to without exposing yourself much.

[CrazyBoy78]

^^^Bill's got some good advice there.

Another thing is that you have to think differently. Remember, you don't have 200 rounds at your easy disposal. You have to move a lot more and keep your eyes open much more than with a semi. Keep moving, keep them guessing and you might even get close enough to get a surrender.

Think of it like apples and oranges: they're both round but otherwise totally different.

Always have a round chambered so that you can shoot right away instead of pumping and then shooting. Especially when you're tight to any bunkers, etc...

[pecoto]

What is your field like? Give us some idea of the field layouts, types of games played, playing style of the local regulars, etc. and we can perhaps be of more use to you.
For example, if you have plenty of cover (brush, trees, etc.) then it is a good idea to get some camo that roughly matches the terrain. I have had quite a few instances where people have almost stepped on me, or have walked past me without even seeing me due to good camouflage and knowing how to move. Incongruous color and movement draws the eye, so with some good camo, timing, and experience you can be quite stealthy. If on the other hand, your field is basically full of speedball courses, then you must become an expert at snap-shooting and reading your opponents (it really helps to be able to put that ball where you know someone is going to be a split second before he gets there).
As far as general advice, it is usually more effective to team up with someone (another semi or another pumper) rather than going it alone. Even a two man team can be 10x as effective as one if the teamwork is there. Two experienced players who communicate well can dominate a game if they play intelligently. I am pretty rusty, but a year ago I went to a paintball bachelor party and used only rental gear in order to even the odds. I teamed up with another guy who had never played but had a lot of experience as a hunter and working together we were terrorizing the locals, quite a few with high end electros and some experience under their belt. It's great when two guys with rusty rental tippmanns are being actively hunted by the other team because of their threat value... Find a buddy (or a few) and practice with them and it will increase your odds of getting those elusive pump eliminations.

[mullet]

I just started pump last summer and I sucked untill January. I've learnt 2 things soo far, shoot and move, and don't shoot untill you see the whites of their eyes. I still don't get as many hits as I used to when playing semi but I also never mercy'd while playing semi now I get at least 1 every time I go out.

[Legion]

Learn to snap shoot.

[b to the a to the k]

Check this video out for some pump vs semi tourney action

The pump game starts @ 1:55 and goes to about 2:40.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYLdR8hsoVo

[russc]

By recball you mean woods-ish, right?

I suggest that you act more aggressive than you would with your semi. Rush to the front, as you don't have the luxury of laying down "accuracy by volume." Get right into the action, and then you shouldn't miss the extra shots.

[sdawg]

Looks like a guy with a pump bunkers a guy with an electro about half way through the video.

[Shade]

You first have to realize that you have chosen to hinder yourself by playing with a pump. To still play competitively, you're going to have to find some alternatives to make up for your obvious lack of firepower.

As many people have said, speed is very important while playing pump. Be aggressive and try to make it as far up the field as possible and still being in a position so your teammates can provide fire for you if needed. For example, in a woodsball game you wouldn't want to go 50 yards past the rest of your team into enemy territory. That's just common sense. Don't be afraid to make a move. If you see an opening, take it. One of my favorite moves is to shoot at someone from one position and then as they are tucked in their bunker, flank out to the side and shoot them from there.

Second of all, don't always concentrate on getting eliminations, focus on the style of play. For example, if you are playing capture-the-flag, you should focus on capturing the flag. I'm not saying you can't concentrate on getting eliminations along the way, but I've noticed that most people play the game just to get people out, and that's not playing the game. Also, if it is a capture-the-flag situation, you can use the advantage of added mobility that you have by using a lighter marker and be the flag runner.

Practice, practice, practice. I should have said that first, since practice will benefit you as a stocker enormously. But most of all, practice snapshooting. In my opinion, snapshooting is the most important skill that a pump player should have. You can't be lazy while playing pump. You can't just stick your *** out for a while so you can lay down as much paint as possible like semis do. Practice until it's muscle memory (If I recall muscle memory takes around 10,000 repetitions), but be sure to have good form as well.

As a pump player, you often have to outwit your opponent. As you are playing, observe the flaws of most semi players, such as sticking out of their bunker too far, sticking out of their bunker for too long, shooting out of a certain side of a bunker...things like that. Many players are very predictable, so use that to your advantage.