Many people start playing paintball for fun and those who are playing for the first time are not able to give their 100% due to the fear of facing expert opponents and getting shot. There is no need to be afraid or play with fear, you just need a strong mindset to cope. You should play as an expert or at least an average player and follow and consult your seniors, it will build your confidence.
Here we will share some tips and guides for beginners to play paintball, which will be useful for them to win the game. This will not only enhance your paintball knowledge but also help you become a professional player. And if you’re going to be playing for the first time soon, our tips and guides will help you avoid looking like a complete noob. If not, at least you’ll know enough basics to survive well. It is not wise to enter the field without understanding how safe and dangerous this game is for us.
13 Paintball Beginners Tips
There are different types of paintball games including woodsball, speedball, scenario paintball, rec ball, etc. You should know about the competition of all of them. As a beginner you should avoid woodsball and speedball which are played in woods and bunkers and they are very fast paced. You should only play beginner-friendly types of paintball, such as hyperball or scenario paintball. Most paintball venues will actually have a field that includes both woodsball and hyperball, so you can try playing the first field to see what you like.
We have listed 13 tips that every player should follow consistently for faster growth. These tips are collected from our personal field experience and tips from professionals and these will help you throughout your paintball life.
1- Plan
We should come into the field with a strong and positive plan, how to attack and how to defend. We should have a backup plan if plan A fails because it will help a lot when we are playing in a team. We may need to change strategy often on the spot and at short notice, so you must have a strong mindset and always be mentally and physically ready.
2- Communicate
Communication is key, you should stay connected with your mates so that you and they know the next step and can support each other. When you move or attack in a group it will be more aggressive and productive than fighting alone. To ensure you stay one step ahead of the opposition, it’s important to communicate your approach to teammates in each game zone.
3- Well Prepared
If you want to avoid any kind of trouble and embarrassment on the field during the game, come with all your preparations from home, pack all your equipment in a bag so that you don’t forget anything.
Let me briefly explain here what things you need to bring with you to play paintball safely.
- The best type of clothing for paintball is loose fitting, black or striped and covers your body well.
- Appropriate walking shoes
- Several microfiber cloths, water, to clean the lens on your mask when it gets dirty
- Extra cash, in case you need to buy something unexpectedly.
Remember, this isn’t a big deal if you’re renting a mask, but it’s also common to look after the course property. If you are not a complete beginner and want to continue the game for the long haul, you should start the gear buying process early and at the top of your list should be a mask. Even buying a very cheap mask like VForce Armor is better than wearing an old crusty rental skin.
What you shouldn’t use
- Do not use glass cleaner when cleaning your mask as the chemicals will destroy any film on the lens.
- You should also avoid using paper towels, toilet paper and most other soft materials such as regular towels.
4- Follow the Rules
Every sport has certain rules that players need to follow in order to stay on the field for a long time. It’s a duty of every player to keep rules in mind and enjoy the game. I would like to mention that there are no hard and fast rules of paintball, they are really simple and easy, you can read here.
There are certain sports/field rules and certain safety rules that you must follow under any circumstances, otherwise you will face heavy injuries. Do not remove your mask in the field and keep your barrel sleeve on your gun at all times outside the field.
Every paintball field has general rules, so no matter where you’re playing you need to keep the rules in mind and follow them, whether you’re a beginner or an expert. Here’s tip #1.
5- Be a Team Player
One of the biggest factors leading to victory is teamwork which is often overlooked by beginners due to lack of experience and knowledge.
There is no doubt that it is better to stay hidden and silent at the beginning so that you are out of sight of the enemy. But on the other hand, you need to be cautious and take the risk of leaving your position whenever you feel your team member needs you. But before leaving your position, you should take a decision by examining your enemy’s positions and casualties.
Half the stress of your game is gone when you know you have a strong bond and the support of your teammates, you and they are ready to back each other up and achieve all of your goals.
6- You Shall Be Calm and Patient
While playing paintball, you have to be careful and patient to hit the shot, especially when you are playing woodsball because the distance between you and the opponent is so large that you not only miss the target but also the enemy detects your position. In the case of Speedball it is good to shoot as soon as you see your opponents.
Being patient will give you the advantage of giving you time to figure out your enemy’s moves, and give you a chance to strike the opponent. But since every paintball competition is different, you just have to follow your instincts and do what feels best to you.
More importantly, you must be patient when you spend a lot of time lying on the brush playing the role of a paintball sniper. And when moving, the opponent knows your direction, so it’s better to stay still and let them pass you.
Your adrenaline glands will be screaming at you all the time to get up and shoot some targets in your direction, even if you get killed doing so. A paintball sniper must practice patience even while maneuvering quietly in the woods.
7- Be Aware of your Surroundings
You have to focus on your surroundings because the enemy can attack from anywhere, neglecting even one side can hurt you. Tunnel vision will eventually lead to being caught. It helps to create a mental map of the playing field and locate key locations where you envision the enemy’s setup. It also allows you to note areas where you and your team can retreat if needed.
This is a pro tip to always stay one step ahead of the enemy to give yourself a winning edge over the opposing team.
8- Stay a Step Ahead
It’s possible that paintball plans rarely work out the way you think, so it’s best to plan ahead. As a beginner it is impossible to know the layout of the field and be aware of every direction, you will know this only after field experience. So do your best with whatever knowledge you have or rely on a colleague to help you.
Once you learn the layout of the field, you are more able to strategize more effectively with your team. At the start you have to follow team guidelines and observe what everyone is going to do, what other members are doing and then adjust your plan from there. It is even better to meet a senior and field expert and benefit from his expertise and experience.
Also keep an eye on the enemy’s movements, this will give you an idea of their strategy and how they are playing the game. If all the experienced players on the enemy team go to woods on the right side of the field, a good strategy might be to go down the left side of the field and try to sneak behind them.
Always try to stay ahead of the opponents, you can only do this if you keep a close eye on their moves and strategies. If you find that many of your opponents are also beginners, their strategy will be quite weak due to lack of experience which can be easily understood and outwitted. Usually the beginner goes behind a large bunker and they will stay there until it is absolutely safe to move on.
So we’re trying to say, your best strategy should be to team up with teammates to provide suppressive fire while the other moves up the field to find a better angle on the opponent. You may struggle a bit doing this, but with the team your game will definitely improve over time.
9- You Shall Not Leave Yourself Overly Exposed
It is a good thing to be aware of your position in the paintball game’s field. It won’t be great if you are leaving yourself exposed constantly in front of enemies.
The simple solution of this problem is to start making a picture of how the opposition team will consider you all the time on the field. For example, many players spend a lot of their time probing a head out over a bunker otherwise known as prairie doggin.
In prairie doggin, you get a clear and wide view of the field and enable you to see what’s going on around you. Beside this it also allows you to target everyone virtually near you. It will be better to poke your head out from the side of the bunker instead of prairie doggin because it will limit the angles and you can eliminate it easily. Try to avoid leaving your head in an open area for a long time because enemies just take a couple of minutes to lift up their guns, aim and then fire you.
One more important aspect is how to position your body when you are trying to hide behind the bunker, tree or bush etc. mostly beginners make this mistake that they rest their gun or barrel on the bunker in front of them to stabilize their shots.
This thing is looking very smart but actually it becomes much harder to snap back behind the bunker when the opposing team starts firing upon you. It is the best option to keep your body and gun near to the bunker as this way will enable you to snap and shoot your opposition effectively. If you don’t know what snap shooting is, it’s basically the act of stepping out from behind the bunker after taking 1-3 shots with the intention of leaning back.
This way will prevent you from the enemy’s enough time to shoot and it requires proper practice to gain the skill. To become a better snap shooter and good shooter in general you need to avoid a chicken winging and shoot with your elbows flared out. keep your elbows facing the ground and tight by your side you will have a much smaller profile and you will not be quite so easy to hit and eliminate you.
10- Stay Positive and Have Fun
Take this sport as a recreational factor or physical activity to overcome other stressors. I always like to play paintball with my family to make my weekend more enjoyable. You must stay positive and focus on the game and always try to impress other teammates with your attitude. This will allow you and your teammates to better compete with your opponents and allow you to fight through all kinds of situations.
It’s good practice to be prepared for any situation, but don’t let negative thoughts control you. This will not only help you build a good paintball team, but also help you make friends. Keep playing regularly and you might even get invited to join a professional team one day.
11- Use Your Paintballs Wisely
As we know there are only 200 paintballs in a pack, so they should be used carefully. Don’t waste them on shots you won’t use in a real fight, it will cost you in the final moments of the game! Since players can run out of ammo quickly, it’s important to stay hidden and save your paintballs until then.
Only fire once or twice if you know you’re guaranteed to get hit, or use paintballs as needed to get into strategic positions with your teammates. Once you’ve got the tactical advantage and are ready to hit, go ahead and take more shots!
Being too skimpy in taking shots is also a cause of failure
12- Out of Pellets?
Constant firing during the game will drain your ammo, yes it is harmful to you but don’t let it become your weakness and don’t let the enemy know about it, because your gun will make noise.
The best solution is to reload as soon as you get a chance or shield your teammates by using the empty gun sound strategy, if you are really brave, you can even force the opponents to surrender.
13- Reload!
Always trying to carry an extra pot or two into the field, I didn’t realize this early in my career which made me lose, as a hopper holds 200 shots which quickly runs out. But keep in mind if you reload, look around first and try to do it before the opposition makes a move on you!
This May Help You: https://truepaintballer.com/how-many-paintballs-you-need/
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Jessica
Hey everyone, this is Jessica here. I live in London, United Kingdom and I am passionate about the paintball game and I also love researching and buying different paintball masks. In Fact I may have a tackle addition that is a deep part of why I created this site, as you hear “ is a healthier and more affordable outlet ”