[Barber]

Here is a video on haw to walk and rake the trigger.

http://www.webdogradio.us/video/tipclip/WDR31hi.wmv

I know, he is a little goofy, but he shows how to do it. I hope this clears up the "What is walking the trigger" threads.

If anyone needs further help, just post.

[KingFikiElectra]

Might as well put this here to. Just to emphasize the point.

http://www.paintballforum.com/forum/...003#post790003

[PaintballRemix]

All Articles are Courtesy of my friend PSUGhost

www.autocockerhq.com

Making a Team and Making the Team


Making a team
-------------------
As the leader of a college team I am often asked "How did you do it? Get this thing started?" People look at my roster and are shocked when they see 30+ names on it. But getting to this point was no cake walk, but it was less trouble then many people would think.

Find a home: Somewhere around you is a "home field", someplace you can get to often and play at often and are prolly known by the owners/refs. This is the best place to start. Meet up with some of the walk ons who show up each week, make some friends, exchange numbers, find out when they are coming again. After a while you can make your own little group of people who play together. Then ask the ref if he can keep you all on the same team sometime...wow...did I just say team? Yeah it's really that easy.

Get organized: The first thing you'll need to figure out is who is the man in charge, someone has to make te arangements and have the final say in matters (And trust me it happens a lot that you need to have final say). That person does NOT need to be the commander on the field, but must be the off the field leader.

Where ya going?: It is important to figure out where you want to go with this team. Is this for fun? Is this to hopefully get good enough to get a sponsor? Is this an attempt to make a new pro team? Then figure out what events you want to do. 3, 5, 7, 10, x-ball?

Start small: Best place to figure out what works is to go to a local tournament or a small young guns event and try yourselves against the local talent. YES you WILL get romped. But you'll find some great teams to play with who are in your area, and remember you only get better by playing people better then you.

Sponsorship: Ah yes, that word that to many means "Free". Well I hate to break anyones bubble but the only people who get anything for free are the pro's and the am's who are good enough to be pro's. The rest of us have to deal with discount pricing and work/play deals. But DO NOT turn these offers down. One of the best and prolly first deals you should work out is if your home field will let you do a work/play deal. You work for them one day, and you play for free another day. This is how MANY teams get their practice's done. Most fields are more then happy to have you help out as it's cheaper for them, and it's better for you. That is what sponsorship is about, an agreement that helps BOTH parties. A very important thing to remember is that no one will sponsor a team unless it's good for their business. So make your name known, get in the magazines, get to big events, and meet people. A lot of it is who you know.

Live it up: At PSU we have the bonus that many of us live together, so we all kow each other both off and on the field. It is very important to trust each other and that trust is built be being together. So do non-paintball stuff. Play lasertag, go to the fair together, catch a flick....be a team.

Politics: Many people are scared of politics. Well I hate to tell you your going to deal with them. Not everyone on your team will like each other, some people will have different goals then others. As a leader you have to take each one in stride and decide if it's worth fighting for, or is it worth giving it up and letting the person "Be successful elsewhere"......

Still, no matter how many headaches I get, walking off that field, collapsing in exhaustion from our finals game, and dragging your team to the podium all teary eyed.. there is nothing like it. My teamates are now my brothers and I would never give that up.



Making The Team
---------------------
So you've found a good team you'd like to join. Now how to get there?

Finding a team: Best place to look is your home field. Sometimes the teams won't be there or might be reffing, ask the refs or the owners what the local sponsoered teams are at that field. They will gladly hook you up.

Follow Gear: As bad as it sounds a good way to tell how invovled a team is is by looking at their gear. A team in camo's with tippmans is prolly a team that does it for fun, which is perfectly okay if that is what your looking for, but won't be if your looking for a fast ride up in the world. Then again some teams have custom jerseys and $2,000+ guns, which is kinda out of the league of your Spyder Flash. So find a team that is about the same leel as you, one that wants to go the same places as you and you can grow with.

Meet the team: Talk it up, remember these guys have all prolly known each other a long time, so you gotta get to know them and befriend them. Find out if they could use you for the day or so if it's at a walk on event.

Don't rush them: These guys have a system going, so jumping in and saying "My name is Ted, can I join your team?" is not the way to do it. Play with them a few times, find out when they practice and offer to come watch, help out, or practice against them. Remember they want to be impressed by your skills first, then they'll be more willing to talk.

Play it up: Be a mad baller, show them your skills and be sure to be cool about it. No one likes to hear "I just shot out that angel guy with my spyder"....they would much rahter hear "Wow man, your good, you almost had me, glad I got you first".

Be a sit in: Sometimes teams will take potential new players to small events as alternates...it may not be a glorious job, but do it anyway. It shows your dedicated to the game and who knows, they may ask you to play a game.

In short finding a team is like finding friends, cause your teamates should be your friends. So don't rush, you got time, work on your skills and talk tot he people in charge...before you know it you'll be standing at the starting box, with 9 other players at your side screaming your head off getting ready to tool fool.

[PaintballRemix]

Playing Mid

Mid players are often the ones forgotten about on the field but are the ones who carry the most weight out of anyone. Sure the fronts get the kills and the backs do the talking and the lanes, but that is in a perfect world, and in perfect worlds teamates don't get out.

What exactly is the mid? He is the man who does everyones job all at once, and can become whoever he needs to become. But let's look at it the way we have examined the others:

Before the game: Walk the field with your team, again I stress this a lot. You need to know exactly where your back players are going and where they are shooting, as well as where your front players are going. You need to know every step in the play from the person behind you to the person in front of you.

Off the break: You need to be able to fill in someones spot should a key player go down off the break. So keep your eyes on your fronts, and your ears on the backs. Anytime a teamate get's taken off the break they should notify their team with something "I'm hit" or otherwise, there should be no excuse for your team not knowing their down a player. When that happens it's your time to strike.

When a front goes down: If a front goes down off the break simply take over his job, hit his bunker for him...in all reality most back players who key fronts will stop shooting once they hit their target, which leaves the door wide open for you. If he goes down int he middle of the game it is your job to become the front man and to make up the ground that was lost with his elimination.

When a back goes down: If a back goes down off the break it is your decision to change course and take a back bunker or to continue where yor going...remember, while a key position ont he field is good it's not worth getting 2 eliminations over. Stop at the first bunker you come to and try to make up for the lack of paint that your team missed out on from their loss. If a back goes down in the middle of a game it's again your decision. While I would not recommend running back to a back bunker I have seen it done, and quite successfully. Then again I have seen it fail. If you decide to stay where you are the same rules apply as when playing back, the difference is your now half blind. Communication becomes even more important as you need to work with the other mids or the remaining backs to understand what is going on.

The second line: As a mid player you are also the second attacking line. You need to understnad your front and know when he needs your help and when he wants you to cover him. Listen to your back player as well, he'll let you know what is going on. When I run down the field to bunker a line of guys I will sometimes get 2 or 3, well the next body in that dead box had better be my mid player after he followed me and took out 2 more. Remember, one person running down field to bunker their opponent is suicide, two...well no one does that....right?????

Stupidity eraser: I have heard mids refered to as "stupidity erasers", when the communication is less then perfect between a front and a back that is when the mid has to cover up the mistakes made by either two. A front decides to make a key move while he can't hear his back player telling him to sit his @$$ down...he runs anyway...now it's your job to make sure those people who normally would have a shot at him are lieing in the fetal position waiting for God to strike them dead as opposed to the arsenal of paint your sending at them.

Tunnel vision killer: Mids are also the "Tunnel Vision Killers", let's say a key opponent is laying it thick on your back player, they are trying to pinch him out of his cover. Well usually when this happens the player will do something called "Posting", he'll sit out of his bunker and simply stare at where your back player usually comes out of, in hopes to catch him doing a slow snap shot....many players don't realise that by doing this they tunnel vision and lose sight of what is going on around them....like that mid player who just happened to hear that his backs assialant is "Posting out of the left side of the center 40 taco"...the tunnel very quickly is filled with a bright colored goo....

The best way to play mid is to simply understand the roles of the other members of your team. You are the second and last line of hope for your team. Know what the plans are for botht he people above and below you, and be willing to help easy the pressure to let your teamates do what they have to do.

[PaintballRemix]

School, School Fools

Alright fools, school is now in session...and today we're going to be getting homework...yes homework. We're talking about practicing and drills.

Why drill? A lot of people will ask you that, sure it may not be half as fun as really playing but you can only learn so much from playing. Your doing som many things at once that you can not focus on one skill, so drilling takes over. Also drills use up a lot less paint then actually playing- which is always good for the pockets.

In my expereince I have found that games are much better used for drills then simply doing some skill. So here is a list of some activities we do for PSU:

Taps: This is a favorite of both fronts and backs a like as it helps both out. Have your back players (2 or 3) start at their "Key 3, 5, 7, 10" bunkers in the back, have your fronts (gun's are optional as fronts don not return fire) start at the starting box on the otehr side of the field. When the whistle blows the bakc players attempt to hit the fronts (practicing laneing and hitting a target that's exposed for short runs) while the fronts objective is to "tap" every single bunker on their half of the field, ending with the center 50. It's VERY tiring, but do it 3-4 times and suddenly you can run through walls of paint without a problem.

Can-Can: This is how I learned to snap shoot. Take one player and place him at one bunker at the 10 or 20, then take another player and place him at the 50-60. Have the two of them snap-shoot at each other. We usually play till 5 hits. No point stopping the drill for one hit, unless it's a google hit. We also have a coach running around kicking our feet in, or telling us to get closer, ect...have someone watch you to point out what you did wrong.

Trap shoot: Keying off the break is an important skill. So try this one. Take your backs and place them on a line (doesn't need to be ont he field). Have them start in their starting positions. Now take 2 or 3 pods or gatorade bottles and on the whistle throw them out into the air, kinda like trap shooting. Obviously the backs jobs is to hit the bottles. If you can get into position, aim, and hit something the size of a bottle, then you will have no problem hitting a person off the break.

Slide: You can do this one without even any paint. Heck I practice in the halls of my dorm sometimes. Simply put on your knee pads and pants and work on your slides. Hipslides (On the side of your hips), knee slides (Both knees), dives (SUPERMAN!!), and Butt slides (go in like a hip slide and then turn your weight so you slide on your butt...makes for less "Pretty Time" but puts your head up higher.

Break outs: The first 15 seconds of any game are the most imporant, so play 15 second games. Put them in the box, call the game, let people break out and finish getting pretty then do it again.

Code word: Many people hate this one, but it's effective to get people to listen up. Run a skrimage, while the game is going on have a ref walk up tot he back center and give him a code word, "Apple Pie" for example. He then has to pass the code word on to all the members of his team. Do this about 3 or 4 times..then after the game get everyone together and ask them to recite the code words, in private...if one person get's it wrong, they do it again. Works very quickly to get people to listen to their backs and to pass information along to otehr players...and to insure they hear it.

Skrimage: There are still things you have to play to learn. Things such as the difference in sound of a gun with and without paint, how to tell what way someone is looking when you bunker them, even how to work on your communication...so try out your news skills while your at it too.

Drills can only teach you as much as the people you drill with. Obviously you'll learn how to snap shoot much quicker with someone who is a better snapshot then you. The same is true for just about everything else. You have to play people better then you to get better. So don't get mad when you lose, thank the person for helping you become a better player. Find out what you did wrong, maybe they will help you out...then someday they will have to thank you, for the severe pasting you just gave them.

[PaintballRemix]

Off the Break-Back Players

Alright crew, welcome back to Ghosts school of paintball, class is now in session so pick up your guns, put on your masks and get ready.

We already went over those first key seconds of a game for a front runner but what about the guy who is the real meat of the team? The Chessmaster? The one who keeps glory hog front player like me in the kill zone and out of the dead box? Well let's take it from the top:

Walk the field: I think people are starting to get sick of me saying this, but knowing your field is more important then anything as a back player. You need to be able to watch someone out of the corners of both eyes at the same time and know exactly (not guess) where those people are going. Something to think about is to ask a front "Where would you go off the break?" The first thing to find on any field is what is called the "Key 3, 5,7 or 10". These are the bunkers that 50%+ of the teams will hit off the break. Once you can imagine where they will go you can direct your battlefield.

Coordinate: Your front and you should be thinking as one, but remember all he can see is a wall of bunker, you have to fill in his gaps for him. If he looks left to shoot cross field you had better be looking at his right for someone to come do him. If your front does not trust you to keep him safe from getting bunkered he can't focus on his job. So while you may be in charge of the field, your front decides which side of the field you look at by the way he is playing.

Communication: Oh, you think this is a no brainer? We do a little drill at PSU where we force our back players to play front and our fronts to play back...guess what those backs find out very fast? They can see jack! A well communicated to team is a happy team. So let him know everything....and I mean everything. The number of times I hear someone yell "Back can is hot" I shake my head as I know he might as well have told his team "I like chocolate Ice cream"...it would have given them the same amount of useful information. Your team needs to know what bunker, coming out of what side, high or low, what color gun he has, what color shoes he has, who he is shooting at...every bit of information. You want your front to one ball that guy who is pinching you? Then you need to tell him "Back right stand up, coming out of the left side, he's showing his hopper and left foot to me, he's standing up and he's pinching my right side." Now your team knows all they need to know to mess the guy up.

Be calm: It's tough to beleive and sometimes tough to do but whatever you are doing emotionally moves up the field. Remember, your fronts are trusting you. When they hear you yell "I'm getting lit to S**T" or "I can't see any of them" One thing goes into my head "I'm dead". So no matter what, keep your team calm and collective. Larry (my back center) is the best at this. He knows when the count gets down I start to get antsy. Not a single game goes by that I don't hear "Breath Rob, stay tight and shoot your gun, Look left I got your right..."

Keying: One of the best powers of a back player is to change an entire game at the break. When you get into your start you need to examin the other team. Look how their players are standing, and follow their eyes. You can 90% of the time tell exactly where they are going off the break. When the whistle blows you need to get your gun up fast...don't worry about getting hit, most of the time the amount of paint coming at you will be limited and so far off it won't break. What you do want to do is to aim at the bunker where your target is moving to. DO NOT AIM AT HIM....he is running, your shoots wil miss. You want to send a straight beam to a spot that you know he is going to run through. It is very tough as the natural reaction si to aim at your target and not to waste paint on the grass...but when you see him run right into a laser beam of paint it's all worth it.

Play your position: Way too many times I see back players move up to, or even past their fronts. Yes it is much more exciting in the front, but your team needs you where they put you, and you must follow your plan...stay put.

Painting: When you take aim at a player (even moreso a good front) remember that they try to snap shoot. It's tough for them to change positions alot in those small bunkers and human nature tells them to repeat what worked the last second. So if someone pops out of a bunker chances are they will do it from that side again. Also remember 93% of the world is right handed...so they will be coming out of you left side the majority of the time. Now all you have to do is send paint to where they head is going to be...don't shoot at the bunker, shoot just to the side of it, so when they come out again you've already got your shots in the air. A good front can snap shoot fast enough that you won't be able to pull the trigger before he is back in his hole...so it's important to beat him to it.

Chessmaster on the field: The back center is the chessmaster of the field. He makes the calls and there should be no doubting his word, for anything. This puts a lot of pressure on the back center so make sure it is someone you trust. He is also the communication HUB on the field. Information can move from the left tape front, to his back, to the center, to the right back, to the right tape front. Without the middle men the two fronts could never talk. As chessmaster though you have to be able to think for not only yourself, but the other 2,4,6, or 9 other people on the field. Watch a good team play. The back center is prolly going nuts, It prolly sounds like one long run on setance "Keppy look left Allen look right to cover Keppy's right Rob do the center 50 Pat cover Rob's run to the center I got your left Rob Pat watch the snake turn 2 is hot!"

Duck and cover: So what is your mission on the field other then PA system? In reality your not expected to get many kills. If you do, great. But what your looking for are the angles, you want your fronts to be able to dance to their bunker in a bright pink too-too while you make any opponent think that Thor the God of thunder is on the other side of his bunker and want is ....NOW! I heard a good comeabck that explains it rather well a front and back were talking "If I'm your remote control death machine, then your my laser defence turret". An opponent who can't even hear themselves think, or is too scared to come out of their cover for sake of getting hit, is a crippled opponent.....and I pick on cripples

Playing back is one of those positions that gets very little credit for doing all the work. Sure you may not walk off with any kills, but your fronts know who is really their God on the field. I know there is no feeling in the world like working with someone you trust enough to sprint in front of his line of fire and know 100% that there will be a 3 ball gap for you to run through....

[PaintballRemix]

Off the Break-Front Player

Many people have argued over what is the best gun, or the best paint, or the best mask in paintball, but the one thing you will almost never hear anyone argue over is what is the most important part of the game of paintball. That would be the break. The first ten seconds of every game... when you are either made, or broken.. So what is the secrets of "The Break"? Let's take a look:

Before the game: Walk the field. I can not say this enough, you need to know that field inside out, upside down, and backwards. There has even been a few games where I have gone blind from splatter and had to play the rest of the game with just my back man and my memory. When you walk the feild it is important to remember that your opponent is not dumb, I usually find where I would like to go and walk the field as if I was going there. Then I will walk the field with one of our backmen, have him tell me where he would be shooting, if one of them made the move I was trying to make. After seeing that I correct my first bunker, and have a back review it and the proccess continues till you have a plan of how to get there and limited exposure.

What to look for?: Look for virtual walls of bunkers. Sure the Center 50 is no where near that left 30 doritto, but if you run at just the right angle, the two bunkers keep you hiden for the entire run. Also, never lose track of those back cans, remember they (and snake killers) are a fronts worse nightmare...and a back players h**l as well.

In the box: Alright, you got two choices here...either have your own space and be nice and comfortable before the start and get yourself spanked...or go with a little less comfort and a possible win. What do I mean by this? Well it's easiest if I tell it to you from my own point of view. My back player gets to his position ready to fire and key off the break. I need something good to push off of, so I use his feet. I put my feet on top of his feet. He then puts his knee up against either the small of my back or my butt....When the whistle blows as he turns to shoot his knee gives me a push and I push off his feet slowing his turn and getting a little extra speed, so it works for both of us. Is aukward but it worth it.
Also something else that makes many people feel aukward is running with their gun in the wrong hand. If I am running to the left I want my gun in left hand so that my body (which is soft and has a chance for a bounce) covers my gun (which is hard and will not bounce).

Run like a bat out of...: I shake my head in greif everytime I see a front runner shooting his gun as he runs to his bunker. If you try to shoot and aim you have to run to slow, if you don't aim your just wasting paint...either way it means you have time to waste that could be spent moving even farther up the field...leave the shooting to the backs, that is why they carry 12,000 pods.

Listen: Once again your most powerful tool is your other sences then your eyes. Listen to each bunker you run past. Are balls hitting it meaning someone has a line on you? Or do you hear silence meaning no one cares about little old you and you can bust all the way up the field? When playing Airball here is a tip, Tap-n-Bounce. Pick a close first bunker, run to it like it's your final bunker. As you run up to it tap the bunker lightly with your palm, as you move to the next one. This does two things, it confuses the other teams back players as to where you really are, and if you hear the bunker getting lit up you can grab a good chunk of bunker and pull yourself back in an abort the run in mid stride....takes a lot of practice, but is a perfect trick.

Slides: Never end your run with a prissy little tip toe into the bunker, unless you'd like the other teams back players to leave a nice one on your @$$. Slide in, or for low snakes and such, dive. Then remember what I told you about "Pretty time" keep it limited. From there read the other articles in this series to play the rest of the game out...

[PaintballRemix]

Playing the Snake

The snake, the slimy, crawling thing that strikes fear into the hearts of women, children, and paintball players alike. The number of desperate calls that echo off the field of "He's in the snake, He's in the snake" are an illusive chant for survival...what makes the snake so feared And how do you become that feared thing?

The snake is prolly the hardest bunker to play on the field. You are blind, on your belly or back, can't talk, and can't see what is around the next turn. But played right it is the most powerful bunker on the field. The snake gives a player the ability to move across a good majority of field without being noticed. When he finally does pop out he has the entire otehr team at his mercy...and it's vicious. Here is the step by step:

Before the game: Walk the snake, from the snake there are a lot of blind shots (Where you shoot not seeing your target but knowing your shots are hitting where he will be standing), there are also a lot of places that give you good cover from part of the field, while leaving other parts open for your pickings. Also, find out what is at the end of the snake, and what bunker is the "Snake killer", alsmot every field has one bunker that can destroy anyone gettng into that snake.

Off the break: If someone is going to that snake killer spot, stay away from the snake. Have your entire team focus on him, Get him out of there. Once he is gone it's a free ride in. I would suggest a dive to get in, just watch that you don't clog your barrel with grass.

Once in the snake: Make your way along the turns. You must be VERY observant here...is that gun fire coming from the next turn in the snake? Is there a shadow of a figure? Is your back player screaming to you that the snake is hot? Once you have taken out your opposition it is your time to shine.

Coming out: NEVER, EVER, EVER come out of the same place twice. I have been known to make my way all the way back to the head of the snake before poping out again. If you come out of the the same place twice...you will die. Also, you are blind in the snake, so it is VERY important that your back player be giving you constant information on your next target. Treat it like he's calling in fire support. "Center lay down, comeing out the right side...NOW" From there is it the backs job to lock everyone in while you send him a one way ticket to the dead box.

Get cumfy: The snake is the most commonly bunkered position. Most teams want that snake clean, like yesterday...to prevent this you need two things. First is your own snake killer. He needs to watch out for people coming over the top to get you. This is also a very important reason to always change notches. Second you need to press your body as close to the wall of the snake as you can. Practice shooting with only one hand, and very important, practice shooting with only your off hand. When you get in there, and the paint starts to fly, you have very little time to get into a good position. You usally just play it as you lie...like a human pretzel.

SQUEEGIE!: The worst feeling in the world is being folded into a pretzel, being hammered to peices and breaking a ball. Play a paintball video in slow potion of a pro going into a snake...see something interesting? He prolly has 4 squeegies on him. One in each pocket. The reasoning for this is that you can be in any position and still get yourself a swab.

Unfortunatly it would take weeks worth of reading to know all the secrets of the snake. It is a very dangerous animal, both for you and against you. But in the right hands it is the best bunker on the field. Once again Practice, Practice, Practice. Play a day of nothing but doing the snake. Watch other players play the snake, and you too wil one day be "A snake charmer"

[PaintballRemix]

How to be a better front

This is prolly going to be the first of many articles because let's face it, everyone wants to know how to get better, and I have nothing better to do at work.

Front, the position that gets all the glory, the position that everyone watches. This is where the action is, this is where the adrenaline is pumping into your ears making your head want to explode.

I talk to a lot of people who proclaim themselves the almighty front player. If you take a poll I'd bet 85% of the people would say they play front. But what really is front? Well front is actually seperated into 3 different playing positions:

Deep Front- Some teams have them, some don't. These guys are the ones who hit either the 50 (center of the field) or the 60 (past the center) off the break and do little more then scare the $**t out of you. The idea is that while your focusing on him as the immediate threat, his back players are going jolly all over your face.

Snake- This guy is the one who is the silent killer. It is prolly the toughest position to play on a field but is the most rewarding. Stay tuned for an article on playing the snake in the coming weeks.

General Front- This guy is your teams killer. He is the one who should be getting the credit with 75% of your teams kills. His job is to hit the 40 or 50 off the break and take his time making sure he takes out those back players.

Now let's look at your role fro the start:
Before the day starts: walk the field, you are looking for what bunkers you can see from where. Maybe you'll find a lovely blind shot, or a spot that you can wrap and pin a back can. You also want to look at the field from your eye level...the ground. Too many fronts walk the field standing up, well that works if you play standing up, but most of us don't. What your also looking for is walls. Sometimes two bunkers are not even near each other, but at a certain angle it creates a vertual wall that you could dance to your bunker behind.

Off the break: You need to be moving fast. I usually like to stay very low so that there is no chance my back players could hit me by accident. Also, DO NOT SHOOT, I shake my head everytime I see a front player pick up his gun to shoot while running for his bunker...it takes too long and your just wasting paint. I would also recomend running with your gun in the hand that is facing the starting box...why? Because your gun is a 100% assured break, your arm is not. So put your gun behind your body to protect it from a possible break.

When you reach your bunker: SLIDE...some people are scared at this thought, so practice often. Heck sometimes I'll just go find a grassy hill and practice my slides...after a while it's freaken entertaining You also have to watch what has been nick-named "Pretty time". This is the amount of time you take once you get into your bunker getting yourself ready to shoot. I try to slide in to my bunker in the position i'll be shooting from so that I can have my gun firing seconds after I get in. Some of the better front players will actually start shooting while they are sliding in. The longer time you spedn getting Pretty, the more distance their fronts can cover and the less help you are to your team.

Snap shoot the backs: Remember, once their backs die their fronts will have no communication or fire support. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to take out those back players. Let your back players worry about their fronts making a mistake and running into a blizzard of paint.

Listen: Your ears are your most powerful weapon. You have to be in communication with your back players at ALL times. I have been known to discuss other games scores with my back players just to keep the communication flowing. You also need to listen to your bunker..where are those balls coming from? Are they coming in at an angle? Are they fast or slow to say if it's a back or front shooting at you? Is that someone's feet I hear coming at me on the left side? These are all things you have to listen to to know what is going on.

Obey: Your back player is your master, you will serve him or you will die. I am great friends with my back player both on and off the field because I know the more we know each other, the more we trust each other. There have been far too many games for me to count that I hear Larry tell me "Rob, move your head to the left 1 inch" I do it and the next thing I know there is a stream of 18 bps buzzing over my head just inches over my face plate as larry keys an opponents front. When your back player says look left, you don't finish your last shot...you freaken look left. I do not know how many teams do not trust their back players and it hurts them in the long run. I can not stress enough. You are nothing more then a "Remote Control Death Machine"

Blind shooting is worthless: Sticking your gun around the corner and firing only works in the movies. If you can stick your gun out and fire, chances are you can stick your head out too. You'll save paint, and maybe actually hit something other then the ref.

Be flexible: Sometimes the inevitable happens and people start to light your bunker up. WHen this happens you have to squeeze as much as possible to take up as little room as possible, check out some pictures or videos and watch how other players tuck in...sometimes I thing a yoga teacher would be proud...

Other then that, practice, practice, practice. The more you do something the faster you can do it. And playing Front is all about speed

[PaintballRemix]

Closing the Game

So you went ahead, did everything the way you were supposed to and now have a serious advantage and even better, time left on the clock. Now it's down to those hair raising moments, the last few plays of the game that decides who walks away victorious, and who walks away to go clean their gear. But just how do you do it? Let's take a look:

Communicate: By this stage of the game everyone left on your team should know where every one of their players is. There is no reason not to when it's down to only about 2 people. But you still need to keep the communication going. Even more-so now then before. The only way you can lose a 3 on 1 and sometimes even a 2 on 1 is if you don't communicate. If you work as a team then their one guy left has to deal with 3 of you. If you don't then he's just playing a game of 1 on 1. So make sure you know what your teamates are doing so that you can adjust accordingly.

Move together: Let's think about this. They have one guy left...you have 2. Logic would say that he can only shoot at one of you at a time. So move together. Get to opposite sides of his bunker and make your way down the field. Be sure to talk to let each otehr know who he is shooting at. No point in getting yourself eleminated if you don't have to.

The "V" and Pinch: As you head down the field shoot at his bunker from both sides. This will make a "V" of paint around his bunker, causing him to have to get tighter to his cover...as you move up the "V" gets shallower and he has less and less room to hide in, till he is either exposed, or is so tight that he can't return fire. Either way he is gone. But you have to do this at the same time as your teamate or he'll slip out from your grasp.

The Bunkering: Occassionaly some guy will be good enough to have your team locked down and the clock running out. This is when you have to make a move. I usually start prepping to make a final move when about 1 minute is remaining. It may sound like a lot of time, but it's not. Before you go let your backs know your making the move, or better yet, as a back player, order the move. Let whoever is playing back send a stream of paint at your target, this is usually enough to get someone to tuck into their cover and concentrate more on how to get back out then the sounds around them. Plus the sound of the paint on their bunker will muffle your feet. Also remember to always fill your pods to the top, there should be no room for the paint to shake as you run. Move quickly and quietly.
Now the big question is "What side do I go around", well your eyes and ears are your best weapon. Watch for plumes of CO2 smoke, or for streams of paint coming out a side. Or check to see if the air bunker is leaning a certain way. These are all signs that will give away a players position. If you have no signs...then always go around the right side. 90% of the world is Right handed so they will most likely be looking out their right side (your left).

Keep running: If it's the last guy left you just tooled then keep running. By instinct they will fire back before they call themselves out. So if you stand there gloating over your kill you'll prolly get one right to the pills, or worse, get called out on a mutual. So make sure your well out of his line of fire before you do your little dance.

Alone on the front lines: Alright, your alone, the last one on your team, and to make it even worse, your a front. You've had your head in the bunker all day and you have no clue where anyone is. First, calm down. Second, look for clues that won't expose you. My favorite is when I play a field with amature refs they will almost always stare at the player they are watching. So follow their eyes...Second, look for shadows, muzzle smoke or feet. Listen for shouts, gun firings, the works...use anything you can to get that information. Then prepare for the worst. Many people will try to simply bunker a front to end a game fast...well if your ready for them it's their mistake. Get back as far as you can from your bunker and go back on your knees, leaning back. It's uncomfortable but you now have a clean firing lane on both sides of your bunker. Someone comes to do you...well they won't be quite ready when they do see you, and that will be the last thing they see before their googles go green. Then snap away at your second target, but keep your ears open for anything that might signify more of his friends coming to follow suit.

The hang: Some events say that if a dead man hangs the flag then the team does not get the points. If this is the case make sure to have one of your teamates look you over before you hang. Do a spin, let him check you out (as long as you have time). If you don't then get two players to hang the flag together. This way if one of you is declared "Hit" the other one will have still hung the flag. But don't lose points waiting around. If your really pressed for time, just hang the thing and figure it out later.

Finishing a game is one of the toughest things to do. Your tired, your low on paint and air, and your down on bodies. So keeping your head and keeping in constant communication with your teamates can give you that fighting edge you need to make sure you can offer your opponent a towel to remember the event by, while you go pick up your trophy.