How to Get Better at Paintball

How to Get Better at Paintball

Cristobal Cendejas, Contributor

If you have always wanted to experience the thrill of using a gun, paintballing is a safer version. And it is so much fun because it is messy, interactive, and heart-racing.

The question is: how to be efficient in it? The biggest takeaway is that you can’t be afraid of getting hit with paint. People who are new to the game tend to be in the habit of not taking a chance and stay hidden in the shadows, which defeats the purpose of even going paintballing.

Think of war. It is similar, but it is better and safer. You are in a battlefield and you will fail your team by not attacking (in paint) the enemy. If you are afraid, the opposite team will find opportunities to get ahead and shoot you. I promise that you will annoy your teammates because they are relying on you and you are not putting in the effort. It is okay to be anxious and nervous at the beginning, but don’t let it prevent you from enjoying paintballing.  National Paintball Tournament makes last stop at Gaelic Park before World Cup championship - Chicago Tribune

Also, very important, understand your paintball marker. You will win a thousand battles if you know how to work it. You have to check your tubes from any dirt in your paintballs because that causes your paintball gun to jam. Also be aware that if you are going to paintball in  a hot day, your paintballs can melt inside your hopper (the holder on top which contains your paintballs) and make your gun jam. The marker won’t work if the hopper is below the barrel of the gun which can also happen if you got your marker upside down.

One tip: use your senses to help you along the field. Most people tend to put their heads down when the match starts and hide in an unusual place. This happens to limit your chances of countering other players in the opposite team. In paintball, the less amount of field you get to see and look at the opponent, the less chance you have of beating your opponent. It is also a good technique to call out your opponents and let your teammates know where they are so that way your team does not get flanked.