Source: Epic Games
With the release of Rocket League Sideswipe late last year, hundreds of new players are picking up the mobile game and its PC/console predecessor rocket league. Alright, let’s get to it.
This article covers:
- General tips for improving at Rocket League PC/Console
- Tips to get better at aerials
- Tips to get better at dribbling
- Tips for getting better at sideswipe
How to get better at Rocket League PC/Console
Because there isn’t much difference as far as what makes a good player on different platforms, we will do a few general tips for PC/Console together.
Tip #1: Have an objective-based mindset
You need to prep your brain for learning. Much like learning to drive a real car, learning Rocket League can be overwhelming. There are dozens of concepts, skills, and strategies you need to learn to get better at Rocket League.
If you try to focus on doing everything right all at once, you will stunt your growth. Welcome to an objective-based mindset. Pick one or two things to learn and spend dozens of games just focusing on getting better at those things. Once they become natural, rinse and repeat. We are eating an elephant here, so one bite at a time is the mantra.
Tip #2: Play. Play. Play.
The most important thing in Rocket League is positioning. Where you should be at what time and how much space you should give the ball. This is largely game sense, so you’ll develop it by pouring in the hours.
Beyond that, mastering each of the skills we mention in this article is no short task. It’ll take time. Just remember we are eating an elephant here, so one bite at a time is the mantra. Oh, and have fun...don’t forget to have fun.
Tip #3: Learn the essentials first
There are a million flicks, shots, and highly specific strategies, but knowing those won’t matter if you don’t know where you should be, can’t reach the ball, or don’t know how to hit it. We suggest going through all the games practice and drills before moving on.
After that these essentials should be your first learning objectives:
- positioning
- passing
- aerials
- boost management
- dribbling (ground)
- Half-flip/recovery
Tip #5: Get coaching if you can
There are a lot of great resources out there for free tips in Rocket League, but let's face it, the best way to get better is to get coaching. You can use an esports company like Vanta Leagues to find private esports coaching and team esports coaching for the game.
Since some of these are tricky to learn, we will give some tips on learning a few of the essentials right now.
How to get better at aerials
The most common problem for beginners is how to improve their aerials. The simple answer for this and any skill is to practice, but you are probably looking for more than that. Don’t worry, we got you.
Tip #4: Utilize Training mods and packs.
Training mods and packs are custom-built maps, exercises, and mods that allow for the repetitive practice of a singular skill. They are extremely useful and much more efficient at training almost any skill in the game.
Training mods and maps are for PC only. The easiest long-term way to add them in is to ,learn how to download and install Bakkesmod (one of the best mods for the game), which among many things will allow you to upload training maps from steam or use map codes from within the game screen. For aerials, redirect training and jump rings are some of the best maps for learning to control your car in the air.
On console, these mods are called training packs. They serve the same function as maps and mods on PC. These pack codes can be added by opening the game, navigating to Freeplay, and selecting custom training. ,Prejump is a great site for hunting down maps that focus on what you want to practice.
How to get better at dribbling
Source: Psyonix
Dribbling is a very useful tool and proficiency with it helps with overall ball control and spacing. Tip #4 (Training mods) applies here as well. The best map for training dribbling on PC is called dribble challenge, which you can find using Bakkesmod.
Additionally, for both dribbling and aerials, you should be using Freeplay.
Tip #5: Utilize Freeplay and car cam
These skills can be trained in Freeplay, but it requires concentration. It is very easy to become mindless in Freeplay and just score a bunch or run around. This won’t help you. You should be using Freeplay to set up very specific goals like recovering aerial control after a flip. Something else to think about is that a big part of dribbling is car-cam.
Switch off ball-cam and practice moving the ball around effectively on the ground. Practice when to switch between the two cams as well. If you are unsure what to do in Freeplay, looking up YouTube videos can help give you training ideas.
This brings us to our final tips, which are helpful no matter what aspect of rocket league you are learning.
Tip #6: Watch your replays and others
A lot is happening during the game, it is hard to remember mistakes or take away lessons while playing. Watching your replays enables you to spot where you missed your learning objective and where you did well.
Watching professional replays and putting yourself in their shoes can help you learn better decision making and game sense. Ball Chasing is a great site for professional replays.
Tip #7: Play in tournaments or a league
Tournaments put a different kind of pressure on things and can reveal weak aspects of your game. Leagues allow you to get on teams, improve your communication, and develop friendships. Nothing is better than having someone better than you look at your gameplay and walk you through what you could do better.
Leagues are something we do right here at Vanta for ages 8-18. The best part is it’s free. If you want to know more, check out our gamer’s page.
How to get better at Rocket League Sideswipe
While all these tips are great for Console or PC, not many of them apply to sideswipe. That is because sideswipe is a newer game. There aren’t a lot of training modules for it yet. For that reason, revisit tips 1 and 2. Focus on learning one thing at a time. Make sure the first things you learn are the essentials to make the process easier.
Some essentials for Sideswipe are:
- Defense (don’t double commit, keep the ball on the ground)
- Boost management (and learning to ceiling stall)
- Double jumps to play off of opponents
- 3 different types of shots (red, purple, gold)
Fin on Youtube has some pretty solid educational content on Sideswipe and a beginner’s guide that goes over the majority of the essentials.
Beyond that, Tip #3 is all-important. Play. Play. Play. Sideswipe is a new game, and thereby, the best strategies and styles for playing it are still being developed. So playing it is going to be the main way to learn. All games needed pioneers at one point. Play enough and, who knows, maybe you’ll be making the guides soon.
Want to learn more about Rocket League? Check out our Rocket League page for more info or schedule a private coaching session with one of our expert coaches. Also, check out our esports camps which we host periodically.
Garrett White lives in Houston Texas with the most amazing woman in the world, his wife. Any time he isn’t running D&D, playing video games, or reading a book, he is writing short stories and articles about one of those things.