TOP 20 PAINTBALL TIPS

1. Move: Moving as an individual or as a group is essential in paintball. You need to learn when to move, how to move, and you must keep moving all the time if possible. Move forward especially when your opponent doesn't see you. It's very important to not be afraid of moving up the field. If you’re scared and hesitate to move forward, even under fire, you could set yourself up for the enemy to close in and shoot you. You must keep them off-balance and the only way to do that is moving towards them.

2. Teamwork Wins: Some paintballers want to be the big superstar hero of the battle and that can get them, and you, messed up. If you actually want to win more times than you lose, focus on working and moving together as a team. Really cool looking moves and crazy out-of-control rushes will only make you look stupid and get you shot down.

3. Wear the proper clothes: Choose comfortable and breathable clothing. Knee pads, elbow pads, and gloves can protect you while crawling, but still let the player feel the ground and move around. Camouflage is great for paintball in the woods. In the rain, wear a cheap poncho (or a garbage bag) because everything's going to get dirty anyway - and paintballs tend to bounce off it! Avoid cotton clothing. It wicks away water and sweat, and precious body heat with it, leaving you shivering and miserable. Wear water repellent stuff, nylons, polypro, etc. Also, cover your head (with a baseball cap or skullcap), otherwise water and mist drips down the hair and into the mask and can blind you during the match. Go paintballing when the temperature outside is perfect, between 50-75F is great, like what you'll find in Spring and Fall. If it's too cold (under 40F) or too hot (over 85F) you can really fog up your mask or overheat or both.

4. Bring paper towels: On a rainy days, masks will eventually fog up - even the really expensive ones. That can be fixed with a quick wipe of a paper towel. But remember never remove your mask during the game. But if you have to clear your mask during the game, crouch behind a safe bunker and turn your back towards the action, and slip the paper towel under the mask and wipe up the fog without lifting the mask too much.

5. Play fair: When you get hit and the paintball explodes on your clothes, you're out of the match/game/battle - period. There's nothing more annoying to paintballers than players who keep playing and shooting after they've been hit, or behind the judges back. You won't become any better at paintball by cheating.

6. Low crawl: Make a code-word for crawls so the enemy does not figure out what you're doing. When crawling behind bunkers or in heavy underbrush, position your body as low on the ground as possible. You can move with your toes, knees, and forearms and keep your weapon in one hand at the ready. Keeping your butt down low will save you from being hit. Even though the low crawl is the hardest and slowest, it can make the difference between being hit or getting into a position to pick off someone else.

7. Get good paintballs: As you know by now, paintball can be expensive, but when you have to buy paintballs to play the game, get paintballs that fit. If your paint is round and not warped, and fits into the barrel snugly, then your accuracy will be good.

8. Scope Out the Battlefield: Walking around the field is not cheating, if you have time to do it. It's actually a smart idea. This will help you come up with the right strategy for attack or defense; know where the bunkers are, the angles, the holes, the trenches, the ditches and streams (if in the woods), etc. It will also give you an idea of where you can get hung up or hideout.

9. Don't Give Up: A good team strategy will almost always win against superior fire power and greater numbers. Even if you're surrounded and you're getting shot at, try to stay alive because anything can happen. The enemy will have a tendency to get cocky when they smell blood and will want to move in for the kill, but that may cause them to take a risky "out in the open" move and that could be the moment you even the odds with a controlled and accurate shot. So keep playing hard even if you find yourself alone and never lose your motivation and you could find the tables turning quickly in your favor.

10. Communicate: The more you and your teammates talk to each other during the battle the better you will do –whether it's shouting or using radios. Good communication will help you keep track of where on the field the opposing players are and it will help you coordinate attacks or defend. And even if the opponent you are trying to tag hears you, it's likely he doesn't know what you're going to do anyway. Paintball is not for individuals – it's a team sport.

11. Controlled Firing: A common first-time paintball player mistake is to fire first or fire in the general direction of the enemy, and aim later. In the military this is called "spray and pray". Really it just wastes paintball ammo and makes you look like an uncontrolled fool. The more you fire the more your opponent knows to move out of the way or behind cover. If you control and aim your shots you will get an accurate hit on your target.

12. Stay Alert: Tunnel vision is the tendency to keep your eyes and mind focused on the ground-level action. Bad idea. As you close in to an enemy base or flag, keep in mind they take risks too and even though getting into a tree takes away movement, it's not a bad strategy in order to protect the base flag. So look up as you approach a base or flag and you might see the enemy in the trees before they see you and it's an easy pick off.

13. Be patient: When you get to a new spot on the field, or move up to a bunker, do not give yourself away immediately by shooting. Stay down for a few moments. Try to slow yourself down because your adrenaline is pumping and it "feels" like time speeded up, but in reality, it is not. Be patient and relax and wait for your targets to appear or think about your next move before you just start blasting away. Take a moment to survey the field from your new angle, determine if any opponents are within range, or if there's a better position you can run to.

14. Situational Awareness: Don't focus your attention on any single thing, even if you think an opponent may be hiding there - watch out - another opponent may be flanking you. Be patient and scan can your surroundings for any movement, the flash of a weapon or mask – scan right, left, forward, and upward. Always look around you and take a moment to orient yourself and communicate anything you think can help your teammates from their position. Remember, every new position offers new images in your field of view and you need to let others know what's ahead.

15. Covering Fire: Covering fire is directional fire aimed at your opponent or the object your opponent is hiding behind. It forces your enemy to keep their heads down and allows your teammates to approach undetected and try to get a good position or shot. If the enemy lifts his head to fire at you, your opponent can take him out for you.

16. Element of Surprise: It's ok in paintball to take risks. When you're moving behind or around cover (brush, thickets, trees, etc) use it to your advantage to try and gain a better position on the enemy which will get you in a better spot to surprise them because they don't know where you are. The longer you can stay hidden and silent, the more chance you have to complete total surprise and force your enemy into a bad move.

17. Keep Your Eyes Open: (peripheral vision) Watch your flank (sides) and look for any openings in the enemy's flanks. If you can get into the opponent's flank, you can surprise them by picking them off like ducks in a row. Difficult move, but very possible. Look up Sergeant York from WWI.

18. Shoot Back: First-time paintballers sometimes freeze the first time the paintball hits them or the first time they hear a paintball whiz by their head. Don't get mad - get even and return fire. It's the only way to get your enemy to react to you, rather than you having to react to them.

19. When In Bunkers: Stay put. The bunker is a beautiful spot to fire from, so don't make the mistake of getting away from a perfectly built obstacle that protects you from being shot. Don't go out in the open unless you absolutely have to, that is, to move to another bunker forward of your position.

20. A Final Rush: At times, especially near the enemy base, it can be very beneficial to storm an opponent's flag if they are down to one person. Surprise and terror can be the key here. A fast rush from multiple sides can overwhelm the final player and although he may take one of you out, one will eventually win it.