How long does it take/has it taken YOU to go from newb to decent player?

[ScoobYSnax]

I've played about 5 times (2 times with my mag). I absolutely love it and I love my mag. The only problem is, I don't seem to be that good. Rental newbs seem to do just as well as myself. Is continuing to play the only way to get better?

Now, I was wondering what your experience has been from when you were beginning out to where you are now (or at least once you would consider yourself a pretty good player). Am I looking at 5 more times out at the field before I can start holding my own a lot more? 10 more times? A whole summer? A year?

Any thoughts are welcome, thank you!

[boss_automager]

At about my 6 time I could be a competitor.On my 23 or somI was a very good player.Now I'm on my 27th and dominating trust me you'll get good.;)

[Steve Crush]

as soon as newbs stop being scared of getting hit the better off they'll be


steve

[SlipknotX556]

I say about 6 months. In that time I played about 6 or so times not with a mag.

[HoppysMag]

4 LONG years..... i still consider my self a parcial newb.... im getting more agressive every day so next year i think il be "Decent" mabey 'Advanced Decent"


I started getting better when i got my mag.....im serious.

[Fred]

With my Semi, it took about 10 games, in the span of a little less than a year... the last big game I played Semi at was Alexander's Conspiracy in 2000, I got eliminated 3 times the whole day, with about 1 elim per 30 balls.... and I shot a case and a half...(whoah that's a ton of paint...)

with my pump... It's taken two years to get as many elims per game, but I have a lot more fun now, and i use about 5 balls per elim.

The problem now is people are starting to notice this... and I get ganged up on sometimes... bring it!

[AngelBoy]

I was a complete newb for about 2 years, then I started playing a lot more speedball with my brothers team and I got a whole lot better. Now they consider me part of their team, and I usually get 2-3 eliminations a game with them, and I play back. I have been playing for about 4 years.

[PAINTBALLA01]

for me probably about 8 times. steve is right. the biggest fear of a new b is getting hit. once you get over it you'll find yourself being more agressive

[FeelTheRT]

i'd say about 3-4 months if you play as much as possible ie 2x a week, 8x a month :).

But most people only play once a week so i'd say about 5 months.

[Quiet]

It depends on how fast you learn and how adaptable you are.

I've seen people do the same things over and over again getting horrible results. Others will pick out their mistakes every time they play and improve quickly.

My two pieces of advice - get aggresive
- play with people who are better than you are, you'll learn faster

[ScoobYSnax]

Thanks guys, keep it up. I"m fairly aggressive, but still working on it. I just hate making runs out in the woods with everyone and their brother just lying down in the trees waiting for me :)

[marley618]

It's a confidence thing too. You have to have lots of confidence to make a big advancement in the field (in speedball). Most new players sit at one bunker the whole time and shoot really long range shots. The better players advance and get good angles. So just experiment and have fun.

[Kaiser Bob]

I started playing about 7 yrs. ago. Ill let you know when i consider myself 'good' ;)

PS- Back in the day with my 'newb' tippmann, i was in much better shape and therefore 10x more aggressive (even turned a few regulars' heads!). I was a newb experience wise then, but a much better player than i am now haha; so time playing isnt everything.

[KamikazePenguin]

more or less when you start becoming aware of what's going on in the game you are not a "newbie" anymore. Then again, by standard definition, i've seen people do this from their first day or those that have been playing for years and still have no idea. I think the big turning point for a person is when they can logically follow the events of a given game they are in react to it with something other than "freeze" or "panic"

[MagDog68]

Well let's see, I am 26 now and I think I started playing when I was about 12 or 13 so its taken me that long. I still get shot all the time, so I guess I am not good.

I play this game for enjoyment, so rating myself would kill my appreciation for the game.

~Fred

[pumpamatic]

Hmm, I think it's all about confidence. I have like no confidence when I play huge wooded fields with bunkers, especially the first time. Playing a small wooded field, speedball, or hyperball, I have a lot of confidence. I just played a hyperball field I've never been on before today and had a lot of confidence, One game I took out 5 of the 7 on the other team. I think confidence for me is knowing where most people are, knowing some of the angles, and knowing where I can move. One thing to remember is always have a plan in mind and always keep your eyes open. Also, try picking up a paintball magazine and watch the better players on the field, you'll notice they run low and all-out, crawl with their rear down, don't expose very much out of a bunker, and hit their mark. I've shot a little over 10 cases of paint since I started, and from gathering information like this, my only problem is hitting my mark. I would have a lot more kills if I could win those firefights by hitting my mark. Just remember, win, lose, bunkered, or shot by the guy who payed 10 times more for his gear, everyone should be there for a good time.

[Steve Crush]

#1 usually yer angle shot is gonna take you out over a mirror shot
#2 always think about where you are goin b4 you go there " ok i wanna go here if i go here who's gonna have a shot on me? am i gonna have a better shot on him? or is that bunker a death trap?" you havta think in advance
#3 don't be intimidated with all the fast shootin guns... just last week i was taken out buy a handpaintball gun, cause noone worried about him.
#4 be vocal with yer team tell them where the other team is, ask them to cover you while you move to a bunker, yell to them when you see one of the other guys get shot.
#5 BE NICE TO NEWBS!!!



steve

[magatron]

i've ben playing for nearing 3 and a half years, and i have no idea what to say what i am. i think a whole lot of things contribute to it as well.
the best way to become good, or might i even say, great, take risks, and use every oppertunity as a learning one. taking risks is best way to get better, and definatly playing aginst other players better than yourself, is the way to get better, cause you'll play few games with some turny teams, i had the misfortune to play in a game or 3 with the brass egle allstars, who were actually quite rude for their stand point and even more so making fun of a kid who was using a rapter and a nother using a blade, but once you get back from that, you'll have seen how a proteam(with them that is a laughable statment, being as they used a case of paint in one game aginst us) works and how they have that unity.

[Gunga]

I've been playing since '86...am i still a noob? :D

[a person]

1.dont be afraid of getting hit
2.be agressive
3.play against a better team as much as possible
4.take as many tips as possible from, as you might consider, better teams
5.JUST PLAY!!!

if you do all of those, in i say about 6 months you will be a whole lot better than when you started out. also remember dont dump all your money on guns. This is why the mag is a great gun because it is cheap, fast, easy to take care of, (insert praise here), and that means more money for playing which is the crucial part of the sport. I learned that like a few times after i played. just get a good barrel, nitro, rev, drop, and you are set. Remember, dont be afraid, the welps will go away:)

[rjvemt1]

i would suggest a few things; first, loose your tunnel vision, the guy your shootin at is not the only guy shootin at you! watch the bottom corners of bunkers, people leave their feet and butts hangin out alot, and a hit there counts. if somebody is shooting through a hole in their bunker then that hole is big enough to shoot into also(aim is VERY critical for this one so). dont pop out of a bunker to shoot in the same place all the time someone will pick up on the pattern. and the last thing ill say is ref ref ref, voluteer(how bad do you want to be good?) or get a part time job reffing at your field. spend every saturday for a summer reffing for 8 hours a day and get in there, watch the players. learn what tecneques work then try them on sunday when you play.

[MrAirgunRT]

When you stop posting stuff that really shows your a complete newb :rolleyes:
Anyway I have been playing for 2 years and a half almost. ALL I play is tournament ball and practice for tournament ball. I play about every weekend, sometimes every other weekened. But it is all according to how often you play, and who you have to teach you how to play.

[Creative Mayhem]

Have confidence

Stay tight, stay low

take your hits and learn from them.

Stay aware of the entire field, don't get tunnel vision


Creative Mayhem

[FutureMagOwner]

my 3rd time playing i was a force to be recconned with and still am

[~Backdraft~]

well i'm goin on my 4th year this year and i still dont think i'm very good, lol...:rolleyes: oh well. Just get out and play as much as you can and it will come quicker to some than others...it all really depends on the competition you have at your fields and how often you play.

[MrMag]

well, if it is speedball, look how ppl r set up on both teams before the game starts. if it is in the woods, go behind a group of decent players, and watch how they approach things. that is how i learned, and i would call myself good now. u have to be paying attention to everything around u. also to get ur accuracy down, go into ur backyard, and fire about 200 or so rounds, and get ur grip and everything workin.

best words of advice i can give...summed up: before u advance, make sure u know what is happening around u