The Skill Gap (ohh yes its long)

[GT]

Background:
I have been playing for about 5 years now. I started playing in the woods at a really small feild. I, ofcourse, did the typical nnob steps from spyders to tippys to mags. The sametime I started playing woods I began playing speedball and love it. Played one local tourney and one first place.

Fast foward to AO-Txball. I took four guns with me up to DFW with me; Emag, RTP, Works Cocker, and a classic mag. I got the emag flashed, its a buds emag here in houston, and then proceeded to play a few games. I went up to DFW with full intetions to prove something to myself, I didnt need a firepower crutch to get elims. So for the remainder of the weekend I played solely with my classic mag, only mods are a 2x benchy and a ULT.

When I came back to houston, playing with and aganist some great guys on AO, my game had improved. So much so I sold my whole fleet of markers and purchased an RTP a month ago from tuna. Even with the RTP I still do pretty dam well, not to say its muppet mowing machine like an e/x.... but I was pulling more than enough guys off the feild.

The Skill Gap
Here is the problem, when I go out to play I dont get my moneys worth anymore. Meaning, for the most part, that Rec is not paying off for me in terms of increasing skill level.

As I can see it the only way I will get better is to jump into the tourney circuit, read here NOT CHEAP. Problem is I am not sure if I want to take paintball to that level yet. My big concern is burnout and being unable to enjoy paintball. TO be perfectly honest I could sell my viking, I dont even have yet, and play the rest of my rec days with a classic mag.

The Point
I have been struggling with this notion for a few weeks now and I didnt want to post on AO in fear of sounding like an e-badass. I would really like some advice from guys who have been playing for 5+ years on what they do to keep the game fun and challenging.

[kosmo]

Well theres several options. Ive been playing since 95, and one thing that got more and more appealing to me was getting a pump to play rec with. Its a great way to emphasize movement and agility in your game because even a 98 can outgun you, unless you get obsessed with upgrading your pump cuz you can get some that shoot very fast. Another thing I would reccomend is scrimmage against other teams in your area. Arrange a club or something of skilled players to go and practice against each other at a tourney skill level on a rec field. Another thing that would help, and many other people would appreciate, is to help the recballers at your field. Coach and assist them in getting better at their game so you have people closer to your level to play with. Heck, maybe you could even start a charge for lessons program that would help pay for more tourney ball. But theres plenty to do to improve yourself and vary your experiences.

[dave_p]

ive been playing since late 97. i go to the local indoor field on sundays and try to do what the previous poster suggested. i hang with the guys who would get tore up on pbn for being noobs and play against the big bad newbie bashers. i play with an A.I.R. valved minimag against anything, i dont care. i try to be as aggressive as possible and move as much as possible. when i get lit up, i figure out why and adjust to prevent the same situation from occuring again. believe it or not i do better against the older, more experienced players with better equipment most of the time. tournament players sometimes get caught up in these methods and drills and formulas. they almost see inside the box instead of outside. its predictable. you know where they are gonna lane and sweetspot. newbs see no box, they make it up as they go. its unpredictable.

certain individuals take themselves too seriously. im sure you see the type. all the kids and squids are ooohing and aaahing in hushed whispers as the "sponsored" guy/guys show up. the key is to play with them for a few games, get their mindset, and play against them the rest of the day and slaughter them.

[Carbon]

he Point
I have been struggling with this notion for a few weeks now and I didnt want to post on AO in fear of sounding like an e-badass. I would really like some advice from guys who have been playing for 5+ years on what they do to keep the game fun and challenging.

well, im at that point too, your best bet for self improvemnet, maybe is to hookup with a team member and see if you can run skirmishes. against their team.

[Tyger]

Play pump. It DOES improve your skills, and it WILL humble you when you realise how much paint you normally shoot.

Not to mention that there's no better feeling than when you snapshoot a guy with your SC Phantom in front of all his teammates. Never lives it down...

-Tyger

[eric]

Get a pump for rec.

I know what you mean though not much of the rec play around here is good. Try giving tips to up and coming players, help them improve, pretty soon theyll be shooting you.

Theres alot of good teams from texas, find one and get in on some practices with em.

[Digits]

step up and play tournies if you want to get better.. If there are no good local teams you can practice with that is your only choice...

And get a good group of guys on your team and you won't burn out..

[RusskiX]

As I can see it the only way I will get better is to jump into the tourney circuit, read here NOT CHEAP. Problem is I am not sure if I want to take paintball to that level yet. My big concern is burnout and being unable to enjoy paintball. TO be perfectly honest I could sell my viking, I dont even have yet, and play the rest of my rec days with a classic mag.

You won't know unless you try it! I say try tourney ball and see what happens. The worst thing is you get burned out after a year, sell all your stuff, and go back to the woods.

The bottom line is if playing competitive ball makes you happy, just do it. Personally, I've been playing since '89 and never had the urge to play tourney ball, because I'm satisfied by just running around the woods. It's all about enjoying the hobby. If you aren't having fun, do something different. Good luck!

[Fred]

Been there... but I got to the limit of my first gun about a year in... so I started playing pump...

4 years later...

I'm back to semi (still like the pumps... but needed a change again), and learning new stuff on top of my pump shooting skills.

---Fred

[LittlePaintballBoy]

I haven't been playing nearly as long as some of you guys, (I know some popele here have been playing for longer than I have been alive) but it still isn't as challenging as it used to be at my close field. You always get a few really good guys that either grind you into the ground or are on the same level as you, but my answer to it was just drive a little bit longer and go to my other local field where there is more competition. Or you could just ask a team if you can practice with them, but not be on the team roster. I hope i'm still playing for as long as some of these people have been, it's really cool.

[punkncat]

The Point
I have been struggling with this notion for a few weeks now and I didnt want to post on AO in fear of sounding like an e-badass. I would really like some advice from guys who have been playing for 5+ years on what they do to keep the game fun and challenging.

I can relate to what you are saying.
I have been playing ball for around the same amount of time. Often I find "Open" play/walk on games to lack the challenge I desire. Its not every Saturday or Sunday that enough of the experianced players will come and make you play your A game.
I mean it like this , you get loose playing with people who are not as good as you. If you do it often enough it will actually damage your "competitive" game. Thus why you don't see a great deal of tourney players participating in open play.
What happens is (generally) you get a bunch of newbies that come out to play , learn to play better , get caught up in the tourney scene , move on to that or get burned out and quit playing. In the meantime you have the regulars that just like to get a game on. Kinda like you or me......
.....to answer the question. I like to play hopper ball in open play. Just take one hopper of paint. Pick up all the "muppets" your team can stand. Make sure and keep one or two good guys to cover each other. Sit back and general the field of noobs against the other team. Take a few well placed shots from time to time to keep heads down, but using care not to use all the hopper. Its quite a challenge and a lot of fun.

[-=Squid=-]

Catch me on aim sometimes if you want. I could share a few words.

[GoatBoy]

I think I'm experiencing roughly the same thing as you, gtrsi.

I've been considering tournament play as well. My problem is that I really do not get along very well with most tournament players. I just can't deal with it. I don't know if this is just a Texas thing or if it's a tournament phenomenon in general.

A couple things I've been doing... Go out and play hopperball. Don't wear a pack. Drop back to a 50 round hopper. Try playing pump. If nothing else, it will reduce your paint usage. If you don't think you're getting your money's worth, you can always reduce the amount of money you spend

I also almost always join the team that gets stacked against.

One of the things I love to do is go out and try to make people (guys with electros in particular) waste paint -- like, play aggressively enough to make them shoot at you, but not aggressively enough to take them out quickly.


This is not unlike other sporting activities; if you have to train with someone who's less skilled than you, you can still benefit by limiting yourself and focus on one particular technique.

[AGDlover]

i lover working off myself and watching pros go at it to try different things. you really have to be open with yourself to get better when you get done playing go over in your mine what you did good and what you did bad. if you did something bad just don't do it again. if you do something good think bout adding some tricky little thing that would work as an advantage. watch the pros. watch there fourm and how they move up and watch out for eatch other. just the little thing you have to watch out for and if you aclomplish that you become better and better and you try new things and thats how you'll be better at what you do.

[Major Jam]

Another thing to try is 2 on 1 (you) and 3 on 1 (you) drills. That helps you in the end game and some times you can pull it out.