subject: The Paintball Guide on Snap Shooting [print this page] The Paintball Guide on Snap Shooting The Paintball Guide on Snap Shooting
Snap shooting is the basic one on one skill required of any paintball player who expects to live. There are a few key components to snap shooting. Play as tight and compact as possible, be unpredictable, be smart, and think ahead.
Play Tight
Playing tight means sticking in close to your bunker and expose as little as possible every time you shoot. A balanced gun with drop forward is key, so make sure you have one on your paintball gun that is comfortable for you. Stay as close to the bunker as possible if you are not in a one on one situation. If it seems everyone AND the referee is shooting at you, don't position yourself directly behind the bunker with your chest facing it.
If the bunker allows, turn side ways so your chest points out to the left or right of the bunker (you are still behind it of course). This makes it so your butt and harness are not sticking so far back. Hopefully you will not become a victim of "pinching" (this will be discussed later). Shoot out of the left side of your bunker with your gun in your left hand. Shoot out the right side with your gun in the right hand.
The position you should be in, in most cases, is this: Shooting out the right side of the bunker, have your left knee up, and your right knee down on the ground. If you are coming out the left side, vice versa. This makes you more compact AND allows you to stand up and move much quicker than if you were playing on both knees.
If you do not have kneepads yet, get some! Behind your bunker, have your gun pointed where you want to shoot when you come out. DO NOT come out of your bunker with the gun pointed down, have it pointed towards the target. To shoot, lean your upper body out of the bunker, try not to let anything else show.
The smaller you make yourself the better. As you come out, you might want to start firing a second before your gun clears the bunker (do not do this on Sup'air, I have seen the ball bounce off the bunker and hit the guy right back in the goggles). If you shoot your bunker a few times on the way out, good. So you look a little silly, but if you come out firing, you are that much quicker. Depending on how fast you are on the trigger fire 3-6 shots and lean back in. FAST!
Chances are you will miss the first time. Take note of where the target is and repeat. If you in a one on one, things are a little different. Picture this, you are in a Sup'air ball bunker and your opponent is directly in front of you, about 30 yards. Why play tight against the bunker? Slide back a few feet while still staying in the bunker's cover. The benefits of this will be discussed next.
Be Unpredictable
I make it a habit not to come out the same side more than twice when I snap shoot. If you have to come out that same side, try to come out a little higher or lower in the bunker. In most cases if you haven't hit what you are aiming at by the second time you snap shoot, your accuracy sucks, and/or you need come out the opposite side of the bunker. Remember, if you shoot out the left, shoot left-handed. Your will be smaller. Make sure to vary things up.
Come out the right side a couple times, then come out the left to shoot. DO NOT be predictable. If your victim (that's how I think of them) knows you come out the right side all the time, he will shoot in the face next time you come out that side. A lesson can be learned here too. Watch what side your "victim" is coming out of.
If you know what he is going to do before he does it you have already won. Famous last words.. "I probably shouldn't be trading shots with this guy.." Typically your head jerking back and bright yellow goo dripping down you goggles follows this sentiment. If you can shoot the guy out, then focus on something else for a bit. If you can divert your attention look to the other side of the field and see what you can shoot on that side.
This is where most easy eliminations come from. Also remember never to shoot over the top. Well, never say never, but try to stay away from it. If your bunker leaves you no alternative, you probably shouldn't be in that bunker anyway. If you do need to shoot over the top, be as fast as possible, and don't fire more than 1-2 shots. Be as compact and tight as possible like this guy.
A tip: When you pop up fast to shoot over the top, take off your hopper before hand. You do not need to shoot more than a couple shots real fast, and the hopper is one of the first things people see when you poke your head up. Make yourself less of a target. To do this you will need an elbow with thumbscrews like the Vlbow. It is a lot easier to put your hopper back on this way. Let me stress the fact that shooting over the top is a no-no in most cases. If you can afford it time-wise, sit still for a minute. Listen to what is going on in the game. Then plan your move.
Be Smart
Do not take anything for granted on the field. If that guy in the back never does anything, do not count on him staying there. Don't ignore and forget about him. Now, if you decide to plan a couple moves in your head based on the fact that he is fat, lazy and sits in the back, that's cool. Do not do anything stupid.
Getting up and running down the tapeline or up the middle does nothing for your team if they do not know you are doing it. Tell your teammates what you are doing. Tell them you are going to shoot that fool out in front of you. Let them know what your attention is focused on. The more you know about what your teammates are doing, the better.
Do you need to win the game in the first minute? Don't go crazy and shoot your gun like Rambo at everyone thinking you can win the game. Being smart means being patient. Wait for the right time. It will come.
Think Ahead
If you are trading shots back and forth with some guy, don't expect one of your shots to get him out eventually. He is hoping just as much as you are that one of his balls will find its mark. Think ahead, plan out a couple moves. Perhaps this means thinking to yourself that you are going to pop out and shoot at him, stay out on him for a second after he moves back behind his bunker, and then you are going to move. Even better, think about bunkering him if you've got the guts and can pull it off (depends on the situation).
