It's the Little Things - A Rocket League Guide on Self Improvement

So, I should probably explain what I mean in terms of little things, right? Well over the past few months, I have climbed the ranks by adjusting slight aspects of my gameplay and this has helped me to become a generally better player. There are many articles surrounding mechanical skill such as ceiling shots, air dribbles, and other impressive features that we see engrained in professional play and although these are fantastic to read and to learn from, it is equally as important to adjust yourself on a smaller scale. Let's tackle a few of these, then.

Don't Always Retreat to Your Own Half for Boost.

Assuming that you and your teammates are pushing your opponents into their half, it may not be suitable to rotate all the way back to your own half for Boost. If you see a play that is happening in the opponent's half of the field, it is always a good idea, if you are running low on Boost or your tank is empty, to check the midfield Boosts if you are going to need a full 100 for the finishing aerial shot. 

By using the mid Boost, you are maintaining successful rotation while keeping offensive pressure on the enemy team. Alternatively, the small Boost pads are heavily underutilized. As opposed to rushing to a 100 Boost pad, it is often a good idea to simply grab a few smaller pads scattered around the map. The pads surrounding your goal can allow you to reach 72 Boost. This is more than enough to allow you to pull off that all important save. 

Professional player Mariano "SquishyMuffinz" Arruda conveys this concept very well and encourages players to use smaller Boost pads more frequently. Below is his video explaining how easy it is to gain a lot of Boost from small pads. The nine-minute mark shows this mostly.

(Credit to Squishy Muffinz on Youtube)

Positioning in Your Goal.

Although it might seem like the go-to position to save any and every incoming ball, being centered in your net can definitely have its downsides. Unless you are extremely confident in your own reaction times, you might want to try another approach.

If the play is happening from the left of the field, you will want to place your car to the right of the net, facing towards where the ball is approaching you. This way, no matter how good the opponent's placement on the goal is, you have a much better chance of saving it than if you were centered. This is because if you were in the centre of the net, the enemy could shoot the ball behind you, making it much more challenging to save. By being positioned close to the posts, the ball cannot slide behind you.

The same goes for plays happening on the right side of the field. Simply remain to the left of the net, observing the ball, and you will have an increased chance of rejecting a goal.

Shooting Versus Finding a Teammate.

When in a situation where you are in complete possession of the ball, there is a short time frame in which you must make a vital decision. Should you shoot the ball or look for a nearby teammate who may have a better angle on the net? If you strongly believe that you have a clear shot on target and the defenders are not going to intercept, taking a shot might be the preferred option here.

However, if there are defenders awaiting your move, do not just shoot the ball directly at them. Though this sounds like a silly thing to say, attackers often find themselves taking a shot directly at a defender, making the save very easy. Instead, look for a teammate! If your teammates have rotated effectively, there should be one other player nearby waiting for a pass. So hit the ball towards them, making it so that they have a much better opportunity to score than you do.

As you play more often, this decision will be made much more quickly, allowing the play to become more successful. At the end of the day, it is about knowing whether or not a shot would be appropriate in a certain scenario. 

Adjust your Camera.

If your game is feeling slightly off, perhaps try adjusting your camera settings. There are many settings that contribute to the camera including distance, angle, and FOV. These can make your game feel faster or slower. For example, a higher FOV with a longer distance will make the game feel much faster, whereas a smaller FOV and distance will slow the game down, which may be advantageous when making strategic plays as opposed to rushing the ball.

Your car is also a factor to think about when changing camera settings. For example, in an Octane, your camera may be better off being higher, so you can see clearly over your car. Opposingly, if you are using a Batmobile or Dominus, a lower height on your camera may be suitable. Basically, your camera height should reflect how tall your car is.

There are multiple possibilities with Rocket League's camera settings and it is just a case of making slight adjustments and testing them in Free Play mode while training. You will find that some will work for you and others really won't. Also feel free to check on the professionals' settings. Perhaps you will adopt their playstyle along with their settings.

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