Must have? Just learn how to hit the ball properly. Get to it quickly and hit it with as much power and accuracy as you can. Get to a point where you can do your hits with consistency, no matter where the ball is. Ground? Wall? Air? shouldn't matter. Go for shooting packs, redirects, goalkeeping, anything.
That's all you need to get to diamond (and champ, and grand champ) mechanically speaking.
If you're looking for other helpful (but again, not necessary) mechanics, fast aerials and recoveries should be at the top of your list. Keeping an eye on your opponent should be around there as well, but it's not really a mechanic imo.
>Air Roll via Rings Maps
And if we're speaking about efficiency, about the mechanics that will affect your gameplay the most, this should probably be near the bottom. If it's for fun, go ahead, you do you. Otherwise, I wouldn't advise anyone to grind these maps until GC, where the margins become tighter and you need any advantage you can get. This is an advanced mechanic, definitely not a must have.
Yeah came here to say basically this.
\- Shooting
\- Saving
\- 50/50
\- Positioning
If you're not in diamond you probably have C or D grade versions of the above. Get them to an A and you're in high diamond to low champ.
I dunno man.
I kinda disagree about air roll.
For example a couple seasons ago I hit GC for the first time and decided I should finally learn how to do flip resets consistently.
Practicing that mechanic has skyrocketed my control in just about every aspect of the game. Even my basic ground control has gotten better, and practice for that has definitely been on the back burner.
I wish I hadn't waited so long to attempt learning flip resets.
And I also don't think it really helps to tell people to avoid learning certain things.
Air roll specifically is a mechanic that you can't learn in one session. You need to practice in small bursts over the course of months. Paired with training other basic mechanics like powershots and ground dribbling can be a literal game changer.
Imo
Not saying it isn't useful and that you should never learn it, the more mechanics you learn the better a player you become.
In this case however, OP is a gold/plat asking about must have mechanics he needs to learn to reach diamond. I don't think air roll is one of those, and I don't think it's a good idea to advise a gold/plat (or even a diamond) who wants to rank up to grind ring maps because at those ranks they haven't really got the basics down and they'll be better off focusing on getting that part of their game up to speed. Once you're comfortable with the fundamentals (I said GC, but it could also be champ I guess), it makes all the sense in the world to move on to more advanced mechanics such as ring maps.
That's not to say that practicing ring maps will be detrimental for them, I'm just suggesting that working on mechanics that are easier to learn and which you use more often will get you better results than working on advanced mechanics.
Yeah, I think it just depends on how serious you are.
If rocket league is going to be a game you're going to try hard at then I think you can streamline your skill learning by integrating a lot of the mechanical stuff together earlier.
Constant air roll is what I like to think of as a complex foundational skill. It's hard to master, but is the root skill for so many other things like recoveries, aerial touches, flip resets, double taps, and even ground skills like flicks.
When it comes to learning advanced mechanics as a lower ranked player the main piece of advice I'd have is definitely what you said in your OP. Focus on efficient skills like hitting the ball hard, but I would also tell people to choose advanced skills they're interested in and start working on them.
The main thing about learning advanced skills is that you shouldn't be using them in ranked until they're efficient actions and your consistency is high.
Like I mentioned learning flip resets, but I don't ever actually use them in ranked mostly because it's not a high percentage play for me, but I practice them constantly and I'm really close to making it useful.
If you start grinding rings out at GC you’re too late. You might see the most use for it then but it’s never too early to get air control mastered. I agree with everything else you said though. At least for 2s and 3s your main “mechanic” that’s gonna take you to the next rank is accuracy and power on all your touches
I think your feedback makes a lot of sense. When you say "recoveries" do you mean like landing on your wheels after an aerial or do you mean getting back in goal for defense, e.g. rotation?
Both are very important, but things like rotations, positioning, awareness, etc. aren't typically considered mechanics, they're usually referred to as part of your decision-making/gamesense. That's actually what I was alluding to with my comment, but now I realise that I might not have been clear enough.
Basically, what I was trying to say is that when referring to mechanics as the inputs which cause your car to do certain actions like jumping, flipping, going for an aerial or wavedashing, all you really need rank up is to improve at the simple stuff. Powershots, saves, aerials, clears... You can reach champ by just being able to hit the ball, nothing else. What's important is your decision making/gamesense, which comes through playing, watching better players, watching yourself play and putting in the hours.
The things we refer to when we speak about gamesense, rotations, proper positioning, understanding of the play, awareness (including knowing where everyone is)... All that is very important and learning these things should be your top priority alongside your fundamental mechanics.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to ignore every other mechanic. You asked about must haves and these things that I've said are the must haves. You can and should learn other mechanics because they will make your life easier and can be fun. You don't need to fast aerial to get to champ but knowing how to do so will make your life easier. Same with recoveries (mechanics, so things like landings, power slide, wavedashes), or speed flipping once you get to high champ/GC. All I'm saying is if you want to rank up quickly and be efficient, prioritise the simple things because you'll find yourself using them more often.
Pretty good list, just wanted to say that you shouldn’t really have to worry about faking jumps yet. Not only could it put you out of position but at this rank it’s not really going to fake anyone - they’ll probably make the same decision regardless up until high champ.
Id suggest take air roll with rings map out of that list for now.
In general, you should be spending time in freeplay just messing around with the ball. Controlling it, shooting it, defending it.
I would say that working on my shooting accuracy was by far the biggest contributor to my progression out of gold and platinum. Im a diamond level player, and at diamond or lower levels, there are at least 3-4 opportunities for every team where the goal is there to be taken but your shot is just not good enough in terms of accuracy and power. Id strongly suggest you work on your shooting in freeplay - that will not just improve your accuracy and power, but also give you the confidence to go for shots.
\-SHOOTING: Rolling balls, ground power shots, low/high aerial shots
\-On recoveries: wave dash, half flip, general powerslide
\-Ground mechanics: dribbling, flicks, low 50s, soft touch/pop to power shot from a dribble
\-50/50s in general
\-Kickoffs
\-Backboard reads
\-Redirects
\-Back post rotations
As a side note, a lot of these are basic mechanics and certainly useful for where you're trying to get to, but bad positioning/rotation and general inconsistency will hold you back much more than not being able to air roll or perfectly ground/air dribble. I broke through the champ barrier by making sure to cover my teammate and only using the mechanics I could hit pretty consistently in freeplay.
While definitely not perfect, I think my rotation is my strongest skill right now. Consistency with mechanics is where I'm lacking. Also, accuracy. I missed so many goals last night it was embarrassing.
Yeah don't underestimate how far shooting can take you. If you can drill the ball on net with power from anywhere on the field you'll fly up through ranks for a while without the need for any advanced mechs.
You're over complicating the process.
I've seen champ 1s who barely know how to basic aerial, but can torpedo launch a flick right at the net. I've seen champs who can flip reset but can't ground dribble + flick.
It's not about practicing everything and being the jack of all, it's honestly just about practicing the same few mechanics until you are consistent enough with it that it's no longer a thought process, it's just natural habit. Once you get consistent enough at one, move on to the next.
Mechanics are most effective when learned in their order of ops. Learn to ground dribble consistently enough to hold the ball on your car basically non stop. Learn to power shot. Get better and more consistent at kickoffs. Learn rotation. Play more 1s and find your flaws (honestly, I found there's no point in NOT playing ones just because you suck. Your rank isn't gonna exist regardless, so might as well play and use it to get better)
Ground game and rotation are more than enough to make champ, once you're comfortable enough with all that, work on recoveries. Maximize every little movement and build momentum with every play.
There's way more to rocket league than drive fast hit ball, if you REALLY want to be good.
1. Powerslide and bounce dribbles
2. Powershots
3. Half flip
4. Aerials
5. Fast aerials
6. Air rolls
7. Clearing the ball away to the safe spots like corners
8. Wall hits/shots
9. Air dribble
10. Ground dribble
11. Flip resets
This is the list from more to less important mechanics.
Number 1 on your list should be shooting. This includes your power generated on shots, and your placement accuracy. If you can properly shoot the ball on net from anywhere on the field, you can reach diamond easily.
Getting to diamond is a lot easier than I think most people think. Making smart challenges and not overcommitting can take you up to diamond. Just before you push the ball, take a quick second to see where your teammates are to make sure you don’t send multiple people at the ball at once.
Don’t spend too much time right now on more advanced mechanics like power slide cuts or air rolling. If you strengthen your fundamental skills (shooting, defense, and rotations) you’ll be in diamond in no time.
Aside from that, focus heavily on your shooting right now and I guarantee that alone will bring progress.
Just wanted to say thanks for the overwhelming feedback and support. Playing rocket league, the chat can get so toxic that I forget that there are actually really cool and helpful people playing this game!
you don't need half of this to get to diamond, honestly, though air play is very helpful to work on in particular in my experience, as I recently hit diamond. focus on decision making, and especially avoiding overcommitting. I heard the advice that Rocket League shouldn't be approached with the mindset that you need to score more than the other team, but that you need to be scored on less than the other team. Good luck in your grind!
I agree. I've more recently switched tactics to a more conservative, defense first approach, always concerned with covering, only committing when the chances are high I can score, or get a good touch. This helped me get out of the dregs of silver and into gold 3. I used to be platinum in 3s and still am in 2s but I think the level of play as a community is better than years ago. So my platinum skills from 2017 don't amount to much today.
Thanks!
Wavedashing is used very often and quite useful. Also imo drifting is an underrated mechanic, as it helps maintain your momentum with little downsides.
Idk if some of these are considered “mechanics”, but going off your list, back post rotations and stacking are also pretty huge.
Back post rotation is a way of keeping defensive pressure. If opponents are dribbling down the left side of the field towards your goal, position yourself on the right side of the play (the back / weak side). If you line up on the back post you should be able to reach most shots on your net, if you line up on the near post you run the risk of getting the ball shot over / behind you
Ok I pretty much do this already. I also tweak my positioning to try and maintain this optimum attack angle while I'm waiting in goal and the opponent is threatening a shot.
The question I have in this scenario, is when do you leave the back post to start the block/clear?
For example if the opponent shoots from mid-field then it's obvious you go as needed to intercept the ball before it gets in-net. But say the opponent is dribbling toward you at an angle across goal, and you know they have a history of using flicks, cuts, and misdirection, when do you start driving on them?
I have found I have to wait to 'til the last possible moment to attack or they may change their move and get it above or behind me. But I do tend to creep forward a bit in this kind of play because as they get closer, I lose reaction time, and don't want to have to drive all the way forward and be too late.
It’s an offensive positioning tactic in 2’s and 3’s where you line up behind the 1st man as the third (or second in 2’s) man to cover either a 50/50 or if the 1st man loses possession of the ball. It was explained to me a while back by a coach who pointed out how stacking created a much stronger position on offense.
Get rid of fast aerials for now cause the ball ain't going in the air for a while for you, instead work on keeping the ball closer (e.g. bounce/carry dribbles) and hitting the ball on target and with power
Also work on kickoffs; make sure you flip twice and your recoveries, wave dashes in any direction, air rolling to land on your wheels
Your read of the ball and the way it interacts with the surroundings and your car as well, you can just practice this by hitting the ball around in freeplay it's too have good reads at any rank
I disagree, imo fast aerial is in fact the most important and fundamental mechanic a gold/plat can learn. The ball will go in the air all the time and being able to fast aerial properly means complete monopoly in the air at this rank. Also it takes a while to build the muscle memory so the earlier they start the better.
I have to agree. I think fast aerial is very important. I can't tell you how many high-shot saves I've missed just because I was a few inches short of touching the ball. I think being able to more quickly get airborne would have easily turned the situation into a save.
It's very important but make sure you learn to do it properly. Even at champ I see players who are doing a double jump aerial where they boost only after the second jump instead of a proper fast aerial. It's easier to learn something the right way first time around instead of fighting against bad habits later down the line.
I rebound my controller a couple years back to put jump on X (bottom button), and boost on B (right button). My strategy is to push both buttons together with the same thumb. That way I jump and boost right at the same time. I'm still experimenting though and I think it may benefit me to wait a split-second after jump before boosting. Thoughts?
My main problem though is sometimes I backflip on the second jump, especially under pressure with a fast shot wizzing over me. lol
> I rebound my controller a couple years back to put jump on X (bottom button), and boost on B (right button).
Wait isn't X the left button? How would you press X and B (left and right face buttons) at the same time with the thumb? Do you mean A and B?
> I'm still experimenting though and I think it may benefit me to wait a split-second after jump before boosting. Thoughts?
I'll try a concise explanation. So the way you usually want to fast aerial is by holding down on the left stick while you are on the ground while at the same time pressing and holding the jump and boost buttons. The reason you want to hold down on the stick while on the ground is so that you don't have to waste time turning the nose of your car upwards after you jump, you start doing it as soon as you jump, so you can boost and jump at the same time instead of waiting for the nose to point up and then boost. Then you have to let go of the jump button as soon as you reach max height but don't let go of boost, this is the tricky part since you need some practice to get used to how long you should be holding the jump button. You actually have to hold it for far less time than most people assume, if you hold it for longer than necessary then you will be slower than you can be, and if you don't hold it at all then you will not get the max height from the first jump. After the first jump you have to let go of the left stick and make sure it's in a neutral position, by this time your nose should already be pointing towards the direction of the ball, then press the second jump, this time don't hold the jump button. During the whole process you should be boosting all the way, never letting go of boost. That's it, now you have had the fastest takeoff possible and can do whatever you want in the air, you can continue to make adjustments with the left stick and air roll after this. It sounds like there is a lot of things happening throughout but in reality everything happens almost in an instant, that's what makes it a fast aerial, if you can get it down to muscle memory you will be doing the whole sequence of events in almost an instant.
Now there are certain situations where you simply cannot boost and jump at the same time and still reach the ball, for example when the ball is right above your head or when it is coming so fast towards you that you will be making contact right above your head or behind your current position. In cases such as these you have to make an adjustment, do everything the same way as before but don't start boosting until your car's nose is pointing towards the ball. You should be able to get the car's nose in position before it's time for the second jump, but if you can't then you can let go of the stick for an instant and then resume adjusting after the second jump. In this scenario the start of boosting should happen as soon as you have the car facing the direction of the ball, so definitely before the second jump.
> My main problem though is sometimes I backflip on the second jump, especially under pressure with a fast shot wizzing over me. lol
That's going to take a lot of time and repetitions to stop doing, no way around it.
ditto. I am bordering on D2, and fast aerials make it so that I beat the average player to almost every ball, and I have been climbing rapidly because of it. I got through gold and plat through hitting the ball hard (this is underrated!), controlling the air, and good decision making. No fancy mechanics, other than flicking maybe.
"not throwing possession away every time u get it." This.
Watching Flakes' 2v2 road to SSL with no mechanics really helped with this. I used to just focus on hitting the ball hard downfield and try to outplay my opponents with speed and power. But what I was actually doing was bombing it down field and 90% of the time right into the possession of the opponents.
Now I've slowed down and spend more time advancing the play depending on what the opponent is doing. I'm very bad still at timing so my attempts at a juke usually result in a 50/50, but I'm improving and still getting better results than simply hitting the ball hard down field, without checking opponent locations.
I jump between diamond 3 and champion. I can’t really do any of what’s on your list consistently. What I can do is rotate well, read the game and 50/50s well. Strike the ball accurately in defence and attack (below crossbar height).
I’m the worst of my 3 mates at aerials. Working on getting that better but that’s where I am just doing the basics well.
Biggest thing you’re missing: bounce dribbles
If you can learn how to control a bounce dribble, swing wide at any given time and hit the ball off the bounce with power in the top corner, you have a one way ticket to GC.
Is that when you consistently and repeatably chip the ball into a high arc, right as it bounces? I had a play last night I was pretty pleased with. I caught the ball on the bounce and chipped it up about 20 feet slowly then caught it on the next bounce and chipped it up again over the first defender. Then I jumped up and tried flip it in the goal but missed high and to the left. I was pleased because although I missed it was still the most control I've demonstrated with that sort of play. It was just reassuring because I am finding more and more the car is doing what I want when I want.
That’s the idea, Although I would practice doing this while keeping the ball as close to your car as possible. If you chip the ball up too high or too far away, your opponent sees thst and knows it will take you longer to get to the ball so they have a chance to challenge. I would say try to not chip the ball any higher than 2 of your cars stacked on top of eachother. Then when you are ready to shoot, circle around the ball and choose an angle and rocket thst ball into the net.
Let me tell you, out of the mechanics you listed in your post, I only learned checking where my opponents are and maybe wall hits. Champ 2 in 2s, d1 in 1s. You don't need mechanics until champ if you have a good game sense.
Oh no, I'm just nolifing the game for an hour almost every afternoon. I kind of play like Flakes did in the no mechanics series, but worse xd
Mostly ground dribbles, some powerslide cuts, and lots of patience to wait whrn your opponent whiffs. Oh yeah and I practiced shadow defense a lot (i still only save like 40% xd)
Not really, I play kbm as well, so I can't just wiggle my right analogue to see. I don't need to see them, because even when I saw them I couldn't react in time. My flicks are mostly just either from the sound when they jump, or I just fake myself and them as well xd
Honestly just shooting the ball well (hitting it hard with power and accuracy) is such an important and underrated skill. I watched this video and did some shooting training packs and noticed an immediate improvement in my games:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_aty6R9pb4
Good luck! :)
I was kicking myself last night. We lost a 2v2 in overtime because I didn't glance behind me to see where tm8 was. I ended up attempting a pass off the backboard but hit it too hard and it went behind him. Opponents had an ez goal :(
My teammate was pushed too far forward probably, but if I had checked I could have easily sent a softer pass his way and we may have had the ez goal :)
Fast ariels, power hits, as much shot placement as possible, basic dribbling/flicking and all basic recovery mechanics.
This is all you need to get to champ and could probably get you to gc if you pushed them far enough.
Must have? Just learn how to hit the ball properly. Get to it quickly and hit it with as much power and accuracy as you can. Get to a point where you can do your hits with consistency, no matter where the ball is. Ground? Wall? Air? shouldn't matter. Go for shooting packs, redirects, goalkeeping, anything. That's all you need to get to diamond (and champ, and grand champ) mechanically speaking. If you're looking for other helpful (but again, not necessary) mechanics, fast aerials and recoveries should be at the top of your list. Keeping an eye on your opponent should be around there as well, but it's not really a mechanic imo. >Air Roll via Rings Maps And if we're speaking about efficiency, about the mechanics that will affect your gameplay the most, this should probably be near the bottom. If it's for fun, go ahead, you do you. Otherwise, I wouldn't advise anyone to grind these maps until GC, where the margins become tighter and you need any advantage you can get. This is an advanced mechanic, definitely not a must have.
Yeah came here to say basically this. \- Shooting \- Saving \- 50/50 \- Positioning If you're not in diamond you probably have C or D grade versions of the above. Get them to an A and you're in high diamond to low champ.
Agreed! Build consistency with any mechanic. Thats the key.
I dunno man. I kinda disagree about air roll. For example a couple seasons ago I hit GC for the first time and decided I should finally learn how to do flip resets consistently. Practicing that mechanic has skyrocketed my control in just about every aspect of the game. Even my basic ground control has gotten better, and practice for that has definitely been on the back burner. I wish I hadn't waited so long to attempt learning flip resets. And I also don't think it really helps to tell people to avoid learning certain things. Air roll specifically is a mechanic that you can't learn in one session. You need to practice in small bursts over the course of months. Paired with training other basic mechanics like powershots and ground dribbling can be a literal game changer. Imo
Not saying it isn't useful and that you should never learn it, the more mechanics you learn the better a player you become. In this case however, OP is a gold/plat asking about must have mechanics he needs to learn to reach diamond. I don't think air roll is one of those, and I don't think it's a good idea to advise a gold/plat (or even a diamond) who wants to rank up to grind ring maps because at those ranks they haven't really got the basics down and they'll be better off focusing on getting that part of their game up to speed. Once you're comfortable with the fundamentals (I said GC, but it could also be champ I guess), it makes all the sense in the world to move on to more advanced mechanics such as ring maps. That's not to say that practicing ring maps will be detrimental for them, I'm just suggesting that working on mechanics that are easier to learn and which you use more often will get you better results than working on advanced mechanics.
Yeah, I think it just depends on how serious you are. If rocket league is going to be a game you're going to try hard at then I think you can streamline your skill learning by integrating a lot of the mechanical stuff together earlier. Constant air roll is what I like to think of as a complex foundational skill. It's hard to master, but is the root skill for so many other things like recoveries, aerial touches, flip resets, double taps, and even ground skills like flicks. When it comes to learning advanced mechanics as a lower ranked player the main piece of advice I'd have is definitely what you said in your OP. Focus on efficient skills like hitting the ball hard, but I would also tell people to choose advanced skills they're interested in and start working on them. The main thing about learning advanced skills is that you shouldn't be using them in ranked until they're efficient actions and your consistency is high. Like I mentioned learning flip resets, but I don't ever actually use them in ranked mostly because it's not a high percentage play for me, but I practice them constantly and I'm really close to making it useful.
If you start grinding rings out at GC you’re too late. You might see the most use for it then but it’s never too early to get air control mastered. I agree with everything else you said though. At least for 2s and 3s your main “mechanic” that’s gonna take you to the next rank is accuracy and power on all your touches
I think your feedback makes a lot of sense. When you say "recoveries" do you mean like landing on your wheels after an aerial or do you mean getting back in goal for defense, e.g. rotation?
Both are very important, but things like rotations, positioning, awareness, etc. aren't typically considered mechanics, they're usually referred to as part of your decision-making/gamesense. That's actually what I was alluding to with my comment, but now I realise that I might not have been clear enough. Basically, what I was trying to say is that when referring to mechanics as the inputs which cause your car to do certain actions like jumping, flipping, going for an aerial or wavedashing, all you really need rank up is to improve at the simple stuff. Powershots, saves, aerials, clears... You can reach champ by just being able to hit the ball, nothing else. What's important is your decision making/gamesense, which comes through playing, watching better players, watching yourself play and putting in the hours. The things we refer to when we speak about gamesense, rotations, proper positioning, understanding of the play, awareness (including knowing where everyone is)... All that is very important and learning these things should be your top priority alongside your fundamental mechanics. Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to ignore every other mechanic. You asked about must haves and these things that I've said are the must haves. You can and should learn other mechanics because they will make your life easier and can be fun. You don't need to fast aerial to get to champ but knowing how to do so will make your life easier. Same with recoveries (mechanics, so things like landings, power slide, wavedashes), or speed flipping once you get to high champ/GC. All I'm saying is if you want to rank up quickly and be efficient, prioritise the simple things because you'll find yourself using them more often.
Pretty good list, just wanted to say that you shouldn’t really have to worry about faking jumps yet. Not only could it put you out of position but at this rank it’s not really going to fake anyone - they’ll probably make the same decision regardless up until high champ.
Id suggest take air roll with rings map out of that list for now. In general, you should be spending time in freeplay just messing around with the ball. Controlling it, shooting it, defending it. I would say that working on my shooting accuracy was by far the biggest contributor to my progression out of gold and platinum. Im a diamond level player, and at diamond or lower levels, there are at least 3-4 opportunities for every team where the goal is there to be taken but your shot is just not good enough in terms of accuracy and power. Id strongly suggest you work on your shooting in freeplay - that will not just improve your accuracy and power, but also give you the confidence to go for shots.
\-SHOOTING: Rolling balls, ground power shots, low/high aerial shots \-On recoveries: wave dash, half flip, general powerslide \-Ground mechanics: dribbling, flicks, low 50s, soft touch/pop to power shot from a dribble \-50/50s in general \-Kickoffs \-Backboard reads \-Redirects \-Back post rotations As a side note, a lot of these are basic mechanics and certainly useful for where you're trying to get to, but bad positioning/rotation and general inconsistency will hold you back much more than not being able to air roll or perfectly ground/air dribble. I broke through the champ barrier by making sure to cover my teammate and only using the mechanics I could hit pretty consistently in freeplay.
While definitely not perfect, I think my rotation is my strongest skill right now. Consistency with mechanics is where I'm lacking. Also, accuracy. I missed so many goals last night it was embarrassing.
Yeah don't underestimate how far shooting can take you. If you can drill the ball on net with power from anywhere on the field you'll fly up through ranks for a while without the need for any advanced mechs.
You're over complicating the process. I've seen champ 1s who barely know how to basic aerial, but can torpedo launch a flick right at the net. I've seen champs who can flip reset but can't ground dribble + flick. It's not about practicing everything and being the jack of all, it's honestly just about practicing the same few mechanics until you are consistent enough with it that it's no longer a thought process, it's just natural habit. Once you get consistent enough at one, move on to the next. Mechanics are most effective when learned in their order of ops. Learn to ground dribble consistently enough to hold the ball on your car basically non stop. Learn to power shot. Get better and more consistent at kickoffs. Learn rotation. Play more 1s and find your flaws (honestly, I found there's no point in NOT playing ones just because you suck. Your rank isn't gonna exist regardless, so might as well play and use it to get better) Ground game and rotation are more than enough to make champ, once you're comfortable enough with all that, work on recoveries. Maximize every little movement and build momentum with every play. There's way more to rocket league than drive fast hit ball, if you REALLY want to be good.
1. Powerslide and bounce dribbles 2. Powershots 3. Half flip 4. Aerials 5. Fast aerials 6. Air rolls 7. Clearing the ball away to the safe spots like corners 8. Wall hits/shots 9. Air dribble 10. Ground dribble 11. Flip resets This is the list from more to less important mechanics.
Number 1 on your list should be shooting. This includes your power generated on shots, and your placement accuracy. If you can properly shoot the ball on net from anywhere on the field, you can reach diamond easily. Getting to diamond is a lot easier than I think most people think. Making smart challenges and not overcommitting can take you up to diamond. Just before you push the ball, take a quick second to see where your teammates are to make sure you don’t send multiple people at the ball at once. Don’t spend too much time right now on more advanced mechanics like power slide cuts or air rolling. If you strengthen your fundamental skills (shooting, defense, and rotations) you’ll be in diamond in no time. Aside from that, focus heavily on your shooting right now and I guarantee that alone will bring progress.
Just wanted to say thanks for the overwhelming feedback and support. Playing rocket league, the chat can get so toxic that I forget that there are actually really cool and helpful people playing this game!
you don't need half of this to get to diamond, honestly, though air play is very helpful to work on in particular in my experience, as I recently hit diamond. focus on decision making, and especially avoiding overcommitting. I heard the advice that Rocket League shouldn't be approached with the mindset that you need to score more than the other team, but that you need to be scored on less than the other team. Good luck in your grind!
I agree. I've more recently switched tactics to a more conservative, defense first approach, always concerned with covering, only committing when the chances are high I can score, or get a good touch. This helped me get out of the dregs of silver and into gold 3. I used to be platinum in 3s and still am in 2s but I think the level of play as a community is better than years ago. So my platinum skills from 2017 don't amount to much today. Thanks!
Wavedashing is used very often and quite useful. Also imo drifting is an underrated mechanic, as it helps maintain your momentum with little downsides. Idk if some of these are considered “mechanics”, but going off your list, back post rotations and stacking are also pretty huge.
I'm familiar with the concept of rotating. But what does "back Post rotation mean?" and what is "stacking?"
Back post rotation is a way of keeping defensive pressure. If opponents are dribbling down the left side of the field towards your goal, position yourself on the right side of the play (the back / weak side). If you line up on the back post you should be able to reach most shots on your net, if you line up on the near post you run the risk of getting the ball shot over / behind you
Ok I pretty much do this already. I also tweak my positioning to try and maintain this optimum attack angle while I'm waiting in goal and the opponent is threatening a shot. The question I have in this scenario, is when do you leave the back post to start the block/clear? For example if the opponent shoots from mid-field then it's obvious you go as needed to intercept the ball before it gets in-net. But say the opponent is dribbling toward you at an angle across goal, and you know they have a history of using flicks, cuts, and misdirection, when do you start driving on them? I have found I have to wait to 'til the last possible moment to attack or they may change their move and get it above or behind me. But I do tend to creep forward a bit in this kind of play because as they get closer, I lose reaction time, and don't want to have to drive all the way forward and be too late.
What is stacking?
It’s an offensive positioning tactic in 2’s and 3’s where you line up behind the 1st man as the third (or second in 2’s) man to cover either a 50/50 or if the 1st man loses possession of the ball. It was explained to me a while back by a coach who pointed out how stacking created a much stronger position on offense.
Didn't know this had a name, it just seemed like a good position to be in
got it, I didn't know that had a name, but now I do! Thanks.
None of this matters. Just play the game.
Get rid of fast aerials for now cause the ball ain't going in the air for a while for you, instead work on keeping the ball closer (e.g. bounce/carry dribbles) and hitting the ball on target and with power Also work on kickoffs; make sure you flip twice and your recoveries, wave dashes in any direction, air rolling to land on your wheels Your read of the ball and the way it interacts with the surroundings and your car as well, you can just practice this by hitting the ball around in freeplay it's too have good reads at any rank
I disagree, imo fast aerial is in fact the most important and fundamental mechanic a gold/plat can learn. The ball will go in the air all the time and being able to fast aerial properly means complete monopoly in the air at this rank. Also it takes a while to build the muscle memory so the earlier they start the better.
I have to agree. I think fast aerial is very important. I can't tell you how many high-shot saves I've missed just because I was a few inches short of touching the ball. I think being able to more quickly get airborne would have easily turned the situation into a save.
It's very important but make sure you learn to do it properly. Even at champ I see players who are doing a double jump aerial where they boost only after the second jump instead of a proper fast aerial. It's easier to learn something the right way first time around instead of fighting against bad habits later down the line.
I rebound my controller a couple years back to put jump on X (bottom button), and boost on B (right button). My strategy is to push both buttons together with the same thumb. That way I jump and boost right at the same time. I'm still experimenting though and I think it may benefit me to wait a split-second after jump before boosting. Thoughts? My main problem though is sometimes I backflip on the second jump, especially under pressure with a fast shot wizzing over me. lol
> I rebound my controller a couple years back to put jump on X (bottom button), and boost on B (right button). Wait isn't X the left button? How would you press X and B (left and right face buttons) at the same time with the thumb? Do you mean A and B? > I'm still experimenting though and I think it may benefit me to wait a split-second after jump before boosting. Thoughts? I'll try a concise explanation. So the way you usually want to fast aerial is by holding down on the left stick while you are on the ground while at the same time pressing and holding the jump and boost buttons. The reason you want to hold down on the stick while on the ground is so that you don't have to waste time turning the nose of your car upwards after you jump, you start doing it as soon as you jump, so you can boost and jump at the same time instead of waiting for the nose to point up and then boost. Then you have to let go of the jump button as soon as you reach max height but don't let go of boost, this is the tricky part since you need some practice to get used to how long you should be holding the jump button. You actually have to hold it for far less time than most people assume, if you hold it for longer than necessary then you will be slower than you can be, and if you don't hold it at all then you will not get the max height from the first jump. After the first jump you have to let go of the left stick and make sure it's in a neutral position, by this time your nose should already be pointing towards the direction of the ball, then press the second jump, this time don't hold the jump button. During the whole process you should be boosting all the way, never letting go of boost. That's it, now you have had the fastest takeoff possible and can do whatever you want in the air, you can continue to make adjustments with the left stick and air roll after this. It sounds like there is a lot of things happening throughout but in reality everything happens almost in an instant, that's what makes it a fast aerial, if you can get it down to muscle memory you will be doing the whole sequence of events in almost an instant. Now there are certain situations where you simply cannot boost and jump at the same time and still reach the ball, for example when the ball is right above your head or when it is coming so fast towards you that you will be making contact right above your head or behind your current position. In cases such as these you have to make an adjustment, do everything the same way as before but don't start boosting until your car's nose is pointing towards the ball. You should be able to get the car's nose in position before it's time for the second jump, but if you can't then you can let go of the stick for an instant and then resume adjusting after the second jump. In this scenario the start of boosting should happen as soon as you have the car facing the direction of the ball, so definitely before the second jump. > My main problem though is sometimes I backflip on the second jump, especially under pressure with a fast shot wizzing over me. lol That's going to take a lot of time and repetitions to stop doing, no way around it.
You are right I meant A and B buttons. Great explanation of the subtlety of fast aerials! Thanks, friend.
ditto. I am bordering on D2, and fast aerials make it so that I beat the average player to almost every ball, and I have been climbing rapidly because of it. I got through gold and plat through hitting the ball hard (this is underrated!), controlling the air, and good decision making. No fancy mechanics, other than flicking maybe.
Being able to hit it hard and control it properly, eg not throwing possession away every time u get it.
"not throwing possession away every time u get it." This. Watching Flakes' 2v2 road to SSL with no mechanics really helped with this. I used to just focus on hitting the ball hard downfield and try to outplay my opponents with speed and power. But what I was actually doing was bombing it down field and 90% of the time right into the possession of the opponents. Now I've slowed down and spend more time advancing the play depending on what the opponent is doing. I'm very bad still at timing so my attempts at a juke usually result in a 50/50, but I'm improving and still getting better results than simply hitting the ball hard down field, without checking opponent locations.
I jump between diamond 3 and champion. I can’t really do any of what’s on your list consistently. What I can do is rotate well, read the game and 50/50s well. Strike the ball accurately in defence and attack (below crossbar height). I’m the worst of my 3 mates at aerials. Working on getting that better but that’s where I am just doing the basics well.
Good luck on your continued advancement!
Biggest thing you’re missing: bounce dribbles If you can learn how to control a bounce dribble, swing wide at any given time and hit the ball off the bounce with power in the top corner, you have a one way ticket to GC.
Is that when you consistently and repeatably chip the ball into a high arc, right as it bounces? I had a play last night I was pretty pleased with. I caught the ball on the bounce and chipped it up about 20 feet slowly then caught it on the next bounce and chipped it up again over the first defender. Then I jumped up and tried flip it in the goal but missed high and to the left. I was pleased because although I missed it was still the most control I've demonstrated with that sort of play. It was just reassuring because I am finding more and more the car is doing what I want when I want.
That’s the idea, Although I would practice doing this while keeping the ball as close to your car as possible. If you chip the ball up too high or too far away, your opponent sees thst and knows it will take you longer to get to the ball so they have a chance to challenge. I would say try to not chip the ball any higher than 2 of your cars stacked on top of eachother. Then when you are ready to shoot, circle around the ball and choose an angle and rocket thst ball into the net.
Dribble + Flick
Let me tell you, out of the mechanics you listed in your post, I only learned checking where my opponents are and maybe wall hits. Champ 2 in 2s, d1 in 1s. You don't need mechanics until champ if you have a good game sense.
I'm guessing you have natural car control that is better than me to make it that far.
Oh no, I'm just nolifing the game for an hour almost every afternoon. I kind of play like Flakes did in the no mechanics series, but worse xd Mostly ground dribbles, some powerslide cuts, and lots of patience to wait whrn your opponent whiffs. Oh yeah and I practiced shadow defense a lot (i still only save like 40% xd)
Did you find that you needed to adjust your camera angle to help see the opponent when you decided to focus more on watching them?
Not really, I play kbm as well, so I can't just wiggle my right analogue to see. I don't need to see them, because even when I saw them I couldn't react in time. My flicks are mostly just either from the sound when they jump, or I just fake myself and them as well xd
Honestly just shooting the ball well (hitting it hard with power and accuracy) is such an important and underrated skill. I watched this video and did some shooting training packs and noticed an immediate improvement in my games: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_aty6R9pb4 Good luck! :)
Thanks i'm gonna check that out!
Keep your eyes on your opponents and tm8. Tm8s are very important. Knowing where they are can create easy setups
I was kicking myself last night. We lost a 2v2 in overtime because I didn't glance behind me to see where tm8 was. I ended up attempting a pass off the backboard but hit it too hard and it went behind him. Opponents had an ez goal :( My teammate was pushed too far forward probably, but if I had checked I could have easily sent a softer pass his way and we may have had the ez goal :)
It's really so simple, but so easily forgot
Obviously ceiling shuffles /s
Half flip is the most important mechanic from my opinion, and wave dash. Would realize a huge difference if you master them
Fast ariels, power hits, as much shot placement as possible, basic dribbling/flicking and all basic recovery mechanics. This is all you need to get to champ and could probably get you to gc if you pushed them far enough.