It’s your first time playing paintball, your opponents are firing at you, and everything seems overwhelming—what do you do?
If you’re new to playing paintball, it can be an assault on the senses. Yes, it’s plenty of fun, but it can also be a bit scary and confusing.
Don’t worry though—once you learn more about the basics of the game, you’ll soon become a skilled player. Oh, and you also need to learn what not to do!
To find out more, keep reading to find seven common beginner paintball mistakes, plus, how to avoid them.
1. Neglecting Your Strategy
When you’re playing paintball with friends, it’s easy to just go crazy! Run around, fire at everyone, and just see what happens.
Sure, this might be fun—but it’s a good way to quickly lose the game. When playing paintball to win, you and your team need to have a strategy. Running around without thinking about your next move is a recipe for disaster.
When playing paintball, always think one or two steps ahead. If you’re going to move from your position, for example, is there a safe place where you can get to? Otherwise, you’re a sitting duck!
Avoid this by always coming up with strategies for each action you take, which will help you play the game smarter.
2. Not Playing as a Team
Paintball isn’t all about personal glory—there’s no MVP trophy awarded at the end of the game! One of the key rules of paintball is to always be a team player.
Paintball is more fun (and fair) when everyone works as a team. If you support a teammate while they’re shooting, for example, they’re sure to provide cover for you when it’s your time to shoot.
Cooperation always works in your favor when playing paintball, so always keep your teammates in mind when you’re moving, holding position, or shooting.
3. Forgetting to Communicate
Speaking of teamwork, another common beginner mistake is forgetting to communicate. With all of the noise and commotion during the game, we know keeping in touch with your teammates isn’t always easy—but it’s important!
If you don’t have headsets for walkie-talkies for the game, plan in advance a few hand signals or codes you can use to signal to one another.
Communication makes your team stronger, and will also increase your chances of winning.
4. Shooting too Soon
You see your enemy across the paintball field, so as they run out, you fire! Unfortunately, you’ve made your move too soon and the paintball doesn’t reach them.
New paintball players learn quickly that paintball guns don’t have a huge range. When aiming paintball guns, you’ll have more success if you’re close to the person you want to hit.
Otherwise, you’ve wasted a paintball! When you’re new to the game, practice holding your fire until you’re close enough for your shot to be effective. Patience is a virtue!
5. Investing in the Wrong Gear
Once you take up a new hobby, like paintball, you’re eager to buy everything you need. Accessories, guns, clothing, the whole nine yards!
However, put away the credit card for a second and remember that you don’t need to spend a fortune on new gear—neutral or camo clothing can be found cheaply and remember that you can always rent what you need.
The one bit of gear that’s nice to own is your own paintball gun, but be sure to do plenty of research to find the right gun for your budget. Click here for a great all-rounder paintball gun for both beginners and experienced players.
6. Taking Yourself too Seriously
Here’s one thing you need to know about paintball—it’s all for fun! It’s easy to get caught up in the seriousness and competitive nature of the game, but at the end of the day, it’s all about having fun with your friends.
If you’re feeling stressed or upset that your team didn’t win, take a few deep breaths—you can always play another game! Whether you win or lose, what matters more is enjoying yourself.
7. Not Facing Your Fear
New players often have a fear of being hit with a paintball. This is completely normal—it’s human nature to want to avoid being hit!
However, if you’re so afraid of getting hit that you hide behind a bush during the whole game, that’s no fun either. We know it’s not always easy, but you’ll have more fun (and build up your confidence) if you worry less about being shot.
If you’re really worried about getting shot for the first time, it’s ok to ask a friend to fire a test shot at you before you play the actual game. That way, you’ll know what to expect and feel more at ease.
You’re also likely to feel more comfortable if you know a few paintball safety tips, like wearing the right safety gear and always treating a gun as loaded.
Avoid These Beginner Paintball Mistakes and Have a Great Game!
If you’re ready to become an amazing player, start off by avoiding these common beginner paintball mistakes. We’ve all been new at paintball before, so know that you’re not alone!
Over time, you’ll build up your confidence, improve your skills, and develop awesome new strategies to help your team win. Paintball is such an exhilarating and fun way to spend an afternoon with friends, so pick up a paintball gun and get started today!
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