Post by Admin on May 10, 2011 12:19:48 GMT -5
I recently played a game of outlaw this past weekend and it gave me a lot to think about. We can all do things to improve our game. Some of us need to be more aggressive while other need to learn patience. Identifying where you weaknesses are allow you to do two things; play towards your strengths and grow as a player. If you don't take the time to reflect you'll never have a chance to grow, a fact that is true in life as well.
This was a lesson that I had help in learning this past week. I'll do my best to paint a picture here: We had roughly twenty six players on a decent stretch of hilly terrain. The teams were evenly split and the game's primary objective was to eliminate the other team. A popular area on the field was a large dip between two hills that had a series of sizable rocks that had been piled up.
When the game started I took the lone wolf approach. I brought my t9.1 and three clips of first strike as well as my t8s and six plus two clips of regular paint. The opposing team had set up in the rocks and would be untouchable if we opened fire on them. I choose to sweep around the back of the rock face to try and get a few clean shots. So far so good.
I get into position and see two guys on the top of the rock in the prone position. They're a maximum of 75 yards away I estimate. Because I'm not 100% comfortable shooting at that distance I decided to close the gap a bit. I stood up and started walking down the hill, stepping carefully to avoid making much noise. When I got back into my firing position I was sure the eliminations wouldn't be a problem. I took my first shot and second after I got hit in the back. I couldn't figure out where the shot came from but I was sure it broke. So I stood up, called out, and started walking back up the hill.
After the game my buddy told me he was the one that shot me. I asked him where he was and apparently he was around twenty feet away. He told me that he thought I was on his team because I didn't pay him any attention, but I told him that I didn't even see him. That's when he pointed out my flaw. The entire time I was moving into position I was looking down. Anti climatic, I know, but the truth is I was focused so much on where I was going that I was paying much attention to my surroundings.
Solution? Well I suppose I need to actively think about looking up to observe my surroundings more often. It's so simple in practice that I think I would have totally overlooked it if someone hadn't pointed it out to me. It's started me on a different approach to paintball. After every success or failure, I make sure to stop and just analyze why it worked the way it did. How can I improve? If you do that often enough pretty soon you'll find yourself being more effective in all walks of life. Slam on your brakes at a red light? How can I improve. Spill your drink walking up the stairs? How can I improve? Get shot in the back when you're sure no one is around? How the hell can I improve?
Improve enough and soon you'll cause others to ask that same question.
This was a lesson that I had help in learning this past week. I'll do my best to paint a picture here: We had roughly twenty six players on a decent stretch of hilly terrain. The teams were evenly split and the game's primary objective was to eliminate the other team. A popular area on the field was a large dip between two hills that had a series of sizable rocks that had been piled up.
When the game started I took the lone wolf approach. I brought my t9.1 and three clips of first strike as well as my t8s and six plus two clips of regular paint. The opposing team had set up in the rocks and would be untouchable if we opened fire on them. I choose to sweep around the back of the rock face to try and get a few clean shots. So far so good.
I get into position and see two guys on the top of the rock in the prone position. They're a maximum of 75 yards away I estimate. Because I'm not 100% comfortable shooting at that distance I decided to close the gap a bit. I stood up and started walking down the hill, stepping carefully to avoid making much noise. When I got back into my firing position I was sure the eliminations wouldn't be a problem. I took my first shot and second after I got hit in the back. I couldn't figure out where the shot came from but I was sure it broke. So I stood up, called out, and started walking back up the hill.
After the game my buddy told me he was the one that shot me. I asked him where he was and apparently he was around twenty feet away. He told me that he thought I was on his team because I didn't pay him any attention, but I told him that I didn't even see him. That's when he pointed out my flaw. The entire time I was moving into position I was looking down. Anti climatic, I know, but the truth is I was focused so much on where I was going that I was paying much attention to my surroundings.
Solution? Well I suppose I need to actively think about looking up to observe my surroundings more often. It's so simple in practice that I think I would have totally overlooked it if someone hadn't pointed it out to me. It's started me on a different approach to paintball. After every success or failure, I make sure to stop and just analyze why it worked the way it did. How can I improve? If you do that often enough pretty soon you'll find yourself being more effective in all walks of life. Slam on your brakes at a red light? How can I improve. Spill your drink walking up the stairs? How can I improve? Get shot in the back when you're sure no one is around? How the hell can I improve?
Improve enough and soon you'll cause others to ask that same question.
just make sure to use as little and as slow movement as possible when you scan (i do love all the players that risk getting whiplash from all the violent head turning... not at all easy to spot)