How to be good Paintball Shooter!

Step 1
Line up the target in your sight. A good way to do this is to imagine a white dotted arrow extending from the front of the weapon to the target. If you can "see" where the shot will go, it will be much easier to send it there.

Step 2
Aim with one eye closed. This will allow you to focus on the shot better, effectively narrowing the "tunnel" of your vision.

Step 3
Keep a steady hand. This is hard to do in practice, and even harder to do while under pressure. One way to do th this is to use both hands to aim if using a pistol or handgun. Place one hand underneath the butt of the gun to keep it stable.

Step 4
Stand on one knee or lay down on a flat surface. This way, you won't have to deal with all or any of your weight interfering with your shot.

Step 5
Move closer to the target. If the target looks bigger, it will be easier to hit. Just don't approach point blank range, because that just defeats the purpose.

Step 6
Wait for the shot. Pre-firing is a great way to miss the shot, and to betray your position when in combat. Some snipers are trained to wait in the same spot for several days while in combat, so use that information as motivation if need be.

Step 7
Lead your shots if the target is moving. What that means is adjusting your aim ahead of the target to compensate for its movement. A very useful tactic that is easily accomplished with automatic and semi-automatic weaponry.

Step 1
Listen to the pre-game briefing. Regardless of your experience level, it is important to listen to the briefing. Different fields have different policies, so you must know and observe the safety rules for the field where you are playing.

Step 2
Wear protective clothes. While it is not necessary to purchase special paintball clothing, it is important to cover up your arms and legs. Many players choose camouflage outfits for protection. This adds an extra layer of protection when you slide, run to bunkers or get hit by paintballs.

Step 3
Play only with paintball goggles. Paintball lenses are specially designed to withstand the powerful hits delivered during a game. Goggles that are not made specifically for paintball are unsafe because they do not provide enough eye coverage or strength. A regular lens could break causing eye injury.

Step 4
Keep your goggles on at all times while on the field and in the elimination zone. The paintballs move at a speed of up to 200 miles per hour. Wear your goggles even when just working on your marker to prevent accidental injuries due to an unexpected discharge.

Step 5
Maintain a safe distance between the opposing side. The closer you are to the marker that eliminates you, the greater the impact of the paintball. Many fields have a surrender rule that requires a mandatory distance between players to encourage safe play.

Step 6
Use a barrel sock. A barrel sock prevents balls from accidentally flying out of the barrel. An elastic band keeps the sock from slipping off the marker. Barrel plugs are unsafe because they could slip out and allow accidental discharge.

Step 7
Switch your marker to the safe position when not playing. Make sure that the only time your marker is on fire mode is when you are playing. The safe mode prevents you from firing paintballs unintentionally.

Step 8
Chronograph your marker several times. Chronograph at different times during the day because air pressure causes variations in your marker's speed. The higher the velocity, the more your chances of getting hurt.

Step 1
Determine whether or not you need upgrades. Many upgrades are purely preference and only you know what you like.

Spend time shooting the marker. Play a few times with, really get a feel for it, and then decide what you'd like to improve.

Step 2
Accuracy Upgrades:
So the paintballs aren't exactly hitting your target? After you've ruled out your own aiming skill, consider the paintballs you're using. There are many different types of paint, some better than others. Try shooting higher quality paint first. Also keep in mind the paint should be in good condition - dimpled paintballs = bad paintballs.

Shooting good paint but still having issues? Now it's time to barrel shop. A single piece barrel works for most situations (barrel kits are only recommended if you play tournaments). CP (Custom Products), J&J & Smart Parts are companies that offer affordable, quality barrels (One piece barrels for about $40).

Step 3
Speed Upgrades:
Got a marker that boasts a fast rate of fire but you find yourself unable to take advantage of it? First things first, you've gotta practice. If it's got a double trigger (has room for 2 fingers), practice walking it, where you alternate with your index & middle fingers.

Now if you've practiced and it's still not quite fast enough for you, your hopper may be slowing you down. Not really considered an upgrade but it definitely shows improvement. Some fast hoppers include the Halo B, Reloader B and Vlocity, all of which are considered force-fed electronic hoppers (they operate on batteries & literally force paintballs into the gun).

Another point to consider is the marker's trigger. It may be just fine but maybe a different shape or style would suit you better. Some trigger recommendations are CP, Violent Products & Critical.

Step 4
Air Effiency Upgrades:
This isn't really an issue anymore, as companies are pretty good about making their guns efficient enough for most people's standards. In the past, some guns could benefit from upgrades like higher-flowing internals like aftermarket valves & such but I haven't come across a new gun that was so inefficient that it needed such upgrades.

Step 5
Air Consistency Upgrades:
The biggest one here is the graduation from co2 to hpa (high pressure air or compressed air). While hpa is the ideal propellant source for any marker, not everyone can afford it and/or has convenient access to hpa refills. True, hpa tanks are simply filled with the very air we breathe, greatly compressed into a small tank, but the air compressor needed to fill them costs a couple thousand dollars at least.

The main upgrade to improve consistency is a regulator. What these do is regulate the air entering the marker, doing 2 jobs: A) bringing the pressure down to a level the marker can manage, and B) controlling how much air enters the gun, regulating as needed. Many markers now come with one and for the most part, their regulators are just fine. But if you happen to not have one, this can be a worthy upgrade. CP probably makes the most widely known budget regulator. Better regs include the Dye Hyper2, Hyper3 and AKA Sidewinder & 2Liter (all but the Hyper2 are pretty expensive).

Step 6
Board Upgrades:
If you've got an electronic marker, then it most likely has a board inside it (generally located in the trigger frame, except for the Invert Mini, where it's in the foregrip). Stock boards are perfectly fine for everyone. The only reason to upgrade this is if you play a specific tournament and want to program the gun to a particular setting or mode, and/or want more options when tweaking your gun's performance.

Some good boards to consider are Seventh Element, Tadao & Virtue.

Step 7
Cosmetic or Convenience Upgrades:
These don't affect performance, really. They simply make the marker look better or make something more convenient.

- Feednecks: if your marker doesn't have a clamping feedneck, consider getting one. They make putting your hopper on so much easier. If your marker came with one, only replace it if you personally don't like the look of it.

- ASAs (Air Source Adaptors): this is where your tank screws in. Some are plain, just screw the tank in and go, while others have on/off valves, where you can cut off the air flow going from tank to gun. On/off ASAs make taking your tank off the gun and putting it on much easier (if the tank still has air in it).