Rocket League's fast fanatic action requires an adept understanding of the game’s controls so that when things get really hairy your finger will be on the right button. Almost as important as knowing what abilities to use at what moment, is when to hold back and save that turbo boost or jump for just the right opportunity to strike. The patient player knows that positioning is more important than chasing the ball around and will survey the field before moving in for the kill.

Here are some other tactics you can use to be a better Rocket League baller.

Controlling Your Boost

Boost is a precious resource in Rocket League. It allows you to quickly race to the ball for a save or a shot and jump high into the air for an aerial manoeuvre. Once you’ve used your initial stash, it can only be refilled via the small orange spots on the ground (which refill 12%) and the larger floating orbs in the corners and center sides of the map (which fully restore your boost).

You should always try to keep some boost on reserve for emergency situations. If the enemy team gets a shot by you and you’re out of boost it’s almost impossible to catch up to the ball to stop it.

Save your boost for when you need a quick burst of speed to get to the ball, put a little more power on a shot, or to get some air to make a save.

Making Plays

One of the signs of a good Rocket Ball player is that they don’t just mindlessly shoot the ball at the other teams end as hard as they can, they place the ball in an advantageous position for their teammates. Coordinate with your team so that one player is always waiting for the ball to come out of the scrum.

Just like soccer cross kicks are a great way to score points. Position one player in front of the net while the others attempt to center the ball. You would be surprised how many times the ball will bounce to the center position. If someone’s waiting there for it it’s an easy tap in.

Use the Ball Cam

Keeping track of where the ball is can be one of Rocket League's biggest challenges. Ball Cam makes it so that your camera is always centered on the ball allowing you to focus on driving and lining up shots.

One downside of the ball cam is it can be hard to see other vehicles if the ball is in the air so always be wary of collisions and communicate with your teammates to avoid hitting them.

Aerial Shots

The most difficult part of the game is hitting a ball out of mid-air. To successfully land an aerial hit you’ll need lots of boost, practice and good timing. To get yourself launched into the air jump once, pull back on the stick (or press ‘S’ on your keyboard) to lean back, and then hit boost to rocket upwards. When you get close to the ball hit the jump button again to whack the ball mid-air.

The timing of aerial shots takes a lot of practice to master. Consider trying it out against bots before you jump into the real arena. A missed aerial hit will leave you far away from the ball, possibly resulting in a goal against.

180 Don’t Reverse

If you only have to adjust a little bit reversing is ok, but anything further than that and you’ll want to flip your car around and go forward. Use your handbrake to quickly swing yourself around, releasing it when you’re just about to face the direction you want to go. A quick boost afterwards will get you back up to speed again.