Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Paintball Equipment

You're crouched in the bushes your target is in your sights. You lift your gun and aim. There couldn't be a more perfect shot. You slide your finger over the trigger. The safety is off. Everything looks perfect. You fire!! The ball break just at the tip of your barrel making a large pop sound. Your opponent turns and hits you. You're out of the game and it could have been avoided if you had the right equipment.
There are really three things that you need to go paint balling. You need the right clothes, gun, and paintballs. Some paintballs that you can purchase are Monster balls. They are the least expensive but they are the lowest quality. These type of balls are good for target practice but not good for anything else. I wouldn't recommend them. They don't break easily, which is especially bad for tournaments because it doesn't count as a hit unless the ball explodes. These balls also have a tendency to have lumps or divots in them which make them less accurate. The best paintballs are the Impact Balls. They are still a reasonable price but they break on impact and are much more accurate. They also don't break in your barrel as much as other paintballs that I have used.
Other things that you need are the right clothes. Paint-balling is a physically active and so you don't want to wear something really hot. At the same time it is important to cover your skin. A direct hit might break the skin and it hurts a lot worse. I would recommend that you wear a long sleeve shirt, light pair of gloves and jeans or heavier pair of pants. Lots of people like to wear camouflage. This could be a great help but really when your playing the game your eye is looking for movement so I am not sure how much the camouflage helps.
Probably the most important thing that you will need to buy in order to compete in this sport is a good gun. Those that have the best guns win the battle. There are so many out there it is hard to know which one is the best. Some guns are good at accuracy, others distance, some are fully automatic and other only semi automatic. He can buy any type of gun if you have the budget for it. I would recommend either the Spyder or the Tippman 98. Either of these guns wont cost more than $150 and they are durable, made from metal. They both are in the mid range levels for accuracy. If your just getting started and don't want to have to buy a gun in two weeks, then these two guns are for you.
Paint-balling like other sports requires good equipment. One can spend a lot of money and have the best stuff out there or not spend as much and still compete. If your like me and a starving college student then you might try these pointers to get started and then move up from there.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Hints and Tips to Improve Your Game


Many people go out onto a course thinking that all they have to do is point and shoot. That is like thinking all you have to do in basketball is through the ball towards the hoop and hope it goes in or telling a quarterback all he has to do is throw the ball into the air and hope your team catches the ball. Paint balling is a sport that requires athleticism, skill, teamwork, good equipment and strategy. Just like any other sport there is a lot more than meats the eye. 
Paint balling is a team sport that requires that every player be in his or her top condition. If all you are worried about is whether or not your body can handle another game then you wont be able to play to your potential. Paint balling requires a certain amount of athleticism. When playing the game it is required that you run quickly from one safe place to the next without getting shot. One must be able to crawl, sprint, jump and use good foot work in order to out perform their opponent.
Skill is another very important aspect of the game. You have to know the game. You have to know when to run, when to attack, when to shoot or when to fall back. If you shoot too soon then there is a good chance that you could give away your position and the position of your teammates. Patience is a very important part of the game. Wait till you have a clear shot before you take it. Know what your equipment can do and what you can do. Don't try to take a shot tha
t is two far away and wont hit your target. Also look at places you can run and take cover and know how long it will take you to run to that spot. These skills can only come with practice, but it is practice well spent when at the end of the game you come out on top. 
The other aspect of the game is teamwork. Paint balling isn't an individual sport, it is a team sport and you can be more effective in a team. Some will just rush out trying to be a hero. Playing the game like that,  you will fight very bravely and leave the game very quickly. Use your teammates to attack from two different angles. Have your you partner watch your back and communicate with hand signals to avoid making a lot of noise and revealing 
you position. With multiple teammates you can send one man to go around and sneak from behind. There are lots of different strategies that one might be able to use. These skills and strategies come from practice and experience.
No matter where or when you play the game if you follow these few hints and tricks you will be a much more valuable asset to your team and bring a new challenge to you
r opponents. You will find that you will enjoy the game more and find a greater competition and desire to win. The thrill of the game will also continue to increase and you will find yourself telling your friends and family about the game because it will be a such a memorable experience.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Different Styles of Paint Balling

Paint balling is ever increasing in popularity.It appeals to all varieties of people because of the many ways and places that it can be played. It is considered by many the most intense and fun sport of them all.
The growth of Paint balling has taken off since the early 90's. Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association estimates that in 2007 over 5.4 million people were playing in the United States and over 1.5 million of those play on a regular basis. These numbers really aren't all that surprising to those who have played the game.
The game is so intense because players have a carbon dioxide gas powered gun that fires pellets  fill with paint. If struck by a paintball it will leave bruise, welts, or both. You really don't want to get shot which makes the game that much more realistic and fun. Unlike other sports there are stinging consequences for the losers. Many would look at this and ask the question, is it dangerous? I do not believe that there is much danger involved in the game if played correctly. Just like football that requires pads, paintball requires the use of a protective mask that covers the eyes, mouth, and throat. These masks decrease the risk of injury significantly. Many paintballers will use a long sleeve shirt or sweat shirt when they play in order to decrease the sting of being shot.
Paint balling is one of those games that can be played in many different ways. The most popular way of playing is capture the flag. It consists of two teams both have a flag of different colors. The mission is to steal the other teams flag and return it to your base without getting shot. 
There are other games that you can play. One of my favorites is the game of mutant. The way it is played is that two or 3 people will go into the woods or obstacle course. The rest of the players then go in after them. If a mutant shoots an enemy then they turn into mutants and turn against their own team mates and join the other mutants. If a mutant is shot then they have to sit the rest of the game out. You play until all the mutants are have been hit or all of the opposing team has been hit and turned into mutants.
One of the styles of paint balling that isn't my favorite way of playing is team combat. Team combat is great when you have large numbers of people playing at once. All you really need to do is break up into groups of two. Every pair is their own team and they fight against everyone else. The reason that I don't care for it is because often times you can get caught in a cross fire. You will be defending yourself or hunting someone and then a different team hits you in the back. The team that survives without getting hit wins.
There are many varieties of playing that aren't mentioned here. No matter what the type of game played all will leave saying that this is the most intense and fun game that they have ever played. That is what happened to me just a few weeks ago.