In Valorant, mastering movement, strafing, and aiming is critical for success. These mechanics can give you the edge in gunfights and position you better in rounds. Here's a breakdown of how to improve these core skills and a few drills to help you level up that we regularly use in our valorant coaching sessions.
1. Understanding Movement and Strafing
Movement in Valorant is about more than just running and positioning; it's a tool for outplaying your opponents. Good players know how to dodge bullets, peek efficiently, and maintain accuracy when necessary.
Key Movement Techniques:
Counter-strafing: This is the art of stopping your movement immediately to shoot accurately. When strafing (moving left or right), quickly tapping the opposite key (A to stop when strafing right, D to stop when strafing left) will halt your momentum, allowing you to fire an accurate shot. Mastering this gives you the ability to peek and shoot with precision.
Jiggle Peeking: This is a quick back-and-forth movement to gather information without fully exposing yourself. You can jiggle peek corners to bait out enemy shots or scout the enemy’s position.
Silent Walking: Walking keeps your movement quiet, but also keeps you accurate if you have to fire while moving. It's essential when you want to maintain the element of surprise.
Jump Spotting: Jump spotting helps you safely gather information from behind cover. It's especially useful when defending bombsites, allowing you to see enemies without committing to a peek.
2. The Importance of Aiming
Aiming isn't just about raw mechanics—it’s about timing, positioning, and having the mental presence to know when and where to aim.
Key Aiming Techniques:
Crosshair Placement: Good crosshair placement means having your aim at head height and pre-aiming common angles where enemies might appear. This reduces the need for large flicks and increases your chances of winning duels.
Tracking and Flicking: Two key types of aiming. Tracking is following a moving target smoothly, while flicking is quickly snapping your crosshair to a target from one spot to another. Both require different skills, and both are important in Valorant.
Spray Control: For certain weapons (like the Phantom or Vandal), knowing the spray pattern is crucial. Learning to control your spray can make the difference in long-range fights or when you miss your initial shots.
3. Drills to Improve Movement, Strafing, and Aiming
Here are a few drills to incorporate into your practice routine:
1. Counter-Strafing Drill
Objective: Improve your ability to stop quickly and shoot accurately.
How: Load up a custom map or the practice range. Pick a target and strafe left and right, using counter-strafe (tapping the opposite direction key) to stop and shoot at the target.
Focus: Aim for quick and precise shots, ensuring you don't shoot while moving.
2. Jiggle Peek Drill
Objective: Enhance your ability to gather information without overcommitting.
How: Set up bots in the practice range, or find a teammate to practice with in a custom map. Jiggle peek around corners and walls, firing shots at enemies as they appear. Focus on quickly returning to cover.
Focus: Train yourself to react faster to enemies without fully exposing yourself.
3. Aiming Accuracy Drill
Objective: Improve raw aiming skill.
How: Use the practice range and set bots to medium or hard difficulty. Focus on maintaining head-level crosshair placement and hitting headshots in quick succession. Try burst firing with the Phantom or Vandal to control recoil.
Focus: Precision over speed at first, then gradually work up to being faster.
4. Deathmatch Routine
Objective: Practice all-around movement and aiming under real conditions.
How: Play deathmatch games regularly. Focus on your movement, crosshair placement, and aiming in duels. Make it a point to counter-strafe, practice jiggle peeking, and maintain composure in fights.
Focus: Don’t worry about winning; instead, aim to apply the movement and aiming techniques you’ve practiced.
5. Angle Isolation Drill
Objective: Improve peeking and engagement control.
How: In custom games, practice clearing common angles one by one. Peek around corners with precision, using counter-strafing to stop and shoot.
Focus: Commit to smart peeks and keep your crosshair ready at head level as you approach known engagement areas.
4. Putting It All Together
Improving movement, strafing, and aiming in Valorant takes consistent practice. Here’s how to structure a daily or weekly training session:
Warm-Up (10-15 min): Start with basic drills like counter-strafing and aim accuracy in the range.
Focused Training (20-30 min): Spend time on specific movement techniques like jiggle peeking or jump spotting.
Deathmatch or Competitive Play (30+ min): Finish with live gameplay, where you focus on applying what you’ve practiced.
By committing to these drills and focusing on both mechanics and mental presence, you'll see noticeable improvements in your movement, strafing, and aiming. Remember, consistency is key—dedicated, daily practice will yield the best results.
Happy fragging!