Accordingly, one of the best tricks you can give to Rocket League is: Practice, practice, practice. And do it with patience and proper breaks in between, so you don’t get lost. In these tips and tricks, we’ll tell you what else you need to do and know to go from noob status to advanced player. We’ll explain how to score goals, set up passes, how to defend best, how to save shots as a goalkeeper, and finally how to master the great art of aerials, that is, how to start flying with the help of the rocket engine to play balls in the air.

General tips

Choosing the right car

The cars all have the same values as far as their performance is concerned. However, the accurate physics simulation ensures that their different dimensions result in slightly different driving behavior, this is expressed primarily in their turning radius. At the same time, a car with a higher profile, such as the Bulli “Merc” has a larger area for the ball to hit. The difference is not as drastic as one might think, but it is definitely there.

Use double jumps

You’ve probably noticed that after a jump, you can hold the stick forward or sideways to perform spins or rolls. If you press the jump button again while in the air, you can gain some height without using the stick, or perform an accelerated roll in the chosen direction while holding the stick forward or to the side. This counts as a shot, so to speak, and moves the ball faster than driving into it normally.

At the same time, you can improvise a turbo this way, even if the boost meter is empty: each forward roll gives you a speed boost. After three forward rolls, you’ll be as fast as if you had full boost. You can use this technique to quickly get back to the defense on your way from the opponent’s goal without touching your boost supply.

Kick Off

When kicking off, it is essential that at least one player makes contact with the ball. If only to block a possible shot by the opponents, because it’s much easier to shoot the ball into the net from the center line than in real soccer. So: In any case, let one player drive towards the ball.

Who is that? It should always be the player closest to the leather. The player second closest to the ball can approach a little slower, collect a boost or two, and lurk for a rebound, while the third drops back to thwart any shot attempts. As the ball moves into the opponent’s half, the back players begin to collect boosts and position themselves near the center of the field for tap-ins.

Shoot high or shoot low?

Generally speaking, when you are driving towards the ball to shoot it, you can choose to jump into it or hit it without jumping. By jumping into the ball, you will make a low shot. If you drive into the leather without jumping, it will take a higher trajectory. So although jumping is often the best way to get to the ball first, you may not hit the ball the way you need to for a promising shot on goal.

Don’t always go full throttle

It’s very tempting to always go full throttle and also use up your turbo as soon as you pick it up. In fact, however, a soccer player doesn’t sprint everywhere. Once you start loosening your cramping grip on the gas button, you’ll notice how much more flexible you are, how much opportunity you have to aim a shot, and how well you can react to your opponent’s touches on the ball. It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to regulate your speed in moderation.

Don’t necessarily always shoot yourself

Even if you will hit the ball in any case, you should always ask yourself if an approaching teammate is not in a better starting position to maneuver the leather forward or even on goal. If you blindly jump into the ball, you often just pass it to your opponent. This has nothing to do with team-oriented play. Sometimes it can be wiser to ram an approaching opponent instead of the ball to give a teammate a free shot. Of course, this – as well as the tip above – should not tempt you to miss clear goal chances. Just sharpen your eye for the person next to you.

Play with the camera perspective.

At the touch of a button (triangle on PS4 or Y on Xbox One), you switch between a camera perspective that is always focused on the ball and one that looks directly ahead, as in a racing game. The ball tracking camera is perfect for keeping an overview of the action. However, with the camera looking firmly forward, many players find it easier to take accurate shots. Even when the ball is in the air, it can make more sense in many situations not to simply look after the leather, but to keep your eyes on the field.

Use free practice

In the main menu you have the choice to select “Free Training”. Here you drive around in an empty arena and with infinite boost and can work the ball as you like. Here you can already take your first steps test flights to prepare for later aerials – i.e. flight moves with which the ball is played.