Hey all - I coach baseball and paintball - and in my early morning slumber I got to thinking what exactly are the fundamentals of paintball?

Baseball Fundamentals

catching (glove placement, feet, two handed, one handed, bare handed)
throwing (infield, outfield, catcher, pitcher, crazy double play)
fielding (infield, outfield, movement to ball, ball out front, throwing hand placement, hips, head, knees)
hitting (bunting, head, hips, hands, grip, elbows)
base running (leads, steals, running, sliding)
situational defense

Paintball Fundamentals...
We lets say I'm starting to think this one through... I appreciate any guidance and discussion offered. Ill be brain storming some, so please pardon the incomplete thoughts.

questions in your opinion :

• how much does "bait" play into your fundamental actions?
• how much does the object of the game play into your actions?
• how granular is the shot? one action, or a series of actions? instinctive or premeditated?
• how granular is movement? pro-active, or reactive? instinctive or premeditated?
• playing bunkers?
• tree walking / tree dancing?
• the bait and switch?
• moving others?
• misdirection?
• Where is everyone?
• communicating to teammates?
• Relocation?
• Angles?
• Flanking?

Paintball is a team sport - nearly always played team on team.. good guys & bad guys. There also an objective some where on the field.

The questions to keep in your head at all times are these:

** Where are the good guys?

** Where are the bad guys?

** If not sure where the bad guys are, where are they likely to be, or where are they likely headed? If I was them, what would I do?

** How long had it been since the sneaky-sneaky types were spotted, and where are they likely to go? (taking a tangent : if they are tricky, which way are they trying to make me think they are going)

Most veteran ballers do a fair job of keeping a mental map in their head of the likely moves the bad guys are making - and where the good guys are. Point is, when you hear a shot - update your mental map.. listen for the sound of the gun, and track it - again updating your map. (side note: keep in mind, when you shoot, they also update their "maps")

If you don't know where a lot of the players on both sides are : go get in the game.

Tree Walking / The Tree Dance:

I recall one of the first games I played when the dance was introduced to me. Sneaky Pete Hernandez was playing his phantom, and just out of my range. The field was littered with large pines. I'm blasting away with my trusty PMI-3 trying to hit anything - and I blink, and he is gone. 3 seconds later Pete appears out of no where 50 feet way posted a few feet behind a large pine - and he starts plinking at me. I think I got him that time with some lucky panic fire - but the lesson stayed with me.

The tree dance steps

** look at your opponent's position and for any weaknesses it may have.

** look for any large cover near his position that could be used to gain advantage.

** wait until your opponent is engaged or distracted.

** move laterally at first, then line the large cover up so that the cover blocks his view of you.

** turn 90 degrees and advance rapidly and quietly -- moving your head from shoulder to shoulder - if you can see him, he can see you. If not, you are ok. Try and keep his position "centered" in the obstacle as you move. Keep your shoulders in tight so he can't see you advance. If properly executed, there is a good chance they did not see you move.

** once you are few feet out from the obstacle, do not shoot, stop and wait and listen. Be patient. Once he shoots at anything other than you, line up your shot, pop out, aim, and one ball him.

side note: a few trees may lined up to serve as one big tree. This cluster obstacle can be better for you as your opponent is less likely to consider it as a potential threat. Play it the same way as the big tree - but me more mindful of gaps between the trees and your loosing the element of surprise.

side note: if you take him out with only one ball - there is a good chance you can take his cover... two things to keep in mind... First : watch for friendly fire. Quietly signal to your team that you have his cover/bunker. And Two, your opponent's teammates may still think they hold that ground. Move quickly and decisively to capitalize on the problem w/ their mental map. Again, watch for friendly fire... Back to back moves puts you way down range. Once the gap is large - flank the strongest or closest to allow your allies a clear corridor to advance.

caution : The tree dance is harder to do if there is more than one shooter - spaced out into a cross fire. In this stitation you may be able to rotate until they are aligned - and then take the closest. Or: look for two obstacles. Tree walk with the better obstacle, and use the other obstacle for cover against cross fire. If you look at veteran woods ballers you will frequently see them standing in the open in cross fire - but not being shot at... Next time, take a closer look at the cover they are using.

Relocation:

Once you shoot, the opposition you are shooting at knows where you are.

The principle of relocation is to move to a new firing position without the opposition knowing you moved.

The larger the movement, the more likely you are to have a clear shot.

Steps to relocation:

*** Look for a strong firing position.

*** Look for a bad habits in your opposition.

*** Shoot to put their head down or make them duck behind their cover - thus temporarily blocking their view of your move.

*** Move quickly to new firing position.

*** If you moved to their strong side, wait until they fire on your previous position - you should have a good angle.

*** If you moved to their weak side, wait until they fire on your previous position, then then relax behind their cover. Look for fanny packs etc sticking out.

GQ adds : "On movement I'd add that a lateral move can be incredibily effective in changing the angle of attack. A commonly stated percentage is that you will lose 50% of the straight up gunfights. Changing the angle will open up many new opportunities for side shots, or packs as Thump mentions. In addition, if there are numbers in your favor, moving laterally forces players to change position, opening up side shots for others as well. This is sometimes benefited from a significant degree of noise as you get to your new position-making them aware of your location to force the change."

Playing your Bunker

There are right and wrong ways to play bunkers - and while Im no expert, I will throw in my two cents for the sake of discussion and hopefully kicking loose some long lost lessons learned.

The Do's and Dont's of play your bunker

Don't : Don't assume just be cause you have a gun, and are in a good bunker that your opponent is scared of you.

Don't : Don't get too comfortable in your bunker. It blocks the majority of your vision of the field, and only a fraction of the field for your opponents.

Don't : In your bunker, don't be predictable. Plenty of players have a rhythm to their heads popping out - and after a few repeated look-sees, they get their mole whacked. Don't be that guy.

Don't : Don't look or shoot over the top. The top of your melon is exposed for a long time before you can see anything coming - and while you are ducking back down.

Don't : Don't leave your gun barrel sticking out - They are a lot of players for whom a barrel is a perfectly legitimate, very viable target.

Do: Do use cracks when possible.

Do: Do shoot weakside even if you suck at it - just to let them know you can.

Do: Keep looking weakside - if you are getting bunkered, this is the side most will favor.

Do: When looking and shooting, make a small target.

Do: Look for your own shadow on the ground. It may be your undoing.

Do : When things seem to quiet, find a new bunker.

Do : To keep your options open, back off your bunker, get on your feet, bend over to protect your melon and then bob and weave. By being on your feet, you are in a position to relocate quickly. Kneelers are easy to move on.

It is to your advantage to hit what you shoot at - on the first try, every time. I know a recent example where a teammates of mine went 14 for 16. 16 shots, 14 eliminations...and scored the mission, got the big bomb back to base, scored major points, etc... While this is certainly an extreme case of mad marksmanship skills, it highlights a key point : This mack-daddy FEELS COMFORTABLE with his gun, and has a very good idea what it will do BEFORE he pulls the trigger.

Once you miss your first shot, the odds of subsequent shots hitting their mark drop dramatically as the odds of you being picked off while shooting increase with each additional shot you take.

I have two things I do along these lines to help me personally:

1) I don't hop markers. I don't have 5 different guns that shoulder differently, aim differently, shoot differently, weight different, balance different, and then kid my self that I'm great with all of them. I have one gun I trust & feel comfortable with.. and I have this exact gun in both semi and pump form factors... But only one is my go-to marker and it gets a lot of play time. [B]As a result, when I shoot- I have a very good idea what the odds are. [/B]By KNOWING the odds before I shoot, it helps me make good shoot / no-shoot decisions.

2) Once I get that "go-to gun" worthy of my trust, I don't mess w/ it. I leave the damn thing alone.

The Bait & Switch

Many people consider baseball pretty boring to watch... they think it too slow. If you have ever played baseball for any length of time, you learn quickly exactly how fast the game is - especially once the ball is hit. Coaches the world over teach their players on defense to think in the period before each pitch :"what do i do if the ball is hit to me" because there is not time to make a good judgment call "on the fly".

The topic du jour is Bait

WHAT:
Being bait is purposefully drawing attention to yourself to encourage the bad guys to move according to your considered situation. The keyword here is "considered".

WHY:
1) Ideally you move opponents into a situation where you and/or your team have the advantage... either into a cross fire ambush, a kill pocket, a clearing, or on to poor ground.

2) Distracting your opponent will cause them to focus on you - and with any luck, even shooting at you. When this happens your teammates may be able to take advantage of the noise and misdirection to move into a position where they have the advantage - typically creating a cross fire situation where one did not exist before.

HOW:
The best way to become bait is the way that works.. this changes with who you are playing against. Experienced ballers may realize what you wish to do, and realize your attempts to "move" them into position. So being a good bait moves them without them knowing they are being moved.

On one end of the spectrum : Singing "I wish I was an Oscar Myer Wiener" (aka The WILSON Technique) is so incredibly obnoxious that it is just hard to turn down - and the most experienced ballers regularly fall for this ploy.

On the other end - grabbing a branch as you run down a trail works equally well - and looks much more innocent and unintentional.

And somewhere in the middle is the classic shot. Once you shoot you draw attention. The longball will likely draw your opponent to you. The up close shot will likely move your opponent at a 90 degree angle as he seeks a line of advance that is to his advantage - and w/o your knowledge. Another is the fighting retreat where you shoot and fall back, shoot and fall back drawing the opponent into a cross fire or kill zone.

A quiet pump and the one shot are a decent way to keep your location unknown to your opponents. Once you ripp off a dozen rounds you are bait, whether you wanted to be or not. When playing with non-teammates I will frequently use novice ballers (or others) who can't seem to lay off the trigger as BAIT - afterall, why not.

When considering your stunt, consider these tidbits:

** ESCAPE ROUTE: ** think through a few ways to leave where you are running or moving with minimal time in the likely fire lanes and where there is cover to break up your escape route. Use obvious cover if you want them to follow you. use J-hooks and thick cover if wanting to slow, confuse or eliminate your pursuers.

** STRONGHOLD : ** It is nice to survive being bait - especially when outnumbered. You may wish to consider a "strong hold" where you can go and hold out while your teammates maneuver... after all, they may be a bit slow on the draw. Never start the engagement at your stronghold. (once at your stronghold, start considering your escape route.)

** KNOW WHERE EVERYONE IS : ** Before you draw attention to yourself, it is best to have a pretty good idea where everyone is - or at least calculate where they are likely to be - ... If you don't know, your strong hold and fall back route should be a bit on the cautious side.

** LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES : As a teammate, it is your job to look for opportunities that your teammates are creating for you - and take advantage of them. Likewise if the situation has stalled, start considering the advantages to be had by becoming bait to change the situation to your team's advantage.

WHO IS BAIT:

Ideally the situation starts with all of your teammates being in positions of advantage, and unknown to your opponent. In this situation, the first teammate spotted should become the bait.

Alternately if your teammates have better ground, or are otherwise in positions where they can flank without your opponents knowing it, then it is YOU who should become bait.

A key point here that I think a few of us forget : the best bait lives to tell about it.

THE SWITCH:
(normally) as the flanker engages, it is he who will draw fire and assume role of bait and YOU assume the roll of flanker.. Note : move quick, quiet and decisively while your opponents are distracted and facing the wrong way.

The J-Hook is a highly effective, tried and true individual play you can make by yourself.

WHY:
In principle, the goal of the J-Hook is to get your opponents to break cover while you are posted, ready and with the advantage.

HOW:
** SHOOT to draw attention to your move

** FALL BACK aggressively, so they see you, SHOOTING as you do.

** QUIETLY STOP, and MOVE BACK UP to where you were, OR JUST OFF TO THE SIDE then don't shoot. If they see you, try it again, with a wider "J".

** When they break cover, WASTE THEM. If they don't move anyway you have a new line to evaluate. Look for a tree dance.

This move works well if you are being pursued by lots of players. The more aggressive they are, the better for you.