Being proficient in the air, as much as newer players may wish for it to be otherwise, is an extremely important aspect of playing Rocket League. This article is for you if you're new to aerial photography or if you're just looking to improve your flying abilities.
1. Begin making predictions.
That's all right. The first point of advice. Start making educated guesses.
This is monumental. Getting up in the air and going for an aerial will be required a good portion of the time, especially when the ball is actually changing direction on the field.
So the ball flies hard toward the ceiling, in front of or somewhat in front of your opponent's net, and you have two options: you can either wait until you're comfortable going for the ball or go for your aerial as soon as you're comfortable. Alternatively, you can jump as soon as the ball hits the ceiling, giving yourself a much better chance of beating your opponent to the ball.
This is especially true before you've mastered the fundamental aerials: you can take the easier, but less effective, route of simply waiting until it's easier for you to hit. Alternatively, you can take a chance and go for it early when it's in a location that you're not entirely comfortable with.
The better you get at anticipating early, the easier it will be to predict the trickier aerials later on!
2. Drive the ball through the air.
Okay, the next item on our list may seem a little strange at first glance, but it is extremely important. A common misconception is that you are "hitting" the ball when you are attempting an aerial kickout. Yes, that is correct. When you drive your car, you are striking the ball in the same way that you would strike a ball with your foot in soccer, a club in golf, or that wooden oar in cricket (I'm not sure what they call that thing).
However, the key to truly generating power and simply having the right feel and momentum in sports is to imagine that you are actually swinging whatever object you are using—a bat or a golf club—directly through the ball itself. Obviously, this will assist you in hitting the ball harder, but it will also assist you in maintaining proper form and position.
In some cases, a softer hit will be preferable; however, the following will still apply: you'll set yourself up for that hit with your flying trajectory, and then on some level will really try to power through the ball if necessary.
Deceleration is a problem that many golfers experience, particularly when putting, and it is referred to as "deceleration."Basically, you take a big, nice backstroke, and then, because you're trying to hit it as gently as possible (tap tap scene), you slow down your forward stroke a little bit. Your back stroke is both longer and faster than your front stroke, and this simply does not work in this situation.
Similarly, in Rocket League, the same is true. You want to be moving through the ball quickly and not letting it get away from you.
3. Begin converting aerials into double touches as soon as possible.
Following that, we have a tip that is a little more advanced. Begin to consider how you might be able to transform specific aerials into double touches.
This is something I've been doing quite a bit lately, and it's going to be difficult if you haven't had much practice with double touches before. However, the most effective way to beat a single defender on aerials is to simply turn the aerial into a small double touch.
Obviously, converting it to a pass is an excellent option as well. But you'll be prepared when the opportunity arises to simply bang the ball off the backboard and go for the double-digit score.
As with any aerial training package, it's best to practice this technique because most aerials can be converted into backboard shots.
4. Master the art of the air roll
When it comes to placing aerial shots, as well as setting up double touches and passes, air rolling can provide an extra level of precision.
If you haven't started experimenting with air rolling on your aerials yet, now is a good time to start. The best types of air rolls for which shots are difficult to explain because there isn't a scientific method to it at all. It's one of those things that you'll begin to do automatically as soon as you master control of your car while flying through the sky.
The key to mastering air roll is, in fact, to master control of the situation. And the best way to accomplish this is to begin by learning how to fly upside down.
This is easier said than done because your controls will be in the wrong position and it will take a significant amount of time and practice. However, once you have accomplished this, you will be able to master flying sideways and freestyling.
5. Become familiar with the two-step aerial.
The final, and arguably most important, point to mention is something I've been practicing recently that I like to refer to as the Two-Step Aerial.
Consequently, I'm beginning to think of my aerials as having two distinct stages: the setup stage and the execution stage (or execution stage). And this is extremely beneficial when you're attempting to add a small amount of precision to your shots.
In the beginning stages of learning how to hit aerials, you essentially just boost and fly, never really letting go of the boost. You can make adjustments while flying, sort of like a rocket aiming for a ball in the distance. And I'm guilty of doing the same thing from time to time, especially when I'm attempting to beat someone to the ball.
However, when I have a shot where no one else is going to really challenge me and I want to hit a solid top corner shot, I boost myself to the basic area I want to be at in the air, let off the boost a little, then boost again into the exact spot I need to be in order to place that shot where I want it to be placed.
For example, you boost into the proper position, then back off the boost a bit, then readjust your car, then boost into and through the ball. This really does work well for me when I'm trying to achieve an extra level of precision with my shooting technique.
In your efforts to improve your aerial abilities, I hope you find these suggestions useful.