I see far too many players with such amazing shots and great aim, but still can’t seem to get wins. This sad situation normally ends toxic with most players blaming their teammates instead of thinking about what the problem actually was with the play. Lately, I see too many players believe that fragging out is the only way to win games on CS:GO. Although getting kills certainly helps, it’s not all there is to getting wins and ranking up. I’m here to bring you five non-mechanical ways to increase your win-rate.

Call Strats

Especially in matchmaking, I see far too many players neglect to work with the rest of the team. It’s a shame to see a Terrorist team completely roam the map with no sense of direction at all. There is certainly strength in numbers in this game and not enough people abuse that. Set up crossfires or run some flank routes. People also underestimate the benefit of trading kills. Remember A.B.T! (Always be trading!) One reason I believe we don’t see these basic actions happen regularly in matchmaking is because nobody steps up to call the strats. Be the in-game leader if you need to! Some people don't bother to talk in CS:GO, but most people will at least listen. Quick tip: Don't be aggressive in voice chat. That will only lead to toxic behaviour which will automatically put your team at a disadvantage. Even if the rest of your team doesn’t have microphones or communicate back, as long as they hear you, I promise you will see your team start to play better. To conclude, playing with a bad plan is even better than running around without one!

Take Breaks

This is something I personally struggled with for a long time. This would cause me to lose a ton of my matches before they even started. I would lose a match then I would continue to lose and it would tilt me to no end. I found that taking a break and reflecting on the matches you just played is important to not tilting. It’ll give you time to cool down and forget about all the things that may have annoyed you about the last game. Plus, it'll also help keep you focused when playing your upcoming matches. I would recommend taking a quick 5-10 minute break between games to get a drink of water, stretch your legs, and do some hand and wrist exercises. This is important especially during long play sessions.

If you’re looking for some good hand and wrist exercises, here’s a video I recommend from Dr. Levi Harrison.

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Watch Pros

One big thing that helped me learn most was by watching professional players play. I would take notes about multiple players and, more specifically, how they played. Seeing how they threw their nades, watching what and when they purchased specific items, and even how they positioned themselves around the rest of their teams. Don’t be afraid to take hours even to break down and analyze a match from both sides. This will help you get a better understanding of what you could be doing wrong. This could be a boring process but once you apply it all to your game, you will notice the difference. It’s plain and simple, they’re professionals for a reason.

Watch Your VODs.

Now that you’ve seen the professionals play, watch yourself. This is something I would do after watching professionals and taking notes. Use something like Nvidia’s Share feature or even review your own Twitch VoDs if you stream. Once all is said and done, focus on picking apart your own plays. For every death or round loss, check to see what you did wrong or could have done better in that situation and write it down. This could be a really long process, but in my opinion, there is no better way to see your own flaws. After analyzing the game, I would take your notes and put them near your monitor so when you’re playing the next match, you can glance over and review where you went wrong and learn to fix those bad habits you may have.

Remember, This Is Just a game.

At the end of the day, it’s just a game. I feel this is something you need to keep in your mind. Learning and improving is a good thing. Although, letting the game affect you mentally and physically is a bad thing. There was once a time where I would just get so tilted to a point where I started to question my proficiency in life outside of the game. Don’t let that happen to you. One thing I had to tell myself all the time, is the simple but relevant quote, "Rome wasn't built in a day". It will take time to get better. Just keep learning and practicing and you will see success!

Quick Recap

1. Call strats, people with a plan win more than chickens with their heads cut off.
2. Take breaks between games to relax and think about what happened.
3. Watch pros play and take notes about playstyles and strategies.
4. Watch your own gameplay and pick out all your flaws.
5. Calm down and remember it’s just a game.

In conclusion, I hope this article helps you really focus on some different ways to view playing Counter-Strike on a competitive level. I know that these steps can be tedious, but you'll be happy when you're ranking quicker than ever! Happy hunting!

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