You start playing CS:GO. Suddenly you find yourself playing even more, telling yourself “just one more game”, but then you have to get to work in 2 hours and the bed is still waiting for you. Although that’s not a behavior I would recommend, I wouldn’t blame you either. The more you play, naturally you start getting better and better at the game. You start to understand its mechanics and little things that may be the difference maker in a round. In this article, I’m going to cover a few things that will help you improve in the short or long term. Although some can end up being personal preference, they’re crucial to have in mind when trying to get better in CS:GO.

Have Separate Keybinds for Each Type of Grenade

Easily the most common mistake I see players do, partially because of how the keybinds are set by default. Scrolling through 4 different types of grenades with the 4 key or, even worse, with the mouse wheel, is the first major thing you need to avoid doing. Set up your own keybinds that are easy to reach and use in high pressure situations so that the next time you need to use a Smoke Grenade, you won’t need to reach into your pockets for an HE or a Flashbangs first, making you lose precious milliseconds that can end up getting you killed.

Remember that CSGO is a very fast paced game, and those milliseconds are more than enough to lose a round. Although it may be hard at first to get used to the new keybinds after playing with the default options for so long, stick with them. One thing I can recommend to avoid getting back to old habits is to disable the “scroll through grenades” keybind. Instead, get the 4 key to a single type of grenade.

Always Warmup before a Match

You’ll never notice how much of a difference it does warming up before getting on a match until you actually start doing it. You think, “It’s just a quick match, I’ll warmup in the pre-match time, while everyone is connecting”. Sure, you can do that, but it’s not the same. Hitting a deathmatch server for even 5 minutes prior to playing is enough to get you synced with your sensitivity, getting that wrist ready for more accurate flicks and crosshair placement in general.

Also, warming up and practicing your aim in deathmatch servers are two different things. Sure, you end up warm and ready to play after those daily 200 kills on a FFA server, but the same does not apply the other way around. It’s not those 5 minutes in a server that will make you pop those headshots left and right, but it will definitely help in the match you’re about to play.

Choose a position and stick to it

When playing a match, you should choose a position and play around it for the remainder of the side, both on CT and T sides. You’ll generally be playing directly against the same opponent every round, which will make you learn his way of playing and what positions he likes. That way, you can think of the best way to outsmart and counter him. If you switch positions every round, there is no way you can learn your opponent’s patterns and behavior. Also, mentally note the name of the player you’re up against, as that will allow you to know if there’s sudden changes in the opposing team setup. Let’s say player X is the B Bombsite anchor, and suddenly your teammate spots him on the Bombsite A. Could be a stack on that bombsite. They can also be switching positions, but at least you get a “warning” that something is happening.

Remember that the better the player you’re up against, the harder it will be for you to read him. Better players know how to play differently and innovate every round to make it harder for you to guess their movements. You should be doing the same!

Stop Spam-Switching Weapons!

One of the more annoying habits CSGO players have is to always be spamming the switch weapon key, making the characters to have a stroke in their hands and arms. The number of times players are caught by an opponent without being able to shoot back because they’re in the middle of the switching animation is way too large. Make yourself a big favor and stop doing it. There is no valid reason for you to be doing it, other than imitating your favorite streamer or YouTuber.

Also, one misconception that a lot of players have regarding the switch weapon sound. You can’t hear other players switching weapons. The sound you hear while switching is client-sided, meaning only you can hear it.

Stop Knifing the Air/Walls!

Knifing the air or the walls is probably the loudest noise you can do on CSGO. Although it doesn’t sound like it, the game is programmed in a way that makes the knife sound able to be heard from really far away. Knifing at the wrong time when you’re about to push or even faking a play can be enough for your opponents to understand what you’re doing. The same applies to switching shooting modes in both the Glock and the Famas. Those can’t be heard from as far as the knifing sounds, but they can make your life way harder by giving away your position more easily than a fake step.

If you’re used to making these types of mistakes, it can be hard to let them go but you should definitely make an effort. These are only hurting your game and making you lose matches, without you even noticing. A reasonably decent player only needs a single sound cue to understand what could be coming from you, so make it a priority to stop doing them.

Don’t Play on a Smurf Account

For those that may not be familiar with the term “Smurf”, it’s a type of account where the owner is ranked way below than their main account, allowing him to play against lower tiered opponents. If you start playing regularly on a Smurf account, you’ll start picking up habits that will get you killed in matches of your own rank or skill level. Let’s say you’re a Global Elite and find yourself smurfing in Silver - you’ll eventually start doing solo plays and pushes everywhere with success because your opponents simply can’t keep up or counter them. But then you get back to your level and do the same... the first thought of your opponents after killing you will be “what is this guy doing?”

Sure, it can be fun to play against lower tiered opponents from time to time, but it will only make you play worse. It will also demotivate those players, as they will mostly think they’re playing against a cheater if the skill gap is high enough. Avoid doing it and learn to enjoy playing in your rank. You will only learn to play better when playing against better players, never the other way around.

These are just some tips that have the potential to help you become a better player. But the real key is consistency. It is as simple as that: the more you play, the more you study the game, the better you become. There’s no going around that. You can be the most gifted player in the world - you will not develop that gift if you don’t put it to practice. Get out there and play! Enjoy your time in the server!

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