A lot of times, I see newer players making longer and unnecessary turns when going to hit the ball. Cars have such wide turning radii that it makes it harder to get accurate hits if you're not as experienced. But it's not the car nor the player's skill that's really causing these misses, it's because they're not drifting! Here, I will explain three reason why you should be drifting more!

1. Positioning!

Sometimes, you might find yourself needing to turn around on a dime, and, well, the best way to do that is by drifting! In other words, drifting can swing your car right back into the action towards an oncoming ball, or if the ball is cleared, you can swivel right back into defense. Drifting could mean the difference between saving an oncoming shot and missing it by a hair! Make sure you're watching the ball and then drift accordingly.

Next time you're watching a professional Rocket League player live streaming, watch their controller overlay to see how many times they drift, and I guarantee that you will be surprised.

2. Recovering!

Momentum plays a major role in Rocket League. It's the reason why we witness "reverse sweeps" in the professional scene. But I'm not really talking about that kind of momentum. I'm talking about the kind that is able to retain your speed while changing directions. While this does work horizontally, I'm specifically talking about vertically! Drifting as soon as you land is important to keep your speed up, and your car in the game. Sometimes after an aerial, you might land off-center and lose all your momentum. If you drift when you land, you won't lose as much speed. You can take this a step further and flip sideways in order to maintain maximum speed. A lot of professional players like to combine this technique with a mechanic known as wave dashing. Just make sure that you're comfortable with recovering from an aerial and after an enemy bump, so that you will be ready for anything the game might throw at you!

3. Accuracy!

Do you remember a time where you completely whiffed on a ball touch because your car drove around it? It happens more often than you think, because many players think that their car turn radius is sharper than it actually is. I've found that tapping your drift button while turn will make your movement more concise, which will result in a much more accurate hit. While this might not seem important to you, it could mean the difference between putting a shot on target and bouncing a ball against the back wall. Neither of those two outcomes are bad, but instead, they are situational with their own advantages and disadvantages.

For example, if you would like to apply pressure, then a shot on target would be more favorable, while a back wall bounce is useful if you don't have a good shot but your teammate does. Situational awareness is key in a game like Rocket League, and drifting can help tailor to each of those situations.

Sum it up please!

Well, drifting is a very underutilized tool at a lower level of Rocket League. As a current Champion 3 and former Grand Champion, I tap and hold the drift key for a majority of the game, because I want my car to be positioned exactly where it needs to be. If I get bumped, I want to be able to get back into the action as fast as possible. If I want a better-looking shot that will be harder for the opponent to save, I want to shift my car slightly so I hit the bottom right of the ball, instead of just the bottom.

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