Almost 25% of the player base in Rocket League find themselves in the Platinum rank. With this many players in this rank, it shows that many players struggle to reach that next rank - Diamond. That's why we reached out to professional player Maurice "Yukeo" Weihs to answer some questions regarding how to climb the ladder to that next level.

As for the major differences between Platinum and Diamond, there are very little. This is confirmed by Yukeo, who states, "I personally don't think there is that much difference in a Platinum to Diamond player. Everyone in lower ranks will have a lot of mistakes that they can focus on."

Basically, there is no one thing that splits Platinum from Diamond. There is not a simple trick that I can give that unlocks the next rank. Instead, there are many little things that you can apply to your gameplay that will certainly be beneficial to you.

Mechanics Vs. Game Sense

Game mechanics are very important to learn, but so is general game sense; the ability to know where to position yourself, how to rotate and many other aspects of the game that require careful thought. But if we are discussing Platinum players becoming Diamonds, which is more important? When asked, Yukeo replied, "Both are important, but if it comes down to it, I would say mechanics. If you focus on having really consistent, good mechanics you can carry yourself out of ranks as long as you use them in a smart way."

If you are wondering which mechanics to be focusing on, Yukeo says, "Every mechanic. You have to judge your own skill level and understand how good you are and what you can do. Once knowing that, just slightly push yourself to the next level. So for example, if you can do air dribbles consistently, start practicing ceiling shots until you are consistent at those and keep practising more difficult stuff until you feel very comfortable with doing everything."

As a Platinum player, you may wonder if the mechanics mentioned by Yukeo are entirely necessary. To answer this, Yukeo states, "They are not necessary but the more you can do, the more opportunities you give yourself. You just have to be consistent at what you do and expand your skill level. So, for example, failing a flip reset in Diamond rank would be worse than just going for a well executed air dribble."

Consistency in Rocket League is extremely important to reach the top levels. If you do not practice your mechanics frequently, your rank will fluctuate every time you play, and may become lower. A great video explaining how to be more consistent is below, which details everything you need to know.

(Credit: Element - YouTube)

As for the mechanics you should be practicing at this rank, you should try:

• Air Dribbles
• Ceiling Shots
• Dribbles
• Flip Resets
• And other mechanics that you can find in custom training packs.

But the basics are also extremely important. Your overall speed in this rank is one example of a basic that should be focused on. As Yukeo says, "Speed while being consistent at the same time is important. People in lower ranks won't have a very good judgment of when they are beat to the ball, so if you are smart and only go for the ball when you are closer to the ball than your opponent, you will beat them every single time to a challenge, which can open up a lot of chances."

Teamwork and Awareness

So we have covered individual mechanics, but what about other aspects of the game such as teamwork? When asked if teamwork at this rank is really important, Yukeo responded, "It is important, because usually people focus on themselves. I would say focus a lot on teamplay when you play in a party. In Solo Queueing, though, just focus on adapting to your teammate."

Working with your teammates is, in fact, important. If you play as though you are the only one on the field constantly, you will find that you will double commit on a lot of plays and, ultimately, bring your team down. As Yukeo correctly states, you must adapt to your teammates. For example, if your teammates are ballchasing, take a step back in defense and vice versa if they are constantly in your net.

Your awareness of your teammates is also important, as reinforced by Yukeo; "Being aware of everyone on the field is necessary in general to be good at a game. If you forget to focus on that, you will get punished every now and then."

It is crucial that you not only focus on yourself and your teammates, but also your opponents. A few things you should be aware of in terms of both your teammates and opponents are:

• Their positioning
• The way they are playing
• When they are going for the ball
• When they are able to set up a passing play.

Most Common Mistakes and Yukeo's Top Tips

So what are some of the most common mistakes made by Platinum players that are halting them from reaching the Diamond rank? Yukeo responds, "There are a lot of things Platinum players still do wrong. Everyone has different mistakes. Some people are worse mechanically, some people are worse position and rotation wise, some lack of game sense. So you need to always focus on improving your weakness and also adapt to your teammates. People in lower ranks usually play very selfishly, so you need to always cover bad outcomes in a smart way."

As for his overall top tips for you Platinum players reading, Yukeo says, "First understanding what your weaknesses are and then focusing on improving them until you are consistent at everything. Work on your car and ball control, dribbling challenges and Ring Maps can help with that a lot."

"Focus on the basics, like shooting, placement, consistency, positioning, rotation, awareness, challenges, 50/50s, and then slowly work on your mechanics until you master everything, but there is no point in focusing on flip resets when you don't have the car control yet. So you would have to first improve your overall control and then you could start doing more difficult things. Don't skip anything."

As with any game, your skill grows as time progresses. Consistent play, training packs and learning will speed up the process. But if there is anything to take away from this article, it is that you must learn to walk before you can run.