Rocket League is a wonderful game to grab some friends and take down other teams online with. There may come a time when you want to prove yourself to be the best amongst your friends, or maybe you just want to prove to yourself that you are an awesome ball-car player. Anyways, in this article, we’ll be taking a dive into competitive 1v1 games and some pointers that you can take to improve your game and take some more wins off of your opponents.

Boost. It’s really important in one on ones.

Boost plays an astronomical role in the one versus one area. Boost is your lifeblood, so you really have to learn how to conserve it. One of the many tips I’ll give you is to try and flip more often to build up speed rather than using your boost. If you’re driving at a normal speed and flip twice in the same direction, you’ll gain a little speed boost, similar to if you used boost. Don’t go holding your boost button down all willy-nilly. Be mindful of how much boost you’re using and whether or not you can pick up boost without giving your opponent a chance on your goal. Just be mindful of how much boost you have in comparison of your opponent and try to not go too low. Having even a little from driving over the small pads can be the difference in saving a well-placed shot or beating your opponent to the ball to slot it into their net.

As shown, you don't need to rely on boost at all to get a decent speed boost. Using your car and momentum, you can build a very good amount of speed to zip your way around the field utilizing the flip mechanic. Although, flipping does take a longer time to build up speed compared to using your boost.

Using only your boost to get around the map will consume it very quickly. If you're going at a decent speed, then you'll usually burn through about twenty or thirty percent of your boost reserve if you're just holding your boost button down. This is why I would recommend that you actually combine your use of your flip and your boost to reach high speeds. Doing this not only helps you hit top speed, or 'supersonic' faster, it wastes less boost.

As you can see, the combination of the boost and flips proves to be one of the quickest methods to speed around the map.

If you want to maintain your speed after you've reached top speed and you have no boost, flip! Flipping your battle car to carry the momentum that your car has while you're at your top speed in a consistent manner will keep your speed.

Boost is your best friend. Even if it’s on the opponent's side of the field.

Try and steal boost as frequently as you possibly can. Say you’re piling on pressure on the opponent's goal. They’re starting to run low on boost and the ball trickles into the corner. Try and grab the large boost pad on the way to the ball. If you take away the opponent's large supplies of boost, they’ll usually panic and go for one of two things in my experience. They’ll either go straight for the ball or try and very closely shadow the ball. This is where your boost comes into play. Try and hit some aerials or a powerful shot into the higher part of the opponent's goal. Even if the opponent does manage to save it, they’ll be in an awkward position if you decided to pick up whatever the opponent saved. Try to think of it as always having more boost as your opponent. If you have more boost than your opponent, you will force your opponent into making simple mistakes simply due to the pressure of you having more boost than them.

Analyze your opponent's playstyle and adjust your gameplay to counter it.

Just take a moment to try and read how your opponent is playing during the game. Check to see how they are playing. Every player plays a little differently, but they mostly fall into two general categories: reactive or proactive. Reactive players usually sit back and defend and only capitalize on the mistakes of their opponent. Proactive players are the ones always on the offense and trying to squeeze the ball into the net. I’ll be throwing some pointers that can help you win more 1v1 battles. The more you play, the easier to see how the opponent plays.

If you’re playing against a quick opponent, be sure to analyze where they do and don’t play the ball. For example, if they’re staying more grounded with dribbles and things of the like, be sure to utilize the walls and the sky as it will force the opponent out of where they are comfortable, making them more prone to making a mistake in defense. If they’re playing very high, using the walls and aerials very often, go for dribbles and use mind games. If they’re willing to throw themselves in the air, they will be very prone to fakes which can help you grab some goals.

Bump your opponents.

Bumps and demoing opponents can be looked down upon by many as they might see it as a cowardly way to earn goals, but it really isn't that. Especially in the 1v1 setting, getting bumps and goals will give you a huge advantage if you bump your opponents at the right time. If you do manage to get a demolition or even just a bump on your opponent during a counter attack, that can be the difference between getting to the ball in time for a save or your shot barreling in the net. A wonderful example of taking advantage of bumping your opponents was in this game with top-level players David "Deevo" Morrow and Kyle "Scrub Killa" Robertson, arguably two of the best 1v1 players to ever grace the Rocket League scene. Nearing the end of the match (9:40), Deevo gets a memorable goal on Scrub Killa, playing the ball towards Scrub Killa's goal, then ditching the ball and going straight for Scrub.

Deevo manages to bump Scrub Killa enough to the point where the ball just rolls its way into the net, giving Deevo the goal he needs to tie the game. For some reason, bumping and demoing is looked down upon when that shouldn't be the case. Bumps and demos are a very usefull skill that can change the momentum of a game in your favor in an instant and you should always use it to your advantage when you can. Only go for demos and bumps when you see the opportunity, because if you always go for bumps and demos, you will be read easily and you will be countered.

Improve your goalkeeping!

I cannot stress how important good defensive play is in competitive play, 1v1s especially. Being a top-class goalkeeper is essential to winning more games. Making that last second save against a great shot from the opponent is going to be the difference between a win or a loss. A tip that I can give you is to try and position yourself at the far post. That way you have a view of all of the net and can make an easier save.

Accustom yourself to reaching the top corners of the goal as that’s where your opponents will try and aim to make their shots almost unsaveable. Also, be wary of the space right above your car and be ready to act quickly, as some opponents will just take a powerful shot right above your car and, if you aren’t prepared for it, it will go right over your head (quite literally) and slot right into your goal.

Of course, playing games will force you to learn how to make better saves if you plan on winning games, but I would strongly recommend taking advantage of training packs. While the stock training packs are alright, I’d say that you use the community training packs when you feel like you could take them on.

One training pack I’d recommend would be this one listed below.

If you can't make out the download code, no worries! The download code is: 5CB2-6D82-1B54-47B7. Just copy the bolded code and paste it into the search in the community training packs.

While the rest of the training packs shown in the screenshot are great, the thing that I like about this training pack is that it puts you in very uncomfortable positions to try and save the ball. If you learn how to save these really uncomfortable saves with ease, then logically you will become much better at the easier saves, which will, in turn, help you make more saves in 1v1 matchups.

Well, I hope that I've given you some valuable tips that can help you beat your friends or opponents online! Later everyone!

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