Some people wrongly see freestyling and competitive play as the two sides of Rocket League. If you want to look cool and rank up while doing it, this guide will explain how to combine the fun of freestyling with competitive play to make you a mechanical menace on the field. You might have heard of these mechanics, but now you will know how to use them effectively!
After reading this article, you will understand how to implement high-level mechanics into high-level gameplay, not just casual 1v1 opponents. We will discuss air dribbles, double taps, ceiling shots, and flip resets. First, we need to talk about the only limiting factor for competitive freestyles, boost.
When you watch freestyling tournaments, you often see people having a 30-second move that ends with a mind-boggling goal. Although those plays are cool, they are not competitively viable. You have at most 100 boost in your tank, and you have to keep the ball close. The most important thing to keep in mind while you are trying to freestyle in ranked is that you should not force plays. If you have an open net, score the open net. If you are going up the wall with 13 boost, go for a hard clear or pass, not a 2% chance on a crazy flip reset. At the end of the day, you still want to make high-probability plays.
As we go forward in this guide, keep in mind that all crazy competitive plays have to be consistent, close, and controlled. This includes how you approach the shot. Only go for these mechanics when they fit in your rotation. Leaving rotation to go for a cool shot will only mess up your team and boost economy if you do not score.
Air dribbles are the base of all of your freestyle mechanics. They help you keep possession and set up all types of shots. Air dribbles are simply their name, a dribble in the air. Carrying the ball on top of your car through the air allows your game to be more 3 dimensional. Now, the enemy has to use the backboard to defend against your attacks. Simply put, you need to get under the ball and fly upwards, pushing the ball in the air. Instead of hitting the ball with the corner of your car for power, try to hit the ball with the nose or underside of your car.
For more effective air dribbles, try to practice keeping the ball close to you, go fast and in one direction to save boost and to move faster, and try to get under the ball to keep it up as long as you want. If you are just starting, follow this guide by Wayton Pilkin for an in-depth visual explanation:
On defense, you can use air dribbles from a bounce to get over one or more defenders with limited boost. When the ball is rolling toward you, drive into the ball and jump after contact. It takes practice, but you can learn how to properly pop the ball up for an easy air dribble. This buys your team time and wins you possession. You can take these air dribbles into a pinch at the end if you are low boost, surprising your enemy with speed on the ball. In 1v1 situations, you can do the highly effective air dribble bump, where you air dribble the ball up, let it fall towards the goal, and aim your car down towards the enemy, bumping them as they go for the aerial save.
Also, air dribbles can be used to pass through the backboard. If you take the ball into the backboard, the ball will bounce down for your teammates, making the enemy have to defend your pass. The best time to do the backboard pass is when you air dribble from a high aerial. Do this by air rolling when you hit the ball in the sky. This will hit the ball lightly and let it stay by your car for you to continue air dribbling.
After learning how to air dribble, mastering double taps will elevate your game. A double tap is when the ball bounces off of the enemy’s backboard, and you read the ball’s movement off of the bounce and hit the ball into the goal while flying. When you can consistently double tap, your scoring opportunities in the air multiply. Learning double taps will not only help you score goals but will also help you get effective clears and passes. When you can aim a bounce off of the wall into the goal, you also can aim a bounce off the wall anywhere else.
The easiest double tap to hit is from an air dribble. Take an air dribble from any setup a little higher than the goal, make some space between you and the ball by hovering, letting the ball fall off of your car, instead of flying forward. Then, the ball will bounce off the wall straight to you for an easy wall read. This will take a little practice after learning air dribbles, but it is not as difficult as the other ways to double tap. For high-speed effective double taps, you want to intentionally shoot high ariels into the backboard, where the ball will bounce off very fast into you for a goal. By intentionally missing the net first, you make yourself less predictable and harder to defend. If the ball is rolling up the wall, you can make a soft touch on the ball into the mid-field and flip into the ball. Your goal should be to have the ball hit the backboard with the touch you made with your flip. Then, you let your car's momentum and a little bit of aerial control carry you to where the ball will bounce. This method is very difficult, but it is also very fast and does not cost you that much boost.
You can practice your double taps in freeplay by driving the ball hard into the sidewall and jumping up for the read. This will make you more comfortable reading the bounces of the ball. Also, you can go into any aerial training pack of your choice and practice the method of intentionally missing the net to hit a double tap.
Ceiling shots are the first step you can make to flashy freestyle mechanics. The power of the ceiling shot is that you can keep your flip as long as you want instead of the normal 1.5 seconds. Your flip can be used to add speed or change the direction of the ball to get around your enemies. The basic principle of the ceiling shot is that if you drive on the ceiling and fall off, the game does not count that as a jump, so the timer for your second jump (or flip) never starts, giving you infinite time to make a play. Ceiling shots can be used when your enemy gives you too much space on the ball, or when the ball is rolling up the wall too fast to air dribble or double tap.
In the first situation, roll the ball up the wall and hit it without jumping when it passes the curve on the wall. Practice this motion in freeplay until you get consistent. Your goal is to get the ball as close to the ceiling as possible without it bouncing off the ceiling. Also, you want to angle your car where the ball is hit towards the goal's direction. After you hit the ball close to the ceiling, you want to instantly jump and fly up to the ceiling. You will need to also practice this motion of flying to the ceiling. Your goal is to land on the ceiling with your wheel making contact. You want to be as close to the ball as you can without hitting the ball. From this position, you can make a couple of air dribble touches to get closer to the net and flip into the ball for power. Also, you can turn the ceiling shot into a double tap by flicking the ball into the backboard. This method allows you to decide when to start the double tap.
If the ball is rolling up too quickly for the normal setup, drive into the ball hitting it close to the ceiling, and then drive up the wall, following the ball's path. Here, you can either fall off the ceiling, jump off the ceiling, or instantly flick the ball. If you have time before an enemy comes, fall off the ceiling, if you have limited time, jump off the ceiling and then hit the ball with your flip (keep in mind that the jump timer will start, but you will get off the ceiling quicker), and if you have no time, instantly press jump twice and use the second jump to flick into the ball, taking a quick power shot from the ceiling.
Whenever you go for a ceiling shot, keep in mind these basic ideas: use your flick as late as you can, draw in the enemy close to you and then flick the ball around them, and being unpredictable is key. For a visual on how to ceiling shot, watch this video by Thanovic:
Flip resets are the dream of every Rocket League player because they are effective and look cool. Flip resets use the same concept that ceiling shots use; if your car’s wheels (or underside center of mass) come in contact with a surface and you leave the surface without jumping, you keep your next flip infinitely. Now instead of the ceiling, you will come in contact with the ball. Your goal is to hit the ball with the bottom of your car hard enough where you bounce a little away from the ball, allowing you to flip into the ball for a shot. Keep in mind that you need to be very comfortable with air dribbles and that your goal is to hit the ball with your underside, not the ball falling into you.
Flip resets can be versatile because they can be done anytime you are in the air by the ball. The easiest and most common setups you will see will be off of a high aerial that you control and when the ball rolls up the wall. Your first steps are very similar to air dribbles because you need to have control over the ball before you get a flip reset. For a step-by-step guide on the mechanic, watch this video by Wayton Pitkin:
In my opinion, flip resets are the most effective freestyle mechanic that you can use because they give you outplay potential on one opponent. If you are given too much space by the enemy in the air, get your flip reset and air dribble the ball. Once you see an opponent challenging, simply flick the ball in the direction that is out of their reach or fake the flick if they are trying to predict your shot. When done correctly, it is almost impossible for one defender to guarantee a block. If a different defender saves your shot after you beat one opponent, you can simply leave the play, letting your teammates maintain the pressure. The first opponent that you beat will be out of boost, allowing your team to swallow the enemy with pressure until their defense collapses, giving you a goal.
Lastly, flip resets can be used in niche situations. If you’re air dribbling low to the ground and you are running out of boost, maneuver your car to get a flip reset and spam your jump button while pushing your analog stick (or key) in the direction you want to hit the ball. It takes practice, but at some angles, you can instantly fire the ball off of your car, surprising the enemy with speed. This can be used anywhere on the field to either score a goal or maintain possession for your team.
Now that you have all of the information you need to dominate, your job is to go and practice. These mechanics take time to perfect, so be patient and the clips will come. Remember, freestyle mechanics should supplement your competitive game. Use these mechanics when you are given some extra space and you have a boost. At the end of the day, these mechanics are not necessary. If you are not ready to try these mechanics out, just focus on basic shooting practice; you will still rank up. If you are ready to elevate your gameplay with some fun, make sure to focus on one mechanic at a time. You have to learn to walk before you can run. Have fun and good luck with the grind!
