Even if you have the best offensive plays in Rocket League, if you are unable to defend your net, all those goals you are trying so hard to score will not make a difference. Having the ability to protect your net from all kinds of shots is going to be the game-changing difference between you and your opponent. That is why it is crucial to perfect your defensive skills.

One of the most essential skills to have is shadow defense, as it allows you to deflect the different kinds of shots that your opponent will throw at you.

What Is Shadow Defense?

The idea of shadow defense (or shadowing) is to mimic your opponent's movements, but on the opposite side of the field going towards your nearest goal post while gradually closing in on them. This will allow you to waste time if you have any teammates that need to get back from upfield and give you the perfect opportunity to pick up small boost pads as you are driving while still defending your net or allowing you to block a shot easily.

In the video below, you can see shadow defense in action at 8:23.

Shadow defense is used universally in Rocket League, regardless of the game mode. For 1s, it is crucial to have a sturdy shadow defense skill set as there will be no one else to stop your opponent but you. In 2s and 3s, a benefit of having good clears from your shadow defense is that if communicated well, your teammate will be able to take your clear as a breakaway to your opponents’ net.

Getting the Perfect Hit

Distance plays a huge part in being able to shadow defend correctly. Being too close or too far away from your opponent will not give you that ideal reaction time. You will need to position yourself close enough to do some damage but far enough away that you have time to adjust your reaction to match them. Learning how to be at the appropriate distance away from your opponent will give you the positioning you need to make a good save or clear. One thing to be mindful of is where you are sending the ball for a clear, as a strong hit off the wall can often result in a perfect pass back to your opponent.

The image below shows you the ideal distance to be away from your opponent.

Speed carries just as much weight as distance, as the right amounts of both are needed to effectively shadow defend. You will need to maintain your speed while gradually moving towards your opponent, meaning if your speed is too slow or too fast, it will cause you to not be in the right position to make the save. If you are going with no boost, having the right speed may be difficult if you have no starting momentum and you will not be able to aerial to the ball, so being aware of where small pads are on the field will help you get that extra boost as you close in on your opponent.

Skills to Help You Improve

There are a few skills that go into perfecting your shadow defense: aerials, car control, and camera control. Aerials, where you are boosting into the air to hit the ball, are important as your opponent will likely hit the ball in the air and you will need to follow it up to make the save. Having your aerial skills down goes hand-in-hand with car control. Being able to maneuver your car while you are in an aerial will allow you to deflect the ball effectively and allow you to change your car’s direction mid-air if your opponent switches their shot up on you. Knowing how to effectively navigate your camera angles during the game will be very helpful in giving you insight as to who is around you and where your teammates are. This will be key in helping you make decisions on what to do in situations.

A small mechanic that will give you an advantage is going to be a half-flip. A half-flip is going to come in handy because it is the quickest method to doing a 180 with your car. To do this, you will want to start to do a normal backflip but cancel it halfway through while air rolling. Starting out you may not have the most fluent movements, but freeplay makes for a great way to practice. Learning this half-flip will give you the best chance to quickly turn around when an opponent is heading towards your net.

When to Shadow Defend

Knowing when to use your shadow defense skills and when to simply challenge the ball is going to be very important in-game as going for unnecessary challenges can mess up your positioning and in the event that it goes poorly, it could cost you a goal.

For almost all situations, you will want to shadow defend for it gives you the best chance at a save. You will just need to be aware of your surroundings such as where your teammates are and how many opponents are pushing you. If your opponent is heading towards your goal and you do not have a clear shot at a challenge, you will need to turn your car into position to shadow defend.

Although, if you have a clear shot at successfully challenging an opponent, you should go for it but watch out for double and triple commits when playing with teammates if you are cutting rotation to do so.

Practicing Is Key

Like all your other Rocket League skills, you need to practice your shadow defense as well. Luckily, other players have created custom training packs for the public to use. In these defense training packs, they will range from putting you in basic save scenarios to one's specific to working on your shadow defense.

A training pack created by Orangepie, gives you the basic kinds of shots you will need to save by shadow defending, and has you save them coming from the right and left side of the field that way you get a feel for each direction. The code to find this pack is 5CCE-FB29-7B05A0B1.

For some practice with a more game-like feel, you could play some casual. You can play 2s or 3s, but if you want to really focus on your shadow defense, playing 1s is the way to go. It will be just you and your opponent which means ample opportunity to test and improve your shadow defense.

What to Remember

With shadow defense being the most valuable skill to have, it is vital that you learn how to do it effectively. When initially trying to learn it, you will need to focus on your positioning and speed since getting those right will give you the best chance at a save. The other skills such as aerials and car control will come with time as you practice and get more comfortable with your car. Remember that scoring goals will only get you so far, therefore having a good knowledge of shadow defense and how to perform it will be what gives you the upper hand and possibly the win.