No matter the rank, your movement around the map is going to set the tone for the match. How you navigate rotations, how quickly you can react to a shot, and how you maneuver the ball around the field are just a few ways movement will either help or hinder you and your team. While there is an endless supply of mechanics and tricks that may help you be successful with those, one simple concept can fill that spot: powersliding.

The Power of the Powerslide

Whether you are looking for a way to get into position swiftly or a method to best your opponent, the powerslide is the way to go. This mechanic may seem simple, but you look deeper into it and how you can maximize its use, it becomes eminently versatile. Powerslide is bound to a button/key that, when used, will cause your car to drift. This drift movement only happens if you combine the powerslide with a steering motion.

Powerslide is often looked at exclusively as a button/key you press. While powerslide is bound to one of those, it can also be viewed as a mechanic. Once a player begins to powerslide, their car performs a specific movement. This mechanic alone is exceptionally useful and can even be combined with other plays or movements to capitalize on all that it has to offer. Let us explore these powerslide combinations.

Turns

A very simple concept to understand, but what often goes overlooked is how to efficiently turn. Regardless of the degree to which you are turning, it is going to still take time to get to the position you are aiming for. Simply steering your car in the direction you want to go is going to make for wide turns and will greatly diminish your speed when you do so. To upgrade these turns, incorporate a powerslide to save your time and momentum.

Now, that may seem like a simple fix – pressing a button while you turn your car. However, it requires multiple elements working together to make it work effectively. Timing and duration are going to be the main two you will need to focus on.

The moment you are going to want to initiate your powerslide is going to be when you first steer into your turn. When it comes to the duration of the powerslide, less is going to be more. If you powerslide for too long, the back end of your car will swing around causing you to lose control. As a general rule, you will want to stop powersliding just before halfway through the turn. A common alternative to holding the powerslide button is tapping it. This helps you fall into the “less” category of your duration of powersliding as pumping it once or twice will prevent you from accidentally holding it for too long into an oversteer.

For some added speed after you stop powersliding, you can start boosting. This will assist your car with regaining speed. Although regular turns and powersliding both result in a speed loss, powersliding is the preferred movement because it gives you that smaller turn radius while retaining more of your momentum. When incorporating powersliding into your gameplay, you will be able to move and react quicker around the field, as well as setting you up for additional skills.

Ball Cuts

Cutting into the ball with the use of powerslide is going to help you maintain or strengthen your ball control to separate you from your opponents. You can utilize these ball cuts to score or gain possession over the ball, either of which can be achieved by powersliding and swiftly turning into the ball when it is at your car’s side.

Much like turning, you can hold powerslide or tap it to make the cut. Be sure to remember to not hold powerslide too long, otherwise you will not get the “cutting” motion. It will take some practice at first to get a feel for when you will need to cut into the ball, but once you get it down your ball control will prosper.

The graphic below showcases the steps in your powerslide cuts:

Recoveries

Maintaining control of your car in all different scenarios will give you ample opportunity to react and play faster. One situation specifically--when you are bumped. Accidentally or intentionally, getting bumped can cause your momentum to falter. Powersliding is an excellent way to combat these bumps and recover quicker.

Once you are bumped and are sent flying into the air, you will want to turn your car to face the direction you are wanting to go, and then right before your wheels touch the ground, powerslide until you are moving in the direction you want. This way of recovering makes your movements fluid, allowing you to keep moving around the field even after getting bumped.

Reverse Powerslide

There is no doubt that the half-flip is helpful in game, but there is an alternative that can be more situationally beneficial. The half-flip and reverse powerslide will allow you to change direction briskly, but they differ in movement and reactions.

To achieve this reverse powerslide maneuver, you will need to drive forward, powerslide, steer left or right until your car is halfway in the direction you want to go. Then, change your steering direction and reverse. Keep in mind that you will need to be powersliding for the whole mechanic duration. Unlike the half-flip, your car will remain on its wheels the whole time, leaving you open for opportunities to quickly react to scenarios rather than try and counter another player’s actions while you are upside down.

The clip below gives an overhead look at what a reverse powerslide looks like:

Conclusion

Whether it is used alone or combined with other mechanics and movements, the powerslide is one of the most useful mechanics to enhance your gameplay. This oft-deemed simple mechanic holds much more under the surface. With enough practice, mastering powerslide and its combined mechanics will put your skill at a level above your opponents, granting you the advantage.