Introduction

As a competitive athlete, I can tell you that to achieve your best results in any competitive environment, simply competing will not net you the results you deserve. In conventional sports, matches or races are few and far between, at most once a week, playing a very small part in your continued development compared to the drills, exercises and mental preparation that make up the majority of training. Therefore, when many players simply go into match after match expecting to improve and then fail to achieve the results they believe they deserve, it can be confusing and frustrating. Here are some of the ways in which you can help to improve your game.

Aim

The backbone of CS is a solid aim and there are many ways to practice the various shooting techniques for rifles as well as pistols and AWPs. Available in the vanilla game and perhaps the best overall training method for aim is deathmatch. Spend time focusing on a weapon and even specialize on a technique during one, two or even three rounds. For example, you might join as a terrorist and want to work on your tap firing with the AK at range. Pick a spot suitable for long range engagements and work on those headshots. In the server browser, you can even find specialized Deathmatch servers. Some might be headshot only, others could be AK or pistol only or any other combination, so find something that you want to work on.

The sever browser is a great tool, use it!

There are also a number of custom maps available for free download on the Steam Workshop that can be useful to improve your aim. The Aim Botz map (right) and the Fast Aim/Reflex (left) training map are both useful tools involving bots that have a variety of options to tailor to your training needs. Personally, I like to use the Aim Botz map as a tapping exercise where I keep the Bots still and flick to heads trying to land shots as quickly as possible. The Fast Aim map, on the other hand, I use to track the bots waiting until I'm 100% sure I have a headshot lined up before pulling the trigger. You’ll be impressed about how quickly you improve in 15-20 minutes of play and it is much more measurable then Deathmatch where you have to worry about being shot and the skill of the lobby can vary greatly.

Furthermore, the two maps training_aim_csgo2 and Recoil Master are effective means to train without even using bots. Training Aim is another great map for flicking and quick reactions, you can tailor little targets to pop up at whatever size and speed you want that matches with your skill level. Recoil Master allows you to choose any weapon and master its recoil pattern, showing you an on-the-fly display of how the gun recoils and where to put your crosshair to land an accurate spray.

Movement

The other technical part of CS is movement and, while not as important as aim, being able to move quickly and efficiently can create opportunities that are unavailable to other players such as reaching areas at the start of the round, pushing unexpected locations due to skillful jumps and making it more difficult for others to hit you. Surfing is not just a fun activity; it makes strafing and bunny-hopping a more natural movement allowing you to perform stunning quick movements in game that most players cannot perform.

There are surf maps for all skill levels, take a look around.

Furthermore the Jumps Training map allows you to practice certain jumps on competitive maps which, though not a necessary part of a good CS:GO repertoire can be another thing an excellent player has up their sleeve. Keep in mind that this map is a little out of date so some of the jumps no longer work, for instance the nuke jump, but most can still be used.

Here you can choose which jump you want to practice

Tactics and Positioning

Whilst not a technical part of your game, tactics, positioning and map knowledge are just as important to your success. In a game where kill times are so fast especially at higher levels of competition netting yourself a quarter of a second advantage can mean the difference between dying and an ace. The best way to work on this is to view people who are better than you, this doesn’t even necessarily have to be a pro player and in fact I believe it is better to look up to someone who is a bit better than you. Maybe look at how a friend plays who is better than you see what they do and how they move and meet that standard, then look at a YouTuber, what are they doing that you aren’t or do you just need to work on your mechanics. When you reach the higher echelons of play look at the pros, what are their skills, where do you need to improve your game sense, steal their simple strategies and adopt them into your pug games. The thing with E-sports is that it’s up and coming, not everyone has access to a coach so you need to coach yourself analyzing and adopting the skills and decisions of those that are better than you.

Conclusion

Most people out there playing CS aren’t looking to join a pro team, they’re just having fun trying to improve. I’m not suggesting that everyone who reads this guide goes out and adopts a 3 hour daily training regime then plays some competitive because not everyone is looking to be a pro. However, if you want to improve your game, half an hour of specific training once or twice a week and watching the majors or other pro tournaments with an analytical eye will net you better results more quickly than simply playing competitive over and over. Obviously there are plenty of training maps, these are the ones I like, so do your research and find what works best for you.

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