My friend recently started playing rocket league so I came up with a guide to the basics of rocket league. I remember first starting out and not knowing how to improve or what to improve on. I finally hit GC this season for the first time and have always been high champ so I would say I have a pretty good understanding of the fundamentals. If you JUST picked up the game and love it and want to get better, I hope this post serves you well! And if anyone else can add or has better tips feel free to add on!

Beginner ⁃ Camera settings https://youtube.com/shorts/S6dLYO0xG38?feature=share

⁃ Controller binds https://youtube.com/shorts/xgpVTEbqYSU?feature=share

The important thing with controller binds is to make sure you can hit boost and jump at the same time this will help you in every single rank

TRAINING CONCEPTS

DO THE TUTORIAL (you can find it in training)

⁃	Freeplay: allows you to just do you in your own arena you are free to practice anything. Practice shooting the ball consistently in free play

⁃	Custom training: Spawns you into a various training obstacles to practice specific shots/mechanics over and over. Ex: Power shots, wall shots, saves etc.

⁃	PHYSICS

The game is physics based, take some time in free play and training to understand how the ball reacts with your car and the environment. What happens when you approach the ball from the left? Or right? What if you flip into it? What if you drive straight through? What if you boost thru? Just kind of mess around and understand the basics of the physics. Also try getting used to driving on the walls, just drive around to get a feel for it.

Play some games duuuuh at the end of the day we wanna have fun 🥳🥳🥳

INTERMEDIATE

The key to ranking up and getting better is dependent upon 2 things. Mechanics and Game Sense. You need to understand and improve them together in order to progress.

What are mechanics? Mechanics are your ability to perform specific actions or moves in the game. For example Aerials, aerials are considered a mechanic because there's no such thing as an "Aerial button" but more a specific move you have to put together to achieve.

Here are the 4 basic mechanics that are fundamental to get you through the lower ranks (Gold-Platinum)

Aerials https://youtu.be/psgP-iA-65E

Practice the simple aerial before trying anything from the rest of the video. Gotta learn to walk before you can run!

Half flips A half flip is fundamental if you need to turn around quickly or change direction of your car. It's also important because it builds a foundation to learning other advanced mechanics later down the road. Also introduces the concept of a flip cancel.

https://youtube.com/shorts/184ADQtSPTY?feature=share

Dribbles These are going to be important because it allows you to control the ball at your own pace. This one took me forever to master so be patient as it will probably take longer to get down than the previous 2 mechanics. It LOOKS easy, but don't beat yourself up if you can't get it immediately, it will take time.

https://youtube.com/shorts/uwPBG5eYUTE?feature=share

You can also jump into free play and push the up arrow on your controller to spawn the ball on top of your car to start a dribble

Bonus: Flicks Flicks can be used once the ball is on top of your car during a dribble to either take a shot or go for a pass. There are so many flicks in the game that are more advanced but for now when you're ready for it you can try incorporating a basic flick at the end of your dribble.

https://youtube.com/shorts/O0-Rehv0S38?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/MlCHpPDtO-A?feature=share

Finally Game Sense Game sense is understanding the match flow and positioning yourself for optimal coverage. This is important to recognize both offensively and defensively.

In the beginning the most FUNDAMENTAL thing to learn is rotations. Rotations is understanding your role in a play which not only covers more ground amongst you and your team mates but also causes less confusion and creates less "triple/double commits" which often times leaves you in crappy situation.

Here's a short https://youtube.com/shorts/L9J62cVw3Ok?feature=share

More in depth https://youtu.be/xiHHbvhRNBU

Overall this is a guide to understanding what you need to practice in order to improve and serves as a foundation, of course each step will take some time to full grasp so always be patient with yourself and don't forget at the end of the day you're here to have a good time, but we all know it's always more fun when we're winning!

Hi ! Very recently I started to get interested in rocket league. Therefore I (literally) installed the game today 😅. Therefore, do you have any advice/opinions or tips for me?

Can anyone drop a basic guide to get better at it? I just recently got my first laptop and always wanted to play rocket league.

Just starting out playing rocket league and noticed that I am terrible at everything in the game! Need some advice/ help! I don’t want to quit the game!

Gone through the basic tutorial and will be redoing through it tomorrow to get used to em. Also trying the advanced ones too.

I can't seem to score a goal very easily on my own. Any tips for this or is it just a keep practicing thing?

(Also Switch owners: Is a LAN adapter needed like Smash bros to play online? Smash online is horrible in FR.)

I started to play yesterday and played like 1 hour or so , is it more convenient to use keyboard or controller? I used both and controller feel more smooth What’s the habit I should avoid when playing this game? Watched some videos here on the Reddit and this game seems to be so hype

Looking forward to post my best plays !

Thanks everyone 😁

Im fairly new to rocket league, when I was younger I bought it but never played it on Nintendo. Now I have a PC and want to learn it on PC, any tips?

1. Focus on Car Control Before Anything Else

When you first start playing Rocket League, you might be tempted to go straight for the ball every time. But trust me, learning basic car control is key. Spend time in Free Play mode getting comfortable with:

• Throttle control (how fast you drive)
• Drifting (to make sharp turns)
• Aerials (jumping and flying)

Mastering car control will help you in every part of the game, whether you’re chasing down a ball or setting up for a shot.

2. Learn the Importance of Positioning

At the start, it’s easy to get caught up in the ball chase, but one of the most important things in Rocket League is positioning. Always try to:

• Stay back when your teammate is attacking—this way you can play defense and be ready if the ball comes back.
• Rotate out of offense when you’ve taken a shot or missed—so you’re not crowding your teammate.
• Get a feel for the game’s flow: Know when to push forward and when to back off.

Good positioning makes a huge difference, even if you’re not hitting every ball perfectly.

3. Use Your Boost Wisely

Boost is super important, but it’s easy to waste it. Here are a few simple rules:

• Don’t boost constantly—you don’t need to be on boost all the time. Use it when you need to make a quick play or to recover from a bad position.
• Grab boost pads on the field—small ones are often enough to keep you moving and help with positioning. Only go for the full boost pads when you really need them.
• Save boost for aerials and fast recoveries, not just for chasing the ball.

Boost management is a game-changer in Rocket League!

4. Don’t Overcomplicate Aerials at First

Aerials can be super fun, but they’re tricky to master. As a beginner, don’t stress too much about hitting the ball in the air. Focus on driving, positioning, and shooting on the ground before you start trying to jump for everything. If you do want to try aerials:

• Start small—just try getting in the air and touching the ball lightly.
• Practice in Free Play mode until you feel comfortable.

Aerials will come with time, but grounding your skills first will make it easier.

5. Play with a Team or Friend When You Can

While playing solo can be fun, Rocket League really shines when you have teammates to communicate with. If you have a friend to play with, it’ll help you develop better team play and make learning a lot more enjoyable. Plus, you can:

• Discuss positioning and strategy.
• Practice rotations together.
• Communicate using quick chat or voice chat to improve teamwork.

Even if you’re just starting out, getting a feel for team-based gameplay will really speed up your progress.

Bonus Tip:

6. Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself!

Rocket League is a fast-paced game with a steep learning curve, and you’re going to make mistakes. Don’t let it get you down! The more you play, the better you’ll get. Take each game as an opportunity to learn.

Final Thoughts: Rocket League is all about practice, patience, and having fun! Focus on improving one thing at a time, and you’ll gradually get better and more confident in your gameplay. Anyone else have beginner tips they’d recommend?

I literally downloaded rocket league not even 48 hours ago and I'm already dangerously addicted to it and can tell this is going to be a game I stick to for a extremely long time. What are some crucial or very very important things I should focus on for around the next 100 hours that'll put me in a comfortable spot once I start my ranked grind?