Back when paintball started the serious tournaments, the fields were much larger than they are now. Not just a little bit either, but about 10 times larger, not to mention that there were 15 players per team, and on top of that there was not one thing that was equal about both sides of the field other than their both having a flag station.
Walking fields back in those days was much more difficult than it is today. These days, both sides of the field are practically mirror images of each other. The field size and the number of players per side have also made it a little easier to come up with a game plan.
When it comes to walking fields, there are simple steps to coming up with a game plan that will work to your team's advantage. Just by walking onto the field you can tell where most teams will go on the break. With the way the fields are today, there are only so many ways a team can go on the break. Remember to look at the field as a whole.
Try not to single out one area of the field, because it will only create problems with your game plan in the end. Starting with the back of the field, you must first see the sweet-spotting lanes and which front spots will be the most effective during the game. On every field there are usually one or two spots that can create the most problems for you and your team. Concentrate on these spots and keep people from getting into them but at the same time figure out a way to get to them yourself.
In a typical 7-man game, you have four shooters and three mid-to-front players. Utilize those four shooters in groups of two. Make sure both members of a pair are concentrating on the same sweet spot instead of individually shooting separate spots. You are more likely to get the eliminations that you are shooting for by doubling up on spots and not trying each one on your own. If two of your back players are shooting different lanes to the same bunker, you will have all of the angles covered. Most teams are so worried about making their spots that they forget to cover the angles. Sit back and look at the field and find the blind spots. There is always a blind spot on the field, especially in the back. Find the blind spot and the lane that you will be sweet-spotting. This is your spot on the break.
The reason that you want to find a sweet spot is mainly because some teams will sweet the back players rather than the front players. You will be able to watch most of the teams that you play before you actually play them, so you need to do your homework on those teams. A good team will do the same to you. Keep changing your plans for different teams. If you continue to run the same plays, teams will catch on and adapt for your team. If you see a team sweet-spotting front players, you may want to pull back your front players into a mid spot. This will give you more guns on the break to sweet-spot with.
After determining what sweet-spot lanes you will shoot on the break, try to plan around them. Try to stay clear or find different lanes to get to the spots that are the most effective. The lanes that you pick to run on the break are the most important, next to the spot itself. By taking a straight route to the spot you want, your chances of making the spot are less than if you take a diagonal route. By running directly toward a bunker that has a blind spot to most of the back players, you can cut 90 degrees to the spot you want to make. This may seem like a weird and longer route, but believe me, it will throw off the other team like you would not believe.
Another tactic is a delay move. Some teams will sweet-spot for about four seconds. With the fire rate the way it is today with the Timmys, Impulse, and Matrix, the people sweet-spotting will either think you're not going to the spot or you've run out of paint.
By taking about two seconds before you decide to go to the spot, your chance of making it is about 50/50. Also, if you decide to take the 90-degree turn route, they may even shift their sweet spot to the spot you may be running at. This will also give you a two-second window to make your spot.
Another part of walking the fields is knowing what you are going to do once you get to your spots. Some teams will just find their first spot and then head off to the beer garden. You have to focus on the field after the 50-yard line and see how you can break the cross of the other team. Just because you are a good break team doesn't mean that you are a good finishing team. You have to know your third and fourth spots after you break the 50. When and if you make the 50 and front spots that you are trying to make, you will have shots and the angles on the players that may not even know you are there.
Find the spots toward the front of the field that you will check first, and work your way toward the back of the field. By doing this you will take away the angles for the easy shot to eliminate you. Seventy-five percent of the time there will be someone either on the other side of your spot or right next to you. Always look directly across the field to see if there is someone with you. After taking the shots and eliminating the most important people on the field, take a minute to suck up all of the guns. If you stay alive on the field, you will cause a lot of problems for the other team. If you are eliminated, you have done no good for your team. Allow your team to get the angles they need.
The tricks and the experience that you will gain playing against players that are better than you will pay off in the long run. You have to learn from all of your experiences playing against Pro teams. Always remember that all teams can be beat. You have to be willing to take chances and make moves that will show the other team that you are not scared of them.
Most novice and rookie teams are the death of Pro teams due to the fact that they are willing to learn from their mistakes, and by learning they will get better and sometimes lucky. By pulling off moves that no one expects, you may make it and win. If you ever have any questions on anything, just ask a Pro. Most of the Pros I know are always willing to help you. If they aren't, then they shouldn't be called Pros in the first place.
