Rocket League: Simplest Way to Get Mechanical in 2024

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Rocket League in 2024 is a far cry from what it was in 2015. The game has evolved, becoming more competitive and mechanically demanding. If you're aiming to improve your mechanics in this new era, you need to focus on the key skills that top players are mastering. After extensive research and experience, I've identified the five essential skills that mechanical players are using to dominate the game in 2024. By incorporating these into your practice routine, you can elevate your gameplay, regardless of your rank, age, or skill level.

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Why Should You Listen to Me?

Before diving into the skills, let me tell you why you should trust this guide. Unlike the cracked high school kids who seem to pick up mechanics effortlessly, I've had to work hard to keep up in Grand Champion 3 lobbies. At 22 years old, I don’t have as much time to grind Rocket League as I used to, especially with running my coaching company, GrandChampBootcamp.com. Despite limited playtime, I recently achieved Grand Champion 3 by playing only an hour a day, thanks to the five skills I’m about to share with you.

The Five Essential Skills to Get Mechanical in 2024

1. Master Your First Touches

Mechanical players make their first touches look effortless, but this is a result of deliberate practice. A good first touch can set you up for endless possibilities: flip resets, air dribble bumps, or even solo plays. The problem for most players is that they practice in unrealistic scenarios where the first touch is already handled, leaving them unprepared for real-game situations.

How to Improve Your First Touch:

  • Game Sense:When receiving the ball, don’t just hit it towards the opponent's goal. Instead, make your first touch away from the opponent to create time and space. This allows you to set up a more controlled play.

  • Training Drill:Use the "Hot Potato" drill in free play. Spawn the ball in front of your car, hit it in a circle without letting it bounce more than once. This drill improves your timing and speed, crucial for making controlled first touches in-game. If you're struggling, try it in slow motion by reducing the game speed to 50%.

2. Drill the Setup, Not Just the Finish

Most players focus on the final move—whether it's a flick, air dribble, or ceiling shot. However, the success of these mechanics largely depends on the setup. The better your setup, the more likely you are to execute the mechanic successfully.

How to Improve Your Setup:

  • Focus on the Beginning:Spend time practicing the initial touch or setup rather than the final shot. For example, practice popping the ball into the air correctly before worrying about the air dribble or ceiling shot.

  • Training Drill:For dribbles, practice catching the ball and setting up the dribble repeatedly without focusing on scoring. Once your setups are consistent, practice the full mechanic.

3. Control Your Dodge

Dodge control is essential for maintaining possession and preventing your opponents from outplaying you. By mastering flip cancels and other dodge techniques, you can recover faster, stay closer to the ball, and create more threatening plays.

How to Improve Your Dodge Control:

  • Flip Cancels:Practice canceling your flip after hitting the ball to land on a nearby surface. For example, after a front flip, pull back on the stick to cancel the flip and recover quickly.

  • Training Drill:Use custom training packs, such as the one created by Kevpert, designed to help you stay close to the ball and recover quickly. For advanced players, focus on specific drills that involve recovering onto walls or other surfaces.

4. Avoid Ranked 3v3

Ranked 3v3 isn't the best environment for improving mechanics. It often devolves into a chaotic chase for the ball, which doesn't translate well to higher-level play. Instead, focus on ranked 2v2, where you have more space to practice mechanics and make strategic plays.

Why 2v2 Is Better:

  • More Space:In 2v2, you have more room to execute individual plays and practice mechanics. It's a better environment for working on your car control, dribbling, and other mechanical skills.

  • Higher Skill Ceiling:The best players in the world are often found in the 2v2 leaderboard, making it the ideal place to test and improve your mechanics.

5. Master Your Car Control

In the last five years, Rocket League players have discovered numerous advanced mechanics that are now standard at the top levels. If you don’t spend time mastering these in free play, you’ll quickly fall behind.

How to Improve Your Car Control:

  • Start in Free Play:Focus on mastering the foundational mechanics like wave dashes, half flips, and speed flips. Then, move on to more advanced techniques like aroll left/right, recovery moves, and flip cancels.

  • Progress to Workshop Maps:Use workshop maps to improve specific aspects of your car control, such as dribbling and aerial maneuvers. Finally, incorporate these skills into training packs and ranked games.

A Simple Training Plan to Get Mechanical

If I were starting my Rocket League journey today, I would focus on mastering my car control first. Here’s a 3-step training plan that I wish I had followed when I started:

  1. Spam Free Play:

  • Spend time learning all the basic and advanced moves in free play. Build muscle memory for these mechanics.

Use Workshop Maps:

  • Improve your dribbling, aerial control, and other specific skills using workshop maps like Rings or Dribble Challenge.

Grind Ranked 2v2 and 1v1:

  • After mastering the basics, start playing ranked 2v2 and 1v1 to apply your skills in real-game scenarios. Avoid 3v3 until you've developed strong individual mechanics.

Following this plan would have made me a much more mechanical player in a fraction of the time it actually took.

Next Steps: What Mechanics Should You Learn First?

Now that you have a training blueprint, you might be wondering, "What mechanics should I focus on first?" If that’s you, you’re in luck.