Rocket League is now in its sixth year, and the community is larger than it has ever been. Rank struggles aside, Rocket League is still gaining popularity in 2021. Because of the life cycle of the game, there are a lot of players that can perform elite maneuvers in every match. At the same time, there are thousands of new players creating accounts every day.
Players of all skill levels can always find something to improve on, and this list will include ten. Rocket League is a mechanical game, and to get better, gamers should attempt to complete each of the mechanics in this article. The list includes some of the best maneuvers to learn in Rocket League.
10 Half Flip
The half flip is a relatively simple maneuver used by all top tier Rocket League players. It allows gamers to change directions the fastest possible way in the game. Gamers can perform the flip by canceling a back flip with an air roll. Players should first practice performing a backflip and landing on the roof of their car. The only other step is to use air roll to perform a "half flip" or barrel roll. Binding air roll to a more comfortable button than LB should make the process of learning the maneuver smoother.
- Step 1: Backflip
- Step 2: Air roll while the car is upside down
- Step 3: What a save!
9 Pre-Flip
The pre-flip is an underused maneuver that can help players generate more power and throw off the timing of opponents. It is the easiest mechanic to learn and also one of the most useful. Players need to flip either to the left or right and anticipate where the ball will be. Instead of flipping directly into the ball, gamers need the trajectory of both the ball and the flip to intersect. This maneuver is all about timing and it will take some practice to execute on a consistent basis. Gamers can use the pre-flip to "dunk" opposing players as well. In higher ranks, gamers use the pre-flip as an aerial tactic to get slightly more power on balls that are within two jump range. Pre-flips are just as effective at correcting player mistakes in the air, as long as the ball is close enough to flip to.
8 Wave Dash
All players in Grand Champion and above use wave dashing to create speed without boost and navigate the pitch faster. The mechanic is an abuse of the in game physics, which give players increased speed after flipping. However, instead of using the flip to actually flip, players can get the same speed boost by performing a jump and flip cancel. Gamers should jump, tilt the car up slightly, and flip forward once their back wheels have touched the ground. The forward flip will be canceled by the front wheels of the car hitting the field.
- Step 1: Tap Jump
- Step 2: Use the analog stick to tilt the car up slightly
- Step 3: Wait for the back wheels to contact the ground
- Step 4: Front flip
- Step 5: Find Boost
7 Stalling
The stalling mechanic is more like a David Blaine trick than a maneuver. Players can use their air roll to prevent the car from flipping. The result is a car suspended in the air, defying the laws of physics. All gamers have to do is flip in any direction and use air roll in the exact opposite direction. For the majority of players, stalling will not be a very practical mechanic in game. Professionals and elite players have used the tactic to finish off incredible plays, but they have thousands of hours on the game. Utility aside, it is cool to defy gravity using the trick.
- Step 1: Flip
- Step 2: Air roll in the opposite direction
- Step 3: Just Float
6 Squishy Save
Squishy's name is synonymous with Rocket League at this point. It is a shame that his name was not attached to a more complicated mechanic. Nonetheless, the Squishy save can be useful in certain scenarios. Most of the time, however, it will be difficult to pull off. Players can perform the save by driving straight into their own net and up the ceiling. Once players are about to launch out of the goal, they can use air roll to position the car for the save. While it is called a save, this technique is just as useful when players are stuck in the goal and need to get upfield fast.
- Step 1: Drive up the wall in net
- Step 2: Direct the car toward the oncoming ball
- Step 3: Use air roll and boost
- Step 4: Get bailed out by a teammate
5 Air Dribble
Successfully completing an air dribble is extremely satisfying. However, the road to getting this technique down is long and arduous. Players should first make sure they have basic dribbling and aerial mechanics before trying to combine the two in the air. Air dribbling involves controlling and hitting or trapping the ball consecutively while in the air. It can be intimidating at first, but the technique is one of the most important things to learn for players that want to improve.
The air dribble is commonly used on the wall because players can propel the ball with enough speed and with enough height to dribble into the net. However, the tactic can be employed anywhere on the pitch if the ball is high enough in the air. The first step of an air dribble is the first touch. Gamers will want to touch the ball with the front of their car as softly as possible. Players should aim to match both the speed and trajectory of the ball, creating the appearance that the car is stuck to the hitbox. After a good first touch, players need to use boost and air roll to follow the ball as it descends, hitting it ever so slightly. While the instructions are simple, it will take hours and hours to develop the car control needed to air dribble in a match. Gamers should embrace the struggle, it will be worth it.
- Step 1: Soft first touch (feather boost to slow the car down)
- Step 2: Match the velocity of the ball
- Step 3: Use boost and air roll to touch the ball on descent
- Step 4: Clip it
4 Ceiling Shot
Players began using the ceiling shot as a way to utilize their second jump to flip while high in the air. The ceiling shot is easy to understand, but not as easy to accomplish. Any ball that is high in the air can be scored using this maneuver, but the success rate will be much higher for gamers that are on the ball. The shot can be set up by scooping the ball near the ceiling and following it as it falls. Players can detach from the ceiling by pressing jump. Then, air roll needs to be used by the player to flip the car and align the next hit. Gamers will only have a couple of seconds before the flip will expire, so the play needs to be quick. Players can either hit the ball first then flip or just flip into the ball to generate power. The ceiling shot puts a lot of pressure on defenders because they will be unsure when the player will flip and where the ball will go.
- Step 1: Play the ball up the wall
- Step 2: Scoop the ball so that it slowly falls toward net
- Step 3: Drive onto the ceiling and jump
- Step 4: Air roll and boost to align
- Step 5: Flip into the ball and direct it on net
- Step 6: gg
3 The Musty Flick
Gamers that have mastered the previous five mechanics should try one of the most difficult flicks in Rocket League, the Musty flick. Named after the elite Rocket League player Musty, the flick has become one of the more common high level flicks attempted in game. In champ and above, there are a lot of players using some variation of the Musty flick to generate more power in 1v1 and 2v2. Before learning the trick, players should at least be able to trap the ball and complete a basic flick on target.
There are two basic steps to the Musty flick, the tilt and the backflip. Players need to first jump while the ball is on the hood of the car and press forward on their thumbstick so that the car is facing down at the pitch at a 45 degree angle. Next, players should then perform a simple backflip. By tilting the car downwards, the backflip will propel the ball at the perfect angle to challenge goalkeepers. This trick is difficult to pull off, and even more difficult to do on a consistent basis. The key for gamers is to keep the ball as far on the hood as possible without having it slide off.
- Step 1: Trap the ball
- Step 2: Jump
- Step 3: Tip the car forward
- Step 4: Backflip
- Step 5: Athena flick
2 Flip Reset
The final two mechanics are seemingly impossible. The flip reset is probably the most mechanically challenging and impractical of them all. However, there is no saving a perfect flip reset. The flip reset had to be included in this list because it is one of the most aesthetically pleasing maneuvers in the game. Every time a car touches anything with all four wheels, the car's double jump is reset. This means that the ball itself can be used to reset the jump or flip. The flip reset takes hours to even get the reset down, let along score a goal.
The short explanation for how to accomplish the shot is to follow the same steps as the air dribble tutorial, but contact the ball with all four wheels. The only step remaining is to use the reset to flip into the ball and power it into the goal. Players have been able to make some incredible plays by using the reset, and it is certainly one of, if not the hardest maneuver in Rocket League.
- Step 1: Follow the air dribble steps
- Step 2: Touch the ball with all four wheels
- Step 3: Flip into the ball to shoot
- Step 4: Welcome to RLCS
1 Double Touch
Players that are nearing the Champion ranks need to add this trick to their arsenal. The double touch involves a hit onto the backboard which is followed by another hit that propels the ball into the net. Beginner players can accomplish this mechanic by simply following the ball after an aerial touch. Players should first direct the ball off of the backboard while in the air. Second, gamers need to anticipate the rebound off the wall and redirect the ball into the net. The mechanics behind the maneuver will take time to learn, but the steps are straightforward.
- Step 1: Pass the ball off of the backboard while in the air
- Step 2: Anticipate the bounce
- Step 3: Direct onto the net