8 Basic Paintball Tips for Beginners

Ever since the pandemic of 2020, Americans are more conscious of how much time is spent inside. Most people are trying to spend more time outdoors, as they know doing so can lower stress and improve their mental and physical health.

So they’re looking for activities that will take them outside but will be more fun than working out or going for a run. That’s where paintball comes in.

Paintball is fun, competitive, and safe. If you follow our paintball tips, you can become a pretty good player, making the experience even more fun overall.

Want to learn how to play paintball? Keep reading below to learn all about paintball for beginners.

1. Test Out the Sport First

One of the benefits of paintball versus other outdoor hobbies is that you can get started very cheaply. In fact, you don’t need to buy anything in the beginning.

The first few times you play, you should just visit your local paintball field and rent gear. For a low fee, you’ll get a paintball gun, face mask, CO2 tank, and everything else needed for a full day of paintball.

That way, you can try out the sport to see if you like it before investing any serious money.

It helps to go with friends who can take you under their wing on the paintball field. But if you have no one to go with, don’t worry. The paintball field is a great place to meet new, like-minded friends.

2. Buy the Right Type of Paintball Gun

Once you’ve rented gear a few times, you’ll be ready to buy your own. The most important, other than a safety mask, is the paintball gun (or paintball marker) itself.

Cheaper paintball guns run around $100, while professional models reach upwards of $1,000, so there are options for every budget.

And if you buy from a site like paintballdeals.com, you’ll save even more money, allowing you to buy the gun you really want.

There are three main types of paintball guns; mechanical, electronic, and pump action. When renting, most of the time you’ll get a mechanical paintball gun, which offers semi-automatic firing. These are powered by compressed air.

Electronic models are the more advanced, offering faster firing rates and custom shooting styles, like three-shot bursts.

And pump-action guns are the slowest, requiring you to physically pump the gun for each paintball fired. But the accuracy and distance per shot are unmatched.

Most new paintball players will do just fine with a mechanical paintball gun.

3. Wear the Right Clothing

Playing paintball is safe, so long as everyone follows the rules and safety guidelines of the field. The most important safety rule is to wear the right paintball gear.

That means wearing a full face mask that protects your eyes, nose, and mouth. Some prefer to wear a full-head mask that covers the ears and back of the head as well.

But even though paintball is safe doesn’t mean you won’t get hurt. Paintballs sting when they hit you. That’s why it’s best to wear long sleeves, long pants, tall boots, and gloves.

Looser-fitting clothing can help soften the sting of each paintball, but don’t wear clothing that is so baggy it will hinder your movement.

And since you’ll be on your feet all day, wearing quality hiking shoes or utility boots is key.

4. Fuel Up

Paintball is typically an all-day endeavor. You don’t just show up for an hour or two and go home. You stay the whole day.

It’s vital that you bring enough food and water to the field to stay energized. Some fields have food and drinks available for purchase, but that increases your cost of playing.

Since players head back to the sitting area or parking lot after each match, there’s always a chance to drink some water and eat a quick snack.

5. Keep Your Tank Full

Most players will be using mechanical paintball guns that require compressed air. The paintball field will have a tank filing machine.

Make sure you have one or two tanks available, and that your tank always has enough air for the next match. Running out mid-match means you’ll have to forfeit and walk off.

6. Carry Enough Paintballs

Brand new players often don’t last long enough in a single match to use their full hopper of paintballs. But as you get more experienced, your time per match will go up, and you might end up emptying your hopper quickly.

Experienced players always bring extra paintballs onto the field. Using pods, you can carry extras on your waist and fill your hopper whenever you need to.

7. Limber Up

Paintball is a physical sport that requires tons of movement. You’ll be walking, running, crouching, crawling, and all sorts of other movements.

To keep your body going all day long, make sure to stretch and keep your body limber. Stretch before the day starts, as well as between matches.

Jogging, hiking, or biking throughout the week can increase your stamina for the weekend when you head out to play.

8. Keep Your Marker Ready

New players make this mistake frequently. They’ll peek around the corner, or up over the cover, they are hiding behind to locate the opposing team. Once they find them, they lift their gun and prepare to shoot.

But that takes too long. While you are readying your gun to fire, the opposing team has already hit you and knocked you out.

When scanning for opponents and exposing yourself, always hold your gun, ready to fire, so that you can do so swiftly before getting hit.

Paintball is fast-paced, and you need to always hold your gun in a ready-to-fire position.

Paintball Tips for Maximum Fun

There are so many other paintball tips that beginners can apply to their first few games. But the most important thing is getting out on the field for yourself. First-hand experience will always trump what you read online.

When in doubt, ask players on your team, or even the staff on the field for tips. They will be more than happy to share with you.

Looking to learn more? Visit the rest of our blog now to find other helpful articles.