5 Practice Tips before NXL World Cup

Alright so you guys want to prepare for NXL World Cup, but the layout isn't not released yet. So what should you guys be doing in practice? Here's 5 things I think you should be doing in your paintball practices leading up to world cup.

First thing you want to do. Get everyone on your team together. Go to a quiet spot and have a little team meeting. There shouldn't be any food, cell phones, guns, or anything else that is distracting.

You're going to take a half hour, maybe even an hour or two. However long it takes. You're going to talk, and figure out what has been working this year thus far, and what hasn't worked for you guys. You need to address all these situations as a team so everyone is on the exact same page.

You can't have great chemistry on the field, if everyone is thinking the team should be doing something different. You need to find the problems, and come up with solutions as a team.

Be honest. Be critical. If you've been seeing something happen all season that needs fixed. Right here is the chance to bring it up so you can fix it going into world cup. Don't pussy foot around it. Bring it up. And don't get butt hurt. You're on a team together. If someone thinks the lanes have sucked this year and you've been the one doing the majority of lanning. Swallow your pride, and just
say ok. And then get the entire team to work with you and do drills so you can improve the lanning. Maybe that's not even the best solution. Perhaps the better solution is to have someone else to lane, and sending you to the corner, and if that is what the team decides is the best solution. then that's what needs to happen. Now you go play the corner as best as you can. It's a team sport, get your team involved and figured stuff out.

Second thing you want to do in practice. Go back and work on the fundamentals. You've went all year playing, probably picked up some sloppy tendencies along the way. Get back to the fundamentals and come in strong to world cup.

Third thing. Work on communication. This is the perfect time to work on communication. The layout hasn't be released yet but you can still work on communication. Make sure everyone on the field always knows the kill counts and where bodies are. Get people communicating back and forth to make moves happen and shut the field down.

You want to Work on fundamentals and communcation now, so when the layout is released, you can focus more on developing and executing game plans.

Fourth thing. Go over everyone's gear on the team. Make sure the exterior loops on packs are tight and still holding pods well. Look at the condition of your pods. Check to make sure all hoppers and guns are functioning properly. Do you need a new lens. Make sure you have enough squeegees, pods, barrel covers, and microfibers for the team in the pits. You've been beating the crap out of your gear all season, make sure it is all in working order coming into world cup. Shouldn't be getting down hoppers or guns at the event.

5th thing. Take these practices seriously. At the start of every practice, set goals for the practice, and exceed them. Too many teams just go through the motions, they just play random points and only take it seriously once the layout is released. Take the time now to fix mistakes the team has had all season so the team can head into practices on the layout and focus on the tournament.

Read more Paintball Tips at Macedonian Athletics Sports Academy

New Eclipse Gun to use AA Batteries

I'm so glad to hear that Planet Eclipse is switching to AA batteries. I had a 9v charger and rechargeable 9vs for a couple years only because of my paintball guns. I don't have anything else that takes 9v batteries so after my 9v charger died, I never replaced it because I could find a 9v charger in any of the local stores. I'm sure I could of got one off the internet but I just never did, so I have been using disposable 9vs ever since. What sucks about 9vs is that they cost more, and some gas stations don't even carry 9vs. So when you run out, and need to go out and search for 9vs which can be hassle and a definite inconvenience because a lot of paintball fields are no where near an actual store that carries 9v batteries. Rechargeable AAs and the chargers are much easier to come by. Even the disposable AAs are much cheaper and almost every store and gas station carries AA batteries. I can't wait for my guns to incorporate this switch to AA batteries. With the high end loaders using AA batteries, now I just need to carry AA batteries in my gear bag for my guns and my loaders which is great.

Check the News Release of the Planet Eclipse CS1

"It's a valid question. When we sit down to brainstorm a new product we revisit all of the things that people complain about on our existing products and try to address those things wherever possible. The cost and life of 9V batteries is something that players have been complaining about for years and so this was one of the things that we chose to address. The choice of AAs rather than some other form factor was an obvious one as this is the battery used in all of the high end loaders." - Steve Monks, Planet Eclipse

Being A Champion

I am a champion, as are you. Not because of the trophies and titles. But because of the obstacles that you overcome and the effort you exert. To find what it is to be your best and to aim to do it. Because you decide to, and recognize that it is your right, and your responsibility to do so. Encourage others, and continue to aim for great things. We are a champions.

NXL Virginia Beach Open Layout Tips

This video covers the lanes of the National Xball League (NXL) 2015 Virginia Beach Open Layout. Need a better way to stop the snake push and in turn help yours? Check out this video brought to you by Macedonian Athletics Sports Academy.

So with how the lanes are on the NXL Virginia Beach Open Layout, you don't have a solid lane snake side either from the back center. Usually most layouts you'll have a clean lane to shoot before the god and the corner or even in front of the snake. But really with this NXL VBO Layout your solid lane is right after the first aztec.
Now you do actually have shots over the cake and pillars into that snake corner, but you don't have a clean shot before the god, because those pillars force your paint higher in the air to shoot over them,
so he's most likely just going to slide right in if he makes it passed that initial lane after the aztec.

Now some ways we can remedy that issue is if you come into the snake side cake or sit in the open a little bit, you get a solid lane directly before the snake. So if a team is constantly going
to snake off the break, you can shoot that. But if you don't have solid game play on this snake side,
and you're relying on that shot every point to hit that guy going in off the break. Your team is not going to win the NXL Virginia Beach Open, let's just be honest. That shot is nice to give the other team a little wake up call let them to know they're not going in right off the break every point. But you can't rely on this shot to take you to the finals, teams will just stop short and make you pay later.

The better option in my opinion on the NXL Virginia Beach Open layout, is either going up the middle to the X or going to the tall cake on the dorito side, you get a cross shot into the mini-races and you can catch him there.

You're going to want to lane right before the first dorito every point. If you're better at lanning, you're going to try and hit that corner lane as well all at once.
Depending on where you're sending people on this dorito side, shooting back at the guy lanning in the back center is a good shot off the break.
With these cakes here, I love to sit behind em, block myself out, and rain paint back at the back center. Or even dropping down pretty low and safe and hitting those cross shots.

Hope these tips for the National Xball League Virginia Beach Open layout helps your team accomplish your goals. If you have any questions please leave a comment.

Macedonian Athletics Sports Academy