Why Your Movement In Valorant Is Holding You Back

In Valorant, clean movement is not just visually satisfying but crucial for gameplay. Effective movement can be the defining factor between life and death in high-stakes situations. In this guide, we’ll explore drills that will help you refine your movement skills, improve shooting accuracy, and elevate your gameplay.

Why Movement in Valorant is Crucial

Good aim alone isn’t enough to make you a top player; movement is just as essential. Bad movement can expose you to enemies, disrupt your aim, and prevent you from taking full control in fights. Developing your movement will:

• Increase your ability to dodge incoming fire.
• Make your positioning more unpredictable.
• Allow you to shoot with better accuracy by mastering timing.

How to Practice Movement with Video Review

To ensure you’re practicing correctly, recording your movements with OBS Studio and the OBS Input Overlay plugin is highly recommended. This setup lets you track every keystroke, allowing you to identify and fix mistakes effectively. By reviewing your practice sessions, you’ll make the most of the following drills.

Deadzoning: A Key Movement in Valorant Technique

Deadzoning is a powerful method that enables you to shoot accurately while changing directions. Many players confuse it with counter-strafing, but deadzoning is different. With deadzoning, you’ll always press only one movement key while switching directions. During the brief moment when you change direction, there’s a small window where you can fire an accurate shot.

Beginner Deadzone Drill 1: Mastering Accuracy

Start by practicing around a pole:

1. Stand near a pole and move back and forth, aiming to shoot bullets accurately on the right side.
2. Wait until the reticle bars turn orange to ensure accuracy before moving to the next shot.

Beginner Deadzone Drill 2: Accuracy on Both Sides

After mastering the first drill:

1. Move in both directions around the pole, aiming for both sides without focusing on aiming precisely.
2. Practice until you consistently shoot accurately within the timing window.

Benchmarking Deadzoning: Bots Practice

Once you feel comfortable, measure your progress with the bots practice:

1. For bots spawning on the left, start moving right, switch directions, and shoot accurately at the bot’s head.
2. Repeat for right-spawning bots.
3. Aiming for 20 bots hit consistently is a solid benchmark for moving to intermediate drills.

Bursting: Essential for Extended Gunfights

Bursting helps maintain accuracy while covering ground in longer fights. For effective bursting, set a metronome to help maintain rhythm.

Bursting Drill with Metronome

1. Set the metronome to 80 BPM and move between two lines, shooting two bullets at each line.
2. Increase the tempo to 110 BPM as you progress, ensuring you don’t cut corners and complete each movement.
3. Expert players can add deadzoning between bursts for added control, making movement unpredictable.

Air Strafing: Advanced Movement in Valorant Technique

Air strafing is a complex movement technique that, when mastered, gives players incredible control over their in-air trajectory.

Air Strafing Drill: Starting Basics

1. Begin by running forward, deciding which direction to turn before jumping.
2. Hold W and an additional movement key, either A or D, and smoothly move your mouse in the chosen direction.
3. Practice moving the mouse at a comfortable speed, as moving too fast will reduce control.

Beginner Air Strafing Benchmark: Bunny Hop

1. Start on a ledge, perform a 180-degree air strafe back to the other side.
2. Switch to your primary weapon before the final jump, holding crouch midair to clear the window with full momentum.

Intermediate Air Strafing Benchmark: Bunny Hopping on Small Boxes

Once you’ve mastered the basics, try bunny hopping back and forth on small boxes, such as those found on Haven. This exercise will help you become comfortable with controlled, small air movements.

High-Level Strafing: Beyond Basics

Once you’ve mastered these drills, the sky’s the limit. Integrating advanced air strafing techniques with deadzoning and bursts can make your movements fluid and unpredictable, giving you the upper hand in fights.

Frequently Asked Questions about Valorant Movement Drills