How To Improve in CS GO – Some Ways to Get Better At The Game

The first time I played counter-strike 1.6 back in 2005 I remember I hated the game. Then I was looking for ways on how to improve in CS GO. I didn’t understand the context, I was rushing out as the round started, then I had to watch as a spectator till the next round. As time passed I gained knowledge, skills, and love for the game. Here are some of my tips and many tips from professionals on how to get better at the game.

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about how to improve in CS GO. I will not just tell you to watch demos but explain what to watch in them. From already well-covered topics, like recoil or aiming, I will also talk about rarer methods like using wall-hack to practice.

How to improve in CS GO – first, set everything to work smooth

While there are basic things like a good internet connection or strong hardware to run the game smoothly, you should also find or make a good config that works well with your hardware. Using pro’s config is a good way to start, but you have to keep some things in mind. Maybe they are using a different mouse with different DPI, different hardware. Also, adjust things to your level if you can’t use that sensitivity just take it lower. You don’t want FPS lags that can affect your recoil and your timing. It’s best if you have high-end hardware, so you have the same odds as professionals. However, if you can’t afford a new PC at the moment here are some very useful tips that can increase your FPS.

https://youtu.be/jXjl1DHuP_4

Also, you will need a relatively good mouse some headphones and a comfortable chair. Maybe sounds funny but you are going to spend many hours in that chair practicing so it is very important. Then you should make the basic settings of the game. Different grenades on different buttons can be a lot of help.

Some basic advice for beginners

Always play against gamers who are at your level or a bit above. Don’t do smurfing. If you are playing with week opponents you won’t improve too much. A little bit of ego-boosting is fun sometimes but if you get used to it and doing the same rushes back in your rank, then you are going to get shot. You shouldn’t rage if you are feeling that someone is way over your rank and you get suspicious of him that he is smurfing. Instead, be nice to him and ask him to practice together. After all, you can only learn from someone who is better than you.

Be careful when you are giving out your position. I see it many times that people are switching weapons for no reason. It is not good to lose time with this. There are better ways to reset your recoil if that’s your plan with this. However, it’s different when it comes to AWP-ing. There are some tactics when you are luring out enemies with making some noise with knifing the air or the wall but they are not that common on pro contests, are they? Dividing the enemy team’s attention by faking a rush with some grenades and pre-firing a spot is a different thing.

Pre-aiming and pre-firing

Pre-aiming is essential to be successful in the game. If people ask me, how to improve in CS GO it’s usually the first thing I mention. It’s not only keeping your crosshair at head-level all the time. When you engage somewhere you have to know the spots that people use to cover themselves. When you enter B on Dust 2 from T side you have to know where to aim first and as you progress out of the tunnel and see more of B where to aim next.

Learning and mastering this takes a lot of time but it will give you a huge advantage. As you learn to stick your crosshair to the right corners you will drastically reduce the time you need for aiming. It can be very useful to use wall-hack while practicing pre-aiming. You do it against bots obviously. It will help you with timing your rushes and also you can get better at placing the crosshair on the right spots.

Pre-firing your way to the top

Pre-firing is pretty much the same thing. It comes handy when you are entering an area. You can use it when a player is constantly playing on the same angle or when you engage a territory where an enemy possibly could be. However, you should not use it when the enemy doesn’t know where you are. You are not pre-firing when your team turns to A after storming B and leaves a player as a decay behind.

Playing counter strike global offensive without knowing the maps is like a sudden migraine. The reason why this game is complex and nice because it has a long learning curve. First, you learn the landscape of the map so you won’t get lost. After, you learn the most common spots where to stand to pick out rushing people or where to pay attention when you are rushing. If you know these things you can learn when and where to use your grenades, where to prefire and in the meantime, you are building up your team player skills aswell.

Mastering the recoil to improve in CS GO

Well, this thing takes time. Pre-aiming and pre-firing is nothing without good recoil skills. Spray at close range, tap fire at medium range and tap a bit slower for long-distance. You also want to move between taps so you are a harder target. It’s very important to learn all the recoil patterns. You can do it by practicing at a wall. Here is a great video from n0thing on how to master spraying.

And here you can check all the recoil patterns.

Mastering the physics of CS GO

This is usually an overlooked topic, but it’s very important. Surfing, kz, and bunny-hopping are giving essential skills that will improve your overall performance. You will be faster, you will be able to get to positions easier. I remember that in 1.6 you could jump out of the map on the T side of Nuke. Of course, it was forbidden but don’t lie to me that you never had the fun to shot players from outside of the map. My personal favorite was always surfing and bunnyhopping. Back in 1.6, there were some great maps for surfing, where you could advance as you gain skills. (surf_simpsons, surf_water_run) it’s not that effective as practicing tapping against bots, but sometimes it’s great to let the steam out while still having some benefit out of it.

Warming up before an important game

This is also a great way of warming up. Well, many are arguing that an aim map is the best way to prepare for a match and they can be right. However, I think that it depends on the player as well. It’s great to use aim maps for training but as a warming up it’s too tiring for me.

How to improve in CS GO – Watching demos, learning from mistakes

Okay, this is essential not just for CS GO but for anything in life. When you are looking for help on how to improve in CS GO it’s best if you check yourself first. You have to realize when you make mistakes and you have to learn from them. I meet many young players who are always blaming someone else. They blame their teammates or accusing the enemy of cheating. We are human we make mistakes, there is nothing to be ashamed of. You have to analyze your mistakes and learn from them so you are not going to do it again. I recommend this article if you have more interest in the psychology of motivation and humiliation.

While it’s a thrill to watch pro games or maybe even gamble on them through online sportsbooks in the US, maybe it’s not that fruiting. It happens many times that players try to implement methods way over their level, but doesn’t understand the context so it goes wrong. It’s not going to work out that easy, you have to get there. What you should watch in your demos is if the engagements you take are beneficial for your team to win the round. If you are on position while getting into an engagement. Do you use your nades correctly? Was the situation good your calls put your team in? How could you put yourself in a position to win a certain engagement? Well, the answer will come through practice and team play.

Finding and managing your team

While it’s essential to find players with good skills, it’s also very important that you get along with them. It’s always more fun to work or practice with friends so you have a good time. Changing your line-up now and then won’t do too much good for you even if you find some players that are more skilled a bit. Just check out what’s happened to NiP on some online sportsbook news sites in the US. I am very curious about the outcome of their next game against faze. 

You have to learn to work together and that takes time, loyalty is a good thing here. If you know your friends you can control their temper, if you realize that you or someone in your team are doing action on an emotional basis you have to pinpoint it out and change it to stay rational.

Communication is a must

Once you have the right team communication will be a lot easier. Toxicity is a no go. It’s vital to understand the effects of toxicity on a team to be short, it fucks up everything. You should communicate with your team on a nice tone so you don’t hurt their feelings. It’s also vital to talk about mistakes and give criticism but leave it for after the match. With communication, you have to give information to the team that helps towards success. Sure the game is tempting and as adrenalin rushes your brain it’s easier to say bad or irrelevant things. You have to stay calm and rational, emotional response to certain situations are usually not the best.

How to improve in CS GO – Using nades correctly

This can highly improve your skillset. Here it comes handy to watch professional games you will see that using correct nades are changing the odds of a matchup. With smokes and Molotovs you can buy time before execution for your team to rearrange. You can gather information or you can delay a ct retake. Also, they do some damage. All in all, if you want to find ways on how to improve in CS GO you have to practice a lot, in the right direction.