Guide for SSL (Advanced Guide)

Be prepared for an immersive dive into the intricacies of Rocket League. This guide is not suitable for beginners however I welcome you all to ask questions and take notes – what lies in this guide is a journey into super advanced concepts and techniques. If you're ready to challenge your understanding and push the boundaries of your knowledge, you're in the right place. Get ready to explore the depths of Rocket League mastery and elevate your skills to the highest level. Brace yourself for a profound and advanced exploration that goes beyond the basics. Let's embark on this journey together.

Settings in Depth

Camera Distance:
Adjust the Camera Distance to find a balance between having a good view of the field and being close enough to control your car effectively. A distance of around 260 to 280 is commonly used.
Why, think of competitive shooting or Archery the further the target the worse the accuracy. Over years of META and AI learning the focal point for games tend to fall in shorter distances of linear physics. This means your radius of control is more sensitive and will appear faster while you are further away.

Camera Height:
Set the Camera Height to a level that provides a clear view of the ball and surroundings. Many players prefer a height of 90 or 100.

Camera Angle:
Adjust the Camera Angle to your preference. A lower angle (e.g., -3 to -5) can give a better sense of depth and control.
To note above Camera Angle is directly correlated with Camera Height the pairs are
(-3, 100) (-5, 90) (-4, 90 or 100). This is due to depth of field and clear picture view changing height and making up for angle gives you a consistent picture on camera rotations such as going up for an aerial or off wall.

Camera Stiffness:
Stiffness determines how quickly the camera catches up with your car's movements. Experiment with values between 0.35 and 0.70 to find what feels comfortable for you.
Higher Sens players want to have a higher stiffness! If you play on anything above 2.3 Sens you need to have a 0.45 or higher stiffness. If you are below 2.0 it would be optimal to have lower stiffness. 0.35.

Field of View (FOV):
A higher FOV (109-110) can provide a wider view of the field, helping with awareness and positioning. Find a balance that allows you to see enough while maintaining a sense of speed.

Camera Swivel Speed:
Adjust the Camera Swivel Speed to 10.0. Many players prefer a relatively high swivel speed to quickly scan the field. A setting between 7 and 10 is common.

Transition Speed:
Toggle Ball Cam effectively. Toggle Ball Cam on when you need to focus on the ball and toggle it off when you need to grab boost or position yourself without being tied to the ball's perspective. We will use it as a snapping technique for boost while shadowing. I recommend 1.7 but no lower than 1.5. This also affects camera speed on wall transitions he higher the faster image you get while on wall.

Controlled Input Sensitivity:
Fine-tune your controller to match your preference. The proven best sens is 1.5.
Sens that end in 0,2,5. Are more consistent with the bullet physics of UE3 Rocket League. Settings correlate to Camera directly a 1.5 with 400 distance would appear faster and sensitive but be the same relative speed. This is why its important to match META Camera with META Sens.

Deadzone Settings:
Adjust your controller deadzone settings to eliminate any unwanted input. A lower deadzone can provide more precise control. I recommend .05 to .07 with .07 being the most consistent input.
https://halfwaydead.gitlab.io/rl-deadzone/

Dodge Deadzone:
Dodge Deadzone should be between .60 and .80. We are looking at having the most control with the most consistent inputs "Humanly Possible Recreation Standards." Recommendation .70.

Reference if more information needed*
https://liquipedia.net/rocketleague/List_of_player_camera_settings

Training Routines

There are 2 types of Training at SSL.
Input Efficiencies and Limit Testing.

Input Efficiencies

Input efficiency in gaming refers to the skillful and precise use of controls, maximizing the effectiveness of every controller input to execute actions seamlessly and enhance overall game play performance. It involves minimizing unnecessary movements and optimizing response times for a more fluid and accurate gaming experience.

Playing like a "Brick" is considered fast and efficient. Too many air rolls is slower momentum and therefore slower to the ball.

*** Take Note of the "Spins" ***



Angular Momentum

*** This is what im referencing when training speed and efficiency. ***

No air roll is faster than spinning because your momentum is closer to the center of gravity of car.


Limit Testing

Limit testing is exactly what you would expect. Testing your limits in scrims or games. Just because you cant hit a double reset or make a backboard read doesn't mean you shouldn't attempt it.

There is scientific evidence supporting the idea that failure contributes to improvement and learning.

Neuroplasticity:
The brain has the ability to reorganize itself and form new neural connections, a concept known as neuroplasticity. When individuals face challenges or failures, the brain responds by adapting and forming new pathways, enhancing problem-solving skills and resilience.

Learning from Mistakes:
Cognitive science suggests that learning from mistakes is a powerful way to reinforce learning. When errors occur, the brain is stimulated to identify and correct those errors, leading to a deeper understanding of the task or concept at hand.

Adversity and Growth:
Research on resilience and positive psychology emphasizes that facing and overcoming adversity, including failures, can contribute to personal growth. Embracing challenges fosters psychological resilience, adaptability, and an increased capacity to handle future difficulties.

Feedback Loop:
Failure often provides immediate feedback on what works and what doesn't. This feedback loop is essential for iterative learning and improvement. Analyzing failures allows individuals to adjust their approaches and refine their strategies.

Motivation and Determination:
Experiencing failure can serve as a motivator for individuals to strive for improvement. The emotional impact of setbacks can fuel determination, encouraging individuals to work harder and persist in their efforts to achieve success.

Skill Development:
In skill-based activities, like sports or gaming, failure is an inherent part of the learning process. Each failure provides an opportunity to identify weaknesses, refine techniques, and enhance overall performance through practice and adaptation.

Mathematical MMR (Improvement)

In many ranking systems used in competitive online games including Rocket League, your rank progression is influenced by a combination of factors, with win percentage being just one of them. The specific details can vary based on the game's ranking algorithm, but generally, a 57-60% win percentage is quite positive and would contribute to an upward progression in rank.

However, it's essential to consider additional factors:

Opponent Strength:
The skill level of your opponents also matters. Winning against higher-ranked opponents might result in more significant gains, while winning against lower-ranked opponents might lead to smaller increases. 2 mmr vs 9 mmr.

Consistency:
Consistently winning matches is more impact than occasional wins. A steady performance demonstrates a more reliable skill level to the ranking system.

Personal Performance:
Some systems take individual performance into account. If you consistently perform well in matches (e.g., scoring goals, making saves), it can positively impact your rank progression. Rocket League is NOT one of these games. Therefore team interest should be overall. DO ANYTHING FOR THE WIN.

Streaks:
Winning or losing streaks can accelerate rank changes. A series of wins may result in a faster rank increase, while a series of losses might lead to a more rapid rank decrease.

Match Difficulty:
The difficulty of the matches played, which is influenced by the collective skill level of all players in the game, can affect your rank progression. Just because your 1500 doesn't mean that 1700 will be more difficult for you. Understanding that solo ques vs 3 stack and game mode influence is important in the rank up process.

While a 60% win rate is generally positive, remember that ranking systems are designed to create a balance, and improvement may be gradual. If you consistently maintain a win rate above 50%, you should see a gradual increase in rank over time. However, the specifics depend on the game's ranking algorithm and its underlying mechanics. Taking in Rocket Leagues Mathematical MMR a player starting at 1664 at the beginning of season will hit the MMR below with X amount played at X win percentage.

Games	MMR	Diffrence	Win Loss
100	1715	+50	55/45
200	1760	+95	110/90
300	1795	+135	165/135
500	1840	+180	275/225
750	1890	+230	412/338
1000	1930	+270	550/450
1250	1980	+330	687/563
1500	2010	+360	825/675
2000+	2050	+410	1100/900

As you can see an average win percentage at 55% shows that your net positive games cancel out losses over time. We as players either dont play enough to abuse this math or we get burnt out and play around 300 games.

Strengthening Mental Performance

Strengthening mental performance is crucial for achieving success in various aspects of Rocket League. Here are some strategies to enhance mental performance:

Mindfulness and Meditation:

Practice mindfulness to stay present and focused.
Engage in meditation to improve attention and reduce stress before sessions.

Goal Setting:

Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks. Write in a journal or google doc after every session.

Positive Self-Talk:

Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations.
Cultivate a growth mindset by seeing challenges as opportunities for learning.

Healthy Lifestyle:

prioritize regular exercise for improved cognitive function and mood.
Maintain a balanced diet with sufficient nutrients and hydration.


Adequate Sleep:

Ensure you get enough quality sleep for cognitive function and emotional well-being.
Stick to a consistent sleep schedule. Stop the 3am weekended grinds and start going to bed and waking up at the same time.

Stress Management:

Learn stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.
Break tasks into smaller steps to manage overwhelming situations. 7 games on 15 min break. Take a break!! Stretch your hands drink some water!

Continuous Learning:

Stimulate your brain with new challenges and activities. (Limit Testing)
Read guides, watch videos, or engage in hobbies that expand your knowledge on competitive gaming.

Time Management:

Prioritize tasks and focus on high-priority activities first.
Use tools like calendars and planners to organize and plan your day.

Social Connections:

Cultivate positive relationships for emotional support. (X or Discord)
Share experiences and challenges with friends or family.

Visualization Techniques:

Use mental imagery to visualize success and positive outcomes.
Picture yourself overcoming challenges and achieving your goals.

Brain-Boosting Activities:

Solve puzzles, play strategy games, or engage in activities that challenge your cognitive abilities.
Note - Playing chess boosted my MMR by 50-75.

Positive Environment:

Surround yourself with positive influences and a supportive environment. (Discord Servers)
Minimize exposure to negativity and toxic situations.

Seek Professional Support:

If needed, consider seeking the guidance of a mental health professional for coping strategies and support.

Reflect and Learn:

Regularly reflect on your experiences and learn from both successes and setbacks. (Journal)
Adjust your strategies based on what works best for you.

1v1 Isolations

1v1 Isolation

Isolating the "First" challenge in 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 is essential to gaining advantage. When you take ball possession the first thing you should do is isolate your first initial challenge. Don't locate the goal or anything else just the pressure.

Step 2 -
Get the beat. Play the ball around the opponent based off pressure direction. Players love 50's but 50's don't gain advantage and stall time for opponent recovery and unpredictable pinches.

Get the beat every time! Creating an optimal situation for 2v1 and 1v0 situations.
Isolation will take pressure off of your net by moving the ball downfield. Its okay to take 50's but, take them after the first isolation. Your value will increase because you get 1 beat + 1 50. 1 player for the value of 2.

Move the ball quickly do not delay your time!

Isolation is the simplest form of gaining a advantage and opportunity in Rocket League its a transition tactic and scoring enhancement. increasing your chances to score on other players is essential in maximizing pressure and mistakes made by high level opponents.

Pressure (Defense)

Pressuring as 1st Man

Pressure in defined by Pressuring opponents and removing angles of operation and possible outcomes from geometric cutoff. Challenging for the teammate behind you making the save easier or even dunking/saving the shot or pass before it reaches the teammate for a counter attack.

Look at the triangle of possible Goal Angles. The closer you get to the apex of the triangle to more car coverage you have. Making yourself appear bigger in net. This crash of pressure can be used in the midfield for possession or in net to cut down angle and make it harder to shoot.

This is a field hockey example*

Preventing Opponent Scoring:
The primary goal of playing defense in Rocket League is to prevent the opposing team from scoring. Applying defensive pressure involves challenging the opponent, blocking shots, and disrupting their offensive plays.

Forcing Mistakes:
High defensive pressure can force opponents to make mistakes. By putting pressure on them, you increase the likelihood of them mishitting the ball, making a poor pass, or losing control, providing your team with opportunities to counterattack.

Creating Counterattack Opportunities:
Effective defensive pressure can lead to counterattack opportunities. Intercepting the ball or winning challenges in the defensive zone allows your team to quickly transition to offense, catching the opponent off guard and potentially scoring.

Maintaining Field Control:
By applying defensive pressure, your team can maintain control of the field. This control allows for better positioning, denying the opponent space, and limiting their options for attacking.

Building Momentum and Confidence:
Successfully defending against opponents builds team momentum and confidence. It can be demoralizing for the opposing team when they consistently face strong defensive pressure, potentially affecting their performance.

Possession

While possession in traditional sports often refers to controlling a ball or object, possession in Rocket League has a different dynamic due to the continuous nature of play and the unique mechanics of the game. In Rocket League, possession is more fluid and involves maintaining control and influence over the ball.

Ball Control:
Possession in Rocket League often means having control of the ball. Skilled players can use precise touches, dribbling techniques, and flicks to keep the ball close and navigate the field while denying opponents easy opportunities to intercept. (1v1 Isolation)

Maintaining Pressure:
Possession isn't solely about having the ball but also about applying pressure on the opponents. By keeping the ball in the opponent's half or making controlled passes, a team can maintain offensive pressure, limiting the opposing team's options and creating scoring opportunities.

*Note* ^^^
Stop listening to people tell you stop booming the ball! BOOMING the ball downfield creates pressure. However, play the boom to OPEN SPACE! Booming the ball right back to the opponent does give away possession. Isolate your opponent and boom to opposite side of field or direction. "Make it awkward for them".

Team Coordination:
Possession is often a team effort. Coordinated passes and rotations among teammates can help maintain possession and create strategic opportunities. Players need to be aware of their teammates' positions and communicate effectively to control the flow of the game.

Contesting Challenges:
Winning and losing challenges is crucial for maintaining possession. When contesting 50/50 challenges, aim to position yourself favorably to retain control or force the ball into a beneficial position for your team.

Adaptability:
Possession in Rocket League is dynamic and can shift rapidly. Teams need to adapt their strategies based on the ball's position, their opponents' movements, and the overall flow of the game.

There are Three good options every time.

1. Boom but only if you see that it will be tough for them to handle (High 2nd or 3rd)

2. Control and make a dribble or aerial play to advance (Opponent is far away)

3. Pass to teammate off their boom (Sees team in open space)

1 And 3 Aren’t always there. A lot of the time you need to do something with it (Catch and Flick)

Possession is closely tied to offensive strategy. Teams that can move the ball in the opponent's half have a higher likelihood of creating goal-scoring opportunities. This involves smart passing, dribbling, and utilizing the walls and ceiling to maintain control. (1v1 Isolation)

Compression

Compression means being to close to the play and cutting off essential angles that could result in a goal for you or an easy save that you missed.
Compression is when you get too close to the play. If you were to play further back, you could cover more area than if you were closer to the play. A symptom of compression is that you're going to be awkward on all balls.

Advantage Zones
There are things we call Advantage Zones which are areas in which you are not awkward on the play we want to figure out how to get into more Advantage Zones, that way we can always move forward on the ball and can hit it with lots of power and momentum. Speed is usually the cause of compression so using your brake before unpredictable hits such as fifties clears can increase your advantage Zone and allow you to take control of the ball

Correct Advantage Zones

Compression with fix*


Common Areas of Compression

Some common areas of compression in rocket league are

-back post
-front post
-second man

Also compression mostly happens as 2nd or 3rd man.
STAY GROUNDED! Using flips is the easiest way to get too close and over commit.

Staying available for the ball in unpredictable scenarios makes you a more dangerous player and can increase your ability to score and save goals. Patience is key!

Turn Radius

In Rocket League, turn radius refers to how quickly and tightly a car can make a turn. It's a critical aspect of the game as players need to navigate the field efficiently, whether defending, attacking, or trying to control the ball. The turn radius of a car is influenced by its design, hitbox, and speed.

Different cars in Rocket League have distinct designs and hitboxes, influencing their turn radius. Generally, cars with a shorter wheelbase and wider hitbox can make tighter turns. For these examples we will look at Octane and Fennec.

Speed Influence:
The speed of the car affects its turning ability. At higher speeds, cars tend to have a wider turn radius, making it harder to make sharp turns. Slowing down before making a turn allows for more precise control over the car's movement. (Use your break to cover more area)



For an easier visual experice of the graph above.
Green is Driving Speed (0 uu - 1599 uu)
Blue is Boost Speed (1600 uu - 2000 uu)
Red is Supersonic Speed (2300 uu)



The slower you are the tighter the turn therefore the more area of coverage.

Here is an in game example of how speed affect radius.

Evolve Playstyle (Positioning)

Evolve playstyle is very easy to understand all we're going to do is put together the things we just talked about turn radius and compression. Evolve playstyle means that we are going to cancel out compression by using our brake as well as increase our turn radius and increase our advantage zones. There are tons of players out there who use the Evolve playstyle some good examples of some players currently our Motta, Zen, or any of your other favorite Pros I will include three examples of professional players using this in RLCS matches.

Zen

Seikoo

Motta

Ask yourself what is similar about these clips?

Can you see the -

Anti Compression
Advantage Zones
Turn Radius
Adaptability
Brake for Momentum (Camera Jolt)

EVO Playstyle does NOT mean SLOW. Move is BURST!

Evolve Playstyle is not an adjustment to your play style its an addition to it! Using the concepts above we can adapt and overcome anything opponents or teammates throw in our advantage zone. Compression makes us a worse player and hurts our ability to add value to our team.

Reading Advanced Defenses

Reading defenses in Rocket League is a skill that involves quickly analyzing the positioning and movements of the opposing team to make effective decisions during gameplay.

Camera Awareness:
Use the right analog stick to regularly check your surroundings by moving the camera. This helps you gather information about the position of opponents, teammates, and the ball.

Positional Awareness:
Pay attention to the positions of opponents on the field. Look for players who are committed to attacking or defending, and anticipate their movements.

Opponent Movements:
Watch for signs of your opponents' intentions. If they are moving aggressively towards the ball, they might be attempting a challenge or a shot. Adjust your position accordingly. Pay attention to opponents rotating back to defend or grabbing boost. This can give you openings for offensive plays.

Recognize Defensive Clears:
Anticipate when opponents are attempting to clear the ball from their defensive zone. Be ready to intercept or redirect the ball to maintain offensive pressure. (Third Man)

Adaptability:
Read defenses dynamically and adapt to changing situations. Opponents may switch between offensive and defensive roles quickly, and being flexible in your approach is essential. (1v1 Isolation)

Learn from Replays:
Reviewing match replays can be a valuable tool for improving your ability to read defenses. Analyze your opponents' movements and decisions, as well as your own, to identify areas for improvement.

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Car Design Placebo

In Rocket League, the term "car design placebo" refers to the psychological effect where a player believes that the visual appearance or design of their in-game car can impact their performance, even though the actual gameplay mechanics remain consistent across different car models. In other words, the perception of having a better-performing car due to its appearance or design choices can create a placebo effect.

Personal Preference:
Players may have personal preferences for the aesthetics of certain cars, decals, or color combinations. The psychological aspect of feeling good about the visual design can positively influence a player's mindset and performance.

Confirmation Bias:
Once a player believes that a specific car design enhances their performance, they may selectively notice instances where they play well with that design, reinforcing the belief. This is known as confirmation bias.

Community Perception:
Discussions within the Rocket League community, including social media, forums, and content creators, can contribute to the perception that certain cars are more effective or popular. This can influence players to adopt specific car designs based on the perceived preferences of skilled players or the community at large.

Mindset and Confidence:
The placebo effect in car design can be strongly tied to a player's mindset and confidence. If a player believes they perform better with a particular car, they may approach the game with more confidence and focus, potentially improving their actual gameplay.


Visual Improvement makes you more consistent! Rock the "Placebo" Presets.
Car Designs Document [docs.google.com]

Heavy Car Bug

Heavy Car Bug is NOT real.
Its easy to explain when you look at the statistics of matches. When you move at a average speed of 1600 uu and then the next day 1500 uu you will feel heavy. Players that play slower play styles tend to never experience this.

If you ever want a "cheat" you can use a dwm.exe trick that speeds up your input curve so it will appear faster. This makes you feel super light and gets rid of the "bug".
Information on the dwm.exe trick is found on my "Decreasing Input Delay" Guide.

Summation (Attention!)

This is a comprehensive guide that im actively working on. There will be edits and tons of more information added over the coming weeks. I will post the guide in its current form and polish it over the next few weeks.

If you made it this far and enjoyed the guide please write a comment on my steam profile. I appreciate the support from these!


Ask any questions below!
Discord - Lunavarious

Good Luck!

[Moon]

VNSR - Thank you so much for the update and feedback congrats on GC! I hope this will help you push into higher mmr lobby’s.

[VNSR]

even though it's a gc3 and above guide , i really enjoyed reading it and benefited from it by knowing a lot about the high level plays and strategies.

thank you so much for giving us this much of info!

now i'm GC1 in 2s , c2 in 3s , but still d2~3 in 1s
i hope that i can get better in the future (while) knowing the things in the guide AND APPLYING
THAT into my play-style , which is the MOST important thing.

[tones and i 😎]

nerd

[Moon]

Im not 100% what sunless is referring to since I haven't seen the video. If you message me on discord im happy to send some different pictures of compression or possibly a video.

Compression refers to being too close. When you are too close to the play you notice the triangle gets smaller so your area of coverage suffers. If you take real life application and put pressure on sponge it caves and collapses because you've manipulated the space of that object. However unlike in real life in Rocket League you need to be able to adapt to different outcomes so once you've manipulated or compressed open space you can no longer get it back hence making reads as 2nd man awkward from "being to close - compression.

[H I S A K A]

Compression illustrations are not really clear. Is that the same point SunlessKhan had in his positioning videos when he separate the field in a 9 cases grid and being in an adjacent one to the play but not in the same ?

[Moon]

:)

[Ghost_Luca××]

:)

[Aztrex]

I’m currently a gc2 peak 1660 I’m going to put into practice the things ur talking about and we’ll see how far I can get

[Moon]

PREACH

[Sakura]

DON'T GIVE UP POSSESSION OF THE BALL JUST BECAUSE YOU NEED BOOST. THANKS.