Are you looking to be among the best in first-person shooter games? Have you seen crazy shots and fast reaction times and wondered if you could do them as well? If these thoughts have passed through your mind and you are serious about improving your FPS skills, then learning how to flick shot is something that you have to learn. Flicking is one of the most important skills in any competitive FPS game. You have probably watched FPS pros land shots that were too fast to comprehend, making you wonder if they were done by humans at all. But how can you actually learn and master this skill? You might even be wondering what flicking aim is. I’ll answer all your questions in this article.

What is a flick shot?

Some people call it flick shot, others flick aim, snap aim and etcetera, but it’s all the same. They all refer to a way of shooting where your crosshairs are some distance away from the enemy, and then you quickly flick your wrist or arm (will depend on your sensitivity) to put your crosshairs on the enemy as you pull the trigger. You can then flick your crosshairs away from the enemy just as fast. Think about how many more gunfights you can win since this way you can challenge enemies that catch you off guard or come from places where you don’t expect them to. Flick shooting is very fast and effective. By learning to flick shot, you will have more control over the space around you.

How different is a flick shot from tracking shots?

Tracking is when you follow a target or enemy with your crosshairs for an extended period of time. Tracking is usually good for automatic weapons, which fire continuously, while flicking is better for single-shot weapons. This is not a rule that’s set in stone, though, because both of these methods can actually be used together. For example, when you are tracking an enemy, you might make micro adjustments or small flicks to put your crosshairs on the enemy. It’s important to know when to use each of these strategies as they are not the answer to all your gunfight problems. However, learning to flick can give you an advantage in many situations and help set you apart from your competition.

You must start with the right equipment

Putting hours of practice is still not going to get you where you want to be if you don’t have the right gear.

Choose a mouse

Before you begin your flicking journey, you should pick the right mouse and mouse pad. Most FPS pros will recommend a lightweight mouse to get better at flicking, as a heavy mouse will make it difficult to move your mouse faster. A lightweight mouse allows you to flick your wrist or arm with less resistance.

Also, remember that your mouse doesn’t need to have 20 extra buttons for you to get better, and one or two thumb buttons will be enough. You should also get a mouse with a low response time, so DPI is going to be an important factor as well. The mouse you choose must be ergonomic and feel good in your hand so that it won’t cause issues for your hand after hours of practice.

Choose a pad

For your mousepad, you should go with an option that prioritises smoothness. You will be playing on this mousepad for extended periods, so it should have good quality. There are a few important factors that you must consider when buying a mouse pad: the type, the build quality, and the size. The main types of mousepads available are hard, soft and hybrid pads.

If your goal is to learn to flick and become a faster player, then a soft pad or a hybrid pad will be the go-to choice. For the build quality, go with mousepads that have stitched edges as they are less likely to tear from heavy and aggressive usage. Lastly, you must pick a mousepad of the right size for your desk. The mouse pad doesn’t have to be big enough for you to put your keyboard on as well, but it should be large enough to extend to the edge of your desk to fully cover the area where your mouse is.

Find the right sensitivity

Since we talked about speed so much, it’s understandable that one might think turning up their sensitivity is going to make them better at doing flick shots, but it’s not that simple. Flick shooting is not only fast, but it’s also precise, so it wouldn’t do you any favours to have a sensitivity so high that causes you to over flick on your targets and miss your shots. All the speed in the world isn’t going to help you if you can’t hit your shots. This is why you will see many FPS pros using low sensitivity as it allows them to have more precision in their gunfights especially mid-range and long-range gunfights. Flicking with a lower sensitivity requires you to practice moving your wrist and arm more than you are used to, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Muscle memory

The goal of a flick shot is to take out the enemy faster than they can react, so if you still have to take your time and think before taking a shot, you still need to practice. You have to train your arm, wrist and finger to work together without needing a detailed command from your brain. Flick shots are usually thoughtless and instinctual reflexes. If you find yourself having to think before taking a shot or contemplating whether you should use your wrist or your whole arm for winning certain gunfights, then slow down and practice. For practising, you can go to shooting ranges and shoot at stationary or moving targets. If the game allows you, go into a custom game with bots and practice against them. There are also aim training applications such as Aimlab, which can immensely help with your FPS skills.