TechPB
Help
Playing Snake
Run fast and hard. But importantly you have got to be low! If you can make it off the break go for it. The sooner that you are in snake is the sooner you can get those cross field shots.
Utilise all of the snake. Dont just move straight up there are different shots at different points. Find these points before the match by walking the field. get in the snake look up and note down where shots are from each position, use land marks you can see when crouched down so you know what shots you have without getting up.
Listen to your sideline coach!! He knows a lot more than you. He knows if someones posted on you, he knows if you have a clear shot, he knows when to move up. Use him!
Dont get tunnel vision. Dont get in a gun fight with one person. This is the perfect time for someone to mug you. If you get into a gun fight look else where shoot someone else. A snake player who has tunnel vision is useless. If you're team mates are calling you it's for a reason so pay attention.
Master your crawling be fast and flat. Stick your arse in the air and it'll get shot. Stay low. Snake players need to master a small profile.
When you pop up dont come straight up. gun horizontal arch your back so you come up at the same time. Look at Maximus' video for learning this technique.
Don't keep coming up at the same location. If you keep coming up at the same point you'll be caught out. Back up a little, move forward. Keep the other team guessing to your whereabouts. Don't just shoot in field. Check your tapes occasionally. Make sure you know where the other snake player is! This is why communication with you're back players is so important.
Talk to your tape! If you wanna push up tell him to put his mirror in.
If you find yourself the last player Do not stay in snake!! Get out snake is the last place you wanna be when youre the last guy left. You ideally want to be in a bunker you can stand up in. Communication is key. if you don't know you're the last in this is the time you get bunkered.
Bunkering
When in snake you will at sometime need to go and bunker the other snake player. A few things you should do before you bunker the other guy in snake. Know exactly where he is. Theres nothing quite like watching someone go to bunker someone at the wrong bunker. Also its better if their back snake is out. Because if you go and get the snake out they will have someone ready to bump up.
So this is the situation. The back corner is gone. You're back corner is in. It's you vs the other snake player. This is the time to bunker him. He's stoping your team pushing snake side. When you bunker don't always run down the tape to do so. Mix it up, go infield and catch him off guard. The side you bunker him on is determined by where he is shooting. If he posted on the tape run infield and visa versa. Run close to the bunker! if you run far out he will see you coming. Aim LOW! don't try to mug him off in his head. Snakes are always low to shoot there. Its xball it doesn't matter how close you shoot him from. Just make sure you get that G.
If you trade out you've still done you're job. But if you're still in you are now in the open (unless you ran down tape in which case you're still in snake) So you are infield and you have just got the snake guy out. You should now be looking to either get back into snake or find an infield bunker.
Personally I like to get straight back into snake. I do this by diving straight over the beam into snake. So in essence a superman over the beam. A lot of people call this showing off but it really isn't. Yes it looks cool but it does serve a purpose. If you successfully bunker the opposing snake player and continue over the beam it is deadly. You have come out of snake bunkered a player and got back into snake in one move.
^
I must warn you this is pretty advanced and you don't wanna be doing this straight away. Try it in training with just a pot to get confident and then put your set up together gradually.
Diving into Snake.
Off the break youre gonna be doing a superman. Palms up! Land on your forearms and chest to tak the impact. Dont kick your legs in the air. You'll be a bigger target. Keep them down.If snake is on the left.. gun in the left hand. Snake on the right... gun in the right.
If youre going to a back corner then to snake youre going to most likely run and gun to back corner.. aim to get their snake out!. You'll be hip sliding into the corner and as soon as you do a few shots down the tape. You catch people who over slide this way. From there itll be a superman into snake.
If youre playing a stop off bunker like a small temple Cake or a brick you can run and gun to this bunker and dont have to slide. Again aim to get their snake player. From there you'll be doing a very low hip slide/superman as the stop offs are in line with the snake. So if you superman youll over slide way to much.
It comes with experience.
when playing snake the more you play the better you will get. Experience is a big part of snake. The new player will panic when the balls are flying overhead. The experience player will move back and snap out.
Confidence is key. Don't be afraid to be shot off the break everyone does once in a while.
With experience will come timing. When playing there is a time to bump up and a time to hold tight. Only though experience will you know what to do in each situation.
So just stick with it. It will all come in time. No one starts out great.
Talk!
When in snake you have to keep talking to your team. If you're not talking they don't know where you are. If they don't know where they are how do they cover your ass?
So keep talking. Even if it's just repeating calls over again. Asking whos where anything just as long as they know you're still in and where you are.
As a snake player you're one of the furthest forward. You should be able to tell either by a quick check or the direction of the paint fly above where the other team is. Its vital you tell your tape who tells you're back centre who tells the other side of the field.
Teams that don't talk lose games very quickly.
A team that doesn't talk wont know if snake has gone. Because if you're shot out in snake you need someone filling in pretty soon.
Personal Preference
Now this bit is my preference. It changes player to player but heres how I like to play.
I'm gonna get ripped for this but a rotor is a dam good snake hopper. There isn't another hopper out there that can take such a beating. Yes the prophecy is good. Halos are good but personally I prefer the security of a hopper that can take a bad dive.
My pack. I currently run a laysick magnetic pack but any brand will do. I use a 4+3 and never use the elastic straps. I use the 4 and thats it. If you use the elastic straps you give yourself an extra 2 inches which makes all of the difference. Besides you wont shoot that much.
Match your tank to your height. This sounds simple but so many people but tanks that are to big/small for them. I use a 68/45 but thats because i'm 6,2. If you're a short guy like 5,5 get a 45/45 if you're a little bigger lets say 5,8 get a 50/45 but just match it to your height.
If your tank is too small you will hunch. If it is too big you will not have a stable hold of your marker.
To be honest a set up does very little in the way it affects a players performance. It's all how you feel comfortable. There is no right and wrong way to do anything. If it works for you do it! There are things I know I should do but don't because i'm more confident doing it my own way.
The only musts for playing snake are knee and elbow pads. You're fine without the rest.
Superman Slide. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tem8BtFZ_eM&feature=PlayList&p=E26FDEFE1B6D759B&playnext=1&index=14"]http://www.youtube.c...next=1&index=14[/url]
How to snap shoot in snake. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60hEJ6OYovE"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=60hEJ6OYovE[/url]
This post has been edited by Distortion_UK: 28 September 2010 - 09:12 AM
