What are the top tips first-time airsofters need to keep in mind? Here are a few:
- Wear a good pair of protective eyewear and keep them on all the time. Something that sits flush on the face or sealed would be excellent.
- Take your hits and make sure that others see that you’re out.
- Wear gloves. Getting hit on the knuckles will hurt tremendously.
- Be mindful where you point your gun. If you’re not going to shoot in a certain direction, don’t point your gun there.
- Wear comfortable clothes and appropriate footwear.
- Bring lots of food and water.
- Observe minimum engagement distances if there are rules on such.
- Use high-capacity magazines so you don’t have to fuss with reloading every so often.
- Stick with the people you enjoy playing with. The idea is to have fun!
Quick Introduction
Playing airsoft for the very first time? You can be in a tough spot. The prospect of giving this sport a shot is exciting and a bit daunting at the same time. It’s thrilling because the sport can really seem like a fun activity. However, playing with seasoned enthusiasts can be a bit scary.
As a total newbie, it’s highly likely that you don’t want to come off as clueless on your first rodeo. If you want to start off on the right foot, it’s a good sign that you’re here and doing some research about the sport.
To help you prepare for your first day out in the battlefield, this guide will answer what are the top tips for first-time airsofters.
What are Top Tips for First Time Airsofters?
As a newbie, how do you make sure that you’ll be able to do well on your first game? How do you make sure that you’ll enjoy the game? These are a bit hard to answer but you can be better prepared to boost your odds of doing well and enjoying your first game.
What should you do? Here are the top tips for those who are going to play airsoft for the first time.
Wear a good pair of protective eyewear and keep them on all the time.
Thousands of children experience eye injuries from airsoft guns yearly and a good number of adults are also subjected to the same fate. This is why protective eyewear is pretty much mandatory when playing airsoft by game organizers and airsoft venues administrators alike.
So along with your airsoft gun, a good pair of protective eyewear are also essential on your first game. For your utmost safety, get something that sits flush on the face or sealed. A product that with an ANSI Z87.1 rating is also recommended as they’re proven to be tough enough for airsoft games.
Cover other parts of your face as well. This will help you minimize potential damage to your face, teeth, head, and neck.
Take your hits and make sure that others see that you’re out.
Airsoft is largely a game of honesty, so if you were hit, you have to take and call them. Not doing so is a great display of unsportsman-like behavior and it might cost you invitations for future games.
Wear gloves.
Don’t learn the hard way. Wear gloves on your first game because getting hit on the knuckles will hurt tremendously.
Be mindful where you point your gun.
It’s common courtesy to be mindful where you aim your gun. If you don’t intend to shoot in a certain direction, don’t point your gun there.
Wear comfortable clothes and appropriate footwear.
Since you’ll be moving around a lot during the game, it’s important that your clothes and footwear are comfortable. This will ensure that you can actually move freely. Your footwear should also be appropriate for the kind of area you’ll play in so you can be sure to have good footing while you run around.
An additional tip regarding clothes that many appreciate is to not wear any bright colors. Try to camouflage yourself a bit with your surroundings so you won’t look like a moving target to your opponents.
Bring lots of food and water.
Airsoft games tend to take a while and can get very physical. This also means that you’ll most likely get hungry and thirsty from all of the activities involved. Pack a lot of food so you can refuel in between games. Most fields may sell food but it’s better to come prepared.
Observe minimum engagement distances if there are rules on such.
For everyone’s safety, there are minimum engagement distances set in place by game organizers and field admins. These differ depending on the kind of non-powder firearm you’re carrying so it’s best to check in advance for such details.
Use high-capacity magazines.
As a newbie, it’s highly likely that you’ll need to expend a lot of ammo to hit your target. If you don’t want to fuss with reloading every so often, it’s better to use high-cap magazines on your first go.
Stick with the people you enjoy playing with.
To ensure that you’ll have fun on your first game, play with the people with playing styles you like. It’s more enjoyable to interact with folks in your same wavelength.
3 Important Things Airsoft Newbies Need to Know
Aside from the tips above, there are additional things first-time airsoft players need to know.
No one likes cheaters.
This has been mentioned above but it bears repeating: call your shots if you were hit and make sure others know you were hit as you exit the field. This will demonstrate your sportsmanship so people won’t think you’re a jerk who won’t play by the rules.
If you don’t call your shots, there’s a good chance that the folks you played with on your first game won’t want to play with you again.
Don’t worry too much about your performance.
As a newbie, no one expects you to kill everyone in the opposing team on your first game. Focus on enjoying the game instead.
Be ready to be killed.
You will get killed as you are still about to develop your own playing skills and tactics. Accept this fact and be observant so you can learn what to do and not to do right away.
Conclusion
Preparing for your first airsoft game doesn’t have to cause you a lot of stress and anxiety. As long as you got your essentials (gun, protective gear, ammo), you’re pretty much set.
With some research, you’ll do great as you can be sure to know the rules beforehand so they’re easier to remember. The rest you can learn at the venue, so make sure to pay attention during the briefing.
The most important thing is to go in with an open mind and to try to have some fun. This sport is all about enjoyment, so don’t let things go over your head too much.
Have any suggestions or additions to the tips above? Leave them in the comments to let other readers know.