Key Takeaways
- If you want to learn how to move in Valorant, there are two major techniques.
- Strafing is a great way to dodge enemy bullets, but it makes your shooting inaccurate due to movement error.
- Deadzoning exploits the tiny timing window between strafes to shoot accurately.
- You can practice several deadzoning drills in the Range and Deathmatch to drastically improve how you move in Valorant
Table of Contents
Strafing is one of the most vital movement mechanics in Valorant. It helps you dodge enemy bullets and win more fights. However, we all know it’s not possible to shoot while strafing due to movement accuracy. That’s where deadzoning comes into play. Learn what strafing and deadzoning are and how to effectively use them to shoot accurately while you move in Valorant.
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What are Strafing and Deadzoning?
Strafing is essentially moving left or right in Valorant by pressing the respective command key. It makes you a hard target to hit and can help you stay alive with an enemy shooting at you. The only problem is that you can’t shoot back while strafing, as you’re inaccurate while you move in Valorant.
However, that is compensated with deadzoning, which allows you to shoot a few bullets accurately during your strafes. When transitioning between your strafes, with correct timing, you can shoot your enemies in the head to win gunfights. Let’s see how you can practice this skill and improve how you move in Valorant.
Deadzoning Drills to Practice
Now that you understand what deadzoning is, you need to add this mechanic to the arsenal of your skills. What you’re really practising here is getting the feel for the timing window between your strafes, where you’ll be 100% accurate. Therefore, make sure you turn on the Shooting Error graph from the settings or turn on Movement Error and Firing Error settings of our Crosshair. This will keep track of your accuracy and consistency while you shoot and move in Valorant.
Deadzoning Drills in Practice Range
Practice Range is one of the most convenient ways to practice the timing of your strafe shoots. Here are two drills that will help you improve how you move in Valorant while deadzoning.
- Go to the Practice Range and set the bots speed to Easy mode. Then hit the start button. As each bot spawns, strafe a few steps either to the left or right until you’re ready to shoot. Then take a single bullet accurate shot to the target’s head. Repeat this exercise on the Easy mode until you can consistently hit 25 bots. Then you can ramp up the speed to Medium.
- For this next drill, set the bots mode to Eliminate 100. Then move either to the right or left wall of the range. Strafe to the right until you’re ready to aim and take a single accurate shot to the head. For the next bot, strafe to the left and aim to take an accurate shot to the head. Repeat this method of strafing and shooting accurately until you’re done with all 100 bots. Make sure you only stop when you’re ready to tap the target’s head.
Deadzoning Drill in Deathmatch
To practice your deadzoning skills against real enemies, queue up a Deathmatch. It is best to use a Vandal if you’re practising your burst shooting skills or a Sheriff if you want to improve your first-bullet accuracy. Then repeat the strafing and deadzoning technique you learned in the Practice Range against real enemies.
Keep in mind that your purpose is not to win the Deathmatch but to translate your skill into an actual game. Therefore, make sure you take your time with the shoots. It is best to keep strafing until you think you’re accurate enough to tap the enemy’s head while you move in Valorant.
If you enjoy learning more about Valorant and want to rank up fast, check out AverageJonas: The Lineup Side of Valorant Ranked and Optimizing Valorant Sensitivity: What Sensitivity / EDPI do Players Prefer?
