Rocket League is an old game that has been around for a while. It first went live in July 2015, but its popularity hasn't waned since. In fact, it appears to be gaining in popularity, which is likely due to the buy Rocket League itemsChampionship Series (RLCS) signing a deal with NBC last year and airing the tournament on live television.

Caution is advised, though. Although the entry barrier to Rocket League is low, it is difficult to put the game down once you have started playing. Games are short, fast-paced, and extremely addictive. Once you start playing, you'll become obsessed with getting better, start humming the beats of the title music in your head, and dream of getting vengeance on that one dude last night who wouldn't stop demoing (in Rocket League, demoing is the term used to describe blowing up an opponent's car by boosting into theirs with your own).

If you want to improve your performance in Rocket League, the first step is to stop trying so hard and to remember to have fun. What's the point of continuing if you don't have a plan?

Here are 11 pointers to help you progress through the ranks of Rocket League.

Customize the camera's settings to your liking.
Make use of practice mode to familiarize yourself with the game's mechanics as well as how to set up your camera before entering the arena. It is possible to adjust the distance between the camera and your car, your field of view, the angle of the camera, and many other parameters. All of these factors will have an impact on what you see in-game. And everyone has a slightly different opinion on how it should appear. Personally, I believe that the more I can see, the better.

Learn how to rotate.
When you're first starting out, positioning is the most important thing to pay attention to. The appearance of complete chaos during periods of intense pursuit of the ball may be deceptive.(To be fair, it is true that it is sometimes the case.)
However, after a period of time spent playing the game, you may begin to notice a pattern, which is aptly named rotating.
When you and your teammates are properly rotating -- whether you're playing 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4 -- the goal should never be left unattended. When one or two players push up for offense, one or two players should remain back on defense. When playing 2v2, this becomes more difficult, but you must adapt the same principle to ensure that someone is always keeping an eye on your goal.
This image illustrates how rotation works in 3v3 for both offense and defense. It is worth your time to look into it. Join it and become one with it.

Don't take the handbrake for granted.
The handbrake is a tool that I use as frequently as boost and jumping. It allows you to drift and whip your car around quickly to get into position, and it has assisted me in scoring a number of unexpected goals. Understand it thoroughly and make effective use of it.

Don't go after the ball.
When the ball comes close to you, instinct will tell you to crash it. It happens, and sometimes our instincts simply take over. However, if you're following a rotation, you should (very quickly and on the fly) assess who is in a better position to tackle the ball.
In many instances, you will find yourself in the position of having to defend yourself. Even if it isn't, dropping back to defend is almost always the safer and better option.
Even if you're properly rotating and chasing after the ball, your teammate may be able to get a better angle. Rather than both crashing the ball (and the ball invariably taking a bizarre bounce all the way downfield, back into your goal), back off and allow the teammate with the better angle to go for it. Often times, this will allow them to set up a better pass and possibly even earn you an easy goal.
The art of dropping the ball is a valuable lesson to learn.

Pass over the shoot
Continuing with the ball chasing theme, you may find yourself in a situation where you have a fairly clear shot at the goal. The temptation to smash their axles with a sick goal will be strong. If the other team is coming back and defending, resist the temptation to take a shot. They'll be ready and waiting for almost anything you can throw at them.
Instead, take the ball wide, to one wall or the other, and get creative with a pass to one of your teammates while you're there. The chances of getting a weird bounce, passing the ball to a spot where a defender can't get to it, or doing something unexpected are much higher than the chances of bumbling an accidental goal in over a few defenders.

Locate a teammate to work with.
Whether you're queueing for ranked or casual matches, one of the most important things you can do is find someone to play with. Not only will this reduce the likelihood of one of you rage quitting when things get tough, but you will also learn to anticipate each other's moves much better than a random teammate.
This alone will increase your chances of winning.
When you queue without a teammate, you run the risk of being paired with teammates who are still upset from their previous loss, who are in a bad mood, or who don't know how to rotate properly. And it doesn't have to be just one of those things. Everyone's play style is different, and being able to read your own teammate's body language and anticipate their next move will go a long way toward helping you improve.

Preserve your valuable boost
Boost is a valuable resource in the game Rocket League. Despite the fact that it regenerates quickly, you will frequently find yourself without any, struggling to get back and defend your goal.
Instead of constantly pressing the boost button, you can lunge forward by holding the joystick forward and pressing the jump button twice. If you repeat this process several times, you will be able to reach the same top speed as you can with boost (you will just be unable to maintain that speed or maneuver as quickly or easily).
Learn to use both effectively in a variety of situations to reduce the number of times you get stuck without a boost.
Stealing a boost from an opponent is also a good strategy, as long as you are not going out of your way or interrupting your rotation to do so.

If in doubt, defend yourself.
If it comes down to a question of rotation or whether or not you should swing wide to gain boost before heading toward your goal, you should almost always err on the side of defense and worry about boost later.
Your teammate will be much more understanding of you missing a save without boost (and at the very least having had a chance to stop it) than he or she will be if you abandon the goal to grab boost and miss the opportunity to defend.

Don't be afraid to demo.
When you boost (or, in some cases, flip or shoot) into an opponent's car, your car will blow up theirs. This is referred to as a demolition, and it is a very divisive tactic in the game of Rocket League. Some people take on the role of enforcers, cruising around and aiming their guns at cars.
If done correctly, it has the potential to create numerous holes in the opponent's game. If done incorrectly, it can cause holes in your own team's rotation.(It also doesn't have a lot of friends.)
Other players will usually complain in the quick chat when they are destroyed, but there are times when a demo can shift the momentum of the game. I recommend that you use demolitions as a tool. Don't go out of your way to use it, but if the opportunity presents itself, take advantage of it! And try not to get too upset if it happens to you because some players demo in order to get under your skin and throw you off your game.

Don't get too caught up in aerials and air dribbles.
As your ranking progresses, you will notice more and more people leaping to the sky to hit the ball. You'll also see them take the ball up the wall, bounce it off, and air dribble it into the goal. It introduces a completely new element to the game as you progress through the ranks and begin to compete against more experienced players.
Both of these are skills that will require a great deal of practice and dedication to master. Anyone who wants to progress in Rocket League items Switchshould become proficient at boosting in the air to hit the ball. But don't get too caught up in learning these skills right away -- focus on getting the fundamentals down first.
After more than 900 hours in Rocket League to date, I've only recently begun to improve my aerial skills. Air dribbling hasn't even crossed my mind as a possibility yet.