Speedball: The benefits of cross-training
by Tim "Thalion" Underbakke on Jan 15, 2009
I know “speedball” isn’t exactly a favorite of many woodsball players. How many times have you seen people use “speedballers” as a negative noun to imply a waste-a-ton-of-paint, wiping-idiot-with-a-fancy-gun, and so on. Today, I’m going to evaluate speedball, how it has positively contributed to paintball and why you, the woodsball player, belong trying it.
Like the attitudes and behavior associated with speedball or not, without it, paintball as a whole would not have received the massive growth, both in number of players and in equipment selection, that it has over the last decade. Speedball made paintball a more spectator-friendly activity, which drew in a lot more coverage of paintball as a sport or game. Prior to speedball, the notion of paintball was an unsafe activity consisting of a bunch of paramilitary survivalists practicing for war. This idea still exists amongst some, although thankfully it’s a far smaller number than ever before.
The fact is, speedball introduced paintball to the public because it could be readily shown to the public.
It isn’t easy to show all the dynamics of a woodsball or scenario game on film (or even worse, to live spectators in the stands). Speedball could offer that. Once the public saw paintball, the public could see that paintball wasn’t what they thought it was—that it was actually a safe and fun game that anyone could enjoy. At last, by demonstrating in an open airball field, people could understand what drives us every weekend into the woods.
The second thing speedball has done for the greater good of paintball is technical innovation. Prior to speedball, there never were so many choices of quality markers. Compare today with just 5 short years ago, and you can easily see the benefit of speedball. Technology that used to cost high-end tournament players $1000 or more can now be found in affordable markers for the recreational paintball player to enjoy. Woodsball markers like the SP-1, SP8, or TM7 would never have been possible without speedball generating the need for technology to be better, faster, cheaper (especially the SP-1 in regards to price, 5 years ago $150 could only buy you an entry level blowback).
So why bring up speedball in a woodsball/scenario website at all? First, to acknowledge the good it has brought the game. Second, it can be a good idea to play speedball, even if it’s only a few times a year.
You see, speedball removes a lot of the “random chance” variables that can happen in a woodsball game. Tactics and techniques that work well in the woods may not work at all in the open airball field. On the other hand, any speedball tactics or techniques can be readily applied to woodsball with a little conceptual understanding. By removing the extra variables and forcing the game into close-quarters, speedball forces a paintball player to rely more on his core skills, both individual (snap shooting, angles, movement) and team skills (coordination, -communication). Speedball shows you flaws in your technique far easier than woodsball ever could, and only by seeing the flaw will you learn to correct it. Around here, we call a player like this a “hybrid” player, who knows how to creep and flank in the woods as well as he knows how to snapshoot out of an inflatable. And as often as not, hybrid players are the most dangerous opponents on the field.
If you really want to jump-start your game this season, consider spending a few sessions on the speedball field. You’ll find yourself a better player.