Static clicking is easily the most basic of the 6 major aiming subcategories. All targets are stationary, all taking one shot to kill. It is the most simple scenario type that most players associate with aim training. Its simplicity gives players a lot of freedom when approaching it, and as a result, static clicking scenarios have some of the highest skill ceilings in aim training.
In today’s episode, we’re going to discuss one of the most important aspects of static clicking technique, which we will refer to as fluidity.
We are also highlighting the skills of one of, if not the most dominant player in static clicking history–the one and only Bulldog.
The History of Static Technique
Fluidity: the physical property of a substance that allows it to flow
Due to how foundational it is, static clicking is the most popular aim training category. It makes sense that the vast majority of the VOD reviews I do for aim trainers are static VODs. I do have other videos on my channel that discuss the core mechanics of static clicking in the context of the Bardoz method, but let’s briefly go over it again for a refresher.
We have seen a few different approaches from top static players throughout aim training history, from players like Zeeq, Trustemix, and Cartoon.
All of them appeared to work well at the time for getting high scores, but one easily stood out above the rest. Bardoz’s static clicking was the best there ever was. His method, which is now coined as simply, the Bardoz method, is pretty much universally accepted as the right way to play static.
The BardOZ Method
The core technique involves a flick: a fast, explosive, snappy motion, usually performed with the forearm, that produces a straight line in the direction of the intended target. This rigid snap is followed immediately after by a microcorrection, a much more narrow and smoother adjustment to correct either the overflick or underflick distance away from the target. The micro correction is followed by the target confirmation–a very brief, almost instantaneous check to see that you are on target and can take the shot.
This is the foundation of static clicking, and it is what allowed Bardoz to reach such high accuracy thresholds.
But one thing is missing. The Bardoz method is extremely straightforward. Almost any player can learn it relatively quickly and begin implementing it into static clicking. Of course, there is the issue that most players won’t start off being comfortable with repeatedly performing fast flicks, but speed and accuracy build up over time with conscious effort. Players still seem to run into a wall, even though they are performing textbook Bardoz method.
Why? Well, the issue is pretty obvious, but harder to explain and begin implementing.
Let’s compare a Grandmaster run with a Celestial run, where both players are actively performing the Bardoz method correctly. Both players feature those core elements of a flick, microadjustment, and confirmation. And visually, it’s obvious that the Celestial player is playing at a much higher pacing.
You see, once you reach the higher levels, it’s not a question of who can flick faster or who can maintain a higher accuracy, but instead, who can perform the Bardoz method for each individual target as efficiently as possible.
This is what fluidity means in aim training. How seamless is the transition between your flick onto the current target and your flick onto the next target? This is a measure of how quickly you can perform the micro correction and target confirmation. We can see that the Celestial player is more efficient on a target per target basis, and they are ready to start their next fast flick even before the target is killed. They are demonstrating a very high degree of control and flick confidence. Let’s talk about a player who has mastery of fluidity, Bulldog.
What does perfect static technique look like?
Bulldog is a groundbreaking static player, being the first to pass the 1800 barrier on Kovaak’s 1w6ts, finishing what Bardoz started over 2 years ago. At his prime, Bulldog pushed static records farther than anyone thought they could go at the time. His ability to do this, however, is not just due to his fast flicking technique. Even Yrup has faster flicks than Bulldog. But Bulldog is far more fluid than Yrup.
Roadmapping
The first step to being fluid in any multi-target scenario is knowing how to roadmap. Can you look ahead to other targets on the map while still being able to hit your current target? This is easier in static clicking obviously because there’s no reading to be missed on stationary targets, but this means you need to be way ahead, maybe 2-3 targets ahead, depending on how many targets exist on the map.
Looking ahead is important because it lets you decide in terms of technique how you want to deal with the next few targets.
Flick Consciousness
The second step is having what we refer to as flick consciousness. This is simply knowing where your crosshair has landed after taking a flick. This quality implies that we are not just repeatedly taking gamble flicks that have no deliberation or direction. When we are mindful of our flicks and more aware of where and how they’re landing, we become more resilient to the speed. In other words, you shouldn’t feel disoriented after taking a wide flick.
In Bulldog’s gameplay, no matter how wide the flick is, there are almost no instances of hesitation after killing a target. He moves on from each target very quickly. This is what sets him apart from the vast majority of static players, who can often flick just as fast, but not as fluidly.
Cluster Farming
Cluster farming is a third important point. Not farming clusters is an error that so many novice and intermediate static players frequently make.
Top static players employ a very different execution of technique when approaching targets that have spawned closely together.
It’s not the Bardoz method. There’s a narrow flick but no micro correction or shot confirmation. This is cluster farming. It’s basically performing a simple double or triple click to eliminate closely spawned targets very quickly. While unrealistic, if we could perform this technique throughout the entire run on every static scenario, it would be perfect fluidity.
According to Minigod, smoothness makes this easier. When approaching closely spawned targets, try to move more smoothly so you can ease yourself into the cluster farming motion and focus more on the timing of the shot. It will slow you down, but it’s less jarring than drastically flicking into the pattern.
Smoothness
A rather new static player who has recently mastered this smooth approach is Zeonlo.
The best way to describe Zeonlo’s technique in static is that it’s almost as if he treats every target as being in a cluster.
He decelerates onto each target. It’s so smooth that it allows him to continuously flow through 2-3 targets all in almost one motion. By no means does he have the fastest direct flicks, but he makes up for it in fluidity. The only downside to approaching static like Zeonlo is that it may lead to some poor accuracy due to how the technique forces really fast micros and confirmations.
Putting it all together
Putting these points together culminates in a static technique like Bulldog’s. Flicks remain fast, and the overall execution conforms to the Bardoz method. Most importantly, the run is fluid, such that no flick disorients us or causes us to delay in moving on between targets. With these fundamentals, Bulldog was able to shatter the world record on almost any static clicking scenario he played. For an entire year, it seemed as though there was no competition.
In-game Translation
But how does this knowledge translate to improvement in real games, particularly in TacFPS? Obviously, you will infrequently run into a situation where you have more than 2 or 3 targets on screen where you can fluidly move between them without getting a response back.
Well, in the same way we look ahead of our current targets, this is where game sense and knowledge of opponent positioning will come into play.
Professional VALORANT player Florescent is a master at switching between different angles fluidly. In real games, fluidity is a characteristic of your gameplay as whole, not just a quality of aiming technique. Generally, this is how we would describe players who are entering their quote, “flow state”
Being able to perform like this in the isolated environment of static clicking nicely complements your gameplay in FPS games where you have to multitask or manage multiple targets at once. Fluidity is something that you have to develop over time in all static scenarios, but some specific tasks that can help you to accelerate the process are pressure static scenarios, like Pulseshot precision, or chaining scenarios like Trustechain raspberry.
Thank you guys for reading this episode of Unraveling the Secrets of Aim. I hope you guys learned something from this video and use it to improve your static scores. Leave a like and follow my Twitch for livestreams of educational aim training content or Overwatch gameplay. See you guys in the next one, and as always, happy dot clicking!