UPDATE 3/24/11: Ollie Lang hasn't updated his site in a while, and because of this, it has been pegged with malware. I would promote his ebook if he cared enough to take care of this issue, but since he obviously doesn't (because it's been there for freakin ever), I must remove all links to his site. If you were interested in getting his ebook, I'd recommend instead getting this book. It is an insightful read, and everyone I have loaned it to has really enjoyed it.

What do you care about in paintball?  Some paintballers care about airsmithing, others want to learn the art of scenario paintball, while some wish to learn everything there is to know about the competitive side of this great sport.

The great thing is, a lot of what you care to know in paintball can be learned on forums, websites, and through specialized courses.   Some free, some cost.  Some written by smaller voices in the paintball community, and a few written by well known faces in the sport.

Power Paintball is a digital book written by Ollie Lang - a competitive paintballer that's been in the paintball scene for 10 years now.  Ollie has played on some of the best teams in paintball, of which have earned top spots in the world.

If you are into learning more about becoming the best player you can be in paintball - regardless of whether you play woodsball or speedball, and enjoy a good read on an activity you love, then give Ollie's book a read.

Unlike traditional books which cost much more to publish and bring to paintballers that care to read, Power Paintball is in an easily distributed downloadable format.

By offering it in a downloadable version Ollie is able to get professional tips into the hands of paintballers around the world without the hassles of traditional publishing methods.

If you find you don't like Ollie Lang's digital book after reading it, you can get your money back.  Give it a read, if don't learn anything, get a refund. However, I can't imagine not learning anything from someone who's at the top...

Read Ollie Lang's Power Paintball.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHWSWXEZ_xM

Episode 2 - Shooting off the break, why its important, drills, and how to properly do it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4AcdAK4IK8

Episode 3 - Snap shooting, practice drills, and tips on doing it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oNq9_avIuA

Episode 4 - Shooting on the move, how to practice it, and keys to doing it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQeZHa-Q3vg

Dynasty has become an excellent source of paintball tips for paintballers that want to make it to the top. A lot can be said about the advantages of learning from someone who has done it before you. If you are really serious about the sport, then Ollie Lang's guide on playing like a pro is worth looking into. He's been there, he's done it, and the tips he has to share in his book will make you a better paintballer.

So what kind of exercises can a paintballer do to help his/her game?
Sure speed and agility are important, but perhaps what is more important is stabilization and balance.  If you can't hit anything while you are moving because your body and gun is flailing everywhere then forget it.  People forget how often they use their core muscles.  In fact, there are few movements that do not use the core muscles, and when your core is stronger, those movements become more efficient, more stabilized and more accurate.  Now you have a paintballer that can run and hit what they are shooting at, a player that can keep his gun still while shooting prone, a player that overall performs at a higher level.

What Are The Core Muscles?
The core muscles consist of the trunk and pelvis muscles (back/abs/sides).  These are the muscles that are responsible for transferring energy to smaller muscle groups and for stabilization.  To get an idea of how essential these muscles are in paintball try this little exercise.  While holding your paintball gun pointing it straight ahead keep your arms lose and your elbows away from your side.  Have a friend push down on the top of your barrel, try your hardest to keep it pointed in the same position.  Next tuck in your elbows tight and use your back/abs to stabilize the gun as your friend pushes down on the barrel.  Notice a difference?  The core muscles together are much, much, MUCH stronger than the arms alone, and since your core muscles are the first muscles to stabilize the upper body as you move (not your arms) its important for a paintballer to exercise them regularly.

Core Muscle Exercises
There are plenty of exercise routines you can take on to exercise your core muscles.  Just google "core muscle exercises" to find the perfect routine for you.  If you have any questions you might want to give this article a quick overview, its where I got most of the information and goes much further in depth then I ever could.

What About Core Muscle Workout Machines?
I will say that with all of the possible workout machines you could get to target the core muscles and improve your balance and precision, one of the most interesting machines you could use to do this is the iJoy Core Muscle Balance Board trainer. One of the most important things to remember in building your core muscles is that no one exercise can target all of the muscles in your core, a combination that includes different motion/pitches and resistance is needed to really build them up, and one of the machines that can do this is the iJoy. This may be a pretty off the wall idea for a paintball training routine, but can you imagine getting on this balance board and handing the remote over to a friend while you shoot at targets? Now that would be fun practice, especially since you wouldn't know which way the balance board would move next... hah.

It's a proven fact that extra sleep improves athletic performance, and this goes for any athlete, even paintballers. Unlike other athletes, paintballers dodge projectiles moving at 300fps, shoot while they run, jump, dive, and overall need a huge amount of focus to really get into each game. It's no wonder why sleep can play such a huge factor in how well you play, and if you never considered it, you should really get at least 10 hours per night, six to seven weeks before you play. I know that sounds like a huge commitment, but if you follow a solid sleep pattern and configure it into your paintball training routine you will improve your performance.

It all may seem like common sense, but most of us really do not keep up with a regular sleeping pattern, especially one where we go to bed at the exact same time every night. That in itself is a huge task, but if you are serious about paintball, you will sacrifice the extra hours of doing nothing and cash them in for healthy sleep.

You can find more on this research at www.sciencedaily.com, or more specifically their article Extra Sleep Improves Athletic Performance.

How much sleep do you get before a paintball tournament?

How Can You Improve Your Mechanical Trigger Speed?

To gain a little more of an advantage on the paintball field that is often ruled by electros, and to achieve the maximum BPS you are capable of with your mechanical paintball marker, I recommend you check out the following training device.

It's called the GripMaster, and it's made for anyone who wants to increase their strength, control, endurance, coordination and dexterity in their fingers, hand, wrist, and forearm.

With the GripMaster you can exercise each finger individually. Use it to exercise your trigger finger(s) by pressing down all the way, and then trying to do it as fast as you can. The GripMaster comes in different tensions represented by different colors. The yellow one has 3lbs of tension, blue 5 lbs, red 7 lbs, and the black one has 9lbs.

I recommend either the yellow, blue, or red one. I have been using the red one and noticed nice results in a matter of weeks of using it regularly. My trigger speed for my mechanical paintball gun went up several BPS. I also noticed that I now have better control while holding my paintball gun.

You can use the GripMaster while you're at the computer, watching TV, wherever you want. Overall I'd have to say this was a pretty sweet buy. I'm happy with the results it has given me, and I think that other mechanical owners will be happy as well.

It's a great way to increase your mechanical trigger speed and improve your game.  You can find them for sale on Amazon.