Rocketing Your Way to Half Flip Mastery
While playing Rocket League, have you ever gone into full nitro mode only to overshoot your mark and have someone else wrestle ball control from you? Quite a frustrating scenario, isn’t it? In such instances, your only recourse is to be quick about your turnaround maneuver if you wish to gain lost momentum in the hopes of catching up to the ball. Otherwise, you can say bye-bye to ball control for the time being—not to mention risk getting scored on.
The most common ways to make a 180-degree turn are to execute drift turns or jump-180 combinations. While these usually enough to get the job done, they’re certainly not the quickest. And as you may very well know—every second counts in a game like Rocket League where everyone is jostling for position. Thankfully, there’s a quicker and more efficient way of turning around. Rocket Leaguers, I present the Half Flip! The Half Flip is the quickest and most effective move for players to employ when they need to turn around and hurriedly go in the opposite direction.
Today, I’ll break down and dissect the Half Flip to help you understand the science behind it.
The Basics: Getting a Solid Foundation for Your Half Flip
Without a solid foundation courtesy of the basics, you might as well forget about it. So, before you can even think of adding the Half Flip to your arsenal of moves, you’ll need to get some essential components down. There are three components to a Half Flip: The Dodge, The Cancel, and The Air Roll. We’ll get down to the nitty-gritty of these moves in a bit. Before you proceed, pick up your controller and make sure to master all three of these components.
Mastered them yet? Good! Now we can proceed.
The Culmination: Combining the Elements of the Half Flip
Now comes the fun part.
First off, you’ll need to be able to accurately execute a Backwards Dodge—a simple maneuver achieved by pulling back and double-tapping on your jump. Next, you’ll need to cancel out that flip. You’ll want to do this halfway through the move (ergo, your tires are facing the sky, and your roof is facing the ground) by pushing forward. Timing is crucial here. Many players make the mistake of canceling too early. This will only cancel the flip for a few seconds before the car tries to continue the flip. Lastly, you’ll need to execute the air roll. Once your vehicle is upside down, hold down the air roll button and turn your car either left or right to get it in an upright position.
That’s it! You’re now ready to execute the Half Flip. To get the timing of the Half Flip-down, practice the move on your own a couple of times until you feel comfortable enough that you have a good handle on the motion.
The Application: Putting What You Have Learned to Good Use
There’s a host of ways for players to gain an advantage on Rocket League—from Rocket League Crates to the mastery of tricks. The Half Flip is one such nifty trick. Although it may seem like a daunting and complicated trick, the truth is it’s merely a combination of a few simple moves done in the proper sequence. All that matters isthat you get the timing right, and you’re good to go. The Half Flip is a move that’s built around the Dodge. This gives it the distinct benefit of natural speed. Whenever you perform dodges—whether forwards, backward, or sideways—you instantly gain a sudden burst of momentum. This resultant speed is something you can take advantage of in your move. Now here’s a pleasant surprise for you: You can even add more speed to the Half Flip by utilizing your boost as you flip.
Most methods of turning around in Rocket League are just painfully inefficient, TBH. With the Half Flip, you can change direction in a flash while gaining sufficient momentum for your burner to take advantage of. So, keep these tips in mind. With a little practice and proper timing, you can utilize this nifty technique to zoom across the field and gain ball control whenever you choose.
Keep rolling and keep balling!