Gel balling is a very popular combat sport, similar to paintballing and airsofting. It’s a sport that is most popular in the United States but is starting to be taken up and enjoyed elsewhere, too. If it’s something you are interested in, then you need to take the time to learn the basics of it. Not learning about the sport’s fundamentals will probably lead to you making mistakes. Since it is a combat sport, you cannot afford to make mistakes. Mistakes could lead to you being disqualified, or just pelted with gel balls.
This post will tell you all about gel balling, providing you with all of the information that you need to know in order to become a pro.
Buying Equipment
The first thing that you need to do if you want to take up gel balling is to buy yourself equipment. Gel balling is a lot more affordable than either paintballing or airsofting, which makes it a great sport for people who’re on a budget. That said, the equipment can still get expensive if you get enough of it. Make sure to buy a decent weapon, as well as protective equipment. Gel balls do not hurt as much as paintballs or airsoft pellets, but they can still be painful when they explode on impact.
Careful Maintenance
You need to learn to look after your gel blaster, too. While gel blasters are more affordable than paintball or airsoft guns, having to buy yourself a new one every few months will eventually add up. The best way to avoid needing replacements is by caring for your gel blaster and following its manufacturer’s care instructions. If you have any questions about how to look after your gel blaster, reach out to the store you bought it from or the company that produced it.
Finding Venue
Once you have bought yourself equipment and learned how to properly take care of your gel blaster, you can go out and find a venue. It is possible to gel ball in an urban environment, though you’re likely to get moved on by the police if anybody reports you. Most experts agree it’s better to go gel balling at dedicated gel ball centres. Most towns and cities have one of these. Alternatively, and if you have enough friends interested, you could go out gel balling in the woods.
Tactical Shooting
You won’t be able to go out gel balling until you’ve learned to shoot tactically. Some of the people that go gel balling are ex-military and are very good at shooting. While there is no way for you to become as good as ex-military, you can still watch online tutorials and read guides to improve in your combat skills. One of the most effective ways of improving your skills is to take a crash course. Most gel ball centres hold crash courses, so people can learn how to become skilled gel ballers. Such courses rarely cost a lot of money and are a good way to make friends.
Making Friends
On the topic of making friends, the gel ball community is very open. A lot of people are reluctant to get involved in the sport because they do not have friends that are interested. However, you do not need to have friends who’re interested. As long as you have a gel blaster, you’ll be able to make friends. You can make friends by attending gel ball get-togethers, playing competitively, or even using social media. There are some internet forums dedicated to gel balling that you can use to meet people too.
Joining Team
One highly effective way of making friends is to join a team. Most gel ballers play as part of teams. Usually, when you go to a gel ball centre, everybody there is divided into two teams, regardless of whether or not they know each other. Being in a team already means that you’ll always play with the same people. Joining a gel ball team isn’t particularly difficult since they usually advertise openings on their websites, social media pages, or on the forums that they use. If you want to join a team you will probably need a little bit of experience, though.
Playing Alone
You can get experience by going out and playing alone. Nobody’s going to judge you for turning up to a gel ball venue on your own. Plus, as already mentioned, you’ll be added to somebody’s team anyway. Playing alone is an effective way of getting the experience needed to make yourself attractive to a team and get to know people.
Gel balling is an extremely fun sport, which is quickly becoming more popular than both paintballing and airsofting. If it’s something you’re interested in taking up recreationally, then follow the guidance issued here, and you’ll be a pro in no time.