Tips for Bad Weather
- Thread starter bluelite
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ALEX JEYES
Guest
Make sure ya keep warm in between games and have ya visor on ya goggles. otherwise the thermal will get dicked form the water and ya wont see a thing!
Hello,
I guess everyone seems to be not mentioning the obvious things, like:
-Squeegeeing your barrel before the start whistle of every game.
Just think about it, your barrel will get water in it no matter what you do, so why don't you clean it out just before you really need to shoot straight.
-Squeegee often during the course of the game. For the same
reason as in point one. Even if you wrap your barrel in Saran-Wrap, every time you lift your gun, water will get into it, especially if you have an exposed bolt.
-Wrap your barrel. Yes, you can use the cylindrical plastic case
your barrel probably came in (put an end cap on and cut an "X" in it and shove your barrel through it) so that the porting will vent properly, but why? Under rainy conditions, your balls will fly like crap anyway (I've watched them change direction apparently due to hitting raindrops) and the most important thing is to keep your balls as dry as possible, that way you avoid chopping (wet balls stick, and swell...get your mind out of the gutter) and your velocity won't vary as much (Angels seem to run hotter if their barrels are wet, that's why you should always squeegee before chrono-ing), so wrap your barrel in Saran-Wrap, or Cling-Wrap that you stole from your kitchen...or spend a dollar and go buy a whole roll/box of it.
-I always fog when it rains, and I find that I become a mouth breather...I try to direct my outgoing breath downward with my mouth, and yes, I do have thermal lenses and a fan. I also wear glasses...I can't wear contact lenses when I play. As someone pointed out, don't overdress. You WILL overheat when you play. Plastic trash bags seem to be the best raingear. You can throw them away just before the whistle starts, and you can hide your gun under it, next to your body, to protect it from the rain. I use a talking timer and I usually take a corner from a plastic bag and some tape and fashion a rain cover for it.
-If it seems like your balls never fly straight, no matter what you do, if you have a closed bolt gun, pull off your hopper and look down your drop tube. If you see water sitting on your bolt, clear it out, put your hopper back on your gun, and wrap tape around the join between the hopper and the drop tube. I had a hopper that for some reason gathered the water hitting it on the outside, and directed the water INTO my drop tube on my STO. I've since snapped that hopper neck so I no longer have that problem but I thought I'd point it out as a possible problem.
-You should already be wearing cleats, but if you aren't, you need to. It really, REALLY sucks to go into your bunker and then slide past it as someone is trying to shoot you out. I once did that going into a standup bunker on the 50 and I slide out the other side on my feet ("Risky Business" style) screaming in frustration 'cause I knew they were gunning for me 'cause I had rocked their world from that same bunker on the first game.
-Don't let the fact that there's mud, &/or water in your bunker affect how you play it...even if that water is nasty cow piss water and there are bits of poo floating in it. That's why you bring a change of clothes. I always laugh when I see someone get shot out because they wouldn't lay in or jump into a puddle.
-If it stops raining, be aware that the grass may not be as slick as it was when it was raining. It really SUCKS when you try for a knee-slide, you hit a dry patch and it grabs your knees and pitches you forward so hard that your hopper flys off your gun after you slam face first into the ground, and your hopper slides the rest of the way into your bunker, but you're laying there face-first on the ground about ten yards behind your bunker and three people are actively trying to shoot you out.
Just a few things that I've noticed or learned. Some people wrap their guns in Saran Wrap to protect their electronics. I sometimes will, depending on how lazy I am. I have seen instances where water getting into the On/Off switch causes the gun to freak out and shut down, or in one instance, start firing on it's own (water in the trigger switch?). I'm sure there are plenty of people on this board that has much more experience playing in the rain. Good luck and have fun...your tournament will probably be over by the time you read this.
Ray
I guess everyone seems to be not mentioning the obvious things, like:
-Squeegeeing your barrel before the start whistle of every game.
Just think about it, your barrel will get water in it no matter what you do, so why don't you clean it out just before you really need to shoot straight.
-Squeegee often during the course of the game. For the same
reason as in point one. Even if you wrap your barrel in Saran-Wrap, every time you lift your gun, water will get into it, especially if you have an exposed bolt.
-Wrap your barrel. Yes, you can use the cylindrical plastic case
your barrel probably came in (put an end cap on and cut an "X" in it and shove your barrel through it) so that the porting will vent properly, but why? Under rainy conditions, your balls will fly like crap anyway (I've watched them change direction apparently due to hitting raindrops) and the most important thing is to keep your balls as dry as possible, that way you avoid chopping (wet balls stick, and swell...get your mind out of the gutter) and your velocity won't vary as much (Angels seem to run hotter if their barrels are wet, that's why you should always squeegee before chrono-ing), so wrap your barrel in Saran-Wrap, or Cling-Wrap that you stole from your kitchen...or spend a dollar and go buy a whole roll/box of it.
-I always fog when it rains, and I find that I become a mouth breather...I try to direct my outgoing breath downward with my mouth, and yes, I do have thermal lenses and a fan. I also wear glasses...I can't wear contact lenses when I play. As someone pointed out, don't overdress. You WILL overheat when you play. Plastic trash bags seem to be the best raingear. You can throw them away just before the whistle starts, and you can hide your gun under it, next to your body, to protect it from the rain. I use a talking timer and I usually take a corner from a plastic bag and some tape and fashion a rain cover for it.
-If it seems like your balls never fly straight, no matter what you do, if you have a closed bolt gun, pull off your hopper and look down your drop tube. If you see water sitting on your bolt, clear it out, put your hopper back on your gun, and wrap tape around the join between the hopper and the drop tube. I had a hopper that for some reason gathered the water hitting it on the outside, and directed the water INTO my drop tube on my STO. I've since snapped that hopper neck so I no longer have that problem but I thought I'd point it out as a possible problem.
-You should already be wearing cleats, but if you aren't, you need to. It really, REALLY sucks to go into your bunker and then slide past it as someone is trying to shoot you out. I once did that going into a standup bunker on the 50 and I slide out the other side on my feet ("Risky Business" style) screaming in frustration 'cause I knew they were gunning for me 'cause I had rocked their world from that same bunker on the first game.
-Don't let the fact that there's mud, &/or water in your bunker affect how you play it...even if that water is nasty cow piss water and there are bits of poo floating in it. That's why you bring a change of clothes. I always laugh when I see someone get shot out because they wouldn't lay in or jump into a puddle.
-If it stops raining, be aware that the grass may not be as slick as it was when it was raining. It really SUCKS when you try for a knee-slide, you hit a dry patch and it grabs your knees and pitches you forward so hard that your hopper flys off your gun after you slam face first into the ground, and your hopper slides the rest of the way into your bunker, but you're laying there face-first on the ground about ten yards behind your bunker and three people are actively trying to shoot you out.
Just a few things that I've noticed or learned. Some people wrap their guns in Saran Wrap to protect their electronics. I sometimes will, depending on how lazy I am. I have seen instances where water getting into the On/Off switch causes the gun to freak out and shut down, or in one instance, start firing on it's own (water in the trigger switch?). I'm sure there are plenty of people on this board that has much more experience playing in the rain. Good luck and have fun...your tournament will probably be over by the time you read this.
Ray
use an umbrella, actually the balls are more likely to bounce. and would that count as a hit if they did burst? huuummmmmm
===
...ummm yes it would count as a hit, and if he drops the umbrella, it's not on the list of acceptable, dropable items so he'd be called out if he drops the umbrella and doesn't pick it up as he moves away...
Ray
Damn Ray, you seem to have a lot of time during a game
I only wonder how to get into that bunker in the fifties and then stay in. No time for cleaning my barrel or taking my hopper off.
The most common thing I used to see, is that players wrap something around their barrel, that´s a good tip.
I only wonder how to get into that bunker in the fifties and then stay in. No time for cleaning my barrel or taking my hopper off.
The most common thing I used to see, is that players wrap something around their barrel, that´s a good tip.
What is? If you drop an empty pot and are still by it, are you called out if its hit. What about an empty pot? And what if its full?
===
That's what Saran-Wrap is good for, and cheap too, especially if you grab it from your kitchen before you leave
===Damn Ray, you seem to have a lot of time during a game
I only wonder how to get into that bunker in the fifties and then stay in. No time for cleaning my barrel or taking my hopper off.
Well, sometimes when you're cowering in fear, with your back to your buddy, as you're trying to hold a key corner 'cause if either one of you get shot out, then the other gets bunkered, and then that side goes so the team loses, and it's really raining hard off and on, and one side of you is covered in mud and some of your muscles are cramping 'cause periodically someone tries to light you up but they don't have quite the right angle if you make an artistic impression of yourself in the mud that is your bunker, and you and your buddy try NOT to push the other one out into the stream of paint that is coming also at him from a different lane, you occasionally think of the important things, like "can I shoot straight enough when I need to?" and you kinda find the time to clean your barrel...you tend to end up with your squeegee in your hand as you're shooting...the answer to that question on that day was "no". My team captain got mad at me 'cause instead of watching my lane, I got all feaked out 'cause someone did a 20 yard run up the middle to bunker one of the center guys behind me and a heavy shower started at just that point (that's probably why he chose to go) so I was frustrated 'cause I couldn't hit him as he went over the top on my teammate so I kept shooting instead of taking out the guys bunkering my buddy who's back was to me...guess who got bunkered in the next half second...
Ray "My back hurts" N.
===
#1: A pot is NOT an umbrella.
#2: If you are NOT holding the pot, normally, you are not called out if it is hit. I'm not saying you should do this, but I know quite alot of people that would drop an empty pot that was in their hand if it got hit. Guess what, it's on the usual accepted list of disposeable items. It's usually a pretty short list..pots and squeegees and rags. For those of you in the US, that's pods, squeegees and rags. I know someone who was proud of using tampon halves and zip ties as disposeable squeegees...just think if there was pink paint and the refs have to pick up the trash...
#3: For a full pot, some tournaments have different rules, so you'll have to read them. For me, if I lay a full pot at me feet and it gets hit and I'm not touching it, then I don't consider myself out. In some tournaments in the past, you would be considered out because the pot if full. Most tournaments I attend, you are not out.
Of course, if the empty pot is in your harness when it's hit, you are eliminated, and same goes if the pot if full. I had to throw that in 'cause I know someone will bring that up...
Now if you really want to mess with someone, and you were very close to them, you could throw a full pot at them...or you could fill the pot with just enough sand/dirt so you could throw it at them...they may complain but that currently isn't against the rules
Ray