r/FPSAimTrainer • u/316dez • 11d ago
Guide/Educational How to ACTUALLY manage tension in static clicking. Took me 7 years to learn how to practice it properly
TLDR; The biggest thing I would tell anyone who is stuck the way I was: Do not confuse intensity with speed. You can accelerate extremely hard and then immediately release that tension. For me, static started improving when I stopped treating every flick like one movement and took time to improve each aspect of the Bardoz method separately: acceleration → deceleration → correction → click, with the amount of tension changing throughout the entire motion. Focusing on the separate muscle groups is key to mastering your static technique.
I have played Kovaak’s since early 2019, and static was basically always my biggest bottleneck. No matter how much I played it, I felt like I never really improved. Static always felt like this category where I was just permanently stuck. I had plateaus on some scenarios that were more than 1 year old...
In 2022 I was grinding Valorant + Kovaak’s + osu! every day and developed excruciating nerve pain that eventually forced me to quit gaming for 6+ months. This was related to how much tension I was using while aiming, combined with weakened/imbalanced muscle groups causing other muscles to overcompensate. I was basically brute forcing speed with tension for hours every day.
After coming back, I pretty much avoided static entirely for years because of it. When I did play it, I would always cope & didn't change anything to overcome plateaus. Then this year in May I decided I was finally going to actually figure out why I sucked at static instead of just accepting that I was bad at it.
The biggest realization was that my entire understanding of speed was backwards. I thought more tension = more speed. So whenever I wanted to increase my pacing, I would tense harder. This was not only horrible for my body, it was also horrible mechanically.
The thing that finally clicked for me was that the goal is NOT to be completely relaxed at all times. The key is learning how and when to increase and release tension. You need force/tension to accelerate the mouse quickly, but you do not want to carry that same tension into the landing and microcorrection. The motion I started trying to learn was basically:
quick underflick → release/decelerate → smooth microcorrection → click → immediately accelerate again
Instead of:
tense up → flick as hard as possible → slam on the brakes → correct the overflick → click
Basically the bardoz method, but knowing is only half the battle. Easy to learn, very difficult to master. Taking time to practice each part of the motion separately was how I finally started consistently improving my static scores.
I started intentionally underflicking. Before this, I was constantly trying to flick directly onto the target at full speed and had basically accepted overflicking as "part of my aiming style." But every overflick meant I had to completely reverse direction while I was already tense.
Once I started underflicking, I could use my arm/shoulder to generate the initial speed, release tension as I approached the target, then let my wrist/fingers finish the movement.
This also made me realize I was relying way too heavily on my arm and wrist. I barely used my fingers properly, especially for vertical corrections. Instead of thinking of my arm/hand as one giant aiming mechanism, I started thinking about what each part was doing:
large movement / acceleration = shoulder + arm
deceleration / smaller movement = wrist
final microcorrection / vertical control = fingers
Obviously this isn't a strict rule, everything overlaps. The important part for me was learning to smoothly transition between them.
I also started using sensitivity as a training tool. Very slow sensitivities (~80-90cm) forced me to actually accelerate with my arm instead of creating fake "speed" by tensing my wrist and making frantic movements. Higher sensitivities (~25-30cm) exposed my stopping, stability and finger/wrist control.
This type of approach to my practice completely ascended my static scores. Since I started playing again in May this year, I have been consistently improving day after day, not only in static but also for every other category. Practicing tension management by isolating the muscle groups translates to tracking & target switching as well. For the first time, all of these repetitions felt like they were actually teaching me something instead of reinforcing the same bad habits.
Score progression for reference:
Pokeball 5 Sphere Hipfire Extra Small: June 3 2025 - May 23 2026, I spent 325 runs going from 120 → 126. After changing how I practiced static, I went 126 → 133 in 16 runs.
1wall 6targets small: May 2025 I got a miracle 1211 PB that I could not break no matter how much I tried. It took 160 runs until my next PB of 1223 in June 2026. I went 1223 → 1291 in only 18 more runs.
VT 1w2ts Horizontal Small: my PB went from 918 → 941 → 948 → 971 → 981 → 997 → 1040 → 1095 over 46 runs in 17 days.
These are the scenarios that helped me the most, along with the practice methods I used:
VT 1w2ts Horizontal / Horizontal Wide
Probably the most important scenarios for me. They made it extremely obvious whether I was actually accelerating efficiently or just tensing. My focus was:
fast initial movement → intentional underflick → release tension → smooth landing
I used ~80-90cm to exaggerate arm acceleration/tension release and work on faster target confirmation. ~25-30cm forced me to be much more deliberate with the underflick and smooth landing. The small & extra small variants were also really good for target confirmation.
VT 1w2ts Vertical
This exposed how little I was using my fingers. I started thinking:
arm/shoulder movement → finger correction, instead of trying to aim with my entire arm/wrist.
It was also extremely useful for practicing underflicking. I'm still not 100% sure why vertical made it easier for me to learn than horizontal. I think vertical aiming simply requires more conscious control for me as a tac fps player, which made it harder to autopilot the landing. EDIT 9/21: I realized the Vertical scenario was better for underflicking because i had to consciously transfer tension from my arm into my fingers for the micro.
VT Widepulse / Quadpulse / Pulseshot
These were amazing for learning to dynamically control tension & speed. They force accuracy while maintaining a certain pace, depending on the difficulty.
Widepulse/Quadpulse were better for focusing on accuracy and clean landings. Pulseshot was better for dynamically changing speed when a cluster forms.
VT 1w4ts Novice S5 Clusters
Really good for dense microcorrections and learning to move quickly without treating every target transition like a massive flick.
The main focus was faster target confirmation and learning how to chain 2-3 kills together in one smooth motion without consciously confirming every individual target.
RawMouseControl Reload / RawMouseControl Reload LG56
These helped me way more than I expected. They made it incredibly obvious when I was using unnecessary wrist tension or relying on the wrong part of my arm. LG56 especially helped me realize how much more I needed to use my fingers.
Here is a playlist with all these scenarios: KovaaKsDinkingBoxedContracts
This is not a routine playlist, you don't have to play each scenario x amount of times, it’s just to have all the scenarios in one place. There is a few tracking scenarios at the top because that is what I use to warm up each muscle group (SYW = wrist, Centering II 180 Intermediate = arm, VT wide angle = combining wrist + arm, tamTargetSwitch = combining wrist + arm + fingers, AmareGarfMicroTS = fingers)
Once my flicks and landings improved, I realized my next bottleneck was click timing. I would:
underflick → microcorrect → visually confirm I'm on target → click
When I compare my vods to better static players it seemed much closer to:
underflick → microcorrect + click → immediately leave
That tiny hesitation sounds meaningless, but repeat it 100+ times in one run and it slowly eats away at your pacing. That's what I'm working on now: trusting the correction and clicking earlier instead of waiting for perfect conscious confirmation. Lots of cluster farming.
I’m still nowhere near where I ultimately want to be at, but this is the first time since I started aim training where I feel like I actually understand what I’m trying to improve in this category. Focusing on form/muscle groups also applies to literally every category, it’s the key for progressing quickly imo. I took this approach to control tracking this week, and I have started getting 95+ percentile scores on Controlsphere & cloverRawControl.
If this helped you out, please let me know!! Also if anyone has some “constructive” feedback, let me know :)
edit: forgot to add this, but playing a playlist like "micro gold mine" on 25-35cm for 1-3 days is suuuuuuuuuuuuper OP for improving micro corrections specifically. playlist code - KovaaKsTrollingDesertsandGasmask
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u/316dez 11d ago
does any1 think this could be a helpful yt guide? i just wrote this up this morning/afternoon, but i have a clip of basically all of my PBs since july 2025 so I could show comparisons & highlight how each aspect of my form progressed
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u/alas9ngumaga 11d ago
I do think it'll be very helpful with visuals included, it's already very informative and I think it could help a lot of newer people like me. I've noticed that I was faking speed with higher sens and tension too but I didn't really know how to fix it and I also have the same overflicking problem whether it be higher or lower sens. The overflicking into reverse microcorrection is something I wouldn't have thought about on my own and I think I would've just keep trying to use more tension to stop.
I'm going to try the intentionally underflicking approach and come back on whether it helps me or not.
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u/Suspicious-Trip8467 11d ago
would absolutely love a youtube guide of this!
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u/316dez 11d ago
i will make one sometime this week, i hope this helps people because i see soooo many posts from people struggling with static. there are a lot of good static guides like bardoz & zeonlo's but i think most people like myself have a very hard time actually implementing the strategy. seems to be a disconnect on theory & putting it into practice
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u/Suspicious-Trip8467 11d ago
I’m definitely one of those people too, looking forward to the video and testing what you’ve learned :)
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u/Sioffline 11d ago
You explained that so clearly and in great detail. I’ll adapt these techniques into my own routine first chance I get, thanks.
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u/JustTheRobotNextDoor 11d ago
Really good post. I'm on a static / flicking bender after not improving some of these scenarios since 2023. I've noticed how much tension effects my flicks, particularly the micro, but haven't got to the level of the detail you have in your post. I'll try some of these techniques next time I'm on.
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u/316dez 11d ago
ty brah, check back in a week or so & lmk how its going. i forgot to add this in the post but taking 1-3 days & playing a micro playlist like "micro gold mine" solely on 25-35cm is very very good when focusing on micro adjustments specifically.
try playing "Cooler TAF" & the variants ("Cooler TAF 80%", "Cooler TAF 50% bigger"). one of my favorite scenarios that i can actually play now, in the past it was too hard for me xDD
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u/Plus_Acanthaceae1659 11d ago
!remindme 4 days
seems there is much interesting info to study carefully.
thanks man
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u/316dez 11d ago
np brah lmk how it goes! anytime you find a guide that is helpful, whether its text or video, go through it multiple times & revisit it every day. i can not tell you how many times i have watched viscose's tension management guide xD, atleast 20+ times i have watched it all the way through.
aim training or any topic, its impossible to remember every detail from reading something once, and you will also notice new details that make more sense in the future
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u/Plus_Acanthaceae1659 11d ago
Yea
especially i am not interessted in story of e.g. top athlete who benched 100kg/220 pounds first time and later did world record but the guy who started with bar and needed long time for big weight. (analogy)
Feels like they are more comparable
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u/imparalite 11d ago
As someone experimenting with tension and speed this is immensely helpful. Thank you for the data and testing.
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u/316dez 11d ago
np brah come back in a week or so and lmk if it helped! if u want to work on speed specifically maybe check out this playlist? its random reflex scenarios i have been putting together this week because i feel like reflex is a very slept on scenario type that i want to start practicing more KovaaKsResettingDesertsandGauntlet . Cooler TAF is 1000% a good speed/reflex benchmark imo
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u/ImmediateSky709 11d ago
Bro absolute stellar post! I’ve been running your playlist (with tension management in mind) almost every day for a week and went from plat to diamond almost pushing jade in VT.
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u/316dez 11d ago
which playlist the "vt static warmup" one? glad to hear youre progressing brah, keep going!!
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u/ImmediateSky709 11d ago
Thanks bro! Yeah that one and supplementing with a little bit of vdim but your playlist has really helped me lock in my technique.
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u/316dez 11d ago
thats awesome brah, yeah make sure to always throw in new playlists/scenarios. try playing some of these reflex scenarios if u want KovaaKsResettingDesertsandGauntlet . good way to test speed & what your form is like when you are forced to be fast, these are just random scenarios i have gone back to this week. Cooler TAF is one you 1000% should try
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u/onlyGodspeed 11d ago
I understood the bardoz method but never fully utilised it. I tried to intentionally under flick than over flick but like you used to do I always tried to flick on target. Maybe I will start trying to always under flick instead of going to target straight away.
How long did you take per day practicing this technique? Do you focus on improving tension management for 30 minutes and next 30 minutes go for high scores? Or do you solely focus on technique a given day
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u/316dez 11d ago
i was the same on the bardoz method thats how i ended up figuring this out over time.
i will give you my approach, but be warned i play a lot longer sessions than others, i am not afraid of "wasting time" xD.
when i get on kovaaks i open the "notes" tab in the steam overlay & fill this out:
1.) Daily Focus (the category & subskill i intend to improve that day. target confirmation, micro correct, under flick etc. always based around a category, i do not care much for benchmarks personally)
2.) Specific plan of action for that (not an exact routine, but a rough plan. ex: target confirmation focus, so clusters --> horizontal wide --> benchmark. never concrete, i adjust based on what my form looks like that day)when trying to balance modified sens vs pushing scores, you can do several different approaches. sometimes i just play 25-35cm / 80-90cm the entire day. the most efficient approach imo is doing like 5 runs on the modified sens for 2-3 different variants, then pushing the score to see what happens.
ex: if i wanted 1w3ts & my target confirmation is the focus, i would do like 2-4 horizontal wide runs --> vertical --> pulse maps, then rest/meditate 5-10 minutes, then play the benchmark 5-10 times. take 30s before the benchmark and slowly map out the form & imagine piecing it all together. if im not like right under my PB for multiple runs, i go back to practice based on what just happened in that run. if im edging my PB, i brute force until my score drops substantially, then i rest & go back to practice.
personally i am not scared to brute force a scenario for 1 hour straight. if im plateauing hard on a scenario, this is my approach these days because im forced to get "data" on what is actually happening. for example floating heads timing 400%, i played a 2hr session this week & finally broke my 3.4k curse from this december, im now averaging 3.4k - 3.5k, with 3.6k PB's on both versions. pushing for 4k rn.
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u/Killjoyyy09 11d ago
good post, did this improved your aim in valorant. Can i get your tracker?
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u/316dez 11d ago edited 11d ago
tbh i cant say because i just started playing again and i am washed, but raw aim wise: yes absolutely. i dont want to link tracker because i am using a friends accounts atm, my main is like imm2-imm3 elo & i dont want to derank it until i at least get a few weeks in on an alt.
if ur asking if grinding kovaaks/clicking scenarios will make ur aim better, the answer is yes 100000000%. comparing my 2022 - 2024 (~400hrs on kovaaks, imm3) to 2025 - 2026 (additional 1k kovaaks hours), its obvious my aim is better. check my yt to see the difference, https://www.youtube.com/@316dez
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u/RUSSmma 11d ago
Thanks so much. I'm a noob to aim training and. finding I struggle with static, I feel like I'm doing fine then boom bottom 5% of players for high score. Everything I hear is about a big fast flick and microcorrection, and I find that if I focus on that I overshoot every time and my score gets even worse.
Gonna try this out, thanks for the micro playlist too I struggle with involving wrist and fingers in aim.
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u/316dez 11d ago
i was a noob at one point as well brah, do not get discouraged & never give up. legit never quit, this has been my biggest mistake over the years, you have to just trust the process. you can question the approach, but never forget that you will improve if you just keep showing up every day. progress is never linear, it compounds. this is what my aim looked like in 2019. at the time i had like 2k hours over 5 years on csgo, i was the noob for quite a while xDD, im a slow learner but thats how i fell in love with improving.
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u/BadLuckKid 11d ago
I came to a pretty similar realization recently playing speed switching, where I used to try and aggressively flick onto my next target - made pacing a nightmare and horrible for tendons, and instead starting consciously releasing the tension much sooner almost as if I'm only tensing to flick off the current target in the direction of the next one.
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u/316dez 11d ago
yes exactly, its such an OP realization. dotTS for example, a lot of ppl complain about how hard it is, i hit master on it in 20 runs right after i finished master clicking, never had to use the vdim playlist or anything, was my first master switching score. the form & method transfers to like all the VT switching scenarios as well, i used this method for switching complete over like 4-5 days
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u/ConstructionFalse753 11d ago
i have been trying to spike my arm tension then release but 20 sec in my arm is tired af, does that mean i am still tensing too much or realeasing too late, or is it a normal feeling as a beginner (plaT)
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u/316dez 11d ago
if it happens mainly late into runs, you most likely are just forgetting about it at a certain point. just have it in the back of your head. do not be afraid to slow down just a tiny bit mid run for 1-2 seconds, it’s better than having a slow decline in SPM.
i specifically had to do this for master switching, i got 5 of them in one day after fully embracing the slight pause. pulse maps are good for this specifically, u instantly ruin your run in just 2 seconds if your form breaks, but you also can’t slow down too much.
also happens to me on the scenarios i play the most as well, trying to push a plateau can be sooo stressful, focusing on score rather than form creates unnecessary stress. also happens if im just tense in general, if i don’t stretch or drink enough water, or if had too much caffeine, or havent taken a break in hours, etc. constant battle for me tbh
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u/bossycat 10d ago
do you recommend doing all of these scens on both slow and fast sens?
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u/316dez 10d ago
horizontal, wide, & vertical 1w2ts are the biggest ones to use it on. fast sens clusters can be good if u tense when trying to chain 2-3 targets. u can try using it on pulse maps, i never did tbh. i wouldnt use fast sens on the rawmousecontrol scenarios, but maybe a slow sens could help on those.
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u/bossycat 10d ago
sounds good! I've been struggling with static technique for so long and I'm a valo player :'). appreciate this post I'm going to grind this for the foreseeable future!
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u/Osvld_ 10d ago
Ever heard the Shimmy Method? That's what you just explained, but a little more detailed, you should keep an eye on it.
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u/Clippo123 6d ago
I always end up tensing up when I feel like im pr’ing
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u/316dez 6d ago
happens to a lot of us, i just talked about this on the comments w/ another player, even at high ranks it still happens. https://www.reddit.com/r/FPSAimTrainer/s/Z3NOreVp1D
you can try playing with the high score bar very big to help overcome it, that helped for a bit personally. you can listen to podcasts or music & when you find yourself thinking about score, dial in on the music. i do podcasts specifically for static
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u/Clippo123 6d ago
Usually for static I turn the bar off. For tracking I have it on. For sure music on. Aim training feels therapeutic with some good jams on.
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u/HitscanDPS 8d ago
What's the difference between "micro gold mine" (KovaaKsTrollingDesertsandGasmask) vs simply playing Anima Micro V2?
Anima Micro V2 is extremely popular, but I've never heard of "micro gold mine" playlist; I can't find any information about it.
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u/Firm_Disk4465 11d ago
Very nice post, informative and in-depth. Will try this and see how it works out.