Paintball in Michigan

I am BACK!!

2009-01-04T17:53:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys! The Holidays are done, hope everyone had a safe and happy Christmas and New Years!

I have been following http://john-amodea.blogspot.com/ since it started, he is going to wrap up the 5 part series on "what we have done to our sport"and I would encourage all of you to read all of them! He has some great insight, info and even a few solutions on what we can do to help our sport.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

2008-12-23T09:13:00.003-05:00

Not Sure who wrote this but I saw it and had to post it, Merry Christmas!! Will be away for a few days, see you after the holidays!! I added a poll for what paintball gear you think you will be getting for Christmas!

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring, 'cept Johnny DeLouse.
He polished his gun and topped his Halo agitator,
awaiting old Santa, who'd be by a bit later.

A cruel trick Santa played on past Christmas day,
when he left poor Johnny a cheap old Stingray.
He worked through the summer as a grocery shelf stocker,
and he saved and he saved for a trick Autococker.

He awaited St. Nick in a tactical crouch,
his jersey matched perfect his mom's brand new couch.
His red dot cast eerie a glow on the place,
as he waited for Santa to show his fat face.

When out on the roof there arose such a clatter,
that Johnny got ready for Santa to splatter.
He pulled down his Flex 7s and chambered a ball,
'cause Santa was here, and was fixing to call.

Now Santa's no dummy, he has intuition,
he took down the chimney his own ammunition.
He wore an Invision and sported an X-Mag,
A case of Evil tucked down his bag.

The volleys which followed were more than just fair;
the paintballs collided in the midst of the air.
Johnny dove for new cover, and Santa moved too,
the place would be wrecked before they were through.

As their hoppers went empty and their shooting did stop,
Johnny wiped off his goggles, he couldn't see squat.
Old Santa was crouching on one ancient knee,
and stacking the presents under the tree.

Johnny was aiming to shoot at him more,
when the sight in his sights made his jaw hit the floor.
Santa ignored him; in his eye was a glisten,
as he laid out for Johnny a nitrogen system.

Santa went up the chimney as quick as he'd come.
He left Johnny dripping paint, and emotionally numb.
He'd ambushed old Santa and was now feeling mean,
but Santa laughed last, he left him to clean.

Johnny straightened the stockings and he wiped up the paint.
He cleaned until morning, he thought he might faint.
Santa's an awesome player, he thought in his head,
as he trudged to his bedroom and into his bed.

Don't wait up for Santa on this Christmas Eve,
that jolly old fat guy has a trick up his sleeve.
If you've revenge in your eye like Johnny DeLouse,
you'll only get spanked and end up cleaning the house.

www.adventurecentre.org - Winter Fund Raiser

2008-12-21T11:11:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys and Gals its the season of giving and Heather from the Adventure Centre contacted me in regards to their Winter Fund Raiser. They are a not for profit organization and this is their mission...

"The mission of The Adventure Centre is to inspire people of all ages to be more connected with themselves and the world around them. Through challenge, adventure, reflection and dialog, we provide powerful opportunities for self-discovery, compassion and collaboration. We serve approximately 4000 youth per year throughout the Midwest area."

Up for auction current at this link is a Paintball party for 10 people at Hole in the Wall Paintball, it is currently only going for $18.00!! If this party is something you would be interested please bid on eBay at the following link.

Paintball for 10!!! Hole in the Wall Paintball has been kind enough to donate paintball for 10.

There are 5 certificates each good for 2 players.

1 certificate covers the cost for 2 rental semi Auto Markers, 2 Free Fields fees and 200 free balls.

Hole in the Wall's fields are located at 24262 66th Street, Bangor, MI 49013

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250344119440&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling

For more info on the Adventure Centre check out their website.

www.adventurecentre.org

Hole in the Wall Paintball

http://www.holeinthewall-pball.com/index.htm

FIGHT NIGHT!

2008-12-20T11:14:00.002-05:00

I am heading to Magnum Sportz / TC Paintball tonight for their infamous FIGHT NIGHT! Come on out and spread some holiday cheer...and paint!

$45 includes fee, air and you get a CASE of stinger. Fairly AWESOME deal!

Action starts at 6pm and goes until 10ish! TCP has an awesome proshop so bring some Christmas money!

596 Baldwin St.
Jenison, MI 49428
(616) 667-9827

News - Shawn Walker Responds

2008-12-19T09:21:00.001-05:00

http://www.68caliber.com/story043533.php

Shawn Walker responds to allegations, paintball drama at its finest!

Charm the Snake

2008-12-19T09:07:00.004-05:00

Blind man crawling - The snake is one of the hardest bunkers to play on the field. It can also be the most deadly as well. The snake allows a player to gain field advantage often unnoticed.

PreGame - Walk to the snake and observe your shot angles, your blind shots, and remember to see what bunker is going to have an advantage on you.

Break Out - On the break you have two options, either get in the snake asap or hang back and try to eliminate the other teams snake player, then you have it to yourself to wreak havoc.

Getting into the Snake -Dive Dive Dive! Slide Slide Slide! Practice Practice Practice! Like I have said before practice you slides into practice and in your pregame.

Upon Arrival - Be Observant!!! Listen and look to see what is going on, listen to your back players and plan your shots.

Snap Shooting for the Elimination - Make it Quick! Never, ever, ever....come out of the same spot twice...you are dead if you do. Do not be afraid to move forward and back in the knuckles.

Those are just some simple tips that I could think of this week, the snake is the hardest place to play but if you trust your back players to relay the information you need it should all go well and you will be a dominate snake charmer on the field. Work Hard, Play Hard and the snake will be yours!

John Part 3/5

2008-12-17T09:41:00.002-05:00

As you all know John Amodea has been writing a blog of his own at http://john-amodea.blogspot.com/

He has made some strong points and has given some very good insight on what is happening to our game. So at 4pm EST today he will post it...check it out!

Monday Video + Thoughts

2008-12-15T11:45:00.004-05:00

Found a cool video, lots of action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa6eXtlxdJE

I was thinking on what to post today and I thought something to do with playing the snake. After pondering what makes a good snake player for awhile I came to a conclusion, a great snake player has a great team mate behind him. Usually it comes down to the person behind you calling your shots. When your team mate calls D1 you should know exactly where you need to be. Team communication on the paintball field is ESSENTIAL for success, every team is different so I can't really give tips or pointers except one...the best teams often have some of the best on field communication! So in practice take time to work on it, there are many drills you could make up to work on it, so run them!

There are a simple tips I will give tomorrow on playing the snake, but for now just chew on the communication end of things.

Weekend!! Finally done with Finals!

2008-12-13T10:14:00.002-05:00

This has been a crazy week for me! Next week will bring a lot more paintball action and tips.

I am planning to play at Fight Night next weekend as well, stop out @ Magnum if you want a great night of ballin'.

Have a GREAT weekend!

TCP MACHINE reball clinic dec. 11

2008-12-11T15:56:00.001-05:00

Awesome Clinic tonight, Contact Rick for more info! Go to this!!

@ www.magnumsportz.com

6pm

$30

proper gun set up

technique

off-handed shooting

running and gunning drills

field recognition

game plans

balling better.

these usually fill. first 20 pd players only.

Off Season Training - A Night inside.

2008-12-09T13:08:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to give you guys some insight on how I train during the off season. Last night was break out shooting, starts, and snap shooting. I always train with full gear, even putting paint in my hopper.

I usually use a 5-10lbs. weight in my off hand, this trains the arm muscles and your core during the quick break out movements. It is always nice to see your speed increasing as a result of training with weights.

I begin with a starting drill, simply put, my wife just counts down like the normal paintball starts, I break out and shoot a lane, I usually spend more time with my left hand shooting during workouts. I do around 10-15 starts on each side. (Thanks Ang) (Pic 2)

Then I do a painful drill, when I am bunkers I usually like to stay on my feet, this means a lot of squatting and crouching, so get in crouching position and start taking snap shots above my recliner and around it, this one is a great work out for the core and quads! (Pic 1) I do about 20 above and 20 to the sides.

I then do my door snap shooting drill with a mirror. I usually do about 20-30 on each side.

In all the work outs I use a weight or 2 and I would highly recommend it for anyone doing serious training.

RJs Video Here

2008-12-08T01:16:00.000-05:00

Read the Review then watch!! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ5ZtcWxz0Y

RJs Performance, Balls o’ Rubber and much much more!

2008-12-07T21:49:00.002-05:00

Well thanks to Rick, Dan and Marcus for having such a great facility!! I was impressed from the moment I walked into the pro shop. It was like a marker hall of fame, everything from old school automags to the ultra high end Cobra Angels. There were at least 75 guns covering the walls! This was one of the most stocked pro shops I have seen, it was organized and clean, only disappointment is not having any more VL Velocity hoppers in stock, I was going to get one because I heard halo B's HATE reballs (which is true by the way, horrible jams!) But I took that like a grain of salt because on the paintball field you will break balls, have jams etc, at least on the reball field jams are the only thing that happens, its actually good practice to fix stuff under pressure and therefore makes you that much better of a player, more on reball in a sec.

After the awesome proshop tour Marcus took me outside and was very excited about the coming spring/summer 2009 season. They are making a few new fields, a mound / trench / tunnel field (we should name it the TMT field) and a few other fields geared towards the old school style, even a hyperball field! Their out door facility is defiantly going to rival some of the best paintball fields in the midwest.

When I walked into the indoor field it was a little chilly, they are installing fans very shortly that will greatly improve the temperature. As a player the temp was perfect, but my poor wife had some frozen feets! (I told her to play and she would stay warm, maybe next time!). One thing I noticed that was great, they have fantastic lighting, this place was BRIGHT and CLEAN! Marcus was pumped to take me on the field, this was one of his fun set up weekends, it wasn't Xball, or PSP, or NPPL but it was a TON of fun to play on something different (there were 3 snakes (yes 3!!), the Xball X, lots of stand ups and plenty of doritos to go around). It felt like you were playing in a paintball video game and you just designed you own crazy field, Marcus said he is going to do this about once a month and let some of the guys at PBnation design some of the fields, sounds fun! (if they use your field you will play for free!!)

AS soon as I walked onto the field another thing I was pleasantly surprised with was the outstanding turf!! Probably some of the best stuff I have ever played on! It was nice with any type of shoe you came with. The staging area was also nice, plenty of tables for gear and you had a decent view from the back of the field, no side viewing, but hey its indoor.

The games were a little slow to get going at first, I think we could have gotten started a bit earlier, but it wasn't a big deal since they were having games until 7:00pm or later, and for $25, you just can't beat that! Marcus was running his staff very well, refs were usually quick to call players out, but its Reball so sometimes its a challenge to see everything, and this is where your attitude as a player needs to come in handy. Reball is a great training tool, and a fun and cheap way to play, so you have to consider that its not the final game in the national championship, so sometimes the opposing team will take a few hits. Dan recommended a good mindset to have when this happens, say you know 100% you just hit a guy then he stays in, just say "ok, I hit that guy, then another player just replaced him at his bunker" if you have this mindset you are setting yourself up for a better day of paintball. On to my first game!

All was well on the break, my Halo B loader was being a bit testy, I just had to slow down my RoF a bit, it seemed to be working well. The game was a little slower paced than normal paintball and I found myself shooting A LOT more "paint" then normal, which was also fun because you weren't constantly reminded on how much $$$ you just spent in 5 seconds of laning. I found myself at the 50, we had a 3v3 left, I decided to make a move while the front two guys were focusing on the other side, I got 2 quick eliminations and kept running and I thought everyone was gone, then I got to the last stand up and 1 guy was filling his loader, I assumed he was out, then I got shot twice in the leg, haha guess he was still in. Was a fun way to start my day for sure. The next few games were annoying because my loader was giving me problems, then Marcus came to my rescue!!! He let me test out a COBRA angel, I will have a full write up on this baby so I won't spoil it now.

Anyhow I really felt the staff was very accommodating and professional (they really stressed safety! good job guys), they even supplied the pods full of reballs, that was another perk that made RJs an even better experience, was nice to never have to worry about filling pods, just get in line, grab them and go!

Dan, Rick and Marcus are true entrepreneurs, between them the have over 40 years of experience in the paintball industry. I encourage everyone in the state to frequently check out RJs, this indoor seasons is surely going to be a blast, so be sure to stop in a few times and get some great reballing time in! They are very willing to work and help teams practice, they have private slots during the week, call Marcus, Rick or Dan for more info.

I am very pleased to see a field really support its local players like RJs does, great job guys and thanks for a great day!

a quote from Marcus on PBnation.com

"THIS IS THE YEAR RJ'S/810 GIVES BACK TO THE PLAYERS"

http://www.rjperformancepaintball.us/

REEBAAALLLSS!!!

2008-12-06T21:07:00.002-05:00

So tomorrow will be my first time @ RJ's performance, fairly excited about it. However, I am a little apprehensive about using REBALLS, for those that may not know below is info from the REBALL website, so of course they make them sound like God's greatest gift to mankind since sex....

Reball is the first Re-Usable ball ever designed specifically for the sport of Paintball! ReBalls come in boxes of 500 and are designed to be reused over and over. Simply wash them with water and shoot again! Teams all over the US are buying boxes of these and practicing their snap shooting, shooting off the break, walking and shooting, target practicing and more without the expense of paint and without the hassles of clean up! These are also excellent for techs that work on a lot of guns. Now you can check guns before major tournaments without dumping hundreds of dollars worth of paint.

Your investment in paint is returned to you in only 7 times of using ReBalls! If you play frequently, you have to own some of these.

Reballs are developed by pro players for players.
Reball is a soft rubber ball that can be used for multiple purposes.
Reball can be used in paintball games against other players.
Reball is lighter than an ordinary paintball (2.5 grams) and soft.
Reballs don´t need any lubrication!
Yes its true, Reballs don't need any lubrication. Just clean the balls with water and let them dry before reusing them.
Reballs can be shot thousands of times without being damaged. As a matter a fact we still haven't seen one Reball that have been destroyed!
Reballs will not damage guns or barrels, just make sure that any Reballs used are cleaned first!
Reballs runs as fast as a paintball in any hopper

Anyhow, Like I said I am aprehensive about how these buggers will shoot, and how they will do with my hopper. It is going to be interesting so look for it on Sunday night when I post all my RJs stuff, I will have pictures, and a video @ the end of next week! Stay Tuned.

Check This Out!

2008-12-04T11:05:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow this Blog is going to have an interesting Article, entitle “What Have We Done To Our Game” by John Amodea, be sure to check this out.

http://john-amodea.blogspot.com/

Finals are keeping me busy, sure you guys are feeling the pain too.

Busy - Busy - Busy!

2008-12-03T11:45:00.004-05:00

Well as Finals approach I am going to be SUPER SUPER busy, will try to post updates as much as possible!

This weekend (will be there Sunday Dec. 7th) I am going to RJ's performance to play and check out the field. They have an indoor reball field and from the pictures it looks great!

A ThanksXmas $25 ALL DAY PLAY!

THATS RIGHT..........OPENING WEEKEND IS (tentatively) for DEC 6th and 7th
http://www.rjperformancepaintball.us/

RJPCENTER ALL DAY PLAY IS

SAT SESSION :12:30-5:30

SUN SESSION - 11-5:30

OPENING WEEKEND PLAY ALL DAY IS ONLY $25

THE NORMAL RATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
team time slot~ $20-40 per private slot

OPEN PLAY TIMES AND RATES:
sat and sun from 11:30-4:30 $45

THE BRIGHTEST, CLEANIST(paintball cleanist), nicest place this side of the west!!!!!

AND IF YOU HAVE YOUR PRO CARD YOUR FREE !!!!!!!!

come enjoy a thanksgiving and Christmas gift from RJ's, THE RJPPAINTBALL center, 810life.com............and the players........

ALL DAY $25
12:30-5:30 sat
11:30-5:30 sun

Paintball Moves 101 - Defensive

2008-12-02T12:25:00.001-05:00

Defensive moves usually occur when you are down on numbers, low on paint, or at some other disadvantage. As I mentioned before: Always try to visualize yourself on the field of play while thinking about these moves.

Keys to Defensive Moves:

Learn to use your other senses, usually when you are in a bunker you have a limited field of vision. Learn to listen, shouting opposing team members, footsteps, marker fire etc. All of these things can be used to gain an advantaged while on the defensive.
Since the opposing team will like try to make a move on you, know where they will most likely come from, get ready to attack defensively from this side.
While in your bunker try not to kneel!! Staying on your feet and crouching, kinda like crouching tiger hidden dragon style, gives you the most range of motion, and the most options to defend.
Know where you are aiming to fire ahead of time, and aim for the mid section. This gives you the best chance to make the mark first.

Now that you have successfully defended your position against the opposing team's offensive move, it's time for you to go on the offensive! I usually go for the bunker where the attacker came from, that should give you decent field position, as always it depends on the situation at hand, see offensive moves 101 for more help on making smart offensive moves.

NPPL, Chapter 7...

2008-12-01T16:26:00.003-05:00

Recession Strikes again...

From the President of the NPPL...

Pacific Paintball and its subsidiaries will be filing proceedings under the United States Bankruptcy Code to effect a liquidation of their respective assets and business operations. The affairs and assets of Pacific Paintball LLC, NPPL LLC, XPSL LLC, PB2X LLC, Xtreme Paintball Fields LLC and Camp Pendleton Paintball LLC will be administered by a court appointed trustee in bankruptcy. The bankruptcy court will provide you with written instructions regarding how and where to file any claims in this matter.

Despite doing all we could do, we were unable to make the business a viable concern. Further, in this severe economic climate, we were unable to secure new funding. It is a truly regrettable outcome, though one which is unfortunately occurring more and more frequently in this environment. We thank all those who have supported us.

Magnum Sportz Video

2008-12-01T15:59:00.002-05:00

Put this together quickly, had a lot of guys requesting it. Hope you enjoy! I'm not a pro at this or anything, but I had fun putting my first video together!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvwJUOzDgCQ

#1 Tip for being a Sucessful Tournament player...

2008-12-01T12:48:00.003-05:00

I wanted to re-post this article because I think its Super important for the success of any player!

Start working out and GET in shape for the 2009 season NOW!

Cardio and weight training will make you more effective on the field reguardless of your play style. If you are tired you tend to get sloppy, and sloppy means your arms sticking out of the bunker while shooting or taking a few extra seconds behind the bunker to catch your breath, mean-while you aren't watching your lane. The list goes on and on!

These are some tips I found on "How to Get in Shape"

Don't drink your calories: This is the most important rule to follow. Try not to drink anything that has calories; only drink water! A good rule of thumb for how much water you should drink is to divide your weight in half and that number in ounces is your recommended daily water intake. Therefore, if you weigh 200 lbs. , you should drink about 100 oz. per day.
Feed Your Body: You have to feed your body calories - good calories. It is very important to eat several meals a day. Do not go more than 4 hrs without eating, unless of course you are sleeping. You may not even need to limit how much you eat at each interval. Smaller, frequent meals will increase your metabolism, maintain your blood sugar, and prevent you from overeating.
Eat at Home:Dining out is great, but do not do it all the time! While this can be difficult if you travel a lot, if you do go out to eat, try your best to stick with the above rules.
Sugar is your Enemy: Surely you have heard this one a thousand times, but it is true. If you love candy, cookies and sweets, you should do your best to give them up - at least for a short time. Stay away from the sweets, especially until you get to your goal weight. It really can be done!
Work Out Consistantly: Join a gym or go for a jog...run sprints with all your paintball gear on, including full pods and hoppers. If you want to go the advanced route fill your pods with rocks and go for a fast jog a few times a week...you might look a bit silly but it will increase your stamia and get you use to your gear.

I can't stress enough on how active the sport of paintball is, even though matches may only last 4 minutes its an intense time of reflex and quick sprints. So Get in SHAPE!

Fight Night Results!

2008-11-29T23:42:00.004-05:00

This was a GREAT NIGHT! It was only $45.00 for the field fee and a case of stinger paint, this also included free air all night!

People came from all over to play, definitely some solid paintball competition. It was nice to be playing paintball again, this was the perfect place to re-break me in! My Etek was shooting fairly well, I really need a zick kit because they do have quite a bit of kick, just wasn't use to that at all.

The games were constantly going! Usually it was 8v8ish, there was of course a lot of paint flying. Ramping was allowed, and there was no BPS cap. (Although we all know real men use SEMI!)

My highlight had to be doing a 1v1 with Rick Steinebach, needless to say it was INTENSE! We both were moving very aggressively, was a bit of a battle but in the end Rick came out on top. I made bad move, went into the snake at the 50, while Rick took an oversized spike, definately had the angle on me and I took one to the mask, check out the pic below that my wife took.

I definately will be back as soon as I can, fight nights are a great way to work on your game during the off season.

Off to Fight Night

2008-11-29T15:40:00.001-05:00

I am heading out to Fight Night @ Magnum Sportz...the action starts at 6pm and goes until 10pm. See you guys there!!

This will be the first time I have played paintball since 2003ish!! So take it easy on me.

Rick “Spydie” Steinebach, Captain of TCP Machine. Semi-Pro NPPL 7

2008-11-28T19:04:00.003-05:00

This is my first installment of the Michigan Player profiles that I will be doing throughout the year. Enjoy!

Name: Rick "Spydie" Steinebach

Team: TCP Machine, Captain

Sponsors: KEE Action Sports (Halo, Empire, Pure Energy, Invert), Planet Eclipse, Virtue, Stiffi, Mafia Stylz, Magnum Sportz, Custom Products.
Current Marker: Planet Eclipse Ego 8

First Marker: Spyder
Superstitions: must wear my 'machine' headband, I don't like to step on the painted lines on a field (Sparky Anderson), I never call the coin toss. I insist that the other team's captain calls it.

Favorite paintball moment: MANY. Winning Skyball twice, playing in front of thousands for 1st place at an NPPL event. signing autographs in California, winning with my nephew, winning a tie-breaker one on one to advance to finals in NPPL Kansas City in 2007, being told by established pro's 'your team is f'ing awesome'.

Rick started playing paintball back in 1996. His first marker, like many of ours was a Spyder. Rick and his friends rented a local paintball field once a month. They started getting better and investigated some paintball tournaments. They entered in Blizzard Ball, located in London, Ontario. They won their first two games to the surprise of them and everyone at the tournament. But it was back to reality after few losses, this was the first taste of real competitive paintball Rick had! After Rick started playing tournaments he was hooked! His team worked and played a few local tournaments with the goal of winning a few, now in 2008 TCP machine's goals are set a bit higher!

In 2001 they decided to start playing national level 10 man paintball. They played the world cup in Orlando Florida, and then the entire 2002 10 man season. At the end of 2002, the NPPL split into 2 different tourney circuits. NPPL became the 7 man format, and the PSP became xball and 10 man (which they later dropped since all the pros and any other good teams wanted to play xball so 10 man died). They started in D2, and had mixed results for a long time. Then finally finished #5, & #6, #3 in consecutive years! They decided to move up to D1, and took 2nd 3 times in 5 events, finishing the year in 2nd place, then this past year they moved up to Semi-Pro. Needless to say it was a very big jump! They took 4th place in Jacksonville this year and finished the year in 7th place. They began the year with a 'two year plan' (to be pro in 2 years). The pro NPPL division is locked at 18 teams. At the conclusion of every year, the bottom 3 pro teams are 'relegated' to the semi pro bracket and the top 3 semi-pros are invited to the pro bracket to make sure the pro bracket is the best of the best. In their first season, TCP Machine finished 7th, only a stone's throw from the top 3! Keep TCP Machine and Rick on your radar for the 2009 season, we possibly could have Michigan's first pro NPPL team!!

Rick is currently overseeing the TCP paintball store in the Grand Rapids area. He also works with magnum sportz, doing consulting and running special events. Magnum sportz often hosts many great nights for paintball, including masters night (30 and over), FIGHT NIGHT (next one happens to be TOMORROW NIGHT, Saturday 29^th, I will be there, come check it out!), random draw leagues, clinics and much much more.

http://www.magnumsportz.com/

http://www.tcpaintball.com/

Holidays...

2008-11-26T09:44:00.004-05:00

First off, I will be gone for a few days for thanksgiving, my blog is going to take a back seat as I spend time with family. I will continue the paintball moves 101 series when I get back into town. Also I am putting together an awesome article about one of our very own up and coming paintball stars!!

As we make our Christmas lists and get ready to receive loads of new paintball gear from spouses, parents and friends I urge you to ONLY buy LOCALLY!

Please inform people who are buying gifts for you to buy at your local paintball shops, print them out directions, tell them the store owners name, go in ahead of time and pick out what you want there. Please try to make them avoid eBay (and other online shops)! The local stores and fields are the ones who allow us to play, many of them work with and support many teams, so in turn we should support them. It is a reciprocating relationship, so please do your part!

Below is all of the local stores I could find in Michigan, there has to be one near you! So PLEASE support them! (It is a long list!!) Add a comment if you support it!

Alpine Paintball
5242 Alpine Avenue
Comstock Park, MI 49321
(616) 785-9005
alpinepb@compuserve.com

In Your Face Paintball
3367 Richfield Rd.
Flint, MI 48506
(810) 736-8427
inyourfacepaintball@comcast.net

Michigan Paintball Outlet
111 West Genesee
Lapeer, MI 48446
(810) 245-1914
fom@mipaintball.com

Exotic Sportz
23944 Eureka Rd.
Taylor, MI 48180
(734) 287-6460

Victory Paintball
1488 E. Empire Avenue
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
(269) 926-2876
brian@vicpaintball.com

Action Sports Paintball
229 N. Main
Suite 3
Cheboygan, MI 49779
(231) 627-3474

Adventure Zone Paintball
125 West Chicago Road
Coldwater, MI 49036
(517) 278-9663

Area 51 Paintball
3005 Westwood Rd.
mancelona, MI 49659
(231) 313-3111

Ball Busters Paint Park
76 South 10th Street
Plainwell, MI 49080
(269) 685-8006

Colors Paintball
7412 South 200th
Fremont, MI 49412
(231) 854-4487

CrossFire Creek Pro Shop
2640 Cour Regis
St Clair, MI 48079
(810) 329-2051

FutureBall Paintball
9269 9 Mile Road
East M-36
Whitmore Lake, MI 48189
(734) 449-4200

Hell Survivors
125 Pearl Street
Pinckney, MI 48169
(888) 396-8431

Lone Wolf Paintball Store
46590 Erb Dr
Macomb, MI 48042
(800) 875-9653

Magnum Sportz
596 Baldwin Street
Jenison, MI 49428
(616) 667-1508

Outpost Paintball Supplies
336 Morgan Lane
Lansing, MI 48912
(517) 332-1332

RJ Performance Paintball
1444 North Irish Road
Davison, MI 48423
(810) 658-5274

TC Paintball

4434 Plainfield Avenue
Grand Rapids, MI 49544
(616) 365-0178

4963 Eastman

Midland, MI 48640
(989) 631-BALL

849 US 31 South
Traverse City, MI 49684
(231) 943-0248

Paintball Moves 101 - Offensive

2008-11-25T09:30:00.004-05:00

There are three things I want you guys to keep in mind while reading this series…

Always picture in your mind how your body is going to look while making a move.
Know your target
Trust your team to back your move up

Offensive Moves

This should be one of the easiest moves to talk about, just pick a bunker and sprint with your head down, dive, slide and roll into the bunker. Then, hope for the best…if only it was that easy.

The ultimate goal of an offensive move is to gain an advantage with as little exposure and risk as possible. (Now I am not saying to never take any risks, every time you move there is a risk, but just be smart. Know what your exposure is. Know where you will be taking fire from.)

When you are in a bunker looking down field deciding where to move to there are many things to look for.

Will this move be productive for my team?

Will it be too costly if I get tagged while making the move?

What will I have to run through to get there, is it looking clear or will I have to run through the gauntlet of ropes?

With all these questions it is hard to decide where and when to move, but bold moves win games, plain and simple. For these moves I am going to assume that you have considered all these things and upon arriving at your target bunker you are going to have an opportunity to make a quick tag or at least have better field position that will lead to marks.

Things to Keep in Mind while moving…

Know who and where you were taking fire from before the move
Keep your head up, no sense making a solid move then not knowing where the opposing team is
Have your gun up and ready to keep the heads of the opposing team down

It is up to you whether or not you want to fire while running, depending on the situation, use your judgment. (Sometimes not firing is the best option to be honest)

When you arrive at the bunker do not charge over it and almost knock if over. By doing that you are just letting the other team know that you have safely arrived in the bunker and you are ready to take their paintballs to your mask. I can't count how many times I see people making extravagant slides and then ruining the whole move by smashing full force into a carwash.

Work on your slides in practice, and learn to control them! (Also when walking fields take a few slides so you know how the ground will react, you make look dumb but when you start beating people they will take note of your pregame warm up!)

When you are ready to take your first snap shots you should already have an idea of where you will be aiming. Since you kept your head up in your move you know which angle of attack you will be trying for. I know this seems like a lot to think about in a game that lasts around 2 minutes but if you run this through your head enough it will become like second nature!

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about the series please just drop a comment! Stay tuned for Paintball Moves 101 – Defensive, coming later in the week.

What's in Store for This week!

2008-11-24T14:24:00.005-05:00

I am going to be doing a 3 part series on the different types of paintball moves. I consider there to be 3 types, offensive, defensive and an in between. This should help players decide when to move and how to move on the field of play. Its a bummer when I see a player make a move that had great intentions but wasn't executed correctly. Stay tuned, tomorrow will begin the first installment !!

Below is an interesting interview from 68CaliberTV, check it out as they talk about the latest and greatest from Planet Eclipse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQnHR9adcsA

ps. not paid by Planet Eclipse to do this, just thought it was interesting to see what the difference was from the Ego08s to the SL8R.

News On Mach, and 68caliber.com

2008-11-23T22:48:00.001-05:00

Check out the link to see the Latest news on Mach!

http://68caliber.wordpress.com/

Results and Pics!

2008-11-23T17:40:00.006-05:00

Pictures of the Day! Video should be available next week or so.

HERE!

This was my first time at Magnum Sportz and I was quite impressed. The field was in great shape, Rick (Captain for TCP Machine, NPPL Semi-Pro) ran the show with out any major problems, and it sounded like everyone was having a good time. (Well, the paint was flying everywhere!! All 64 cases of it.)

Rules: NPPL - Semi Uncapped

Teams

West Michigan Rangers (WMR)
LTU Blue Devils
SoMich Mafia
Devious
Affliction

H8 Factory
FPA Black
Destruction
GRIND
FPA Blue

Highlights from the day...

In Game 4, FPA Black vs. Destruction, right off the break Dan (FPA Black) had his bolt pop out and hit him in the mask. After taking his own paintball to the mask (ref. wiped it, no way someone hit him that soon off the break), he found his bolt on the ground and put his gun together on the fly, FPA black finished strong despite Dan having a rough start.

In their Final game, the LTU Blue Devils devised a seemingly flawless plan...CHAAARGEEE! They charged up the field immediately off the break, 2 going right, 1 middle and 2 going left. Despite their best efforts they didn't make a tag but it was great to see them having a great time!
The LTU Blue Devils received the Sportsmanship Award and won hats from the TCP Pro Shop.

SemiFinals...

H8 Factory (2) vs. Devious (0)

Destruction (2) vs. Affliction (0)

Finals

Destruction vs. H8 Factory - The final games were a bit slower paced as both teams were being a bit more conservative, but they were all hard fought battles! Destruction came out on top, great playing guys!

Devious (1) vs. Affliction (1) - Tie Breaker! This is what we were all waiting for, a 1 v 1 showdown. The format was your #1 guy vs. their #1 guy. The first game, TCP Affliction came out very aggressive, made the move but both were tagged at the same time. So it was down to their #2 man. Both teams came out very aggressive and after a few moves they met in the middle with Devious making the clean tag. Congratz, it was great to watch the 1v1s!

Results
1. Destruction
2. H8 Factory
3. Devious
4. TCP Affliction

FIGHT NIGHT

6:17 AM!

2008-11-23T06:17:00.003-05:00

Well it is 6:17 am and my wife and I are heading out to Magnum Sportz for the Thanks for Giving (me those welts) 5-Man, Stay tuned for my update today including all the event results and news!

Mach's New Marker!

2008-11-22T18:51:00.002-05:00

Thanks everyone for voting, was fun to see what you guys would recommend. I am picking up my 07 Etek w/ Star Frame next week...I got a killer killer deal on it, so it was the most cost effective thing I could get atm, I got it with a 45/4500 PMI tank for under $400. I am going to put a zick and a cure2 bolt it (so i've heard it will be basically an Ego 07 after that), and I already have a freak so its going to work great as I make my jump back into tournament play.

Thanks again for the advice!! See you guys tomorrow.

Mach

Thanks For Giving (me those welts) 5MAN - Magnum Sports

2008-11-21T00:41:00.003-05:00

This is where ill be this weekend, I'll have all the coverage, possibly photos, maybe a few vids and of course results! This will be my first time @ Magnum and I am looking forward to it, there is going to be some fierce competition, Devious, GRIND, FPA Black and FPA Blue to name a few! Good luck this weekend guys and see you there!

Break Out 3!

2008-11-19T16:14:00.003-05:00

The First 10 Seconds...

A Games outcome is often decided in the first 10 seconds, you want those first 10 seconds to bring your team closer to victory.

My Next Move....all too often teams plan for their first move, but what about the 2nd moves?? Planning this step when you are walking fields is also very important. You want your team to move with strength, not just sitting back on you heels out of the gate, know where to move and how to get the upper hand. After walking the field your team should have a systemic idea of how your strategy is going to work out, just a note here...

your plans often don't work but after a while you will see what works and what doesn't planning ahead of time enables you to develop a paintballers mind...you should begin to see openings on the field, you back players will start to open lanes of where they think you are moving to next, things like this just take time with your team and lots of practice!

Back to Break Out 3....Your team should know what everyone's first moves and planned second moves are going to be, this will let you guys Break Out with authority!! I talked a lot about your first move and your second move in this post, later in the week I will be giving tips on what shapes the game, Decisive paintball moves, game makers or breakers. Stay tuned for more on these moves. (Offensive, defensive and more!)

Break Out 2!

2008-11-18T08:57:00.004-05:00

Looking down field while in your starting bunker will allow you to see where the other team will be moving on the break and it will give you an idea where to concentrate your fire on the break. The biggest thing about learning where to shoot is to shoot where they are GOING to be, not where they currently are, basically let them run into your line of fire, if this works you will either mark them outright, or at least disrupt their plans a bit.

When you are a back player your job is to protect your front guys, this is not just firing when the opposing team pocks their head out, this is laying down paint in the general direction of the front guy you are covering, this will at least keep the other teams heads down if you can't make the mark. REMEMBER a heavily hunkered opponent is almost as good as a marked one. He can't effectively return fire and this will allow your front guys to move for the kill.

That's it for today! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for Break Out 3 Tomorrow!!

I am sure some of you have already seen this but this is an awesome Video I found over at www.triggerwalkers.com, thanks for the video guys its awesome! Look at some of the break outs, there are some very good ones.

TriggerWalkers Video

The Break Out!

2008-11-17T12:25:00.010-05:00

THE BREAKOUT!

The Breakout begins even before you hear the whistle. One of the most important things your team can do is walk through the field of play, even if its a field you are familiar with, walk it and get a fresh look. Following is a list of things to do when walking a field (A lot more than just walking) I realized its too hard to put a breakout in a list, all week I will be going over the strategy of breaking out and the mentality for preparation and execution.

Begin at the starting point, Immediately look at the other teams starting point, check what your exposure will be, and know what your ENTIRE teams break out position will be. This is a very important step, you should be like a well oiled machine by the time the whistle goes off, practice your starts over and over again until they are flawless, you shouldn't be running into each other, getting in sight lines of your back lane shooters, etc. etc. Keep in mind your role on your team, are you going to be shooting to your bunker or are you just going to sprint with your head down and slide to the snake, knowing what you will plan to do even before you do it is extremely important. Look down field after you arrive at your starting bunker, note where the other team is likely going to be, check and see where your teammates are, and if you are playing back be ready to cover lanes for your front guys, remember those lines you are "shooting".

You should be doing this on BOTH sides of the field, so when it comes time to switch sides it won't matter your team is ready.

Well that is the first installment of THE BREAKOUT! Below I found some awesome videos on youtube, they are in slow motion and you can see the players breaking out, look at their positioning at the start and note how they move flawlessly together.

SlowMo1

SlowMo2

Upgrade Time

2008-11-15T12:13:00.004-05:00

Well Michigan Paintballers its time to voice your opoion, I am looking to get an upgrade to my current marker, I am using an Orracle cocker and would like to go to something a bit lighter and faster. Also something that is waaaaay less maintence! So this is your chance to have influence over my fate! If you think I should get something other than what I listed just put it in the comments!

Here is a picture of my cocker, she is a beaut but it is time to upgrade!

Another perk to getting some that is Planet Eclipse is that I already have a freak kit for my cocker, so that would save some cash! Anyhow thanks for voting and I will be updating next week with lots of tips and more, stay tuned!

Also if anyone is selling the guns listed in the poll post a comment or PM me on PB nation (CraigJamin) I would much rather buy locally and support Michigan PBers than go on eBay and buy from some random dude.

Shoot and Move Drill

2008-11-13T10:57:00.002-05:00

Move and Shoot Drill

I would consider this skill to be overlooked by most young players. This skill is essential for success in any level of paintball. It is difficult to perfect but this easy drill can set you on your way.

Set up a target about 20-40 feet away. (I have found that hanging an old mask, or a pop bottle from a tree or on top of a bunker works well)
Start slow, only walk towards your target while firing, you should notice that as you move your angle to the target changes, make adjustments so you are hitting the target a good majority of the time
Next go to a jog, keep going faster till you get to an all out sprint.

To take this drill to the next level move the target a few times so you have to adjust each time, also you can turn this into a snap shooting drill. Set your target up and get in a bunker, take 2-4 snapshots and then sprint to your next bunker while shooting on the run, this makes the drill more tournament like, if you really want to make things interesting get a teammate or friend and have them do the same thing to see if you can hit each other! Have fun and stay safe Michigan!

Stay tuned for more updates from Mach, as we go into the Winter season there are many indoor fields, in a future post I hope to review many of them.

NPPL Rule Book 2008

2008-11-11T10:56:00.002-05:00

I thought it would be a good idea to post the National Paintball League's Rule book for 2008. The main reason is its a good idea to know the rules of a tournament before you go to one! My first tournament was up in Traverse City, MI at T.C. paintball and I remember how many nerves and adrenaline I was feeling during the countdown to our first start. I had so much going through my head about rules, the game, our strategy I forgot to turn on my hopper and I was shooting a lot of blanks...That being said following is the link to the rule book, take note that even though many of the electic markers have great fire modes like ramping, full auto etc. it notes that ONLY semi-auto can be used, so when you play with your friends or at the local field try only using semi auto.

NPPL Rule Book 2008

Also a good video of some NPPL play! The video is ground level but goes to the sky cam a bit later.

NPPL SKYCAM HB '08

Number One Tip for being a succesful Tournament Player

2008-11-10T11:09:00.004-05:00

Start working out and GET in shape for the 2009 season NOW!

Cardio and weight training will make you more effective on the field reguardless of your play style. If you are tired you tend to get sloppy, and sloppy means your arms sticking out of the bunker while shooting or taking a few extra seconds behind the bunker to catch your breath, mean-while you aren't watching your lane. The list goes on and on!

These are some tips I found on "How to Get in Shape"

Don't drink your calories: This is the most important rule to follow. Try not to drink anything that has calories; only drink water! A good rule of thumb for how much water you should drink is to divide your weight in half and that number in ounces is your recommended daily water intake. Therefore, if you weigh 200 lbs. , you should drink about 100 oz. per day.
Feed Your Body: You have to feed your body calories - good calories. It is very important to eat several meals a day. Do not go more than 4 hrs without eating, unless of course you are sleeping. You may not even need to limit how much you eat at each interval. Smaller, frequent meals will increase your metabolism, maintain your blood sugar, and prevent you from overeating.
Eat at Home:Dining out is great, but do not do it all the time! While this can be difficult if you travel a lot, if you do go out to eat, try your best to stick with the above rules.
Sugar is your Enemy: Surely you have heard this one a thousand times, but it is true. If you love candy, cookies and sweets, you should do your best to give them up - at least for a short time. Stay away from the sweets, especially until you get to your goal weight. It really can be done!
Work Out Consistantly: Join a gym or go for a jog...run sprints with all your paintball gear on, including full pods and hoppers. If you want to go the advanced route fill your pods with rocks and go for a fast jog a few times a week...you might look a bit silly but it will increase your stamia and get you use to your gear.

I can't stress enough on how active the sport of paintball is, even though matches may only last 4 minutes its an intense time of reflex and quick sprints. So Get in SHAPE!

My History and Vision

2008-11-09T18:40:00.001-05:00

What Is happening to the sport of paintball? What will 2009 be like?

I am trying to get the paintball market in Michigan to really hit it this next year. I think this sport still has a lot of growth to be done and us players are the ones responsible for doing this. Back in the day paintball was a FUN sport, I remember when I bought my Brass Eagle STINGRAY II, this baby ran on little Co2 cartridges and sounded like I was slamming 2 pipes together when it shot, but it was a great time, I got into the sport through a friend. And I believe that's how this sport is going to survive. So Fellow paintballers of Michigan get your friends ACTIVE, build a field in your back yard and support your local shops (personal service is better in person, rather than eBay)

In this blog I will be talking about Paintball as a market, giving my play experiences and also giving tips on how to become a better player. Also I will be trying to connect the area and the state to bring this sport to what it can be!

Here is my First Tip...

Door Snapshooting

What you Need...

Your Marker Fully geared up, including air tank, hopper (full)
You fully geared up, mask, gloves, jersey...everything you are going to wear when you play.
A Door Frame
A Mirror

The object of this drill is to practice shooting your reflection with out giving up too much of your profile. Use the door as a bunker. The goal of snapshooting is to eliminate your opponent with out being eliminated yourself. This is a quick practice and will help improve your awareness of your body while snapshooting.