Confidence and aggression

If you lack confidence then this leads to confusion, delay and indecision. Players can be suppressed not by the volume of their opponents' fire, but because they are worried about coming out and taking a shot. Initially this can make them very difficult to dislodge from a position, but if they simply sit in position without firing much then it is usually possible to outflank them and use a firing location which they are not in full cover from. People who play aggressively are more dangerous than defensive/passive players, because they are unpredictable. If they are inexperienced then this may well be something foolish, but if you are not expecting them to do it (because generally it would be a tactical mistake) you may be taken by surprise. The flip side of this is that inexperienced aggression is usually reckless, so if you are expecting your opponent to do something wild, they may make an easy target. I always wear my own gear for several reasons. On a practical level it is lighter and cooler which helps reduce goggle misting. It also assists communication by making it easy for friends to recognise me. As well as these practical reasons, there are also two psychological ones. There is a minor effect on me in that there is a semi-superstitious comfort in the items, but more important is the effect on other people. No-one wants to face someone better than them, and most people will assume (correctly or not) that someone with their own gear is experienced and a threat. This make much less inclined to attack, and can lead to critical miscalculations.

 Going to pieces

Frequently a team on the defensive breaks apart surprisingly quickly near the end of the game. The least confident players often decided to defend, so if the forward players are shot out, the attacking team will only be opposed by the weakest in the other team. The defenders' confidence will be further sapped by the loss of their teammates and with 'If they got shot, what chance have I?' ringing in their heads they will be attacked by the best and most aggressive of the opposition.

If defensive positioning is poor (as it often is) then they will also be surrounded, which has a further psychological penalty, as well as making it difficult to take cover. Because of this if your team has been on a losing streak, and is likely to find itself in a desperate defence of its flag, it is worth holding back a couple of your experienced players to try and hold the defence together if the worst comes to the worst.

 A good attitude

As a successful player you should feel in control of the situation. You should be in a position because you have deliberately selected it, not because you have been forced into it. Your opponents should be forced to react to your initiatives rather than you fighting back as best you can when attacked and to ensure this happens is to always be cautiously aggressive.

This may seem like a contradiction but the difference between being cautiously aggressive and plain gung-ho is the level of forward planning and risk reduction. Always aim to put the pressure on and attack. If you can't be a direct threat then attempt to restrict their movement and choice of cover. If you sit in cover passively then it allows your opponents to manoeuvre up on you and before you even realise it, you will end up in a tricky situation. Instead of this, by pressuring them, it gives you more room to manoeuvre yourself. Before you move or shoot, think about what is likely to happen, and whether this will present an unacceptably high risk to yourself. Judging this accurately comes with experience, but deliberate awareness of the issues will help even the complete novice.

Being calm and confident also helps you to keep track of the big picture. Don't get tunnel vision and just think about your little patch of the field.