• Improving Your Field Awareness: 5 Things To Know

    When you’re playing on one of AC Paintball’s fields in southern New Jersey, there are a variety of aspects to be aware of. If you don’t pay close attention to your surroundings you can be eliminated more easily or you could get hurt.

    Whether you are new to the game or just want to improve your field awareness, AC Paintball is here with some tips to help you get through your game. By improving your field awareness, you can improve your overall skills and be a more valuable player.

    Where All of the Bunkers Are

    The first thing to know is the layout of the field. It is a good idea to take a walk around the field before your game and figure out a general game plan. Paintball bunkers are not set up arbitrarily. They are always carefully laid out with some sort of strategy in mind.

    As you take a walk around the field, think about what path you can take. Figure out how you can safely hop from bunker to bunker to get where you want to go. By planning ahead you won’t have to think about it as much later and can focus on other field awareness aspects.

    Where Your Opponents Are

    The next aspect you should always pay attention to is where your opponents are on the AC Paintball field. While your team is creating a strategy to eliminate your opponents, your opponents are developing a strategy to eliminate you and your team. Knowing where your opponents are is important for both eliminating players and staying in the game.

    While on the AC Paintball field, continually scan your surroundings and look for signs of movement. It is a good idea to keep your view low to the ground as some people may choose to crawl. Listening is also important. Listen for marker shots, people talking or leaves rustling. You can also pay attention to where the ref is. Refs typically go towards where they predict shots to happen so if the ref moves toward you, there may be an opponent nearby.

    Where Your Teammates Are

    Your teammates are important as well. If it’s one versus many, you won’t have much chance of winning, even if you are a highly skilled player. Therefore, it is important to watch out for your teammates and help keep them in your AC Paintball game. If they get ambushed, run to their aid. If they run out of ammo, share some of yours.

    Working together with your teammates will also help you win the AC Paintball game faster. If your teammate needs help surrounding an opponent, help them do so. Using numbers is a great strategy that can help you win many games. Travel in groups of two or three and work together to take out as many opponents as you can. Pretty soon, you may find you have the upper hand and can easily win the game.

    About How Many Players Are Left

    If numbers can help you win the game, you will want to constantly try and pay attention to how many players are left. This knowledge can help you decide how many chances to take. If your team has fewer players than your opponents, you will want to play carefully and not take many chances. On the other hand, if your team has more players, you can use that to your advantage, surround the remaining players, and win the AC Paintball game.

    How Much Spare Ammo You Have Left

    Finally, you will want to pay attention to how much ammo you have left. Running out of paintballs is one of the worst mistakes you can make. It’s important to make sure you have enough before your AC Paintball game begins. However, if you end up shooting more than expected, you will want to keep an eye on how much you have left. If you don’t have much left, you should conserve your paint and shoot only when absolutely necessary. If you have plenty, fire away and take down your opponents.

  • Common Misconceptions about Paintball

    close-eyes-1879094_960_720Most sports and hobbies come with a variety of expectations about the activities themselves and the people who participate in that activity.  While some of these expectations may be true, others are merely misconceptions. Paintball is no exception. There are multiple stereotypes surrounding paintball.

    AC Paintball in southern New Jersey is here to contest these misconceptions. Below are some common beliefs about paintball and its players that are either completely false or not entirely true.

    It’s Dangerous and Violent

    With paintball markers closely resembling guns, some may be quick to associate paintball with danger and violence. However, paintball actually has few reported injuries compared to other popular sports such as soccer, basketball, hockey, and football.

    While guns may fire paintballs quickly, it is rare for players to endure a serious injury. With the use of some padding, players can soften the blow and help protect themselves from bruises. Even without padding, players can build up their resistance to bruises by strengthening their muscle tissue.

    AC Paintball also has many rules and regulations in place to help ensure the safety of our players. Referees provided by AC Paintball will also help ensure that all players are following these rules.

    It Is a Male Dominated Sport

    When picturing a paintball player, many people may likely picture a male first. In fact, many extreme sports are typically thought of as being male-dominated. However, this is not the case. While a large percentage of paintball players may be males, female interest is growing quickly.

    Both males and females can be skilled players and many talented female players visit AC Paintball on a daily basis. We have also hosted many bachelorette parties for thrill-seeking bridal parties. Being a girl should never stop you from playing paintball if it is something you are interested in, so don’t let anyone stop you if it is something you want to give a try.

    Having Cool Gear or Lack of Padding Makes You a Pro

    Paintball gear can get expensive. With that in mind, some may think that the cooler the gear you have, the more likely you are to be a pro. This is not always the case. Some people buy fancy equipment just because they want to. The look of the gear may just be an important aspect to them.

    paintball-2220450_960_720Others are happy just to rent their equipment, but this does not mean they aren’t good players. Just because a player rents gear from AC Paintball, doesn’t mean they won’t be the toughest opponent you have ever faced. You have to stay on your toes and be ready for anything.  Just like you can’t judge a book by its cover, you shouldn’t judge a player based on their gear.

    Experienced Players Hate Beginners

    While there may always be a few experienced players who prefer to play only with other professional players, most experienced players are happy to help out beginners. Most players would be happy to provide tips and tricks to players who are just starting out. Helping others makes players feel useful and is a good way to make friends. At AC Paintball we all share a common interest in paintball and are happy to help interest in the sport grow and thrive.

    You Have to Stick with an Archetype

    When it comes to sports, many athletes are put into specific positions and trained to specialize in that position. They may end up playing that position for most of their lives. It doesn’t have to be that way though. At AC Paintball we encourage to try different positions, games, and equipment. You don’t have to stick to always playing speedball and being a Backman with a Tippman 98 just because that is what you did the first time.

    Trying various equipment, games, and positions at the beginning will help you find what you like most and what you are best at. Even if you have been playing for a while, changing things up can help you improve in other areas. By getting other perspectives, you can learn how to better support your team. If you’re ready to try something new, schedule a game at AC Paintball now!

  • How to Start or Join a College Paintball Club

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    College is the perfect time to join a paintball club. Whether you’ve been playing since you were a kid or are looking to try something new, paintball can be a great way to get involved on campus. You’ll stay active, have fun, and make a ton of friends at your school. There’s never a dull moment when you’re playing paintball!

    Joining a Collegiate Paintball Team or Club

    Look on your university’s website, post in your school’s Facebook groups, or ask around to find out if your school has a paintball team or club. Contact the captain/president to find out how you can get involved.

    Do they hold tryouts or can anyone join? Do they accept new members any time during the semester or only during the start? If not, ask if you can come check out a practice or tournament and let them know you’re interesting in joining as soon as you can.

    Even if you can’t play right away, there are probably other ways you can get involved. Maybe they need an equipment guy or help on the business end of the team, like balancing the budget. If they are an established club, they probably hold events you could go to during the semester to get to know the players better. The wait will also give you time to improve your paintball game. Check out a local paintball field during walk-on hours and play to develop your skills.

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    Starting a Collegiate Paintball Team or Club

    If your school doesn’t have a paintball team, why not start one? This will be a much larger time commitment than joining an established team, so make sure you’re ready. Starting a paintball team from scratch is a lot like starting a business, so you’ll definitely gain some valuable skills and experience.

    You’ll want to pay attention to a few main areas to make your team successful: organization, leadership, recruitment, finances, and marketing. Doing all of this alone can be difficult, so find other students who are willing to help. A core group of people who are interesting in leading the paintball initiative together will be more likely to succeed. Your team members don’t necessarily need to be friends or people you already know. One of your goals should be to meet new friends and bring people together who have a common interest. Put up flyers around campus or post in university Facebook groups to find other students that want to grow paintball at your school.

    Check with your school for specifics, but generally starting a club is easy: you’ll first need a list of 5-10 students interested in joining the club. Fill out the proper paperwork and maybe give a brief presentation about your club, and you are good to go.

    Once you are officially recognized by your university as a club or team, you can start playing in collegiate paintball tournaments. Now that you have a better idea of how to join or create a paintball team, get to it! Then get out on the field and have some fun.

  • Should Paintball Guns Be Used to Scare Off Deer?

    An Ohio councilman has proposed an alternative use for paintball guns–to control stray deer that wander onto private property, according to ABC News Cleveland.  Avon Lake councilman David Kos is hoping to pass a proposal allowing residents to shoot deer with paintball guns as a creative solution to keep an overpopulation of deer out of places they are not wanted.

    “It can safely remove a deer without approaching it, from a distance, and strike that deer with a force, not to kill it, but to get it off your property,” Kos said.

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    Residents report sighting eight to ten and sometimes even twenty deer on their property each night that are not deterred by deer repellent or other methods. The overpopulation of deer are problematic mainly because they consume plants and shrubs from personal gardens.

    Kos believes paintballs will not significantly injure the deer or damage any personal property caught in the crossfire. His proposal requires residents to apply for a paintball gun permit to shoot the deer.

    “This will give the vast majority of the population of Avon Lake that does not have access to hire a bow hunter or use archery equipment the ability to safely remove that deer from their property,” Kos said.

    Is this an innovative solution or is it a mistake to use paintball guns off the field? It may be safer for the animals because they are less likely to be injured or killed by a paintball than by archery equipment.

    But will it really work? The town may just end up with and overpopulation of multi-colored deer.  Another concern is that this solution may cause a desensitization to paintball guns and a relaxed attitude when using them. Not to mention, the risk of children or other people who could be accidentally caught in the crossfire.

    Paintball guns are extremely safe when used with common sense and protective gear. Without masks and proper equipment, the risk of injury from paintball guns is much higher.

    What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

  • Affordable Paintball Action near Winslow, NJ

    AC Paintball has always been grateful for the amount of local support we receive. If it wasn’t for nearby students and residents we simply couldn’t have grown as quickly as we have. That’s why we want to take extra effort to reach out to locals and assure them that if they are looking for paintball action we are the place to go!

    AC Paintball is located in Williamstown, NJ, just 10 minutes from Winslow. We’ve had a number of Winslow groups come through and were pleased to hear that the travel to our location was no hassle at all. We’re happy to welcome them onto our fields and hopefully you’ll decide to visit us too.

    What Does AC Paintball Offer?

    We are pleased to provide high quality paintball fields and reliable gear at affordable rates. We utilize two hyperball/speedball fields for tournament style play as well as four independent forest fields for large wooded action. Our forest courses can accommodate groups of virtually any size are perfect for a variety of scenario play. We utilize a wide variety of obstacles to keep play interesting, including old military cache-style bunkers.

    For a sneak peek at our accommodations check out this short video:

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    Every week we host bachelor, bachelorette, and birthday parties. It’s been great fun helping these groups organize and have a blast all while staying safe. We utilize well trained referees and have a gear testing range to ensure all equipment works properly and to our strict specifications.

    Who Can Play at AC Paintball?

    We are a family friendly facility suitable for players age 10 and up. We welcome both skilled veterans and brand new players alike. We have the ability to match groups up for team play or isolate a field so that you and your friends can play alone.

    Our goal is to help you have a great time and we’re confident we can accomplish just that!

    Where is ACP Located?

    It’s easy to find us. We’re located on Route 54 just off the Atlantic City Expressway. To visit us from Winslow Township just follow this map:

    AC Paintball, 930 12th St, Williamstown, NJ 08094

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    How To Reserve a Game?

    If you’ve got further questions or are ready to reserve a game, we’ve got you covered. You can see our pricing guide here or visit our schedule page here. If you’d like to chat with us just call 609-561-3883. We hope to see you soon!