Performing an aerial in Rocket League on the Nintendo Switch involves launching your car into the air to hit the ball, a fundamental skill for advanced gameplay. Mastering this maneuver requires precise timing, boost management, and car control.
Understanding the Basics of an Aerial
An aerial is essentially flying your car to meet the ball in the air. It's crucial for scoring goals, making saves, and setting up passes. The core components are jumping, boosting, and steering your car towards the ball.
Switch Default Controls for Aerials
Before diving into the steps, familiarize yourself with the default Nintendo Switch controls:
| Action | Nintendo Switch Button (Default) |
|---|---|
| Accelerate | ZR (Right Trigger) |
| Reverse | ZL (Left Trigger) |
| Steer | Left Analog Stick |
| Jump | B |
| Boost | A |
| Powerslide / Air Roll | ZL |
| Air Roll Left | L (if unbound) |
| Air Roll Right | R (if unbound) |
(Note: You can customize these controls in the settings menu via Options > Controls.)
For more detailed information on controls and accessibility, you can refer to the Rocket League Support page.
Step-by-Step Guide to Basic Aerials
To perform a basic aerial, follow these steps:
- First Jump: When the ball is in the air, press the
Bbutton once to jump off the ground. - Angle Your Car: Immediately after the first jump, tilt your Left Analog Stick back (down) to point your car's nose upwards, towards the ball's trajectory.
- Boost: While your car is angled upwards, press and hold the
Abutton to activate your boost. This will propel your car into the air. - Steer and Adjust: Use your Left Analog Stick to guide your car towards the ball, making small, precise adjustments. Continue holding boost until you reach the ball or run out of boost.
- Second Jump (Optional, but recommended): Within 1.25 seconds of your first jump, you can press
Bagain for a "double jump." This can be used for:- Additional Height: To reach higher balls quickly.
- Flipping into the Ball: To add power to your shot or clear, you can use the second jump as a flip (front, side, or back) towards the ball.
Mastering Air Roll Control for Advanced Aerials
Once you're comfortable with basic aerials, incorporating air roll control is the next step to precision and consistency.
What is Air Roll?
Air roll allows you to rotate your car along its longitudinal axis (like a barrel roll) while airborne. This fine-tunes your car's angle for more precise touches, deflections, and quick recoveries.
How to Use Air Roll on Switch
The default button for Air Roll on Switch is ZL.
- Initiate an Aerial: Perform the basic aerial steps (jump, angle, boost).
- Hold Air Roll: While in the air, hold down the
ZLbutton. - Rotate with Left Stick: While holding
ZL, use your Left Analog Stick to control the direction and speed of your car's rotation. Pushing the stick left or right will rotate your car sideways, while pushing up or down can influence its pitch during the roll.
Practice Tips for Air Roll Control
To truly master air roll, start by simply holding the air roll button and going through doing a few barrel rolls in the air. Get a feel for how your car rotates. Once you're comfortable with this, practice controlling your car's rotation while attempting to keep its nose facing upwards, using the air roll button to adjust your orientation. This helps build the muscle memory needed for precise aerial adjustments, allowing you to hit the ball with specific parts of your car for desired power and direction.
Effective Practice Strategies
Consistent practice is key to developing aerial skills.
- Rookie Aerial Training: Start with the in-game training packs under
Play > Training > Custom > Aerialto learn the foundational movements. - Custom Training Packs: Search for community-made training packs (you can find codes online) specifically designed for aerial shots, wall aerials, redirects, and defensive aerials.
- Free Play: Go into
Play > Free Playand just hit the ball around. Practice launching yourself into the air to meet the ball from different angles and speeds. Try:- Hitting the ball off the wall and flying to it.
- Launching the ball from the ground and boosting immediately to intercept it.
- Boost Management: Pay attention to how much boost you use. Efficient boost usage is crucial for maintaining control and reaching the ball.
- Camera Settings: Experiment with your camera settings (FOV, distance, height, angle) to find what works best for your aerial vision and control.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not Enough Boost: Running out of boost mid-air will cause you to fall short or lose control.
- Incorrect Angle: Jumping or boosting without adequately tilting your car upwards will send you flying horizontally instead of vertically.
- Panicking/Over-Correcting: Small, smooth adjustments with the analog stick are better than large, sudden movements.
- Ignoring Air Roll: As you progress, not utilizing air roll will severely limit your ability to make precise touches and recover from awkward positions.
With dedication and practice, you'll be hitting impressive aerials on your Nintendo Switch in no time!
