How To Hit More Headshots in FPS Games (2023)

I’ve played FPS games for 35 years, over 20 of them competitive in leagues and tournaments. In every FPS game, whether realistic like PUBG or more arcade-like, e.g., Fortnite, there is one universal fact: a good player spreads headshots.

As a general rule, you always want to land headshots because that achieves the most damage to the opponent.

Even if you’ve been playing first-person shooters (FPS) for a long time, there are ways and means to improve your rate greatly.

This guide will show you how to get more headshots with a bit of discipline and practice.

My strength in shooter games has always been close combat. When the opponent is standing right in front of you, and all shots hit somehow, it is even more critical that your hits land precisely in the head. That’s the only way to do more damage faster than the opponent and survive.

From time to time, I notice from my decreasing headshot rates that I lose focus and score more and more body hits. Then it’s time for a refresher program for me too!

If you are a newbie or have never tried to improve your aiming towards headshots, I have to lose a sentence on discipline.

No sweat, no glory. Smartass mode over.

Aim training is a process that thrives on you regularly, spending some time training your hand-eye coordination. I guarantee that if you continuously invest a certain minimum amount of time every day, you will see a noticeable positive result after just one week.

This confirmation will encourage you to continue.

If you train seriously and invest more time, you will push your limits higher and higher, and who knows where your limit is?

Besides just training, there are a few other things that can positively influence your aiming, so let’s start from the beginning.

I’ll carry you step by step.

Note: This article was written in English. Translations into other languages may not provide the same linguistic quality. We apologize for grammatical and semantic errors.

Install an Aimtrainer

I recommend Aim Lab as an Aimtrainer because the program is available for free on Steam and fulfills all requirements for effective Aimtraining. Just search for Aim Lab on Steam, install it, and start.

Configure Aimtrainer

Depending on which FPS game you are playing, it is tricky to convert your in-game settings into sensitivity values of the Aimtrainer. We have provided a calculator for you here to get the first guideline:

Again, I can only highly recommend Aim Lab to you, as most games are mapped there with one click.

Honest recommendation: 
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A gaming mouse that fits you makes a significant difference!

Measure Your Headshots Baseline

There is nothing worse than achieving a high score in Aimtrainer and then not remembering how bad your score was before. To classify the values correctly and make the success measurable, you should make your current baseline visible for headshots.

To do this, perform an exercise three to five times that only evaluates headshots and calculates the average results. Add up all results and divide them by the number of measurements. Now you have your average headshot ratio. Please don’t take the headshot rate of any other tools like blitz.gg or similar because the game situations influence the headshot rate in-game. In Aim Lab, you always have the same conditions for a clean comparison.

Check Your Sitting Posture

Don’t laugh. Studies show that pro gamers sit differently than casual gamers, and there’s a good reason for that. Other studies have proven that the sitting position directly affects your mental state, e.g., your willingness to take risks (source). The best thing to do is to record yourself playing with a camera and watch it. How do you sit during dangerous situations and fights?

An upright position, centered in front of the screen, is optimal.

If you squat on the chair like a gulp of water in the curve, you distort the optics and disturb hand-eye coordination. You’re also much more focused and involved in the whole game if you concentrate on the game with the same active posture all the time.

Check Your Gear

It’s like car racing. You can be a great driver, but you’ll still finish last if the technology doesn’t work correctly. Your equipment shouldn’t get in your way, so give some thought to the following gear:

Armsleeves

Sweaty forearms create more friction and can severely disrupt your aiming. Armsleeves are a solution to the problem.

Mouse Pad

Even a good mouse sensor goes crazy if the mouse pad surface is dirty or unsuitable. You can avoid micro jerks with a gaming mouse pad.

Mouse

A gaming mouse is a must-have. There’s no such thing as the universal perfect mouse for gamers. However, you can’t go far wrong with one of these mouses:

Mouse-Bungee

If you hang from the cable with your mouse, then a mouse bungee is mandatory. It is annoying when the cable bumps somewhere or gives resistance in extreme situations.

Check Your Mouse Grip

It would be best if you did not underestimate the mouse grip. You can play well for years with the same mouse grip, but what if a different mouse grip gives you more stability or more responsiveness? On Youtube, for example, “Ron Rambo Kim” has many videos on mouse grips of pro gamers. Click here to go to his channel.

Experiment around with it.

Depending on your mouse, other mouse grips will work for you.

You will be surprised how much the proper grip can affect your values in the Aimtrainer.

Train Flickshots

In most FPS games, flickshots are used when the enemy surprises you or when you have to cover several possible points where the enemy could appear. Here it is even more important to land headshots because the opponent usually has the first shot.

Train Your Reaction Speed

A few milliseconds of reaction time decide which shot is registered first by the server. Faster reactions are never a disadvantage. With faster reactions, you have more time to aim at the head.

You might be interested in our thoughts on responsiveness in gamers:

Headshot Precision Training

Here you train to hit the head. In this exercise, only hits to the head should be rewarded.

Measure Against the Baseline Again and Again

Do a separate test now and then. Concentrate on performing at your peak 3-5 times. As with the baseline measurement (see above), you can then calculate the average and have a good comparison to the original baseline. Your values should improve every week.

Play Deathmatch Mode

What works in Aimtrainer should also work in-game. It’s best to choose the Deathmatch mode (if your game has one). This mode focuses on precisely the game element you are training for – getting many kills quickly. Typically, you will immediately notice that your training brings visible success.

Triumph in Normal Game Mode

Now it’s time to add more skill to your game. I am sure that you will not only get more kills, but your headshot ratio will be noticeably better. Most games have 3rd party websites where you can view your stats for free. Keep checking your performance so you can keep improving.

Always Keep Training

What I said at the beginning applies here: No pain, no gain. When I have reached my maximum, I reduce the training from daily to weekly. Of course, at some point, this becomes noticeable with a decreasing headshot rate, but then I can always increase the number of strokes again.

Just start with the first step, keep it up for a few days, and the results will motivate you to continue.

Final Thoughts on Headshots in FPS Games

Aiming isn’t everything, but you wouldn’t complain about more headshots, would you? If you want to make more kills in FPS games, there is no way around better aiming. It is the mechanical skill with the most significant impact.

With the steps and tips described here, you can continuously increase your headshot rate.

Of course, other measures can also improve your overall aiming. Even technical errors in your system can hurt your aiming. You can read more about this here:

or here:

I wish you good luck with your training!

Masakari – moep, moep and out!