12 Ceiling Shot Tips To Help You ENRAGE Your Opponents

Along with kuxir pinches, dribbles, and air dribbles, I practiced ceiling shots while I was hard-stuck silver (…and utterly unprepared for complex mechanics.) Back in those days, my ceiling shots only enraged me.

I spent hours gazing into an enigmatic abyss.

On one hand, chucking my precious hours into a meat grinder blessed me with shareable insight. That’s a big ‘Hooray!’ for you. I’ve already asked myself every ceiling-shot-related question fathomable.

But I also spent that time spiraling through a grim battlefield of self-hatred – pondering things more synonymous with existential dread. Something about helplessly drifting through space resonated with the fleeting, beautiful tragedy of what it meant to be alive.

Here’s the bottom line:

My experience was a murky reflection of how smurfing sculpts a fresh Rocketeer’s game sense.

And with that comes a PSA to my boys in silver. Don’t be like me. Before sending your opponents into a rage-quitting frenzy with ceiling shots, you’ll need to get a feel for wall reads first. Learn how to receive passes. Adapt to your teammates’ shortcomings. Bookmark this page and return once you feel comfortable flying off walls – because flying from the ceiling is the final frontier.

Anyway…

Unlike my other premature trick shot attempts, ceiling shots spoke a listless, otherworldly language. Sure, I bombed my air dribbles, but I still felt moments of clarity while drilling them.

Ceiling shots were a different beast. Unwieldy. Untamed. Unbreakable.

None of the guides or tutorials adrift in the vast sea of the internet could quench my fierce desire for mastery. I questioned whether I was falling off of the ceiling too slowly. I questioned if I was outright missing button inputs. I meticulously studied my boost habits.

Nobody provided definitive answers.

Then, one miraculous day, ceiling shots clicked. Instantaneously. I’m not exaggerating. I just landed one hit after the other with perfect consistency. I’d even go as far as saying a ceiling shot is the easiest trick shot mechanic in Rocket League.

I’d like to help alleviate that painstaking process for you. Let’s scribble the best tips for landing consistent ceiling shots. That way, you can pass the misery to unsuspecting foes – rather than tormenting yourself.

Practicing Slow Set-Ups Promotes Bad Habits

The biggest problem I needed to face was myself. I was afraid to hit the ball hard enough, especially while rolling it along the ground.

When rehearsing new things, we tend to start slow and speed up as we get more comfortable. I’m here to tell you: The only way to master a ceiling shot is to dart at that ball with everything you’ve got.

You aren’t falling off of the ceiling too slowly.

You aren’t mismanaging your boost.

You’re likely not giving yourself the resources or space to reach the ball for that final touch. You’ve got to whack it. Show it you mean business.

Hard hits lob for the ball for a longer duration. Use as much boost as you think you’ll need to catch back up to it. Don’t give yourself any time to question your decision-making skills.

Overcoming your fear of failure is 80% of the battle.

Ceiling Shots Are Popular Because They Present An Infinite Flip Timer

While most of you know about the infinite flip timer, there’s one thing I can’t stress enough: Don’t rush yourself into wasting your flip. It defeats the entire purpose of driving miles out of your way to take this shot. Ceiling shots aren’t just a blind trick shot for showing off to your friends.

They provide genuine value: The ability to change the ball’s trajectory at lightning speed against an otherwise fully-prepared defender.

Ceiling shot slide 1: Give yourself enough space to cut the ball in your desired direction. As long as you're moving the same general direction as the ball, you can still send it rolling.

Ceiling shot slide 2: Close the gap as you begin nearing the wall. The ball will lose some momentum as it rolls up, and you'll want to hit it hard enough to regain some lost momentum.

Ceiling shot slide 3: The final seconds on the ground should be spent lining up the angle for your upcoming shot!

Ceiling shot slide 4: Contact with the ball is made roughly 1/3rd of the way up the wall. Sparks leave evidence that the right corner hitbox was used to lob the ball.

Ceiling shot slide 5: You'll need to boost until your car reaches a higher elevation than the ball.

Ceiling shot slide 6: Angle your car to meet up with the ball while you're still on the wall. This will speed up your setup time.

Ceiling shot slide 8: Your front wheels will begin to drop off of the ceiling first. This helps ease the process of boosting downward.

Ceiling shot slide 7: The ball should still have an upward arc when you reach the ceiling! If it does, you won't need to jump and limit your flip timer.

Ceiling shot slide 9: Continue boosting downward until your nose lines up with the underside of the ball.

Ceiling shot slide 10: A front flip would lunge this ball into the crossbar since this shot is so close to the net. A side flip should help force some of that momentum toward the far post.

Give yourself time to reach the underside of the ball. If you’re successful, you’ll scoop that funky-looking sci-fi globe back toward the top shelf of the net.

That scoop throws off some of the most potent defenders.

While we’re talking about flips, there’s another massive tip I should share: Don’t default to front flipping on every shot. Again, use that extra touch to trip up defenders. Aim for the post with the least amount of coverage.

If The Ball Bounces Off The Ceiling, Jump Down!

You’ve officially scuffed your shot once that ball bops into the ceiling.

But there’s good news. You can still reach the ball if you jump off the ceiling right before the ball bounces. That translates to improving your reads. Luckily it’s a pretty simple read. If a ball isn’t slowing down as it climbs 75% to the top of the stadium, it’s time to start preparing for the worst.

Earlier jumps are usually better, but a second before the bounce is usually plenty of time.

Once you hop off, you’ll be racing a second and a half flip timer, so be prepared to chug boost like a German scholar who just waltzed into Oktoberfest.

With enough practice, you’ll start hitting these shots. They won’t threaten opponents quite as ruthlessly as a standard ceiling shot, but they will save you from floating in No Man’s Land for half an eternity while your opponent picks up a clean empty net.

Ceiling Shot Set-Ups Are NOT Similar to Air Dribbles

This is huge.

An air dribble setup always starts low on the wall, whereas you can initiate a ceiling shot from the top edge of the wall, halfway up, or wherever you’d like.

Air dribbles require matching the ball’s speed and trajectory. They take on a more vertical arc to reflect that. An upward arc on a ceiling shot smashes the ball into the roof, blasting the ball down and out of reach.

A well-executed ceiling shot carries a strong horizontal arc. More lateral space equals more time.

Here’s a helpful mantra to keep in your head as you practice: Air dribbles are a mastery of precision, while a good ceiling shot is a mastery of speed.

Actually, if I had to draw a parallel, I’d say a ceiling shot resembles setting up a Kuxir Pinch. Sure, we aren’t smashing our noses into the wall like masochistic frat boys struggling to woo pretty women. But the speed, spacing, and attack angle are identical throughout the early stages of both shots.

“But coach, I can’t pinch either!”
-45% of my readers

Fair enough. Here’s a breakdown:

Give yourself enough space behind the ball to unleash a powerful touch off of the wall. It’ll make a world of difference. A ball with more speed floats for longer.

Angle yourself for the right wall touch before coming off of the ground. It helps keep life simple.

The success of a ceiling shot is already decided upon your first touch. That brings me to my next point:

The First Touch Off of The Wall Should Already Point The Ball to Your Destination

If you’re aiming for the enemy net, you should target it dead center with the precision of an elite sniper.

Your final touch only provides about 30 degrees of wiggle room. Don’t fall into the habit of wasting that adjustment to fix sloppy first touches!

Sure, a “smart” flip could alter the ball’s course…

But you’ll be surrendering the most valuable asset to your ceiling shot by doing so – her velocity.

Ceiling shots are effective because they’re powerful. Your flip should accentuate that strength.

Flying vs. Falling With Grace

A ceiling shot isn’t necessarily an aerial trick shot. SunlessKhan once made a brilliant analogy he pulled from Toy Story, of all places.

You aren’t flying. You’re falling with style.

You’ll never have enough time (or boost) to fly back upward. Once gravity latches her grimy little fingertips to the hood of your car, she isn’t letting go.

You can boost downward and forward. Gravity won’t object to that. In fact, gravity offers you an extra bump in momentum once you learn to co-exist. Use that to your advantage!

Don't Rely on Air Roll. Learn to Control Your Car Upside Down

I dug up a blooper reel. Here’s a slideshow of the first ceiling shot I scored in silver:

Noob ceiling shot slide 1: After following the ball up the wall, I came within setup range right before the ball reached the height of its arc.

noob ceiling shot slide 2: I had the foresight to jump toward the ceiling and remedied a poor landing with powerslide! So far, so good.

noob ceiling shot slide 3: Stuck the 4 wheel landing, but here's where things go terribly wrong! After knocking the ball straight down, I should have jumped to stay close! Also, I clearly hit the ball just to hit it... knocking it toward the corner has no offensive intent.

noob ceiling shot slide 4: Add in the awful obsession to air roll until my car faced rightside up, and suddenly I'm nowhere near the ball and beat by this opponent. Take a good look at how much ground has passed while I rolled...

Noob ceiling shot slide 5: Since I was a silver, my opponent had ball cam off throughout the entire play and decided to charge toward corner boost. I lucked out and hit this ball after a bounce.

All things considered, I nailed my reads. I anticipated where I could meet the ball on the ceiling, the lob was manageable, and I even predicted a half volley bounce off the ground.

But my air roll habit annihilated me. A decent defender would’ve snatched that ball mid-air. I’d look as useful as a Claptrap in Borderlands 2.

Air roll wastes your valuable setup time. It’s also inhibiting your ability to boost downward. Remember that cruel Ursula-looking mistress called gravity? She’s waving hello.

Even if you don’t need that downward boost to catch up with a falling ball, you’ll want it to reach the ball’s underbelly.

Angle your nose toward the ground, and don’t scoop back up unless you’re preparing your final touch on the ball.

And if you air rolled? You won’t find the time for final adjustments. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 credits.

Ceiling Shots Are Most Potent Near Mid-Field or In The Corners of A Stadium

Ceiling shots are a boost-hungry mechanic. You’ll need every drop of boost you can guzzle down.

Work smart, not hard. That’s how you’ll see results.

Instead of practicing ceiling shots from one angle in a hundred different areas, practice a hundred different angles from six areas. Learn to whip out shots from those max boost pads first and foremost.

Once you get the hang of the most common shot locations you can play around with other angles all you want.

Jump From The Wall Onto The Ceiling to Quicken Set-Up Time

If you’re sick of opponents diving in to challenge your ceiling shots, you can speed them up by jumping off the wall and flying upside down toward the ceiling.

It’s a simple concept. You’re just cutting the amount of ground you’ll need to cover to catch up to the ball, like taking a shortcut through the woods.

Except taking uncharted shortcuts through the woods is seldom the easiest path. These ceiling shot setups are no exception.

Advanced ceiling shot slide 1: Mimic an air dribble setup: Stick directly behind the ball and lob it upward while you're low on the wall.

advanced ceiling shot slide 2: Chip the ball in-field and be sure to jump with it immediately. You'll need to stick to the ball like glue to keep up with it.

Advanced ceiling shot slide 3: Boosting to keep up with the ball is your top priority. You can adjust with air roll once everything else is aligned.

Advanced ceiling shot slide 4: The only time your car should face rightside up like this is if you plan to fake an air dribble. This shot was somewhat weak, so I opted to sneak another touch in with malicious faking intent.

Advanced ceiling shot slide 5: Continue holding air roll if you want to land on the ceiling properly. Don't let your touch on the ball intimidate you, or you'll fail the shot!

Advanced ceiling shot slide 6: You'll need to stick a landing on the roof that matches your momentum. It's okay if your wheels are slighly offset (vertically) as long as you have enough upward momentum to land.

Advanced ceiling shot slide 7: (But straightening those wheels out will add speed to the upcoming fall!)

Advanced ceiling shot slide 8: A perfect arc on the ball should reach as high as possible without grazing the ceiling. If you can match your landing on the roof with the highest point in that arc, your life will be much easier.

Advanced ceiling shot slide 9: Since a defender would expect this shot to launch near right post, you can air roll roughly 90 degrees to scoop the ball hard left.

Advanced ceiling shot slide 10: But like I mentioned earlier... air rolling slows you down! Boost, boost, boost to catch up with the ball!

Advanced ceiling shot slide 11: The only way to catch back up to this ball is to pre-flip and regain momentum.

Advanced ceiling shot slide 12: The diagonal boost path is proof that I'll need more than just a flip to reach the ball. Plus, boost makes the shot faster anyway.

Advanced ceiling shot slide 13: Looks like this shot is going toward front post after all... we'll just play it off as a triple fake. *Shrug*

Advanced ceiling shot slide 14: The trail on the ball says this shot's got some serious power! All that's left to do is recover and profit!

First, you’ll want to acclimate yourself to air rolling left and right while climbing at a 45-degree angle. You’ll also want to get into the habit of rolling in-field from off of the wall. Considering how natural it feels to roll in the direction that points your wheels to the ground, this can be a tough habit to break.

The challenges don’t end there. You’ll need to land on the ceiling holding powerslide – especially if you struggle to align your wheels with your momentum, which I also recommend practicing.

Traditional ceiling shots setups won’t work, either. You’ll need to lob the ball further forward. If you don’t, you’ll outdrive the ball every time.

This setup breaks the rule I mentioned earlier about ceiling shots being vastly different from air dribble setups. This version is quite similar, even the part where you jump at the precise moment of contacting the ball.

This setup also bears similarities to the opening stages of a flip reset or ceiling pinch, barring the fact you want to remain a little further behind the ball in this scenario. In fact, wall-to-ceiling shots are the perfect preparation for those mechanical marvels – if you’re planning to learn them.

Anyway:

Stay close to the ball, and always have a backup plan. Flying off the wall onto the ceiling isn’t a setup for rigid players with tunnel vision. Instead, it’s one of those flowy freestyler maneuvers that aligns an extra flip they may never decide to use.

Once you master this, the next step to further shorten setup time is bouncing the ball off the bell curve of the wall – rather than rolling it cross-field. I can’t begin to describe how much precision that takes.

Wall Dashing Upward Can Help Close Large Gaps

I cover the concept of wall dashes in-depth in my Wavedash Tutorial.

But for an upward wall dash, it won’t take much precision at all. Just double-tap your jump button while driving up the bell curve of the wall. Your car won’t go meandering through the endless void of space here like it would from the ground.

That’s right. There’s no mid-flip conundrum. Zero. If you experience any awkward floatiness, just double-tap faster next time. If you can’t figure it out after five tries, you honestly deserve an award.

Up-Wall infinidash slide 1: This only works when you approach the wall directly. Poisition your car so it's perpendicular to the wall. Tags: Rocket League, RL, SSG away decal, TW Saptarishi.

Up-wall infinidash slide 2: Time your first jump so that the back wheels clip straight into the wall. Notice how there's no need to pre-jump into the wall. We can drive straight into it! Tags: Salty Shores, Wavedash advanced techniques explained.

Up-wall infinidash slide 3: Infinidashing straight up a wall will push your front wheels into the barrier of the wall. Since the game can't comprehend the clipping physics, you can chain 3-4 more dashes.

Up-Wall infinidash slide 4: Once you reach a point where all 4 wheels disconnect from the wall, your chain is over. Although, with good aerial mechanics, you can set up ceiling shots or other big offensive plays after recovering.

This wall dash is painless. My 80-Year-Old grandma could tackle it.

Give it a shot. Shatter the Rocket League physics engine.

Once you get the hang of an upward wall dash, you can use it to recover from a bad setup. You can also catch back up to a ball your opponent knocked away in a side-by-side 50/50 challenge.

Spark Creativity into Ceiling Shots

People always market things as one-size-fits-all, but how often is it true?

Yeah, never.

Adaptability is the single most important trait that separates men from the boys in an online Rocket League match.

If you set up a ceiling shot too far into the enemy half, consider saving your flip for a filthy double-tap that bounces off the enemy backboard.

If your opponents are giving you an ocean of space, don’t be afraid to risk a pogo off of the ground into an air dribble catch.

When you’re feeling brave, experiment with reverse mustys from the ceiling.

And if the net is wide open, there’s no shame in pummeling a ball straight into the ground.

Go Outside. Touch Grass.

Before wrapping up, I need to topple an important subject.

I’m looking at you, plats.

I once had a music teacher who said:

“If I go one day without practice, I notice. If I go two days without practice, my friends notice. When I neglect three days, the world notices.”

Except…

Rocket League is a video game. Instead of plugging “ceiling shot practice” into that quote, apply “getting sunlight.”

You need to take care of that noggin if you want to improve. Also, your hands, eyes, and probably Whiskers, your poor malnourished cat.

I always play better after taking a 2-3 day hiatus. I mean, you’ll probably need to spend an hour warming up the next time you decide to boot up, but it’s worth the extra step.

You’ll come back with an open mind, a refreshed attitude, and a maxed-out determination meter at your disposal.

So, if you want to stop playing like a bot:

Click into program files.
Launch Touch-Grass.exe.
Update your firmware to the latest patch.
Run the software as frequently as needed.

Only once you have mastered the Jedi art of leaving your front porch will you begin to grasp the deadly art of using ceiling shots to send opponents crying to their mamas.