Cover-Credits:
An aerial is a technique of boosting your car into the air to hit the ball. This maneuver can be used to score a goal past your opponents, set up a teammate for a shot, or keep the ball out of the opposing team's control. While the move is not very complicated, it requires experience and practice to anticipate where the ball will travel after it bounces off the cage or ceiling. The aerial is a staple in the moveset of high-level Rocket League players and a stepping stone to more complicated moves like the air dribble.
How to Perform an Aerial
To do an aerial, jump off the ground and hit boost while in the air. Make sure you’re moving in the direction of the ball while steering carefully. Make sure you hold down the jump instead of just tapping it lightly to make sure you jump higher.
Move towards the ball in the direction of your opponent’s goalpost.
Hold down boost, jump and lean your car back to get the right angle to touch the ball.
Adjust your car’s angle to tap the ball at different points to change its path.
Once you start getting comfortable with a slow aerial, you can practice more and speed up your jumps with boosts to perform a fast aerial. Here are some tips for practicing and perfecting the aerial:
While doing an aerial, you’ll need to keep your boost on during most of the jump, so make sure you have enough boost stored up (ideally at 100% boost).
Depending on how high your aerial is, you’ll need a certain amount of boost. Drive over active boost pads to fill before aerials to make sure you don’t run out.
Visualize the shot and practice hitting the ball from different angles to get the feel of the aerial.
It’s optimal to hit the ball while it is at the top of its arc to ensure that another player will not hit the ball before you do.
The faster you are going when you leave the ground for an aerial, the further you can hit the ball.
Boosting into the ball will let it go higher and at a faster velocity than usual.
Do a front-flip before you hit the ball to deliver the most impact.
