Very few sports have moved forward at the technological speed that paintball has. In the 1980's it was played in fields using industrial markers that used permanent paint. Now the game is played with state of the art guns, the ultimate in safety equipment and paintballs that not only non-toxic and wash off but are environmentally friendly to boot as they degrade completely into the soil or playing field.

Now that the technology has caught up to the game, shooting techniques have come a long way too. It used to be you just pointed your gun in the general direction of your fast moving opponent and hope you marked him. Now with the rifles and guns with sites and scopes, you can track, aim and mark your target with ease and the true stealth of a sniper.

You don't need a state of the art gun to be a good shot. One of the best ways to in sure your aim is good is to get the proper barrel length. Longer barrels mean more accuracy and 12 to 14 inches is great for most paintball guns.

All guns are different but the basics are learning to lead your target. If you target is moving forward, move the barrel of your gun in front of where your target will be in a few milliseconds and fire, this should mark your target. Learning to lead is a valuable skill to have in paintball.

Another shooting technique is to not just rapid fire your gun. Aim and shoot will save you air and paintballs. If you want to put in a full day on the field playing and not spend a fortune in changing out air - learn to be calm and shoot only when your target is in range.

Also where you shoot your target will matter. If the paintball doesn't break it doesn't count. Aim for the harder parts of the body, a thigh shot for example will probably bounce off their pants, go a little lower and hit the knee pad and he's out! And those are just a few tips and tricks for playing a better game of paintball.