Want to be a better player on the paintball field? Practice makes perfect. Up until now if you wanted to practice you had the option of turning your local field or your backyard into a technicolor dreamland and wasting a lot of money on paintballs.

Now, it is easy to practice your using your marker with the Target Balls(tm) for Combat Paintball Target Practice System . This is a cool set up that is paintless and comes with a large 18-inch target system and 40 target balls that are made of rubber. The rubber target balls are reusable and they perform the dual function of cleaning your gun barrel of residue with every shot.

Practice leading and hitting your mark. You can also use the various points on the target to get the siting on your gun perfect so next time you're on the field you will find you use less paintballs and make more marks. If you have a buddy, you can practice the numbers in order around the target to further increase your accuracy with your markers. You can also take odds and evens. Your buddy marks odds and you mark evens. Make a game out of it and not only will you have fun,your aim will greatly improve.

As with anytime you are using your paintball marker, always wear your protective gear. Even when firing practice balls alone at a target, your eyes and face should always be protected. Practice really does make perfect and the more you practice with your marker, the better of a shot you'll be during your next game of bunkerball or fieldball. If you don't already have a practice system for yourself, get one today and improve your game!

Since the mid-1980's when paintball came into its own, the popularity of the sport has continued to grow. It is an easy and fun game to play and suitable for young players over 10 years of age (for most fields) to men and women of all ages.

The game teaches patience, cooperation and responsibility. Plus it's just a lot of fun and something the whole family can enjoy together.

It's also becoming common for people to throw "paintball parties" for birthdays and even bachelor parties. In fact, a recent survey showed that parties were one of the top ways many paintball enthusiasts got their first taste of the game.

When throwing a paintball party, most professional fields will have masks, goggles, jerseys, pants and paintball guns (also called markers) all for rental at their facilities and most people who play get hooked after the first time.

Another reason paintball is growing in popularity is the safety of the sport. You are more likely to suffer a severe injury on a golf course than you are a paintball field. The reason paintball is such a safe sport is the lengths both the players and the paintball field owners go to in order to promote safe playing techniques. Most fields require new players to watch safety videos or go through a short instruction course prior to playing. Mask and padding must be worn at all times and barrel plugs must be in the marker if it is not in active play.

Paintball players work together to teach new players the ropes of good safe playing and that makes a better time for everyone!

Some paintball players engage in a very dangerous practice of using oil or other petroleum based product as a lubricant and sometimes as a cleaner around their compressed air systems. Another reason paintball players use oil is as a stop-gap measure thinking it is the correct way to fix a damaged or worn nipple seal. Granted it usually works great as a temporary fix until you can get a new seal but the hazards aren't worth it.

The residue left behind by the product can ignite without warning and worse, depending on the chemical make up of the oil you used, the initial fire is sometimes colorless and odorless and then the actual flames will appear. When exposed to compressed air, flammable liquids can become even more flammable and the heat generated from the compressor can actually heat up to the flash point of most petroleum-based oils.

If you want to use oil on your paintball gun, use one made specifically for use around guns that use compressed air. These type of oils are synthetically made and not petroleum based so the risk of turning your paintball gun into an unintended blowtorch are marginal. Synthetic oils also resist freezing and if used correctly will extend the life of the working parts of your marker by keeping everything moving smoothly.

If you see someone using petroleum based oil on their paintball gun, make sure they know the risks and steer them in the right direction. People can use oil based products on their paintball guns for some time without incident, but eventually the residue will build up and ignite. In fact keep an extra bottle of marker oil in your field kit, you may save someone's life!

There are two things that should be repeated often when playing paintball. Put your barrel plug in your paintball gun when you're not actively playing and never take your goggles off if you're in the vicinity of other paintball guns.Paintball is a very fun and very safe game. One of the reasons this game is so safe is the large majority of players practice what they preach with respect to safety.

Even though the game of paintball is played with soft balls that are encased in gelatin, when they travel from a paintball gun barrel they are traveling at a high rate of speed and if they hit your unprotected face, especially your eye, they can cause damage.

The most recent statistics show that over 9.5 million people played paintball in 2004 and there were less than 1% injuries that required medical care. However the injuries that occurred were due to lack of safety equipment being worn, horsing around with paintball guns and putting other objects other than paintballs into a gun. Remember, anything you put in will be shot out of your paintball gun at better than a 100-miles per hour, never use anything but paintballs in your paintball gun.

A good rule of thumb is to immediately put your barrel plug in and put your gun down when you're between games or have played your last game of the day. Because you can't rely on everyone else to do the same thing, keep your mask and/or goggles on until you leave the paintball field or area you are playing. This will ensure your eyes stay safe above all.

Use these few tips to keep your paintball game safe and fun!

The reason paintball is growing in popularity is that it is one of the most safety conscious sports around. Because of the diligence of the players involved, you are more likely to be injured playing golf than you are playing paintball. No one will let you on a field without your goggles on. The greater majority of paintball players are diligent about keeping their barrel plugs in place when not actively playing paintball.

Besides the personal safety gear and goggles you know that you should be wearing all times, here are a few other safety tips that will keep your paintball game safe for both yourself and the other players.

Paintball guns should never be shooting over 300 feet per second. Also never look down the barrel of a gun. Even if you're absolutely sure that your paintball gun is unloaded, treat it as if it is. Also, when removing a tank from a gun, if the brass fitting is not moving, don't attempt any further removal. Make sure your tank is always up to date and inspect it after every game to ensure it wasn't damaged.

When shooting at an opponent, always maintain a safe distance. Never shoot anyone else from a point blank range. Never play paintball with cracked or chipped goggles. One hit from a paintball can cause a stress fracture and you can wind up with broken goggles on your face.

The main injury that happens on the paintball field that is serious is to the eyes and unfortunately is caused by people who weren't wearing goggles at the time. If you are hit in the eye with a paintball. Do not rub the eye. If any tissues are torn or damaged, rubbing will cause more damage. Cover the eye immediately. Do not apply any ointments to the eye. Also do not allow the person that has been hit to take any kind of aspirin, ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory drugs as they can thin the blood and cause bleeding. After covering the eye, get medical help as quickly as possible.

Knowing the safety basics can keep paintball safe for everyone and if someone does get injured, quick thinking will usually get them back in the game quickly!