The free CS2 starter course
ONE SKILL.
ONE BETTER HABIT.
Five focused lessons. Learn the idea, practise it, check your understanding and take one clear cue into your next match.
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Lesson 1 / 05 · 12 minutesPut the crosshair where the fight starts
Your objective: Arrive at an expected head position before an opponent appears.
A fast correction is useful. Needing a smaller correction is a better starting point. As you move, place your crosshair at the likely head height of the next position you could fight. Use a teammate or a practice bot as a height reference, especially around stairs and elevation changes.
Optional watch / ZerkaFPS aim overview
Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube ↗.
Put it into practice
- Open a familiar map in a private practice session. Choose one short route with three common defensive positions.
- Walk the route five times without firing. Before each position is exposed, pause and check whether the crosshair is at the expected head height.
- Repeat five times at normal movement speed. Count the occasions when you had to drag the crosshair up from the floor after seeing the position.
Your in-game assignment
In your next match, use the same cue on the first approach of each round. Review five first contacts afterwards. Count how often the crosshair was already close to the expected head position; compare that count after another practice block.
Your cue: Next angle. Head height. Small correction.
Do the practice, then check your answer. Completion is your own record of the work.
Next lesson →Lesson 2 / 05 · 12 minutesClear one angle at a time
Your objective: Recognize when a peek exposes more positions than you can check.
Before moving out of cover, name the first position you will check. Move only far enough to see it, then move on to the next position. Standing farther from a corner can change which player sees the other first, but the result also depends on both players' positions, movement and timing. There is no universal distance that makes a peek safe.
Put it into practice
- Open the corner drill below. Peek in small steps. Use Check angle only when one unchecked target is visible.
- Complete all three angles. If you expose two unchecked targets, return to cover and make a smaller peek. Repeat until you can explain each exposure.
- Open a familiar map in private practice. Choose one doorway and identify three positions beyond it. Clear them in a planned order, then repeat from a different distance to the cover.
Your in-game assignment
Choose one approach for your next match. Plan its first angle before leaving cover. After a death, check whether you exposed another position at the same time. The browser drill teaches the decision; real players can move, use utility and trade.
Your cue: Name one angle. Reveal it. Check it.
Do the practice, then check your answer. Completion is your own record of the work.
Next lesson →Lesson 3 / 05 · 10 minutesSeparate movement from the first shot
Your objective: Notice and reduce shots fired before movement accuracy has recovered.
Movement affects weapon accuracy. For this drill, separate the actions: strafe, stop, settle, then fire one deliberate shot. Practise a brief opposite-direction input to stop a strafe, then release it. Avoid holding that input so long that you accelerate back the other way. Weapon spread and other accuracy effects still exist after you stop.
Put it into practice
- In a private practice session, pick a stationary target and a fixed distance. Use the same weapon throughout the block.
- Perform ten left-to-right strafe repetitions with one deliberate shot after each stop. Start slowly enough to distinguish the stop from the shot.
- Repeat in the other direction. If a shot goes early, slow the sequence down. Compare a second block of ten using the same distance and weapon.
Your in-game assignment
During your next warm-up, spend two minutes on deliberate stop-and-shoot repetitions. In a demo, inspect five first shots and note whether you were still moving. Do not change sensitivity during the comparison.
Your cue: Move. Stop. Settle. One shot.
Do the practice, then check your answer. Completion is your own record of the work.
Next lesson →Lesson 4 / 05 · 10 minutesChoose a shot you can control
Your objective: Match your firing choice to distance and leave time to recover between attempts.
A missed first shot does not have to become an uncontrolled magazine. At a longer distance, start with deliberate single shots or short bursts. At closer distances, a controlled spray may make more sense. Recovery timing depends on the weapon and the firing sequence, so learn it with a fixed weapon and distance before adding more variables.
Put it into practice
- Choose one rifle and a fixed wall or target in a private practice session. Fire ten deliberate single shots, allowing recovery between attempts.
- Repeat with ten short bursts. Watch the impact pattern and check whether you are firing the next burst before the weapon has recovered.
- Move closer and compare a controlled spray. Keep the weapon unchanged and describe which firing choice you could repeat most consistently at each distance.
Your in-game assignment
Pick one distance band to focus on next match. Review five fights in that band. Write down the firing choice and whether an attempted reset became a continuous spray.
Your cue: Choose the burst. Recover. Reacquire.
Do the practice, then check your answer. Completion is your own record of the work.
Next lesson →Lesson 5 / 05 · 15 minutesTurn one mistake into the next practice block
Your objective: Choose a useful next action from evidence in your own rounds.
A demo shows information you did not have while playing. Pause before the important decision and separate what you actually knew from what the replay reveals. Choose rounds with different outcomes, including wins. A successful round can still contain a decision you would change.
Put it into practice
- Open the demo-review worksheet. Select ten rounds with a mix of outcomes instead of selecting only your worst deaths.
- For each round, identify the first useful decision to inspect. Record the available information and a concrete alternative; avoid vague labels such as bad aim.
- Find one repeated pattern. Choose a ten-minute drill from this course and one sentence to remember in your next match. Copy or export the worksheet.
Your in-game assignment
After your next match, review the same number of rounds using the same criteria. Compare the specific pattern you chose, rather than treating the match result as proof that the drill worked.
Your cue: What did I know? What could I do? What is the next cue?
Do the practice, then check your answer. Completion is your own record of the work.
Take it into the seven-day plan →Take it into the server
Seven days. One repeatable process.
Keep the same weapon and settings while comparing drills. If you miss a day, continue with the next session. Useful repetitions matter more than a streak.
- Day 1 — Set a baseline. Complete lesson 1. Note how many of five first contacts started near expected head height.
- Day 2 — Clear deliberately. Complete lesson 2 and walk one real-map route using the same order of angles.
- Day 3 — Separate stop and shot. Complete lesson 3. Compare two blocks of ten repetitions at the same distance.
- Day 4 — Control the firing choice. Complete lesson 4. Compare single shots, bursts and a closer-range spray with one rifle.
- Day 5 — Review ten rounds. Complete lesson 5. Choose one repeated pattern and one next-match cue.
- Day 6 — Repeat the weakest drill. Use ten minutes of deliberate practice, then try the cue in a match.
- Day 7 — Compare and decide. Revisit five first contacts and ten selected rounds. Keep one habit and choose the next skill to practise.
All five lessons checked off.
Your next step is another practice-and-review cycle. Use your own round notes to decide what deserves attention.