Winning duels in Counter-Strike 2 comes down to mastering a handful of core mechanics: crosshair placement, shooting techniques (tapping, bursting, and spraying), counter-strafing, peeking (jiggle peeks, shoulder peeks, wide peeks, and more), movement fundamentals, and smart positioning. This guide breaks each of these down with actionable tips, console commands, weapon-specific data, and a structured practice routine — whether you're a beginner learning the basics or an experienced player looking to sharpen your edge in 2026.
Crosshair Placement in CS2
The single most impactful mechanic to improve. Good crosshair placement reduces the distance your mouse travels, giving you a massive head start before a duel begins.
Always Keep Your Crosshair at Head Height
Your crosshair should be permanently glued to head level. This is the single biggest habit that separates ranks. The exact height varies by distance and elevation — heads appear at different vertical positions depending on terrain. Practice until head-level placement becomes automatic for every angle on your most-played maps.
Pre-Aim Common Angles Before Peeking
Before rounding any corner, your crosshair should already be placed where an enemy's head is most likely to appear. Study common hold positions on each map. On Dust 2 long, pre-aim pit, car, or A-site boxes before peeking. On Mirage mid, pre-aim window and connector.
Hug the Wall Edge with Your Crosshair
Don't leave your crosshair floating in empty space. Keep it tight to the edge of the wall you're about to peek, at head height. When an enemy appears, they walk directly into your crosshair. The gap between your crosshair and the wall edge should be roughly one head-width.
Adjust for Elevation Changes
Head height changes with terrain. Going up ramp on Mirage? Crosshair goes up. Peeking down mid on Inferno from top mid? Crosshair goes down. Constantly micro-adjust for slopes, stairs, and elevated positions. Many players only practice crosshair placement on flat ground and lose duels on elevation changes.
Watch pro demos from the player's POV (try players like donk, m0NESY, or NiKo) and study where they place their crosshair while moving through the map. Notice how their crosshair never drops to the ground — even during rotations, they're always ready for a head-level engagement.
CS2 Shooting Mechanics: Tapping, Bursting & Spraying
CS2's sub-tick system changed spray behavior slightly from CS:GO. Understanding recoil control, burst patterns, and when to use each fire mode is essential for winning duels consistently.
The Three Fire Modes Explained
Tapping: Single shots at long range. Wait for full accuracy reset between each shot (~0.4s for AK-47). Bursting: 2–5 round bursts at medium range. Pull down slightly to compensate for the initial upward kick. Spraying: Full auto at close range. Requires full spray pattern memorization.
Master the First 10 Bullets of Every Rifle
Most kills happen within the first 5–10 bullets. You don't need the entire 30-round AK pattern right away. Focus relentlessly on the initial pull-down: the first ~10 rounds of all rifles go roughly straight up. Once that's automatic, learning the left-right sway becomes much easier.
Fire Mode by Range — Quick Reference
| Range | Distance | Fire Mode | Aim Target | Key Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | 0–10m | Full spray | Center mass → head | Commit to the spray, crouch mid-fight |
| Medium | 10–25m | Burst (3–5 rounds) | Head level | Pull down slightly, reset between bursts |
| Long | 25m+ | Tapping / 2-round burst | Head only | Wait for full accuracy reset (~0.4s AK) |
Spray Transfer Technique
When you've committed to a spray on one target and a second appears, don't release and reset — instead, drag your crosshair to the new target while maintaining your position in the recoil pattern. This is called a spray transfer and it's what makes clutch multi-kills possible.
Reset Your Spray If You Whiff
If your first 5 bullets miss, stop shooting and reset. Continuing to spray means you're deep into a recoil pattern aimed at nothing. Instead, counter-strafe to a new position, let your accuracy reset, and re-engage with a fresh burst or tap.
Do This
- Counter-strafe before every shot
- Tap at long range, spray up close
- Aim head level, let recoil drop to body
- Practice spray on workshop maps daily
- Reset your spray after 5 missed bullets
Avoid This
- Spraying at long-range targets
- Running and shooting (even with SMGs at range)
- Crouching as your first reaction every fight
- Panic-switching weapons mid-spray
- Aiming at body or ground level by default
How to Counter-Strafe in CS2
Counter-strafing is the single most important movement mechanic in CS2. It's the bridge between movement and accurate shooting — and without it, your bullets go everywhere except where you aim.
What Is Counter-Strafing?
Counter-strafing means tapping the opposite direction key to stop your character instantly. Moving right with D? Release it and tap A for one frame to reach zero velocity. Your accuracy recovers almost immediately. In CS2, the velocity threshold for accurate shooting is 34% of max speed (roughly 88 units/s with a rifle). Counter-strafing gets you below this threshold in 1–2 frames instead of ~10 frames.
Counter-Strafe Before Every Single Shot
This isn't optional — it's the foundational mechanic of CS2 shooting. Every time you're moving and need to shoot, you must counter-strafe first. The timing window is very small: tap the opposite key, fire at the moment your velocity hits zero, then resume moving.
ADAD Strafing in Duels
In mid-range duels, alternate between A and D to strafe left and right, making your head harder to hit. Fire at the apex of each direction change — the moment when your velocity crosses zero. This is the bread and butter of rifling duels. Practice until the rhythm (strafe → stop → shoot → strafe) becomes muscle memory.
Snap Tap Ban and What It Means
Valve banned Snap Tap (Razer's automated counter-strafing feature) in CS2 because it undermined the skill ceiling. The technique must be performed manually through practice. Use cl_showpos 1 in console to see your velocity in real-time and verify you're hitting zero before firing.
cl_showpos 1 // Shows velocity — shoot when it hits 0
sv_cheats 1
sv_showimpacts 1 // Red = server, blue = client bullet impact
weapon_accuracy_nospread 1 // Removes spread to isolate recoil vs movement
sv_infinite_ammo 2 // Infinite ammo with reload animation
CS2 Peeking Techniques: Every Type Explained
How you peek determines whether you win or lose the duel before a bullet is fired. Each peek type serves a different tactical purpose — master all six and you'll have the right tool for every situation.
Wide Peek (Swing Peek)
Move out wide and fast from behind cover, counter-strafe, and shoot. Best used against AWPers — you need to swing wide enough to clear their pre-aimed crosshair. A wide peek with a rifle against an AWP is far better than a slow peek. The wider you swing, the more they have to flick.
Jiggle Peek
Quickly tap A and D to show a sliver of your model, then pull back behind cover. Used to bait shots (especially AWP shots), gather information, or trigger enemy utility. You never fully commit to the fight — just poke out enough that the enemy reacts. Essential for information-based play on both T and CT sides.
Shoulder Peek
Similar to jiggle peeking, but even tighter — you expose only your shoulder (not your head) to bait a shot, then immediately swing wide while the enemy recovers. Extremely effective against AWPs: force the shot with your shoulder, then peek for real while they cycle the bolt.
Slice the Pie (Incremental Clear)
Instead of swinging out and exposing yourself to 3 angles simultaneously, slowly strafe to clear one angle at a time. Imagine the area beyond the corner as a pie — you "slice" off one piece at a time, checking each position before advancing. Critical for retakes and entry situations.
Ferrari Peek (Jump Peek)
Use a running jump to fly past an angle at full speed, gathering information without being an easy target. Use this to spot AWPs, count enemies on a site, or check if an angle is being held. Don't try to shoot during the jump — this is purely for information.
Crouch Peek
Crouch-peeking drops your head below the expected head height, causing the enemy's first shot to whiff above you. Use this sparingly as a mix-up — if you crouch every time, opponents adapt and pre-aim lower. In CS2, your movement speed while crouching is very slow, so you're committing to the fight.
Due to network latency, the player who swings first has a brief advantage — they see the enemy before the enemy sees them. CS2's sub-tick system made shot registration more precise but did not eliminate peeker's advantage. Use this on T-side by swinging aggressively. On CT-side, use off-angles, repositioning, and utility to negate the attacker's timing edge.
Isolate One Angle at a Time
The number one peeking mistake at every rank: exposing yourself to multiple angles simultaneously. When entering a site or clearing a position, use cover and your peek angle to fight only one enemy at a time. If you wide-swing into a crossfire, you'll die regardless of your aim.
CS2 Movement Fundamentals
Raw aim means nothing without clean movement. Movement is the framework that enables accurate shots, safe peeks, efficient rotations, and unpredictable positioning.
When to Crouch in CS2 (and When Not To)
Do crouch: mid-spray to tighten bullet grouping and dodge headshots, when committed to a close-range fight, or behind cover to reduce your profile. Don't crouch: as your first instinct when seeing an enemy (it's predictable), at long range (you become a slow target), or during a peek (it kills your momentum).
Silent Movement with Walk (Shift)
Hold Shift to walk and make zero footstep noise. Use walk when: flanking, approaching an angle where the enemy is close, rotating during a fake, or setting up an off-angle. Stop walking when: time is critical, enemies already know your position, or you need to swing quickly.
Bunny Hopping & Air Strafing in CS2
Bunny hopping is capped at 300 units/s in CS2, making it less abusable than in older titles. However, well-timed bhops off ledges can maintain speed and make you harder to hit during transitions. More practically, learn KZ-style air strafing for faster rotations and accessing jump spots.
Movement Speed by Weapon Class
| Weapon | Run Speed | Crouch Speed | Accuracy While Moving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knife | 250 u/s | ~85 u/s | N/A |
| Pistol (Glock/USP) | 240 u/s | ~82 u/s | Poor while running |
| SMG (MP9/MAC-10) | 240 u/s | ~82 u/s | Slightly better than rifles |
| Rifle (AK-47/M4) | 215 u/s | ~74 u/s | Terrible while running |
| AWP | 200 u/s | ~68 u/s | Must stand completely still |
CS2 Positioning & Angle Holding
Where you stand matters as much as how you shoot. Smart positioning gives you the first shot, limits enemy options, and creates escape routes for every engagement.
Off-Angles Beat Common Angles
An off-angle is any position that isn't the default spot enemies pre-aim. Standing one step to the side, at an unexpected height (on a box, crouched), or in a spot that's not "meta" forces the enemy to adjust — and that fraction of a second is often enough to win the duel.
Close vs. Far from the Corner
Far from the corner: You see the enemy first because of how perspective works (their body appears before they see you around the edge). Best for holding with rifles. Close to the corner: Quick access to cover, but the enemy sees you first. Use this with shotguns, when expecting a flash, or when you need a fast retreat.
Reposition After Every Kill
After getting a kill or being spotted, immediately reposition. The enemy team now knows your position and the next player will be pre-aimed on your exact pixel. Move to a new angle, fall back deeper, or swap sides entirely. "One-and-done" positioning is one of the most important habits for CT-side play.
Never Expose Yourself to Multiple Angles
If two enemies can see you from different directions, you're in a crossfire — and the player you're not looking at will kill you. Always use map geometry to limit your exposure to one sightline at a time.
Play for Trades on T-Side
The entry fragger should never go in without someone ready to trade 1–2 seconds behind them. If the entry dies, you immediately peek and kill the enemy while they're exposed. This converts a 5v5 into a 4v4 with map control.
At longer distances, your head hitbox appears physically smaller to the enemy. Holding a long-range angle with a rifle is inherently advantageous because the opponent has a tinier target. AWPs negate this advantage with one-shot kills, which is why AWPs dominate long angles.
Utility + Gunplay Combinations
The best players don't just throw grenades — they combine utility timing with peek execution to create guaranteed kill opportunities.
Flash + Peek Timing
Throw a pop flash (one that detonates the instant it's visible to enemies) and peek the exact moment it pops. The enemy is fully blind for ~2 seconds. Self-pop flashes bounced off walls behind you are the most effective — enemies can't turn away in time.
One-Way Smokes
A one-way smoke lets you see the enemy's feet or legs while they can't see you. Learn 2–3 one-way smokes per map you play frequently and pair them with an off-angle for nearly free kills.
Peek After Your Molotov
When you molotov a common holding position, the enemy is forced to reposition. That's your cue to peek — they're either burning, retreating, or displaced from their ideal angle. Time your peek for when the molly is actively spreading.
Dry Peek vs. Utility Peek
Dry peek: Peeking without any utility support. Relies purely on aim and timing. Utility peek: Flash, smoke, or molly before peeking. Significantly higher chance of winning the duel. Default to utility peeks whenever possible — saving grenades for "later" often means dying with them in your inventory.
CS2 Practice Routine for Aim & Movement
Consistent, focused practice beats random deathmatch grinding. Here's a structured warmup and improvement routine that targets all the mechanics covered in this guide.
Aim Trainer Warmup — 10 min
Use Aim Lab, Kovaak's, or an in-game workshop map. Start with tracking exercises to warm up your mouse arm, then switch to flicking and micro-adjustment drills. Focus on smooth, controlled movements.
Spray Control Practice — 10 min
Load Yprac Recoil Master or Recoil Master workshop map. Practice AK-47 and M4 patterns until you can keep a full spray within a head-sized circle at medium range. Then practice spray transfers between two targets.
Prefire & Crosshair Placement — 10 min
Use Yprac prefire maps for your most-played competitive maps. Complete each map 2–3 times, focusing on head-level precision and proper counter-strafing at each angle.
Purposeful Deathmatch — 15 min
Don't just run around clicking heads. Each DM session, focus on one specific mechanic: counter-strafing discipline, headshots only, jiggle peeking before every engagement, or practicing spray transfers.
Demo Review — 10 min (Weekly)
Watch your own competitive demos. For each death, ask: was my crosshair at head height? Did I counter-strafe? Did I peek too many angles at once? Did I reposition after being spotted?
Recommended Workshop Maps
| Map | Focus Area | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Aim Botz | Raw aim, flicking, tapping | Daily warmup, crosshair testing |
| Yprac Recoil Master | Spray patterns, recoil control | Learning weapon patterns |
| Yprac Prefire Maps | Crosshair placement, peeking | Map-specific angle practice |
| Fast Aim / Reflex Training | Reaction time, flick shots | Speed drills |
| crashz' Crosshair Generator | Crosshair customization | Finding your ideal crosshair |
| 5E_AimHub | All-in-one training | Movement, aim, and peeking combined |
If you only have 15 minutes to warm up, spend 5 min on spray control and 10 min on prefire maps. These two mechanics — spray control and crosshair placement — give the highest return on time invested.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you shoot accurately in CS2?
Stand still before firing by using counter-strafing (tapping the opposite movement key). Keep your crosshair at head level, choose the right fire mode for the distance — tap at long range, burst at medium range, spray at close range — and master the first 10 bullets of the AK-47 and M4 recoil patterns.
What is counter-strafing in CS2 and why is it important?
Counter-strafing is tapping the opposite direction key to stop your character instantly. CS2 bullets are wildly inaccurate while moving, and counter-strafing brings you below the 34% max-speed accuracy threshold in 1–2 frames instead of ~10 frames from just releasing the key.
What are the different types of peeks in CS2?
CS2 has six main peek types: Jiggle Peek (quick A/D taps to bait shots), Shoulder Peek (expose only your shoulder to bait AWP shots), Wide Peek (swing out fast to displace enemy aim), Crouch Peek (drop below expected head height), Ferrari/Jump Peek (jumping past an angle for information), and Slice the Pie (incrementally clearing multiple angles).
Does peeker's advantage still exist in CS2?
Yes. Despite the sub-tick system, peeker's advantage still exists due to fundamental network latency. The player who swings first sees the enemy before being seen. T-side players should exploit this with aggressive peeks; CT-side players should counter it with off-angles, utility, and repositioning.
How do I improve my crosshair placement in CS2?
Keep your crosshair permanently at head height, pre-aim common angles before rounding corners, maintain a one-head-width gap between your crosshair and wall edges, and constantly adjust for elevation changes. Practice on Yprac prefire maps daily.
Should I tap, burst, or spray in CS2?
Match your fire mode to distance: tap (single shots) at 25m+, burst (2–5 rounds) at 10–25m, and spray (full auto) at 0–10m. Forcing a spray at long range is one of the most common mistakes in matchmaking.
How far should I stand from a corner when holding an angle?
Stand far from the corner with rifles — you see the enemy first due to perspective geometry. Stand close with shotguns, when expecting flashbangs, or when you need a quick retreat.
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