Overview
Let’s review some basics about how to optimize your body movement when playing Beat Saber.
Introduction
As you may all know by now, Beat Saber is a physical activity on its own. You wave your arms around, side-step or crouch to avoid obstacles… All this for long enough to be considered as some light fitness workout.
Let’s take it as such then, and go over a few steps to ensure that you keep enjoying the game for as long as possible, while getting more or less in shape at the same time!
Quick disclaimer: I don’t pretend to be a doctor, so don’t take everything I say for granted. However, I’ve been teaching a combat sport call “Canne de Combat” for about 8 years now, so I can assure you that what I’m about to say has been taught, tested and approved countless times already.
Temporary Edit: I will later add some pictures and videos (or GIFs if Steam allow it) to better illustrate my points, as soon as my camera is fixed. For now, let’s write things down.
Warm-up
Yes. I know. Nobody likes warming-up. Then again, I’m not forcing you. However, you knew what this guide was about and you’re still reading it, so bear with me for a moment more.
What I recommend is to keep things simple. Warming-up is about activating slowly increasing 3 things:
– your brain activity
– your heartrate
– your muscle activity
Therefore, instead of doing jumping-jacks, one of the best way to go is to first play one or two songs in a difficulty one grade lower than the one you’re usually playing at.
You play in Expert mode? Warm-up in Hard mode.
You play in Hard mode? Warm-up in Normal mode
You play in Normal mode? Well, I’m not here to judge, but hopefully, this guide will help you take it up a notch…
You get the picture.
If you’re really serious about warming up before playing, you probably know what to do already, but here are a few useful reminders:
– unlock your joints, starting from the toes and going up so as not to forget any on the way.
– raise your heartbeat with a few jumping jacks
Good to go? Good to go!
Gripping your controller
Almost a year after writing this, I realise that some people did a much better job than me at suggesting grips.
You can find all those informations (and more) on BSMG WIKI[bsmg.wiki].
A bit of theory before we start
So, this may be boring to some of you. If you don’t care about understanding why you should move this, or that way, then you can jump to the next section. If you’re ready to learn though, let’s go over a few points first, to make sure everyone follows.
There’s an official video that will explain the scoring system much better than I can:
You have been asking about our scoring system a lot. Here you go! 💪 pic.twitter.com/PePYINZq12
— Beat Saber (@BeatSaber) May 5, 2018
(thanks @Leanne for pointing that out)
To sum it up :
– Swing angle before your saber hits the block must be at least 90 degrees to earn you a maximum of 70 points.
– Swing should follow through the cut for at least 60 degrees to earn you an additional maximum of 30 points.
– If you manage to cut the block exactly in the middle, you can get up to 10 extra points.
It brings to total amount to 110 possible points per block.
It implies two things :
– you need to strike the blocks in the straightest line, as close to the center as you can, which means a need for control
– since your saber has to go further in order to reach a high score, it also means you have greater distances to cover from one block to the next, which means you should get faster.
Ok that’s one important thing said. Now for a bit more theory.
To stay as simple as possible : whichever movement you’re doing, the more muscles involved, the more control you have over it. It’s valid for both intensity and direction.
– Intensity : adding one muscle power to an other will increase the final result. Try jumping without crouching first.
– Direction : by splitting the charge between different muscles, you are overall less tensed, which allows smoother movement, and the possibility of adjusting your strike way more easily.
Therefore, instead of cutting the blocks only with your wrists, we’re going to involve the whole body, from toes to fingers.
Your legs and arms are not (or at least, should not be) the only bodyparts involved in a cutting exercise. Since the plan is to combine the power of the legs and the arms, you need something to make the link. This link is the block that contains your core muscles (deep abdominal muscles) and the hips.
Speed over power
With this last part, you will have all the keys to understand the logic behind the cutting movement. When playing Beat Saber, what you want isn’t as much Power, as Speed. Indeed, you don’t need much power to cut a block (just enough to move your controller around). Therefore, we’re going to focus on transforming the power generated into speed, and to avoid generating any extra useless load.
Ok, let’s leave the theory behind now and get right to the point.
Use your hips!
First, face the track. Keep your feet spread slightly more than your shoulder’s width, and slightly bend your knees so you can be explosive when needed. Keep both sabers in front of you, at mid height.
Raise your weapon above your head, and slice down till your saber hits the ground (the saber, not the controller :p). Before you reach the block, contract your abs and bend your knees so the power of the strike is shared between your arm, your body and your legs. Never overextend your arm, so you won’t have to bend it back all as much to prepare an other strike.
The principle is the same. Start by bending your knees and lower your weapon to the ground. Then, push on your legs and contract that butt as you raise your arm above your head. Most of the power comes from the legs here.
Once again, while standing stables on those legs, you have to give some momentum to your strike. To cut from left to right, pivot on your hips as to almost face your left side, and set your arm at block height, blade tip pointing behind you, and blade being completely horizontal. Then, push from the left foot to start rotating the hips, that will in turn start moving the arm. Your arm should still be bent at the moment your cutting through the block. The legs and hips will give the power, while the arm will give the control, keeping the blade steady. After you’re through the block, you can extend your arm for the follow-through. Your feet are back in the starting point.
One important thing: try not to shift your weight too much whil performing those movements : you don’t need this much power.
As for all physical exercise, it’s usually better to exhale during the effort, and inhale in between efforts. You can try to “force” yourself to do this by using the telltale “tschhh” every time your hit a block (or “tsuaaaa”, or whatever feels right :D). It may look a bit of an act, but it actually helps to evacuate tension quite a lot, which is always this much energy you will spare.
- Your fingers are holding the saber
- Your wrists are controlling the tip of the saber
- Your elbows and shoulders control the trajectory of the cut and provide a bit of power
- Your hips and core channels enhance power and provide body stabilization/balance
- Your legs provide high power (especially for upwards or lateral cuts), and absorb the follow through (they basically act as spring) to bounce to the next block.
If you doubt the power of your hips, trying using this method when you have to alternate double cuts (let’s say, Blue over Red to the left, followed by Red over Blue on the right, and so on). Then do it with only your arms. I guarantee you can feel the difference. “Take On Me” has a few like this :).
Save your knees
Most songs (all of them?) requires you to avoid obstacles by crouching. Here is, in my opinion, the best way to do it in a way that is both efficient, and safe.
You’re not facing the screen anymore, your feet are in a diagonal. The front foot is flat on the ground, while the hind foot if only on the toes. The front foot will provide balance, and the hind foot will provide spring so you can get back up without struggling too much.
You would get even more spring by staying on your toes with both feet, but you would also lose some balance and risk falling, either while crouching or even while trying to stand up. Furthermore, it puts a lot of load on your knees, which will weaken faster if you do it too much.
Now, if you’re not too tall, you don’t need to go all the way down to avoid an obstacle, so if you feel like squatting halfway, be my guest! Just make sure you keep your back straight at all time.
Have fun!
I hope this wasn’t too hard to digest, or at least that it’s worth it. If it helps you at least not to hurt yourself, or even to improve you score, then my job here is done.
Enjoy!
Thank you!
Thanks to @big0nes, @AyyJman14, @chairbender and @Leanne for pointing out my several mistakes and helping me improve this guide!