Valorant Movement Guide: Counter-Strafing, Bunny Hopping, and Deadzoning

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Introduction | Valorant Movement Guide
You can have the best aim in the world, but if you stand still like a statue, you will die.
Look at players like Primmie or Demon1. They aren’t just aiming; they are dancing.
Movement in Valorant serves two purposes:

  1. Making yourself hard to hit.
  2. Making your gun accurate faster.

This guide covers the advanced mechanics used by Immortal+ players to glide around the map.

Table of Contents

  1. The Golden Rule: Velocity = 0
  2. Counter-Strafing (The Foundation)
  3. Deadzoning (The Advanced Tech)
  4. Peeking Techniques (Ferrari, Jiggly, Jump)
  5. Bunny Hopping & Air Strafing
  6. The “Poppin Swing”
  7. Silent Movement
  8. FAQ

The Golden Rule: Velocity = 0

In Valorant, most guns have a “Movement Error.” If you are moving, your bullets go random.

  • Running Velocity: 6.75 m/s (Rifles) -> 100% Inaccuracy.
  • Walking Velocity: 3.8 m/s -> 50% Inaccuracy.
  • Standing Velocity: 0 m/s -> 0% Inaccuracy (Perfect).

Your goal in every fight is to go from Movement -> 0 Velocity as fast as physically possible.
This is why you never hold W in a gunfight. W key makes you an easy target. Always strafe with A and D.

Counter-Strafing (The Foundation)

You know you need to stop. But how you stop matters.
If you just let go of the A key, your character slides a bit (friction). This slide takes about 200ms. In a gunfight, that 200ms is death.

The Technique:

  1. Hold A to move Left.
  2. Release A.
  3. Simultaneously Tap D.
  4. Result: The opposing force cancels your momentum instantly. You stop in 50ms.

Drill: Go to the range. Enable “Shooting Error” in settings (Graph). Strafe left and right. Try to shoot only when the graph is blue (accurate). If it is yellow (movement error), you shot too early.

Deadzoning (The Advanced Tech) | “deadzoning” valorant movement technique

Deadzoning is often confused with counter-strafing, but it is different. It is shooting during the direction change.

Scenario: You are jiggle-peeking a corner to bait an Operator shot.

  • Move Right (D).
  • Switch to Left (A).
  • In the exact millisecond where D switches to A, your velocity is 0.
  • Shoot 1-2 bullets exactly then.

This allows you to remain a constantly moving target while still firing 100% accurate bursts. This is how pros like Demon1 destroy people without seemingly stopping.

  • Note: This works best with the Vandal/Guardian (Single taps). It is hard to spray while deadzoning.

Peeking Techniques

1. The Ferrari Peek (Wide Swing)

  • When: You know the enemy is close to the corner, or you have a teammate baiting for you.
  • How: Run full speed past the angle (Crosshair placed far from the wall). Counter-strafe. Shoot.
  • Why: Peeker’s advantage makes you appear faster on their screen. They will likely whiff their first shot.

2. The Jiggle Peek (Info)

  • When: Checking if an Op is holding Long C on Haven.
  • How: Show only your shoulder (A -> D -> A -> D rapid). Do not commit.
  • Goal: Bait a shot. Make them waste ammo.

3. The Jump Peek (Air Strafe)

  • When: Checking info safely.
  • How: Run at the corner → Jump → In mid-air, hold S and turn your mouse back to safety.
  • Result: You jump out, see the enemy, and land back in safety before you hit the ground.

Bunny Hopping & Air Strafing

Bunny Hopping (B-Hopping) does not increase speed in Valorant (unlike CS:GO). However, it is vital for:

  1. Getting through Sova mollies / Sage slows (less ground contact).
  2. Making yourself harder to track.

The Setup:

  • Bind Jump to Mouse Wheel Down.

The Air Strafe:
You cannot move in the air with W. You move with A and D.

  1. Run Forward + Jump.
  2. In air: Let go of W. Hold A + Turn Mouse Left.
  3. Land -> Jump immediately.
  4. In air: Hold D + Turn Mouse Right.

Synchronizing the key press (A/D) with your mouse turn gives you air manipulation.

The “Poppin Swing”

Named after the player Poppin, this is a mind-game strafe.
Scenario: You are swinging an angle. The enemy expects you to stop and shoot.
The Move:

  1. Swing Wide Right.
  2. Pretend to stop (Deadzoning).
  3. Keep walking Right.
  4. Shoot while walking (Close range) or Stop after the second step.

Why it works: The enemy sees you pause and clicks. You dodge their bullet by continuing to move. It breaks their micro-adjustment.

Silent Movement

Walking (Shift) is standard. But “Silent Fast-Walking” is better.
You can run for roughly 2 steps before the game makes a footstep sound.

The Technique:

  • Tap W running for 200ms.
  • Stop.
  • Tap W again.
  • You move faster than shift-walking, but make zero noise. This is crucial for lurking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | Valorant Movement Guide

Q: Does crouching improve accuracy?
A: Yes, but mostly No. Crouching tightens spray slightly (~15%), but it makes you a stationary target. In low ELO, enemies aim at the chest/stomach. If you crouch, you put your head directly into their crosshair. Unbind Crouch until you hit Diamond.

Q: Why do I shoot while moving sometimes?
A: You likely fired before your counter-strafe was complete. Use the “Shooting Error” graph in settings. If you see yellow bars, you are shooting too early.

Q: Can I run and gun with the Spectre?
A: Yes. SMGs (Spectre/Stinger) and sidearms (Classic/Frenzy) have a “Run and Gun” range (approx 0-10 meters) where they remain somewhat accurate. Use this to your advantage in close quarters.

Q: What is “S-Keying”?
A: Holding S (Moving backward). It is generally bad in a fight because you move slower backward than forward/sideways. Only use it to retreat, never to peek.

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