Target Switching: Who to Shoot First and How to Switch Cleanly

Who to shoot first

There is no fixed answer, but a few common guides, roughly in order of priority:

1. The one aiming at you. An opponent with their crosshair on you is the biggest threat.
2. The one closest to your crosshair. Shortest movement, fastest shot. If threats are similar, take the nearest.
3. The easiest to hit. Still, close, not behind cover.
4. The weakened one. If the game shows health, a target one or two shots from going down reduces the other side's numbers fastest.

The switch path

The shorter and straighter the crosshair's path from the first target to the second, the faster the switch. Common problems are pulling the crosshair back first, or going up then sideways in a curve.

• Look at the second target early. While shooting the first, your peripheral vision is already finding the next. Eyes arrive first, then the hand.
• Move in a straight line. Imagine a line between the targets and follow it. At similar heights, move only horizontally.
• Work in one direction. If targets are lined up, start at one end and work along, not back and forth.

Confirm briefly, then switch

Many players flick to the second target before the first is confirmed down, so the first survives and the second is missed too. The other extreme is waiting too long after the first, only starting to look for the second once you are sure.

A better rhythm: fire, see the hit, start switching immediately. Seeing the hit takes an instant, such as the hit marker or the target starting to fall. You neither leave the first standing nor waste time.

Switching versus flicking

A switch is really a flick, with two differences: you already know where the second target is, so you can start moving earlier; and the distance is usually shorter, relying more on the wrist and fine correction than on big arm movement.

So if your flicks do not stop cleanly, your switches will overshoot too. Get the stop right in flick practice and switching improves with it. See Flick training.

How to practise

1. Multi-target clicking drills. Several targets on screen; hit one, move to the next. Focus on straight paths and clean stops, not speed.
2. Choose an order on purpose. Before each set, glance at all targets, decide the order, then start. That judgement gets quick with practice.
3. Keep a rhythm. Shoot at a steady pace, such as one per second, and speed up only once every shot lands.
4. Watch your recordings. In fights against several players, review how your crosshair moved between them and whether it curved or overshot. See Reviewing your gameplay.

Questions

One target left, one right. Which first?

The one aiming at you or nearer your crosshair. If they are truly equal, go with the direction you are more comfortable flicking. Many right-handed players are slightly faster flicking right, but the difference is small.

Spray or tap when switching?

At close range against several opponents, sustained fire is more forgiving; at long range, taps are more accurate. Pausing fire briefly during the switch and firing once on target is usually steadier than spraying across.

Should I lower sensitivity for cleaner switches?

Not just for switching. Unsteady switches usually come from braking and stopping habits rather than the sensitivity itself.