How to Peek Effectively in CS2

Summary

The speaker emphasizes optimizing the way you peek corners in CS:GO to gain an advantage, with three main points: peek as fast as possible to catch enemies off guard; stop your movement quickly after peeking to shoot accurately; and place your crosshair correctly beforehand so you barely need to adjust aim. They explain why techniques like holding W or peeking too close to a corner are inefficient, recommending instead to strafe horizontally from farther back using A and D keys while minimizing visible body parts. Mastering these mechanics, though basic, can hugely impact performance.

Takeaways

• 😀 Peek from as far back from the corner as possible to minimize exposed hitbox and allow faster swinging
• 👣 Never peek while moving forward (W key), only strafe peek horizontally
• ⚡️ Gain momentum during your peek by swinging from further back to throw off enemy aim
• 👟 Counter strafe (tap opposite movement key) to stop quickly after swinging
• 🎯 Pre-place crosshair where enemies will be before peeking
• 📐 Peek diagonally only when necessary since it slows horizontal velocity
• ✅ Checklist: peek from max distance, gain speed, stop fast, place crosshair well
• 😢 Common mistakes: peeking too close, moving forward, failing to counter strafe
• 👍 Proper peeking fundamentals work at all levels and require no utility
• 😊 Learn peeking step-by-step: distance first, then speed/stopping, then crosshair

Q & A

Why is it important to peek from as far back from the corner as possible?

Peeking further back minimizes how much of your hitbox is visible to the enemy before you can see them. This gives them less time to react and makes it harder for them to hit you.

What are the two main reasons you should never peek while moving forward with the W key?

First, moving diagonally slows down your maximum horizontal movement speed. Second, it makes crosshair placement much more difficult when swinging around a corner.

What are the three fundamental things to focus on when peeking corners?

1. Peek as fast as possible. 2. Stop your movement as quickly as possible after peeking. 3. Place your crosshair where it needs to be to click the enemy as fast as possible.

Why is counter strafing by tapping A and D better than using W and S?

Tapping A and D keeps your left hand fingers in place and is a simple motion. Using W and S requires moving your middle finger off W down to S, which is awkward and messy even for very experienced players.

What should your crosshair placement be when peeking?

Your crosshair should be placed near where you expect the enemy to be, to minimize the adjustment you need to make before shooting.

How can proper peeking fundamentals help you even without utility support?

Even without flashes or smokes to help your entry, smart peeking gives you an advantage versus opponents by catching them off guard and making yourself harder to hit.

Why is peeking while crab walking usually ineffective?

Crab walking puts you closer to the angle, exposing more of yourself sooner. It also doesn't allow you to swing out at full speed or minimize the time spent vulnerable.

What should you do if you don't have room to peek from maximum distance?

Peek from as far back as possible given the space you have, focus on swinging out at full speed, and counter strafe quickly to shoot accurately.

What common mistakes do lower ranked players make when peeking?

Walking all the way out while holding W, not stopping movement before shooting, poor crosshair placement, and peeking from very close to the angle.

How can new Counter Strike players start applying proper peeking fundamentals?

Start by just focusing on a simple checklist - peek from max distance, swing out with full momentum on one movement key, counter strafe by tapping the other key, and keep crosshair placement in mind throughout.

Outlines

00:00

😀 How to Peek Corners Effectively in FPS Games

The first paragraph provides tips on how to peek corners quickly and effectively in first-person shooter games. It recommends peeking from as far back from the corner as possible to maximize speed and momentum, while minimizing exposure of your hitbox. The key guidelines are to peek with A/D keys rather than W, stop movement quickly after peeking, and have proper crosshair placement before peeking.

05:01

😃 Examples and Common Mistakes to Avoid When Peeking

The second paragraph provides examples of common mistakes players make when peeking corners, such as peeking from too close or using the W key. It contrasts better peeking techniques, like swinging wide to build momentum. The key takeaway is to use simple mechanics for efficient peeks, rather than overly complex maneuvers.

Keywords

💡Peeking

Peeking refers to the act of quickly moving out from behind cover to gather information or take aim at enemies, while minimizing exposure. It's an essential skill in FPS games like Counter-Strike. The video focuses on optimal peeking techniques to gain an advantage, like peeking from further back to see enemies sooner while revealing less of yourself, peeking out faster to catch enemies off guard, and stopping movement quickly after peeking to shoot accurately.

💡Momentum

Momentum refers to the speed and motion a player has when peeking. The video advises building up high momentum by strafing out from behind cover as quickly as possible, to surprise enemies and throw off their aim.

💡Counter-strafing

Counter-strafing means tapping the opposite movement key to quickly stop lateral movement after peeking out. For example, holding A to peek left then tapping D to halt. This allows the player to shoot accurately much sooner than if they had continued strafing.

💡Hitbox

A hitbox refers to the part of a player model that can receive damage. Good peeking techniques reveal as little of the hitbox as possible to enemies initially. For example, peeking further back exposes less of the shoulder hitbox before seeing the enemy.

💡Crosshair placement

Crosshair placement refers to positioning your aim appropriately while peeking to be ready to shoot enemies quickly. The video warns against looking at the floor or elsewhere incorrect places while peeking, making shooting much harder.

💡Swinging

Swinging means walking fully out into the open around a corner. The video advises against swinging slowly from up close to corners-better to peek quickly from further back.

💡Strafing

Strafing refers to lateral movement left or right using the A and D keys. Rapid strafing builds momentum coming out from behind cover while peeking.

💡Counter terrorists (CTs)

Counter terrorists refers to one team of players in Counter Strike. Understanding optimal peeking benefits both teams, but CTs often hold corners defensively, making good peeks very impactful.

💡Angles

Angles refers to the perspective to enemy positions based on your location. Peeking properly leverages angles to see enemies sooner than they see you as you come out from cover.

💡Maps

Maps refers to the in-game environments and layouts. Peeking fundamentals remain the same across all maps, but their multiple angles and positions require lots of map knowledge.

Highlights

Peek as fast as possible to throw enemies' aim off and give them less time to react

Peek as far back from the corner as possible to minimize exposed hitbox

Never peek with W because it slows you down and makes crosshair placement harder

Peek with A or D and counter strafe by tapping the opposite movement key

Come to a stop quickly after peeking to be ready to shoot accurately

Have crosshair placement ready so only small adjustment is needed before shooting

Prioritize crosshair placement fundamentals before perfecting the peek

Peek checklist: Further back, faster momentum, stop quickly, crosshair ready

Destroy enemies' advantages with proper peek fundamentals

Peek from as far back as possible to swing faster with less exposure

Simpler horizontal movement is easier than complex counter strafes

Pros will still make mistakes on fundamentals, so anyone can improve

Walking horizontally is better for clearing sites than holding W

Hitting crazy shots is unnecessary with good peek fundamentals

Hope these fundamentals help new players love Counter-Strike

Transcripts

so there's kind of three fundamental

things that you want to pay attention to

when you're peeking number one you want

to peek as fast as possible number two

you want to stop as fast as possible and

number three which is kind of the

ultimate goal you want to click on them

as fast as possible but clicking on them

as fast as possible relies on the first

two so let's focus on number one first

which is peing as fast as possible you

want to come around the corner with as

much velocity as much momentum as you

can there's two reasons for this one

you're going to throw your enemies aim

off because you're moving quicker which

is going to force them to flick and two

gives them less time to react the way

you're going to want to optimize for

that peek as far back from the corner as

possible because by peeking closer I'm

on the corner right now I can't see him

at all but look at my leg look at my

shoulder they're sticking out from

around the corner he can see me I can't

see him yet so by peeking further back

I'm minimizing that which means that I

am peeking faster relatively right so

I'm moving slower on his screen that's

true because I'm I'm close further away

so there's less Parallax but critically

I am not showing my hit box to him um

sooner than I have to be right I'm

seeing his hit box at the same time he's

seeing mine right so you want to peek as

far back as possible the other thing is

you want to Peak with a or D never Peak

with W this is like maybe the most

important thing I'm going to talk about

the entire video Never Peak with

W because let's say I Peak with W let's

say I'm walking around the corner like

this there's two things that I'm doing

that are bad very bad um your maximum

velocity and Counterstrike let's say

with holding a knife 250 units that's as

fast as you can move doesn't matter if

you're moving diagonally horizontally or

forward what that means is that by

moving diagonally you are subtracting

from your horizontal component the

coefficient I don't I'm not going to do

Pythagorean theorem live um to to tell

you exactly how much you're sing

yourself down by but you are slowing

down your horizontal component um

because your your maximum movement is

250 units and some of that has to go

into your forward component if you're

going to Peak diagonally so that's the

first reason the other reason is it

makes Crosshair placement harder if I'm

going to try to peek a corner let's say

like with just W as a worst case example

I'm going to have to go like this and

then turn and shoot them that's terrible

for your Crosshair placement that's

Point number three we're going to get to

that later but never ever ever walk

around a corner with W like you're going

to get yourself killed 100% of the time

this is like the worst possible way to

be peeking a corner um diagonally is

also pretty bad for two reasons one

you're putting yourself closer to the

corner again so you're revealing your

hit box sooner than you have to that's

not good the other reason and this ties

into point two is that you want to stop

your movement as quickly as you can

right as soon as I come around in the

corner I want to be tapping my movement

key to stop so that I'm ready to shoot

and I'm accurate because you're not

accurate when you're moving in Counter

Strike so you want to come around the

corner as fast as possible tap your

movement key to stop make a small

adjustment to your aim click and shoot

them by moving with w and a you're

giving yourself a way harder time with

that like a hugely it's way more

difficult um to counter strafe because

you're going to have to hit s and D

which means taking your uh like middle

finger off of w to tap s and then hit D

and it's messy and I have 24 2500 hours

in this game and I can't do it cleanly

so you can't either like I don't care if

you have 6,000 hours I don't think

anyone can do it cleanly because a it's

not a good thing to be doing in the

first place and B it's just a really

awkward movement to have to do with your

left hand so simplify your Peaks like

literally just hold a tap D hold D tap a

like that's that's it like that's the

whole that's it that's all you have to

do to peek and Counterstrike um the

third component click as fast as

possible that's basically the same thing

to stop as fast as possible the only

additional Factor when you want to click

as fast as possible is that you need

your Crosshair to be in a good spot in

the first place right you need your

Crosshair not to be over here don't be

looking at the floor when you're when

you're coming around this corner because

then yeah sure I you know I came to a

halt really fast I came around the

corner with perfect fundamentals but now

I got to move my Crosshair all the way

up here to shoot the guy what are you

crazy don't do that peek like this peek

with your Crosshair at least pretty

close to where it needs to be cuz then

you only have to do a small adjustment

before you shoot um so that that comes

into crossair placement that's a whole

another topic like on its own that I'm

not ready to uh record a video on um but

that sort of comes with a lot of time

spent playing the game game so Focus

fundamentally I would actually say on

your Crosshair placement like that has

to come before a good Peak however when

you're coming around a corner just sort

of remember like a small checklist of

like how do I give myself the biggest

advantage against this guy is possible

right because you don't want to Peak

with a disadvantage if you don't have to

peek the corner with one key and then

tap the opposite one because that's

simple that's so easy like anyone can do

that my mom can do that she doesn't play

video games and she'd be she'd be she'd

be good at it if she if I just told her

hold a tap D like that's anyone can do

that um it's way easier than hold W and

a and then tap snd D to try to come to a

stop or hold or hold control and then

like slowly crab walk around the corner

that's not a good way to Peak um but

it's really really common um in lower

levels like you see this all the time

for Silvers novas even MGS um back in

csgo I would see swinging angles like

this like just walking around the corner

like trying to clear things like it's

stupid like essentially your checklist

is can I be further away from the angle

yes or no right can I peek from from

further back than here yes I can so

let's go back here can I swing faster

right if I can I can I Peak with more

momentum than right here like yeah I can

I can get up to a faster speed if I peek

from a little further off the angle all

right can I stop faster yeah you can you

can tap d as you come around the corner

suddenly that's actually like a

serviceable decent Peak obviously that

Peak is going to be a lot better you've

got a guy back here that's like throwing

flashbangs for you and stuff like that's

that's better you you want that however

if you don't have any of that if you

can't get any of that cuz you're playing

with like a stack of randoms um and you

can't call for flashes because you're

playing in like 2000 ELO and nobody

knows nades that's fine like you can

still absolutely destroy people by just

knowing how to come around a corner and

knowing how to kind of destroy their

advantages that they might have right

again let's let's let's peek triple

here so can you already see what I'm

doing wrong I'm peeking from way too

close look at all the room I have back

here I can peek from all the way up here

right right I'm not exposed to the guy

triple yet I can be from here and I can

swing and I can get myself up to a

higher momentum I can get myself out

further from the corner before I have to

stop um I can minimize the amount of hit

box that I'm showing I can swing it from

here like that is and in fact this is

something that I forget too even with

2500 hours played and um being Global

Elite top 600 in Canada on face hit like

that's I I still Peak that wrong um so

anyone can improve um unless you are

like literally I don't know like Mony or

Nico or simple um robs you know like

obviously they are going to peek that

corner perfectly every time but you and

I are not them so um yeah peek from as

far back as you can like so um have your

Crosshair in a good place like I didn't

um and you're going to have a much

easier time clearing sights and it's

simpler it's way easier to clear a site

like this like 100% I'm having a much

easier time clearing it like this than

someone would if they were trying to

clear it like a silver does right the

way that I'm doing it is it's simpler

it's like it's like this kind of way

that like and I'm actually clearing it

way better than a Silverwood even when

I'm trying to give him a bad example but

like holding W like this is a terrible

terrible terrible way to walk out onto

this site CU if I'm holding W with

anything other than like a Mac 10 cuz

that's different um if I'm holding W

with anything that is you know requires

stopping to be to be accurate I'm going

to have a I'm going to have a bad time

because I'm going to have to tap s I'm

going to have to Pivot my my mouse I'm

going to have to flick try and shoot

them I have to hit a crazy shot and you

don't need to hit crazy shots you can

just walk around the corner

horizontally just walk horizontally

that's that's the moral of the video

anyway um I hope this is helpful I know

it's a little bit rambly I know that I

didn't get my points across probably is

concisely as I I maybe should have but

uh yeah um I hope you have a great day I

hope you are enjoying Counter-Strike if

you're new to the game and I hope that

you uh come to find that you love it as

much as so many of us already do thank

you so much for watching and uh yeah

that's all