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How to Learn to Strafe

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Source Video: How to Learn to Strafe | CTF Holocron #2 by Xennito

Strafe jumping is the foundational movement mechanic in Jedi Academy CTF. Rather than reinventing existing movement tutorials, this guide provides a structured learning roadmap, essential Newmod practice tools, and practical habits to turn raw strafe mechanics into real in-game movement.

Speed Reference Across Games: Because many of the best strafe-jumping explanations come from the Quake community, keep the base speed differences in mind when comparing videos:

  • Quake 3 / Quake Live Base Speed (g_speed): 320 UPS (units per second)
  • Jedi Academy Base Ground Speed (g_speed): 250 UPS
  • Jedi Academy Ground Speed with Force Speed: 425 UPS

Step-by-Step Video Curriculum ("The Five Holy Videos")

Understanding the theory of strafe jumping is only half the battle—developing the muscle memory requires time and deliberate practice. Work through these five resources in order:

1. Strafe Jumping 101 (by Commodore)

Start here to learn the three fundamental building blocks of strafe jumping in Jedi Academy:

  1. Bunny Hopping: Holding W, jumping, and immediately jumping again the instant you land (without using Force Jump).
  2. Bunny Hopping with Strafe Keys: Continuing to hold W while alternating A (strafe left) and D (strafe right) on each consecutive jump.
  3. Strafe Jumping: Combining W + A with a smooth mouse turn to the left, and W + D with a smooth mouse turn to the right (plus circle jumping to build initial speed).
Building from basic bunny hopping to alternating W+A and W+D jumps with synchronized mouse movement.

2. Enable Newmod Practice Tools (cg_strafeHelper)

Once you understand the basic motion from Strafe Jumping 101, enable Newmod's built-in visual aids in the console:

Command Recommended Value Description
/cg_drawMovementKeys 1 Displays on-screen WASD/jump key presses. Most useful when spectating experienced players or reviewing demos to see their exact inputs.
/cg_strafeHelper 2 (Basic) or 4 (Advanced) Draws guide lines near your crosshair indicating the optimal mouse angle for maximum acceleration.
/cg_speedometer 1 Displays your current horizontal speed in units per second (UPS).
  • How to read /cg_strafeHelper 2:
    • When holding W + A, aim your crosshair onto the left green line.
    • When holding W + D, the right white line turns green—aim your crosshair onto the right green line.
    • An audio tone plays while you are holding the optimal acceleration angle. Don't worry about perfection right away; use it to build a feel for the angles.
Practicing with /cg_drawMovementKeys 1 and /cg_strafeHelper 2—aligning the crosshair with the green line on each jump for optimal acceleration.

3. Strafe Jumping 102 & Strafe-Jumping Physics Explained

After getting comfortable with basic W+A / W+D motions, watch these two videos to understand why specific angles accelerate your player:

  • Do not memorize numeric angles—let cg_strafeHelper show you the angles dynamically.
  • Understand the "Dead Zone" (see 02:51 in the Quake physics video): When your crosshair passes through the center zone between your left and right strafe angles, you gain zero speed.
  • Switch Sides Quickly and Accurately: Because of the center dead zone, slowly sweeping your mouse from left to right wastes acceleration time. You want to snap cleanly from one green strafe-helper line to the other at the moment you switch strafe keys, then smoothly track the green line as it moves outward.
Visualizing the center "dead zone" where no speed is gained, illustrating why snapping quickly between left and right strafe angles is essential.

4. Strafe Jumping in Jedi Academy - Best Examples (UPS)

Created by top Jedi Academy racers (the UPS community), this video showcases optimal strafes and introduces different strafe styles beyond standard W+A / W+D:

  • Switch your strafe helper to /cg_strafeHelper 4 to display guide lines for all strafe styles (sideways/A-D-only, half-beat, W-only, etc.).
  • Learn the "Half-Beat" Style: Half-beat strafing alternates between a forward-diagonal jump (e.g., W+A) and a single-key jump (e.g., W or A), requiring much smaller mouse swings in one direction instead of wide side-to-side snaps. It is often easier to control in tight spaces and very practical in real CTF matches.
Exploring multiple strafe styles (including Half-Beat) using the UPS acceleration overlay and /cg_strafeHelper 4.

5. An Easy Explanation of Strafejumping Physics (Q3 Defrag)

A concise breakdown from the Quake 3 Defrag community that reinforces the core mechanics of air acceleration. (Note: Ignore the sections on CPM air-control physics, as Jedi Academy uses Quake 3 VQ3-style strafe physics).

Tip: Treat the UPS video (#4) and the Q3 Defrag video (#5) as your primary authorities on strafe mechanics rather than treating Strafe Jumping 101/102 as gospel.

Strafe vs. Overall Movement in CTF

Strafe jumping is your raw technical execution—it lets you go fast in a straight line. In actual 4v4 CTF PUGs, strafing sits underneath a much broader tactical skill set called Movement, which includes:

  • Moving fast while staying evasive against incoming fire
  • Navigating tight map geometry without clipping corners or falling into pits
  • Blending different strafe styles (W+A/W+D, half-beat, A/D turns) to curve around hallways
  • Map routing and running circles in bases
  • Knowing when to strafe vs. when to Force Pull, Force Push, or go for a pit kill

3 Practical Tips to Improve Your Speed

Even if you have been strafing for years, you can break through speed plateaus with three habits:

  1. Practice with /cg_strafeHelper Between PUGs: Turn on cg_strafeHelper 2 or 4 while waiting for matches to start and strafe around the map. Constant visual and audio feedback refines your muscle memory for optimal angles at different speeds.
  2. Review Your Own Demos (and Top Players' Demos): Load a match demo, turn on /cg_strafeHelper and /cg_drawMovementKeys 1, and watch yourself whenever you have an uncontested runway:
    • Are you overturning or underturning?
    • Do you hit the green lines at low speed, but fail to widen your angle as your speed increases?
    • Compare your demos against fast CTF players. Even top players don't hit 100% perfect angles in live matches—observe how they transition between jumps and adapt around map geometry.
  3. Practice Racing / Route Running: Load up maps solo and practice running flag routes against a timer. Focus first on beating your own personal bests and using map geometry cleanly, then watch ideal route runs from top players and try to replicate their lines.

Additional Strafe Resources

See Also

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