How to Do Your First Aerial in Rocket League 2026

Aerials are the move that separates casual Rocket League players from players who actually rank up. Hitting the ball in the air requires boost control, car rotation, and timing — three things that feel impossible at first, and completely natural after a week of practice. This guide walks you through how to do your first aerial in Rocket League with a simple training routine anyone can follow.

⚠ Before You Start Make sure you're comfortable with the basics first — clean ground contact, boost management, and rotation. Aerials added on top of shaky foundations won't help you win games. Read our beginner tips guide if you're not there yet.

What Is an Aerial?

An aerial is when you jump off the ground, boost into the air, and hit the ball while airborne. There are different types — basic aerials, fast aerials, and air dribbles — but all of them start with the same foundational skill: controlling your car in the air with boost.

The key inputs for a basic aerial are: jump → tilt car toward ball → boost → hit. The challenge is coordinating all four at once. That's what the routine below trains.

Step-by-Step: Your First Aerial

Turn On Aerial Training

Go to Training → Custom Training → search for "Aerial 1" or use Psyonix's own Aerial Training mode. Set it to Beginner. The ball will be launched at a consistent height every time — your only job is to jump and hit it. Don't worry about scoring yet.

Jump, Then Wait One Beat

The most common beginner mistake is boosting immediately as you jump. This kills your height. Instead: jump, wait a half-second for your car to start rising, then boost forward. That brief pause gives your boost time to push you upward rather than just forward along the ground.

Tilt Your Car Nose-Up

Once in the air with boost active, tilt your car so the nose points toward the ball. In Rocket League, your car goes where the nose points when you boost. Use the left stick to rotate — nose up to go higher, nose toward ball to close the distance. Practice this tilt until it becomes automatic.

Hit the Ball With Your Nose or Roof

Contact matters. Hitting the ball with the nose of your car gives the most powerful shot. Hitting it with the roof gives more of a lob. As a beginner, aim for nose contact — drive your car face-first into the ball. You'll miss a lot at first. That's part of the process.

Land Safely

After contact, flip your car right-side up before you hit the ground. Use air roll (L1/LB) to rotate back to wheels-down. Landing on your roof wastes time and boost. Landing on your wheels puts you back in the play instantly. Practice the landing as much as the hit itself.

📅 The Aerial Training Routine Week 1: 10 minutes of aerial training packs per day. Don't play ranked until you can hit 3 in a row. Week 2: Use your aerials in casual matches only — no ranked pressure. Week 3: Start using them in ranked once they feel natural.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Boosting straight up — You'll go too high and miss the ball. Boost forward and upward at an angle.
Not having enough boost — Aerials use 20–40 boost. If you're below 30, collect a pad before attempting one.
Attempting aerials when teammates are covering — If you miss and your teammate can't cover, you've given away a goal. Only go aerial when you're the right player for the shot.
Giving up after missing — Every Rocket League player missed hundreds of aerials before landing them consistently. Keep going.

When You're Ready for More

Once you can land basic aerials reliably, the next step is learning the fast aerial (double jump method) which gets you airborne faster. Check out our Rocket League hub page for more advanced guides. And use our Rank Checker tool to see your MMR climb as your aerial game improves.

How to Do Your FirstAerial in Rocket League