Why You Keep Dying on Peeks (And How to Fix Your Crosshair Placement)

You hear footsteps. You know someone's holding an angle. You swing out and... you're dead before your brain even registers the enemy.

You watch the killcam. Their crosshair was already on your head. Yours was at the wall.

This is the crosshair placement problem, and it's the single biggest reason players are stuck in Gold and below.

Quick Answer Box

The 3 Rules of Perfect Crosshair Placement:

1. Head height - Always aim at head level, never chest or legs
2. Pre-aimed - Your crosshair should be where enemies are likely to be
3. Minimal correction - Good placement means you only click, not flick

Pro players don't out-aim you. They out-position their crosshair.

The Fundamental Problem

Watch any low-ranked player's VOD. Notice where their crosshair is when they're walking around the map:

• Looking at the ground
• Aimed at walls
• Random spots with no purpose

Now watch a Radiant player. Their crosshair:

• Always at head height
• Pre-aimed at choke points
• Glued to common angles

The difference isn't reaction time. It's preparation.

Rule #1: Head Height

This is the foundation. If you remember nothing else, remember this:

Your crosshair should always be at head level.

How to Find Head Height

In the range or custom games:

1. Stand next to a bot
2. Note where the head is relative to environmental objects
3. Use those objects as reference points on every map

Common Reference Points

| Map | Area | Head Height Reference | |-----|------|----------------------| | Ascent | A-Main | Bottom of the door frame | | Bind | B-Long | The horizontal beam on the wall | | Haven | C-Long | The line between brick and wood | | Icebox | A-Site | The railing height | | Lotus | A-Main | The stone pillar carvings |

The Head Height Drill

Spend 10 minutes in custom games:

1. Walk through the map
2. Keep crosshair at head height the entire time
3. Use references to check yourself

Do this until it's muscle memory. You should never have to think about head height—it should be automatic.

Rule #2: Pre-Aim Angles

You know those spots where enemies always hold? Pre-aim them before you even peek.

What Is Pre-Aiming?

Instead of:

1. Peek corner
2. See enemy
3. Move crosshair to enemy
4. Shoot

You do:

1. Put crosshair where enemy is likely to be
2. Peek corner
3. Crosshair is already on them
4. Shoot

Steps 2-4 happen almost simultaneously when you pre-aim correctly.

Common Angles to Pre-Aim

| Map | Spot | Common Holding Position | |-----|------|------------------------| | Ascent | A-Long | Heaven window | | Ascent | B-Main | Market door | | Bind | Hookah | Window corner | | Bind | A-Short | Lamps entrance | | Haven | A-Long | Heaven rafters | | Haven | C-Long | Cubby |

When approaching these areas, your crosshair should be on the holding position BEFORE you see the enemy.

Rule #3: Minimal Correction

Good crosshair placement means small adjustments, not big flicks.

The Math

Let's say your reaction time is 180ms (average human).

Scenario 1: Bad Placement

• Enemy appears
• 180ms to react
• 100ms to flick crosshair 10cm
• 50ms to stabilize
• Total: 330ms

Scenario 2: Good Placement

• Enemy appears
• 180ms to react
• 20ms to micro-adjust 1cm
• 0ms stabilization
• Total: 200ms

That 130ms difference is life or death in Valorant. The average TTK (time to kill) is ~240ms.

The "Slice" Technique

This is how pros peek corners without over-exposing.

How It Works

Instead of wide swinging and flicking:

1. Position near the corner
2. Pre-aim the most common angle
3. Take one step to expose just that angle
4. Clear it
5. Take another step to expose the next angle
6. Clear it
7. Repeat

You're "slicing" the pie, checking one angle at a time.

Example: Clearing A-Long on Ascent

1. Pre-aim Heaven (most dangerous)
2. Slice to expose Heaven only
3. Clear or kill
4. Pre-aim Dice
5. Slice to expose Dice
6. Clear or kill
7. Pre-aim Site

Each slice exposes you to only one enemy at a time.

Common Crosshair Placement Mistakes

Mistake #1: Looking at the Ground While Walking

Every second you're not looking at an angle is wasted time. Even when rotating, keep your crosshair at head height aimed at potential enemies.

Mistake #2: Checking the Same Angle Twice

Once you've cleared an angle, trust it's clear (unless you hear audio). Move on to the next one.

Mistake #3: Hugging Corners Too Tight

If your crosshair is 1-inch from the corner when you peek, you have to move it far to hit the enemy. Stand back from corners slightly.

Mistake #4: Moving Crosshair While Moving

Your crosshair should stay stable relative to the screen. Move your character to expose angles, not your crosshair.

The Practice Routine

Drill 1: Static Crosshair Walk (10 min)

1. Custom game, any map
2. Walk from T-Spawn to A-Site
3. Keep crosshair at head height on likely spots the ENTIRE time
4. If your crosshair ever goes to the ground, restart

Drill 2: Angle Snap Drill (5 min)

1. In the range
2. Stand 10 meters from a bot
3. Close eyes
4. Turn 90 degrees
5. Open eyes and snap to head
6. Repeat 50 times

Drill 3: Deathmatch with Purpose (15 min)

1. Play DM
2. Focus ONLY on crosshair placement
3. Ignore K/D
4. Every death, ask: "Was my crosshair in the right place when I peeked?"

Map-Specific Tips

Ascent

A-Long is crosshair placement paradise. There are exactly three spots enemies hold:

• Heaven (most common)
• Dice box
• Hell entrance

Pre-aim them in that order.

Bind

Hookah to Window requires a crosshair height adjustment. Window players hold from an elevated position—adjust 10% higher when peeking Hookah.

Haven

Three sites means more angles. Focus on clearing one site at a time. C-Long has 5+ angles, so slice slowly.

Lotus

The rotating doors create unique angles. When a door opens, pre-aim the corner it reveals.

The Unfair Advantage: Perspective

Here's a secret most guides don't cover: distance from corner affects who sees who first.

When you're far from a corner and the enemy is close to it, you see them first. This is called "peeker's advantage" but it's really a geometry thing.

How to Use This

• When peeking, stay far from YOUR corner
• This means you see them before they see you
• Combined with pre-aim, you get free kills

Record Your Improvement

Start tracking your headshot percentage:

| Week | Headshot % | |------|------------| | 1 (Before) | | | 2 | | | 3 | | | 4 | |

Good crosshair placement should increase this by 10-15% over a month.

Upload Your Best Peeks!

Fixed your crosshair placement and started clicking heads? We want to see it.

Submit your cleanest peek kills to GGameChamps and win cash!

That perfect pre-aim one-tap deserves some prize money.

FAQ

Q: Should I always swing wide or jiggle peek?

A: Depends on the situation. Swing wide with pre-aim when you expect one enemy. Jiggle peek to bait shots when you expect multiple.

Q: How long until crosshair placement becomes natural?

A: Most players report 2-3 weeks of focused practice before it's subconscious.

Q: My sens is too high to place precisely. Should I lower it?

A: Possibly. If you can't stop your crosshair precisely on a target, your sens might be too high. Try lowering by 10-20%.

Q: Does crosshair placement matter in Iron/Bronze?

A: Yes, even more so. In low ranks, enemies hold predictable spots. Good crosshair placement farms them.

The best aimers aren't born—they're trained.

Start with crosshair placement. Everything else follows.

Go click some heads.