A 10-step VOD review routine to level up in Call of Duty

Reviewing your own gameplay is one of the fastest, most repeatable ways to get better, and a compact, repeatable VOD routine makes that work after every play session. Set aside 15–30 minutes and run through a focused 10-step checklist that turns raw clips into concrete drills.

Start by picking a single learning objective: aim, positioning, utility use, decision-making, or rotations. Narrowing your focus keeps reviews actionable and prevents scattershot feedback. Next, select 3–5 representative clips: one clean win, two average rounds, and at least one wipe. That spread exposes both what you do well and the mistakes that cost rounds.

Playback settings matter. Slow replays to 0.5x for close-quarters fights and 0.75x for medium and long-range duels. Use the full map and mini-map to confirm callouts and enemy approach vectors so you’re not guessing why someone peeked a lane. During playback check fundamentals: aim placement (head and upper chest), pre-aim angles on common chokepoints, and crosshair discipline while moving. These small details show up again and again in ranked matches and scrims.

Move beyond mechanics and evaluate decision-making. Ask why a player pushed: was sound or a teammate pinged info available? Would holding an angle or backing out have been a higher-percentage play? That mental layer separates consistent players from one-off highlights. Utility and gadget usage are next: did stuns, smokes, or flashbangs set up trades, or were lethals tossed wastefully? Note whether grenades cleared corners or simply handed opponents repositioning time.

Record movement and recoil-control faults: slide-cancels, jump timing, and recoil reset between bursts are repeatable timing issues — small errors compound. Check map awareness and rotations: did rotations account for spawn timers, objective timers, and teammate positioning? Were flanks left open? From these clips, build an action plan of 2–3 focused drills. Examples include 200 headshot aim-tracker reps, 30 minutes of map-specific rotation practice, or utility-timing rehearsals.

Track progress. Log the date, objective, drills, and outcomes, and repeat these reviews weekly while adjusting drill difficulty. Keep reviews short and focused — 15–20 minutes is often enough. Record voice notes during playback to capture raw first impressions and prioritize just one micro-skill per week. The method scales for solo players, duos, and team VOD reviews in scrims or ranked play.

The takeaway? Turn replay time into practice time. Treat clips like training modules, log the details, and drill deliberately. Our two cents? Pick one thing, stick with it for a week, and let small, consistent improvements stack into cleaner rotations, cleaner aim, and fewer costly wipes.