
Being a coach in competitive gaming means finding success in the details, far beyond the excitement of the game itself. VOD reviewing has become my trusted ally and is the best way to analyze my students’ gameplay. Over thousands of hours analyzing games and coaching, I've learned and improved my reviews, narrowing down the strategies and actions necessary to achieve the highest quality. In this article, we'll explore the fundamental principles and practical points behind conducting a successful VOD review, providing maximum value to your student. 

## Roadmap to VOD Reviewing
**Preparation:** Ensure that you have all the necessary tools ready beforehand will save valuable time during your coaching sessions. Here's a list of must-haves:

- Make sure your game is updated and launched.
- Use a tool like Epic Pen for clear visual explanations.
- Download the VOD you plan to review and have it ready.
- Consider using a recording software (like OBS) in case you decide to record the sessions for your students.
- Mute your phone and any potential distractions on your computer to maintain focus during the session.
- Keep a bottle of water nearby. Staying hydrated will help you keep your energy levels and voice throughout the session.

**Choose a quality game for review and preview it in advance:** The ideal game for review isn't only losses or significant struggles. Consider the following criteria when selecting:

- Relevancy to the student’s goals and gameplay patterns.
- Close matches that present learning opportunities.
- Recent games, enabling the student to recall them easily and that the game's meta remains relevant.

**Understand your student and set goals for the session:** Listen to your student and identify objectives or challenges to address. Ensuring they receive valuable advice tailored to their needs is essential for a successful session.

**Explaining and breaking down concepts:** Explain and break down key concepts, strategies, and gameplay decisions. Use clear language to make sure your student understands the information you present. Reinforce your explanations with concrete examples, asking questions, and any other resource to enhance the learning experience.

**Identify Patterns:** Recurring mistakes and flaws in playstyle, concepts that extend beyond one single game. Understand your student's tendencies and point them out, in order to accelerate his progress over the mid-long term.

**Listen actively to your student and dialogue:** Comprehend their ideas, and offer insightful feedback using the Socratic approach. Engage in dialogue to stimulate critical thinking and foster deeper understanding of gaming concepts.

**Conclusion and practical points:** Summarize the session's key insights, offer conclusions and training for further practice and improvement.

**Provide written feedback:** Offer detailed written feedback, highlighting strengths, areas for improvement, and specific strategies for progress; assign tasks for your student to work on. I recommend using [Coachify](https://coachify.gg/?utm_content=article_create_a_great_vod_review) to structure the feedback from sessions, allowing students to access a private link with all the information and training tasks tailored to their needs.


Want to connect with Coutu? Find him on [Discord](https://discord.gg/v5muDnEswW) and [Coachify](https://coachify.gg/@coutu)!


How to Create a Great VOD Review

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