Gamesense / Sword / Axe / Advanced
Learn how to intentionally take the first hit, time your return hit during knockback, and turn the exchange into your combo.
Sword / AxeAdvanced5 min readJavaVerified Aug 13, 2026
Hit Selecting is a technique where you intentionally let your opponent land the first hit.
Instead of fighting for the opening hit, you wait a fraction of a second and hit them back while you are still moving through your knockback.
If the timing is right, you recover first and can turn the opponent's first hit into your combo.
They hit first. You take control second.
A Hit Select starts with something that normally sounds wrong:
Let the opponent hit you.
Player 2 lands the first hit and sends Player 1 upward and backward.
Player 1 does not immediately panic-swing.
Instead, Player 1 waits briefly and returns the hit while still in the air.
The important result is that the two players are now on different knockback timings.
1. Player 2 hits first → 2. Player 1 returns the hit → 3. Player 1 lands first
That third step is what makes the technique useful.
Player 1 can regain ground movement while Player 2 is still finishing their knockback.
The biggest mistake when learning Hit Selecting is attacking back as quickly as possible.
That is usually just a trade.
For a Hit Select, the return hit needs a small delay.
A useful visual reference is the upper part of your knockback, around the point where you stop moving upward and begin to fall.
Too early: Both players are knocked back almost together.
Good timing: Your opponent's knockback starts noticeably after yours.
Too late: You have already moved too far away to hit them.
There is no single perfect delay that works against every player.
Ping, movement and server knockback can change the timing.
The skill is learning to recognize the moment instead of memorizing one fixed delay.
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Timing alone is not enough.
If Player 2 hits you from the very edge of their reach, their knockback may send you too far away to return the hit.
That means a Hit Select usually works best when you close some distance before accepting the first hit.
On the left, Player 1 accepts a hit from too far away and gets pushed outside attack range.
On the right, Player 1 enters slightly closer and can still reach Player 2 during the knockback.
You are not trying to stand inside the opponent.
You only need enough distance left to land the return hit.
Landing the Hit Select does not mean you are finished.
The important moment comes immediately afterward.
You were knocked into the air first.
You should therefore also begin recovering first.
As you touch the ground, move forward and prepare your next fully charged attack while Player 2 is still recovering.
Hit Select → land → close the gap → sprint hit
That is the conversion.
A good Hit Select with a bad follow-up is still a wasted opportunity.
Avoid blindly holding W into the opponent. Use the time you gained to reach a useful distance for the next hit.
You can usually recognize a successful Hit Select without thinking about exact numbers.
Player 2 hits you first.
You return the hit while airborne.
Then, for a short moment, the fight looks uneven:
you are already coming down while Player 2 is still being knocked away.
That is the position you are looking for.
If both players move through almost identical knockback at the same time, your return hit was probably too early.
If you cannot reach Player 2 at all, you either started too far away or waited too long.
If you immediately attack after taking damage, you may turn the Hit Select into a normal trade.
Fix: Deliberately wait for your knockback before returning the hit.
A delayed hit is useful only while the opponent remains in reach.
Fix: Move into the engagement slightly closer or shorten the delay.
If the first hit sends you outside sword range, there is nothing to select.
Fix: Close more distance before allowing the opponent to hit.
Players sometimes focus so much on timing that their aim falls apart.
Fix: Keep tracking Player 2 throughout your knockback. Timing does not matter if the return hit misses.
The Hit Select creates a spacing opportunity. Running directly through that space can give it away again.
Fix: Move forward only as much as needed to reach your next hit.
Do not practice Hit Selecting by trying to win entire fights.
For your first sessions, ignore everything after the return hit.
Your only goal is:
Get hit first → stay in range → return one correctly timed hit
Once that becomes consistent, add the conversion:
Get hit → Hit Select → land → sprint hit
Do not move on because you managed it once.
Try to make the same interaction happen repeatedly against different players and different ping ranges.
That is when Hit Selecting becomes a mechanic instead of a lucky trade.
Hit Selecting reverses the normal opening exchange.
Instead of trying to land the first hit, Player 1 deliberately takes it and chooses the timing of the second hit.
The basic sequence is:
Close the distance → take the first hit → wait briefly → hit during knockback → land first → take control
Remember the three most important things:
Stay close enough.
Do not hit back immediately.
Use the landing advantage afterward.
Master those three moments and an opponent winning the first hit can become the start of your combo.
Learn how to use W-taps and S-taps to reset your sprint between hits, control spacing, and extend combos in Minecraft Java PvP.
