Want to be really good at your game of choice? Well, there is one skill that seems to be needed in just about every game out there these days. Without it you can probably still do fine as long as you practice and enjoy the game, but there are many games out there you won't be able to dominate in without it - for instance Skate and Forza Motorsport 2.

The "it" is the art of half-sticking (as I'll call it) -- that is to say, pushing the stick, or analog button, not all the way.

Maybe it was a happier, more carefree time in video games when there was absolutely, positively no such thing as half sticking it. Buttons were either on, or off. Now, there are any number of possible entries for each button, from 1% to 100% and everything in between.

There are two genres of games that really require half sticking to the maximum: War games like SOCOM and Halo, and racing games like Forza, NASCAR, etc.

However, there are finer details of sports games like Madden, NCAA, and hockey games where half-sticking at the right moment can enable you to make a difference in your game.

Let's start with the obvious ones.

I first noticed how important the half-stick was while playing SOCOM. I wasn't any good at it, and I still can't half-stick in war-type games. I get too jacked up. I always wanted to be a great sniper, but never could get to the level of guys like Marv_Levy and Prodigal Son (DSM forum members) who I assume half-stick like nobody's business. If those guys were anywhere on the map in Socom you had to tread very carefully because these guys wouldn't miss.

Picture a situation where you are looking through your scope at an enemy "terrorist" in SOCOM. He's coming toward you, and maybe he doesn't see you yet, but if he does see you, you're probably screwed. If he knows you're there he can take evasive action and if he gets close to you, it's his automatic weapon versus your handgun. He's moving across your view, coming in your general direction, from right to left.

If you jam the stick all the way to the left, your crosshairs will actually go PAST HIM and your shot will likely miss. Of course, when you're all excited you are likely to move the stick in this fashion. A practiced sniper moves more slowly in this situation, strafing the crosshairs slowly across the enemy before pulling the trigger at just the right moment.

On the rare occasions that I was half-sticking to my full potential in SOCOM, I was very dangerous. I had a few 20-kill matches in SOCOM online and I remember one kill in particular. It was the last kill in a 6-kill round. I stood up from a prone position with a silenced weapon and carefully followed -- while half sticking -- the last opponent that was alive and sniped him with the last bullet in my chamber from about 150 yards away, without a scope. It was the kind of video-gaming moment you never forget.

You may be wondering... well, how the hell does this help me in a sports game? Well, since we are covering Forza 2 officially as of me writing this, I guess it would be considered a sports game. Simply put, in a racing game, half sticking helps you to avoid friction.

Friction is the primary culprit when the crime of speed loss is committed.  If your wheels are spinning, then you can't get all your horsepower to the ground. In order to drive a car in a video game without much friction, you HAVE to slowly get on and off the accelerator, particularly on parts of the track that don't allow for much traction.

You HAVE to mimic somebody that has a steering wheel with the controller if you want to be able to run a lap time that can compete with them. That is all done with half sticking.

Take braking, for instance. That's likely more important than acceleration. Anytime you brake all the way, you lock up the brakes. If you make a habit of pushing the button only 50% at the onset of every upcoming turn, you can then APPLY the brakes to 60, 70, 80 percent etc. and not squeal the tires.

How about EA's incredible new skating game, Skate? Ever have problems lining up a trick because you're jamming the stick or D-pad all the way right or left? Well that's easy to cure, with practice.  

But it's hard to do at first. You might have to completely re-train yourself to play a game that you want to get good at. It's worth it, because without getting this crucial skill under your belt, a lot of times you're going to be limited to being good at a game instead of very good, or great.

It always amazes me the people that play games every waking moment of free time they have, yet don't want to learn how to tune a car in Forza, or learn their playbook in Madden. What's the purpose of playing a competitive game if you're just going to be happy with average?

Half sticking applies to Madden and NCAA more than ever with the running game being less "juke ridden" and more stick based. Even if you don't change directions before you get tackled, but you go from 100% to 70% on the stick, the defender can be put out of position just enough to miss the tackle.

While throwing the ball it's easy to push the left stick all the way in any direction to lead a receiver. But when the blitz is on and you need to lead a guy without overthrowing him, can you lead him with a half-stick movement? It's tough but again, it's a skill worth learning.