Want to Improve Your FPV Flying? Loosen Your Sticks

If you’re looking for one simple change that can make a noticeable difference in your flying, here it is: loosen your throttle stick tension. I recently upgraded my Mambo gimbals to the TBS V2s, and while I was dialing in the stick tension, I figured it was a good time to share this tip that made a huge impact on my own flying.

Why Loose Sticks Matter

When your stick tension is too tight, you’re constantly fighting the springs. Instead of making tiny, precise adjustments, you end up skipping past the spot you’re trying to hit. You’re essentially limiting your stick resolution — the range of fine movements you can actually make — and that directly translates to less control in the air.

By loosening your throttle stick to the point where it has a little flop to it, you gain the ability to make incredibly fine inputs. You’re no longer overpowering stiff springs just to move the stick a fraction of an inch. The result? You can put the quad exactly where you want it.

Back when I was actively working to improve my flying, this was one of the first changes I made, and the difference was immediate. I wasn’t fighting the springs anymore — I was just flying.

How to Adjust Your Stick Tension

If you’re running a radio like the Mambo, the process is straightforward. Pop the back cover off and you’ll find a couple of small screws on each gimbal — these are your tension adjusters. Give them a few turns to loosen things up. I honestly can’t remember if it’s clockwise or counterclockwise that loosens them (it feels like it’s reversed), so just experiment until you feel the tension dropping.

You want to get to the point where the tensioners aren’t really engaged and the stick moves freely with minimal resistance. It doesn’t need to be as loose as mine, but getting it noticeably looser than stock is the goal.

Optional: Swap to Softer Springs

If you want to take it a step further, you can replace the stock springs with softer ones. TBS sells soft springs for a couple of bucks — they’re slightly wider and shorter than stock. The catch is that swapping springs requires removing the gimbals entirely, which is a bit of a pain. For most people, just adjusting those tension screws is going to get you 90% of the way there without any disassembly headaches.

What to Practice in the Sim

Once you’ve loosened your sticks, hop into your simulator and focus on these drills:

Ride the throttle: Practice smooth, tiny throttle inputs — up and down, up and down. Focus on making the smallest adjustments you can. You’re training your muscle memory to work with the new, lighter feel.

Hit small gaps: Find tight spaces in whatever sim map you’re flying and try to thread through them. The better your stick resolution, the smaller the gaps you can consistently nail.

Mix your inputs: Do orbits, practice cornering, and combine roll, pitch, and yaw while riding the throttle. The goal is to feel comfortable making fine adjustments across all axes simultaneously.

Vary your speed: Practice being smooth and cinematic, then switch to flying aggressively. You’ll notice the loose sticks help in both modes — precision at low speed and responsiveness when you’re pushing it.

You’ll Still Crash

Let’s be real — loosening your sticks isn’t going to magically eliminate crashes. But it will give you more control over where you’re putting the quad, and over time, that translates to cleaner lines, tighter gaps, and more confidence in the air. The greater your stick resolution and the more comfortable you are working with it, the smaller the stuff you can hit.

If you’ve been flying with tight sticks, give this a shot. Loosen them up, spend some time in the sim getting used to the feel, and see if it makes a difference for you. I think you’ll be surprised.