Drop with a plan
Pick a landing spot before the jump and name the building you are going to. Two teams landing on the same roof is a coin flip decided by whoever finds a weapon first. Committing to a slightly quieter point of interest and looting it completely usually produces a better loadout than contesting the busiest one.
Loot on a timer
Decide in advance how long you will spend looting — a fixed window, not "until I feel ready". Over-looting is the most common way teams die to the circle. Prioritise: one usable weapon, enough ammunition for two fights, healing, and one mobility or defensive item.
Rotate early and on the safe edge
Move before you have to. The team that rotates first chooses the building or ridge it will defend; the team that rotates last runs across open ground while two squads watch it. Prefer the edge of the circle that has cover and fewer angles behind you.
Third parties are the real enemy
Every gunfight you start is a beacon. If a fight lasts more than about thirty seconds, assume another team is arriving at your back. Either finish fast, disengage along a covered route, or take a position that lets you watch both the enemy and the approach.
Use the terrain you already have
In PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS ridges and compounds. In Apex Legends, high ground and ziplines. In Fortnite, build height. These are not decoration — height converts to information, and information converts to first shots.
Play the final circles differently
As the circle shrinks, staying hidden becomes less valuable than holding a defensible spot. Take the building or rock on the safe side early, let everyone else fight in the open, and only shoot when a target is clearly exposed.
Squad roles
One player calls the rotation, one watches the rear, one carries the healing and revives. Unassigned squads all look at the same angle and get flanked from the other one.
What to practise
Spend the first ten minutes of a session in the training range on recoil patterns for your two main weapons, not on aim trainers for their own sake. Recoil control is per-weapon and transfers directly.