One thing I have noticed that many of the "top" sticks do different from most players is the type of Pursuit they use.
The vast majority of players fly Lead Pursuit.
(one reason we have so many headons btw)
Many, if not most, of the "top" sticks fly in Lag Pursuit on the merge. Once they have position they switch to Pure Pursuit and only switch to Lead Pursuit when it is time to shoot.
They fly for position as opposed to a gun solution. They know the gun solution will come. When they merge they are setting themselves up for a gun solution later in the fight. It could be one move, it could be 10, but they are planning for it. A key there is to be able to adapt your moves depending on what your opponent does. Almost every fight is different so you have to be able to adapt.
Some of the great sticks had a move, or a series of 1-3 moves that would almost always give them a shot. ManeTMP comes to mind. Mane had a set couple moves that were really effective and he had great aim and rarely missed.
I know I spent hours and hours watching some of the great masters of the game fly and fight in King of the Hill tourneys over the past 9 ish years. I spent countless hours watching films of their fights and many more countless hours wagging my hands about the air trying to figure out just what they did and how.
Then it was even more hours practicing what I had learned and countless deaths trying it out in the Arenas until it "clicked".
(edit: I would add that in AirWarrior I was taught by some fantastic pilots in the WidowMakers who really knew their stuff so I had some really good teachers when I was first learning to fly)
