Making Asteroids in Java

Instead of using your keys to add movement to your ship, try to use a system closer to how real life works. Instead of incrementing your position by x at each keystroke, use a system based on Velocity and Acceleration.

This should give you all the information you need on connecting those elements and making a fluid movement.

I don't know how you build the main-loop of your game. But Kev over at cokeandcode.com has a nice tutorial for Java2D games: http://www.cokeandcode.com/info/tut2d.html

Hope it helps

Instead of tying the movement directly to the inputs (I'm assuming your keyboard), you may want to use the keys to instead enable/disable some sort of "moving" boolean, then have your game loop move the player depending on the state of that boolean. This helped get rid of key-press lag in some java games I worked on recently, where the OS will confirm the first keypress but won't confirm a constant press right away, resulting in a stutter every time you hold down a new direction.

Brilliant, all very helpful thanks peeps! :)

-D