To Jump or Not to Jump

[The_Most_Effectual]

I've been reading Tai's Marth Guide, and I have definitely seen improvement in my play when I apply the concepts he references. One part that troubles me, however, is the Ground Control section, in which he talks about why it is important not to over-commit by jumping too often. I totally understand what he is saying; Your movement and defensive options are much more limited in the air, you are left open to attacks from opponents, especially given Marth's relatively low fall speed. Despite all that, I still end up jumping in almost every situation I end up in. I catch myself from time to time actually having my finger on the X button before the match even starts, planning to run in, reckless as can be, with a SHFFL Nair or Fair. I don't have anyone to play with on a regular basis who is smart enough to punish me for it, so I just keep doing it, thinking that it's safe and that SHFFL Nair/Fair are one-size-fits-all maneuvers.
So, what should I do to try to correct these habits? In what situations is it safe and smart to jump? Lately I've been watching high-level Marth matches, and picking out every situation where I would have chosen to jump, and what the Marth player did instead of jumping. Is that a good idea for breaking these habits? Any tips or input you care to give helps. Thanks.

 

[BananaSack]

I had this same habit aswell and I've been trying to work on it. What Ive been doing is just practicing dash dancing and wavedashing around excessivley on a stage with platforms. I've been working on improving my movement so that I have a better way to approach. I reccomend watching PP vs Armada at Apex 2015 and try replicating some of his crispy movement.

Also can you link Tai's marth guide?

 

[Fluxator]

If you're getting picked off while jumping a lot, I'd recommend trying some grounded approach methods. I also have the habit of throwing out aerials too often as an approach, and I've found that simple things such as wavedash D-Tilt and dashdance grabs work wonders to mix up your approach game. D-Tilt is an especially safe option and works as kind of a "poke and run" tactic due to it's low amount of ending frames.

 

[The_Most_Effectual]

I definitely don't use D-tilt nearly enough (hardly at all, really), and looking back on some of my matches I have realized that a D-tilt would fit very well in place of a SHFFL'd aerial. For future reference, would you recommend throwing them out more in neutral or as an approach?

@ B BananaSack here's the guide http://www.meleeitonme.com/sharpening-your-sword-tais-marth-guide/

 

[BananaSack]

I definitely don't use D-tilt nearly enough (hardly at all, really), and looking back on some of my matches I have realized that a D-tilt would fit very well in place of a SHFFL'd aerial. For future reference, would you recommend throwing them out more in neutral or as an approach?

@ B BananaSack here's the guide http://www.meleeitonme.com/sharpening-your-sword-tais-marth-guide/

I remember reading somewhere on a Marth guide a quote from PP that said something like, "A poke is not an approach, but a poke can be used to start an approach." What I think this basically means is you should use a ton of movement ie. dashdances/wavedashes into pokes such as d-tilt, and then only approach once you are in a favorable situation to approach

 

[Fluxator]

I remember reading somewhere on a Marth guide a quote from PP that said something like, "A poke is not an approach, but a poke can be used to start an approach." What I think this basically means is you should use a ton of movement ie. dashdances/wavedashes into pokes such as d-tilt, and then only approach once you are in a favorable situation to approach

Pretty much this. D-Tilt can be thrown out often pretty safely, so it's good for constantly poking and maintaining space. If you see an opening to go for an aerial or grab, that's when you approach and start your combos.

 

[StickyIcky]

When I started playing Marth I would do this way too often. My friend recently picked up Falcon though and playing him so often has made me pretty much the opposite. I now stay grounded pretty much most of the time as a defensive measure unless I am trying to combo. It makes it a lot easier to control stage space and shut down approaches. Unfortunately I don't really know what to tell you if you don't have someone to play who will punish you for constant air approaches. :/

 

[FE_Hector]

Regarding dtilt not being an approach, you can generally get a grab right after a utilt, and everybody knows how great the Uthrow is.