Feeling Like I Hit a Roadblock

[comfortable_lamp]

Recently, I've been feeling like I hit a roadblock in terms of my improvement. Currently,I've spent roughly 500 hrs on the game, and I feel like from 300 to 500 hrs, I've been stuck at the same skill level. I used to be learning new tecs and improving, but recently, it feels like there's nothing left to learn. Also, I feel like I'm not even that good considering the amount of time i've spent in the game considering that I'm not even in elite smash, I haven't won a single game in my locals, and some of my friends who've spent less than 200 hrs on the game are better than me. I know this is kind of a broad question, but does anyone know how I can get better, or what I should be doing.
(Currently, I'm kind of busy, but by the end of tomorrow, I think I can have a video of one of my sets if anyone wants to analyze it.)

 

[Rhus]

Videos would definitely be helpful, for sure.

I would guess you might be falling into the trap a few people do with trying to incorporate tech but there might be core flaws in your fundamentals to work on. Do you use your OoS options correctly, are you pressuring your opponent at ledge well? Are you covering options and picking attacks to stuff your opponents options (anti-airs, pivot grabs etc.)? It's all character dependent too, so maybe give us some details on:

• What character(s) do you play? How do you play them (what is your focus, gameplan, strategic preference etc.)?
• What characters do you struggle against most? Do you find there is a playstyle you struggle against more than others?

The video will certainly add some context to these questions and help us understand where you are faltering, but any details you can add can help us give better feedback.

 

[Nah]

What sorts of things do you do to try to improve?

If you go to locals, talk with the regulars at your local to see what you can get out of that. It's a resource that not everyone has access to.

Also, don't worry about the amount of time you've spent on the game. It's somewhat more important what you do with the time rather than how much time you've spent.

 

[comfortable_lamp]

I couldn't figure out how to upload it to my computer, but if anyone wants to analyze it, the codes for 3 matches with my mains are
5H0NY80C
7TTPXT6W
9DTSN1DR
I'm the Dark Samus, Dedede, and Villager

 

[Gallowglass]

Videos would definitely be helpful, for sure.

I would guess you might be falling into the trap a few people do with trying to incorporate tech but there might be core flaws in your fundamentals to work on. Do you use your OoS options correctly, are you pressuring your opponent at ledge well? Are you covering options and picking attacks to stuff your opponents options (anti-airs, pivot grabs etc.)? It's all character dependent too, so maybe give us some details on:

• What character(s) do you play? How do you play them (what is your focus, gameplan, strategic preference etc.)?
• What characters do you struggle against most? Do you find there is a playstyle you struggle against more than others?

The video will certainly add some context to these questions and help us understand where you are faltering, but any details you can add can help us give better feedback.

Going off what Rhus' said here have you tried working on exploiting other character's weaknesses? I'm not a competitive Smash player by any means but I use to do various combative sports (MMA and Fencing). I would focus on the ones you commonly see or have trouble with. Not to mention analyzing your own character's weaknesses and working on ways to defend it. I hope this helps.

 

[Xquirtle]

There is a 100% chance that even the best player in the world can get better at downloading their opponents habits and beating them in the mental game. My personal experience with learning smash games is that tech and movement is the basic requirement to begin thinking about the macro level mind game interactions. That alone takes a ton of time. thousands of games and even still I'm just talking about being competent. Nobody has actually fully mastered movement and character control in ultimate yet. Anyway, if you don't think that there is anything that you can do to get better, then you're def not gona get better. but... if you feel that you have really good control of your character, as in you always get your intended inputs, then you should really start digging into the various mix ups and mind games that people are beating you with at your locals. A super basic example would be an online Ganon that presses down B a lot. Step 1 is realizing that hes a B only turd Ganon. You know that the move is easily punishable, and baiting it out is super worth it. Now your job is to trick them into thinking that they can hit that move, which takes almost no effort and they will often just use it even when it clearly won't land, and then punish them. So you've got all of these options to bait, all of these option to punish... and this is just one basic interaction with one of the millions of awful online Ganons. You can get way more complicated based on the opponents habits. Anyway, this is the type of stuff that wins you games. Like "oh, this guy always spot dodges after he wiffs", time to charge up a fatty smash attack and take the dub.