Getting used to switching characters within a set competitively.

[DunnoBro]

In the past when I tried this, I always had difficulty remembering timing/combos, or having kneejerk reactions to stuff like getting throw directions mixed up because one is always best with another char.

Does it just come with being used to the characters, or should I try continually switching between them in friendlies to get used to it?

Current Ex. Main Duck hunt, Secondary Sonic. Both have a habit of uair stringing, when the trajectory is set with duckhunt i tend to instinctively upb to try and follow up thinking I'm sonic. The speed gap also really effects me. I think I can get places in time to react but I can't.

 

[Raijinken]

I find that it's a bit more effective from a training stance to use a character 3-5 games in a row before swapping. It lets you keep the mindframe of the character you're on, instead of risking muscle memory over numerous games.

 

[popsofctown]

Historically the most successful smash players don't play secondaries. Voila, problem solved.

 

[shapular]

This happens to me sometimes. I'll try to pull a turnip with G&W or shoot a missile with Pikachu or something. >.> Just get used to switching characters in friendlies and it should help. Being able to switch characters mid-set is a different kind of skill in itself and you have to work on it like anything else, so just keep practicing it.

 

[OddCrow]

In competition, I start with DK. I will switch to Puff if facing a zoning/projectile character, and falco to take on other fast/light characters. DK is by bruiser for 1/2 the cast. I think it's part how the characters match up, but mostly how you play them. If you play Villager and C. Falcon the same, there's little point, because they would be countered the same way.

 

[PCHU]

In Melee, I play Falco, Fox, CF, and Marth, and juggle between them just fine.
Same goes for PM with Ganon, Ike, Link, Marth, Falco, Fox, DK, Wario, and a few others.
In Brawl, I switched between Kirby, Metaknight, Wario, Snake, and Falco (and some others), but in Smash 4, although I can use other characters, I feel the most success with Dedede and can't see myself having much of a reason to bring out any other character.
I can almost always clutch it out with him, so I just choose to go solo in more "serious" matches.

I played those individual characters for a long time and developed different mindsets and playstyles with them so they didn't blend together; just focus on differentiating them and you'll be able to switch with ease (and even switch Smash iterations, provided you play any others).

 

[deakolt]

In competition, I start with DK. I will switch to Puff if facing a zoning/projectile character, and falco to take on other fast/light characters. DK is by bruiser for 1/2 the cast. I think it's part how the characters match up, but mostly how you play them. If you play Villager and C. Falcon the same, there's little point, because they would be countered the same way.

But no one in their right mind plays Villager and C. Falcon the same- Different characters do have different inherent playstyles.

 

[Random4811]

I don't have this problem most of the time, but I do notice it sometimes. Like, I've been trying (for Lord knows what reason) to secondary Samus since Brawl. While, I've gotten alright with her, I'm just not feeling it as much. Recently, I've started to pick up Kirby, and he's proving to be the better option for me as a secondary, bumping Samus to a tertiary at the moment. I've also started picking up Robin and CF, in the past I did stuff with Link, and I'm trying with Fox now. At the moment, I occasionally have a hard time going from Marth, my main, to CF, Fox and Samus. Robin and Kirby are always easy switches for me. I reccomend that if you can, play a set with one, and then switch, unless the matchup is so bad that you can't deal. In that case, switch on the second round, but be careful. Just ease into it, and I feel like you'll adjust faster.

 

[Shaya]

I can play multiple characters well, usually not needing warm up for them. Reason being is that I think of Smash and how a game flows in very specific ways (reactionary / punish-focus game play) and tend to play characters that can achieve success doing so.
I suppose in short, I play every character like I play Marth. I don't "forward air" with Falco the same way I do Marth, I pick their option that covers or can be used in that situation in a similar way; Falco's dash attack usually, but nair, bair, jab are workable for it too.
I still use Marth a majority of the time, but obviously there are differences to optimal scenarios between every character and switching mid set is because I feel another character's tools are more apt/easier to use to achieve what I would otherwise achieve if my timing wasn't off / my reactions were just a few frames better.

Playing a lot more characters likely helps you understand the game better as a whole, but you can obviously achieve great success without a macro understanding of game mechanics just going in terms of how you play a specific character.