How do I correctly use D-Smash?

[Xanocide]

Been playing a lot of ZSS recently, and have not only been having a great deal of fun with her, but have been getting good results with her. My question though, is how can I optimally use D-Smash? I find myself very rarely using it if at all, and never really know what to do after it, I typically just follow up with a Side Smash. Any tips would be greatly appreciated on when I should use it and how to act off it :D

 

[Keeseman]

Using D-smash is all about the reads. You probably shouldn't use it too often, but when you do, the ledge is a good place to set up for kills. Try to catch your opponent before they grab the ledge if they're recovering higher.

For what to do afterwards, f-smash is a good move to use if you're at kill percents, but you should mix it up more. You have a lot of options, really; you could use Up-B for a kill, go for an easy grab, start a string of uairs for a Stairway to Heaven-esque combo, etc. You have lots of options and should keep changing it up.

 

[David Viran]

Frame trapping your opponent's air dodge into the ground can get you a free dsmash. In neutral space dsmash so that your opponent can't roll behind you and can't SH punish on reaction. When you land a dsmash at the ledge when they are at lower percents use flip jump to spike them. It's kind of stupid how Early that works and kills.

 

[Tobi_Whatever]

Frame trapping your opponent's air dodge into the ground can get you a free dsmash. In neutral space dsmash so that your opponent can't roll behind you and can't SH punish on reaction. When you land a dsmash at the ledge when they are at lower percents use flip jump to spike them. It's kind of stupid how Early that works and kills.

TWENTY PERCENT KILLS
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Dream Cancel]

Well, there's always this:

Smash 4-Ever 9 Grand Finals | Nairo (ZSS) vs LoF NAKAT (Falcon) (YouTube link)

At 3:00 - 3:05 and 4:11 - 4:15 are Nairo's D-Smash -> Up Special combos. He uses his D-Smash to punish Falcon's Raptor Boost (Side B) in the first one and uses it again to punish Falcon's F-Smash after dodging the F-Smash with a Spot Dodge.

Pay attention to how he uses D-Smash in the entire match though.

Also, 0:42 - 0:50 is Nairo's Stairway to Heaven combo. No D-Smash, but still dirty. (There's a thread about it on Reddit, actually) I suggest you watch the entire video, it's pretty short (4:28) but packed with action.

The tips given by previous posters are spot on, listen to them.

 

[Riggen]

I find it best that if they grab hold of the ledge, you throw them off it by grabbing it, and they grab back, that's a whole 25-30 frames to D-Smash them, Then throw in a B-Air as well, At about 70% and the stage is slanted at the edge, That's KO!

 

[David Viran]

I find it best that if they grab hold of the ledge, you throw them off it by grabbing it, and they grab back, that's a whole 25-30 frames to D-Smash them, Then throw in a B-Air as well, At about 70% and the stage is slanted at the edge, That's KO!

Only problem with that are there like 5 ways the opponent could avoid this. The simplest way would be Buffer a get up option so they don't get trumped.

 

[Riggen]

Only problem with that are there like 5 ways the opponent. The simplest way would be Buffer a get up option so they don't get

Well, Yes but the players I have come across haven't really done that.

 

[Wyles]

Use it against aggressive rollers, faster people, and shorties ~