How do you practice marksmanship?

[Professor Smash Attack]

Lurking and reading through the guides in this forum, I've realized that Pit's arrows are far more impressive than I'd originally assessed. The problem is, a lot of their usefulness comes from expert control of the arrow's path, something that I definitely cannot pull off yet. I was wondering, how do you practice shooting arrows effectively with Pit? Just playing isn't doing well for me, because the characters I fight against keep closing in and forcing me to dodge, attack, and retreat. At that point I fire a few arrows at them from afar, but it's hardly refined. I always shoot in a straight line.

I just want to get better, and was hoping someone would tell me how I can practice more effectively using arrows.

 

[Rhyfelwyr]

Go into training mode and pick a stage with a crazy platform setup that changes. Set the computer to "run," and try shooting him. Fire your bow when standing still, while jumping, and try throwing the computer into the air and off the stage and shooting. After doing this for a while, you can develop a knack for how the arrows work.

 

[-dMT-]

What Rhyfelwyr said is true. That works very well. Also, maybe some Target practice in Stadium. Although I found that frustrating (I was never one for breaking the targets in record time), I can say it would help if you tried to break them all with arrows exclusively.

 

[Leggo]

i would play my friends and just use arrows when a good oppurtunity came and would rack up damage, and then when i'd hit them off the map to the side,and i wouldnt even worry about ko'ing and just shoot arrows till he would recover just to practice and get a sense of using it on a person actually recovering... cause a guy floating back is pretty easy to hit, and you'll figure it out really fast...but when people are aware your are trying to hit them and using DI and what not, you really gotta think ahead of where your arrow is going to go. Really just do what Rhyfelwyr said and get a feel for your arrows (that will come quick) but then using the arrows in the heat of battle is where the true marksmanship comes from and you'll be surprised what you can do. I have ko'd alot of my friends with an arrow when they are just on the edge of the screen and they are going to recover but an arrow comes from the other side of the map, across the screen and hits them with just that little extra knock to KO off the screen.

 

[-dMT-]

Yes. The arrow KO. Feels just as good as Mirror Shield reflecting.

 

[Arigon]

For friendly fights after every smash attack that hits your enemy shoot an arrow or two until you can hit them every time. Simple as that.

 

[OldSchool]

Casuals against friends give you plenty of time to practice. Play to get better, not just to win. Your skill will improve.

 

[Hmaal]

I made a stage where you can practice Pit's flying, gliding and arrowing.

 

[speedrower18]

aside from target practice and training mode, training mode, my suggestion is to create a stage with multiple levels. ie pass-thru and the like because depending on the platform the arrows can pass thru them. and just ask a friend to help you practice by standing in diff places or evading but not closing in to attack. it also helps if u start out by firing straight and then pushing up down on the control stick to make the arrow dip or rise just a little. then move up to full scale arcs.

 

[Goombaguy]

I put together a level with two columns of solid blocks up one side, several spaces apart, with spaces in between so that if you were to push the two columns together they would create one solid wall (interlocking, that's the one).

I started off by taking shots at just the first column of bricks, deciding before each shot which I wanted to hit. You can also choose which blocks from the second column to shoot, which means you have to weave around the first column to get it (because of the block pattern, you're just curving then straightening out the arrow so it's flying horizontally again).

The other challenge I set for myself was shooting arrows straight through the two columns so that they flew out the other side (the two columns are two or three spaces apart, so you can't really go from top to bottom).

Better idea. Picture Link. Follow the multi-coloured arrows. Image not to scale; do it however you want.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7568/pittrainingnottoscalegw4.jpg

I've got this map on the largest size, because my arrows tend to be follow-ups once I've knocked the opponents away (you know, for the arrow KOs we all feel tingly about)

 

[NekoBoy085]

I just play. Also during the training dummy waiting room I just fire random crazy shots and do tricks with them like making them loop then hit and also Arrow Rain for ****s and giggles.

Like I say I just play

 

[WKx7x]

Practice on huge stages and work on maneuvering the arrows through tight obstacles, helps tremendously.

 

[thehunger77]

Maybe playing in training mode and practicing hitting the smash ball only using arrows.

 

[Gindler]

It requires practice?

I find it to be quite easy to hit someone everytime, and I hardly even use the lil' guy. All I can say is, work on your finger speed.