JesiahTEG
Smash Master
Improvement
INTRO
So, I've only been playing smash since January, and I've never been to a major tournament outside of my local gaming center. I'm not even really that good at this game. Other people that post on these boards are better than me; some of them could even four stock me. In fact, I probably go even with a lot of you, if not worse. I miss a lot of opportunities while playing, I fail to fully capitalize on my opponent's mistakes, and sometimes I miss easy edgeguards.
Now I've gotten the point across that, compared to others, I'm not very good at this game. You're probably wondering why I would tell you that I'm not good at this game while I'm making a thread on improvement. I'm not a high level player, so why should you listen to me? The answer is pretty simple. All those high level players that you hear about...I am at the same level as they once were. At some point in their smash career, they were at the same point I am now. No one just started the game off being better than I am right now, it's just highly unlikely. Extremely unlikely, even.
This brings me to my next point--improvement.
If I want to get as good as all the high level players, or anyone that is better than me, I need to improve. Improvement is the KEY to smash. The reason M2K is so good is because he knows how to improve, and not only does he know how, he is good at it (not to mention the fact he knows the game's mechanics inside and out). I've realized a lot of people just stay at the same level of play for the longest time while I keep improving. I believe that most people have the potential to be great in smash, but they just don't know how to improve.
This is where I'm different. I may not be as good as other players out there, but I KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE and I'm good at it.
THE CATCH
I can tell you how to improve, but only to a certain point. I have a theory on improvement, but because I am not at a very high level of play yet and, although I believe this theory to be true among higher levels of play (possibly the highest), I cannot say for sure, so I only guarantee this method up to the point at which I am.
THE STEPS TO IMPROVEMENT
In order to improve in smash, you must do 3 things.
1. Figure out why you're losing.
2. Come up with solutions to the answers to step 1.
3. Execute your solutions devised in step 2.
STEP 1: FIGURE OUT WHY YOU'RE LOSING
This is perhaps the most important step to improvement in smash and also the step over the course of progress wherein many people stop improving. When I first started playing this game, I would ask people how to improve and they would say, "Experience." When I heard this answer, I got very upset and people just kept telling me that same answer.
The truth is, experience is key to smash, but in a few different ways. If someone tells you that you cannot get good until you go to major tournies...that is not true. What is true, though, is that the more varied playstyles and obstacles you come across, then the more you will know about the game, allowing you to improve based upon what you encounter in matches.
Okay, back on track. The reason why I talked about experience is becusue I want to say that it is very possible for a player that has only been playing for 5 months become better than a player that has been playing for a year. How does this work? This works because the player that has only been playing for 5 months knows how to improve better than the player that has been playing for a year. More specifically, the improving player knows WHY it is losing.
Let me start off with this example: If you hear a song on the radio about 100 times and you aren't paying attention to the song, you will still have learned the song by the 100th time it is played. Now, if you hear a song 5 times, but you listen every time and try to memorize the lyrics, chances are you will learn that song by the 5th time listening to it, as opposed to learning that same song after 100 times of listening to it.
The same concept applies in smash. If I play 100 matches and I keep getting hit by wavedash backwards forward smash, by the 100th match, most likely even if I was just running around trying to hit my opponent and not really thinking about what he was doing, I should realize that I have been getting ***** by wavedash backwards forward smash. Now, If I play 5 matches and I get hit a lot by wavedash backwards forward smash, but I'm really paying attention and realizing that, when I approach, my opponent wavedashes backwards and forward smashes, I am going to know, probably even by the third match, that I am getting owned by wavedash backwards forward smash.
The preceding idea is step one. Paying attention to matches and thinking about why you just got hit, or why you just missed an attack, or why you keep getting your recovery ***** is the basis of this idea. The more you pay attention, the faster you will figure out why you're losing...which leads to being able to figure out how to stop your losing habits.
STEP 2: COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO YOUR PROBLEMS
Now, you've realized that you keep getting hit by wavedash backwards forward smash. Now all you have to do is not get hit by it. After you find out why you're losing, take a quick break. Grab some water, sit down, and think of all the possible ways to not get hit by wavedash backwards forward smash. When I think of how to stop wavedash backwards forward smash, a few options immediately come to mind. First, you can DD into your opponent's range and then DD back out to avoid the attack followed by a DD back in to punish their lag from their missed forward smash. Next, I think of approaching them and immediately shielding; when I get hit by the forward smash, I will WD out of shield and punish their lag. Lastly, I think that maybe, when I approach, instead of attacking where my opponent is, I should run past that point and attack where they will be.
I'm sure there are more options than this, but these are just a few immediate options that come to mind. Now I've figured out why I'm losing, and now I have a solution to those problems. The last step is to execute my solutions.
STEP 3: EXECUTING YOUR SOLUTIONS
Now, you start playing again and you're going to try out your solutions that you have thought of. The only problem now is...can you do it? Can you perform the actions required to stop wavedash backwards forward smash? Maybe you don't have the tech skill yet. Maybe you're not good enough at DDing to DD into their range and then back out again, but not close enough to the outside of their range in order to be able to get to your opponent in time to punish their lag. Perhaps every time you try to WD out of shield, you accidentally jump. Luckily, this step is only a matter of practice and, as long as you practice the actions required to execute your solutions smoothly, you will eventually be WDing out of shield from pure habit every time your shield gets hit by a forward smash. Practice, practice practice.
EXAMPLES OF MY METHOD
Here are a few examples to this 3 step method that I have performed on my own.
GETTING SHIELDGRABBED
1. Find out you're getting shieldgrabbed
2. Realize that you can spotdodge after landing, jab after landing, or land behind your opponent's shield.
3. Practice your spacing so that you can land behind your opponent's shield every time or practice buffering your spotdodge so you spotdodge immediately after landing.
STOPPING ROLL-SPAMMERS
1. Figure out that every time you approach your opponent, they roll.
2. Understand that you can wait for them to roll and, if they roll behind you, you forward smash; if they roll away, you WD to forward smash.
3. Practice being patient and waiting for the roll by walking up to them and then executing your forward smash or WD forward smash.
The following is another example of my method, but this time, a bit more thinking is required.
STOPPING SHEIK'S DASH ATTACK
1. Realize you are getting ***** by Sheik's dash attack.
2. Understand that you can shieldgrab the dash attack, roll away, or spotdodge.
3. Hmm, this is where it gets a little tricky. You go back to play after coming up with a few solutions, but you realize that none of your methods work or that they are not safe. If you shieldgrab, they can just run up and grab you instead of dash attacking. If you roll away, you are very vulnerable due to the long lag time of a roll. If you spotdodge, Sheik can downsmash as your spotdodge has just ended. Now you must go back to step 2, but come up with more effective solutions.
2. (Again) In order to stop Sheik from dash attacking AND dash grabbing, I can wavedash backwards to forward smash, or I can pivot forward smash.
3. Practice pivoting and wavedash backwards forward smash until you punish any Sheik that ever blindly dashes at you.
Even though you have a lot of options to deal with Sheik's dash attack, against the better players, 1 option will not work every time. You're going to need to get good at several options and be able to mix them up so you're not predictable--therefore, your opponent will have a much harder time punishing you.
Now, you may be wondering to yourselves, "If this method really works, why isn't everybody a professional player?" The answer to this question goes back to my example of dealing with Sheik's dash attack. For some strategies, it is very, very, very hard to come up with effective solutions; sometimes it's extremely difficult to execute those solutions. For example, I have yet to come up with an effective solution to DD grab campers.
Remember what I said about experience? Sometimes, at big tournies, you will come across different playstyles that completely throw you off. For example: You are playing Falco and you are used to playing with Marths in your area that stay in shield to defend against your lasers followed by a roll away. At this tourney you're in, you approach with lasers getting ready to punish their roll, but this time when you get close, they retreat fair out of shield. Now, unless you can perform all 3 steps of my method before you lose the match, then you're out of luck. This is why people say going to tournies is important...because you get to play different playstyles and come across new challenges to overcome. This is why when a lot of people in my area say "Wow, that's so gay--I can't stop that," I never complain. I just think of what they call "gayness" as a way to improve. I want as many gay strats to be performed on me as possible because afterwards, I am more prepared for those same obstacles later on.
Unfortunately, Melee is dwindling down and this advice probably won't help anyone that much, but I feel as if the same method will apply to Brawl, so keep this all in mind. Thanks for reading.
One more thing. If any high level players are reading this, can you tell me if, at higher levels of play, why this method may not work and what other obstacles make this method maybe less effective? I am very curious to find the answer as to what the difference between mid-level players and pros are.
INTRO
So, I've only been playing smash since January, and I've never been to a major tournament outside of my local gaming center. I'm not even really that good at this game. Other people that post on these boards are better than me; some of them could even four stock me. In fact, I probably go even with a lot of you, if not worse. I miss a lot of opportunities while playing, I fail to fully capitalize on my opponent's mistakes, and sometimes I miss easy edgeguards.
Now I've gotten the point across that, compared to others, I'm not very good at this game. You're probably wondering why I would tell you that I'm not good at this game while I'm making a thread on improvement. I'm not a high level player, so why should you listen to me? The answer is pretty simple. All those high level players that you hear about...I am at the same level as they once were. At some point in their smash career, they were at the same point I am now. No one just started the game off being better than I am right now, it's just highly unlikely. Extremely unlikely, even.
This brings me to my next point--improvement.
If I want to get as good as all the high level players, or anyone that is better than me, I need to improve. Improvement is the KEY to smash. The reason M2K is so good is because he knows how to improve, and not only does he know how, he is good at it (not to mention the fact he knows the game's mechanics inside and out). I've realized a lot of people just stay at the same level of play for the longest time while I keep improving. I believe that most people have the potential to be great in smash, but they just don't know how to improve.
This is where I'm different. I may not be as good as other players out there, but I KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE and I'm good at it.
THE CATCH
I can tell you how to improve, but only to a certain point. I have a theory on improvement, but because I am not at a very high level of play yet and, although I believe this theory to be true among higher levels of play (possibly the highest), I cannot say for sure, so I only guarantee this method up to the point at which I am.
THE STEPS TO IMPROVEMENT
In order to improve in smash, you must do 3 things.
1. Figure out why you're losing.
2. Come up with solutions to the answers to step 1.
3. Execute your solutions devised in step 2.
STEP 1: FIGURE OUT WHY YOU'RE LOSING
This is perhaps the most important step to improvement in smash and also the step over the course of progress wherein many people stop improving. When I first started playing this game, I would ask people how to improve and they would say, "Experience." When I heard this answer, I got very upset and people just kept telling me that same answer.
The truth is, experience is key to smash, but in a few different ways. If someone tells you that you cannot get good until you go to major tournies...that is not true. What is true, though, is that the more varied playstyles and obstacles you come across, then the more you will know about the game, allowing you to improve based upon what you encounter in matches.
Okay, back on track. The reason why I talked about experience is becusue I want to say that it is very possible for a player that has only been playing for 5 months become better than a player that has been playing for a year. How does this work? This works because the player that has only been playing for 5 months knows how to improve better than the player that has been playing for a year. More specifically, the improving player knows WHY it is losing.
Let me start off with this example: If you hear a song on the radio about 100 times and you aren't paying attention to the song, you will still have learned the song by the 100th time it is played. Now, if you hear a song 5 times, but you listen every time and try to memorize the lyrics, chances are you will learn that song by the 5th time listening to it, as opposed to learning that same song after 100 times of listening to it.
The same concept applies in smash. If I play 100 matches and I keep getting hit by wavedash backwards forward smash, by the 100th match, most likely even if I was just running around trying to hit my opponent and not really thinking about what he was doing, I should realize that I have been getting ***** by wavedash backwards forward smash. Now, If I play 5 matches and I get hit a lot by wavedash backwards forward smash, but I'm really paying attention and realizing that, when I approach, my opponent wavedashes backwards and forward smashes, I am going to know, probably even by the third match, that I am getting owned by wavedash backwards forward smash.
The preceding idea is step one. Paying attention to matches and thinking about why you just got hit, or why you just missed an attack, or why you keep getting your recovery ***** is the basis of this idea. The more you pay attention, the faster you will figure out why you're losing...which leads to being able to figure out how to stop your losing habits.
STEP 2: COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO YOUR PROBLEMS
Now, you've realized that you keep getting hit by wavedash backwards forward smash. Now all you have to do is not get hit by it. After you find out why you're losing, take a quick break. Grab some water, sit down, and think of all the possible ways to not get hit by wavedash backwards forward smash. When I think of how to stop wavedash backwards forward smash, a few options immediately come to mind. First, you can DD into your opponent's range and then DD back out to avoid the attack followed by a DD back in to punish their lag from their missed forward smash. Next, I think of approaching them and immediately shielding; when I get hit by the forward smash, I will WD out of shield and punish their lag. Lastly, I think that maybe, when I approach, instead of attacking where my opponent is, I should run past that point and attack where they will be.
I'm sure there are more options than this, but these are just a few immediate options that come to mind. Now I've figured out why I'm losing, and now I have a solution to those problems. The last step is to execute my solutions.
STEP 3: EXECUTING YOUR SOLUTIONS
Now, you start playing again and you're going to try out your solutions that you have thought of. The only problem now is...can you do it? Can you perform the actions required to stop wavedash backwards forward smash? Maybe you don't have the tech skill yet. Maybe you're not good enough at DDing to DD into their range and then back out again, but not close enough to the outside of their range in order to be able to get to your opponent in time to punish their lag. Perhaps every time you try to WD out of shield, you accidentally jump. Luckily, this step is only a matter of practice and, as long as you practice the actions required to execute your solutions smoothly, you will eventually be WDing out of shield from pure habit every time your shield gets hit by a forward smash. Practice, practice practice.
EXAMPLES OF MY METHOD
Here are a few examples to this 3 step method that I have performed on my own.
GETTING SHIELDGRABBED
1. Find out you're getting shieldgrabbed
2. Realize that you can spotdodge after landing, jab after landing, or land behind your opponent's shield.
3. Practice your spacing so that you can land behind your opponent's shield every time or practice buffering your spotdodge so you spotdodge immediately after landing.
STOPPING ROLL-SPAMMERS
1. Figure out that every time you approach your opponent, they roll.
2. Understand that you can wait for them to roll and, if they roll behind you, you forward smash; if they roll away, you WD to forward smash.
3. Practice being patient and waiting for the roll by walking up to them and then executing your forward smash or WD forward smash.
The following is another example of my method, but this time, a bit more thinking is required.
STOPPING SHEIK'S DASH ATTACK
1. Realize you are getting ***** by Sheik's dash attack.
2. Understand that you can shieldgrab the dash attack, roll away, or spotdodge.
3. Hmm, this is where it gets a little tricky. You go back to play after coming up with a few solutions, but you realize that none of your methods work or that they are not safe. If you shieldgrab, they can just run up and grab you instead of dash attacking. If you roll away, you are very vulnerable due to the long lag time of a roll. If you spotdodge, Sheik can downsmash as your spotdodge has just ended. Now you must go back to step 2, but come up with more effective solutions.
2. (Again) In order to stop Sheik from dash attacking AND dash grabbing, I can wavedash backwards to forward smash, or I can pivot forward smash.
3. Practice pivoting and wavedash backwards forward smash until you punish any Sheik that ever blindly dashes at you.
Even though you have a lot of options to deal with Sheik's dash attack, against the better players, 1 option will not work every time. You're going to need to get good at several options and be able to mix them up so you're not predictable--therefore, your opponent will have a much harder time punishing you.
Now, you may be wondering to yourselves, "If this method really works, why isn't everybody a professional player?" The answer to this question goes back to my example of dealing with Sheik's dash attack. For some strategies, it is very, very, very hard to come up with effective solutions; sometimes it's extremely difficult to execute those solutions. For example, I have yet to come up with an effective solution to DD grab campers.
Remember what I said about experience? Sometimes, at big tournies, you will come across different playstyles that completely throw you off. For example: You are playing Falco and you are used to playing with Marths in your area that stay in shield to defend against your lasers followed by a roll away. At this tourney you're in, you approach with lasers getting ready to punish their roll, but this time when you get close, they retreat fair out of shield. Now, unless you can perform all 3 steps of my method before you lose the match, then you're out of luck. This is why people say going to tournies is important...because you get to play different playstyles and come across new challenges to overcome. This is why when a lot of people in my area say "Wow, that's so gay--I can't stop that," I never complain. I just think of what they call "gayness" as a way to improve. I want as many gay strats to be performed on me as possible because afterwards, I am more prepared for those same obstacles later on.
Unfortunately, Melee is dwindling down and this advice probably won't help anyone that much, but I feel as if the same method will apply to Brawl, so keep this all in mind. Thanks for reading.
One more thing. If any high level players are reading this, can you tell me if, at higher levels of play, why this method may not work and what other obstacles make this method maybe less effective? I am very curious to find the answer as to what the difference between mid-level players and pros are.
.
