Neutral game is terrible

[KirinKQP]

From troubleshooting my matches and advice from other players I have come to a conclusion: my neutral game is a**. I am really comfortable around the ledge and have an idea on the punish game except against Fox and ICs. However, I stand no chance against other people head on for things like stage control and trying to get hits in. My spacing has improved and I am testing my movement fluidity but I don't know how to touch on that part of my gameplay.

How do I improve my neutral game? Do I just need to learn the matchup even more? Can I practice against a level 1 CPU for a while?

 

[AquaTech]

Play more people

 

[OldmanKarp]

^ Pretty much this. You can read matchup guides for a general idea on what to watch out for, but knowing the right space to avoid all your opponents best options and responding to them is intuitive; it's something you pick up from experience.

 

[krazyzyko]

You want to catch jumps out of shield with bairs, falling cross up nairs and late up airs. The rest is spacing bairs and edge canceling in platforms.