The mental aspect(calling all psych majors)

[scrub_nugget]

Hello, my name is scrub.
I've always been very interested in the mindset of competitive sport, or in this case, smash.

IMO, Smash is only slightly physical playing with your hands(anyone can hit buttons, though some stuff like buffer DACUS or the ICs CG's takes some practice.) and mainly conscious/subconscious thought.

I always form bad habits in brawl; if I am at the edge of the stage, and my opponent runs at me, I always roll. After a few repeats, he learns to stutter step me in the face every single time, and I can't stop rolling around him when in that situation.
My mind jumps to the first option I've found useful there, and it became a bad habbit of leaving myself predictable.

Mentality effects your gameplay a bunch, but it seems like we focus more on the game itself more than the players.

Things like the prestige of your opponent, being unfamiliar with a matchup, having a bad expierience on a stage, making yourself unable to play there again, these can all cause you to lose easily.

I think the reason some people are just on such a different level than others is because they can figure out how to beat their mentality.

What do you think?
What would you say is an ideal mindset, and how do you achieve it?

 

[TheReflexWonder]

Having preconceived notions of how good a person is relative to you, making costly mistakes in a match, and getting down on yourself is unnecessary pressure. People can't say for sure how good anyone is, and the only person judging you is yourself. Even if someone else cared that much, what does it matter? No one is perfect, mistakes are bound to happen, and no one should feel like they're out to prove anything. Let your play speak for you, and it'll come if you really have what it takes.

Being unfamiliar with a matchup is less a mindset issue and more a product of not knowing enough about the game. General game knowledge is an important prerequisite for being consistent in a competitive setting, as it will cause problems regardless of how it affects you mentally. It's more about understanding your options than anything else.

I think the most important thing about one's mindset would be to consider all mistakes and losses a learning experience. If you're not actively learning from them, they were pointless, and they won't help at all. You stand to learn much more from losing than winning, so make the most of it. General pressure is just a matter of prioritizing what matters and realizing that you're the only one that really cares about how you do. Don't get an ego; just learn and improve. You don't need to be a psychology major to figure that out.

 

[hichez50]

Well being a psychology major doesn't hurt right?

 

[scrub_nugget]

trufax tho