A_Reverie
Smash Apprentice
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2015
- Messages
- 175
Approaching the Wall
As a player, I've improved so much now. This year specifically. Despite having to practice alone for the majority of the time, I've still found myself able to push my abilities, keeping up with and even surpassing some of my friends in my tiny scene. The five of us are the best players in our small town by a large margin, but that says more about our lack of experience than any kind of dominance.
My Marth has peaked again, and I'm feeling like I'm reaching another plateau. Good, right? That search for the next step begins yet again, but the real hunt begins now. My previous periods of improvement were fostered by a deep dedication in practicing execution: input discipline in tech skill, combos and follow-ups. While I'm not flawless at any of this yet, I feel like I've found a mountain to scale in order to find my next gem. I'm certain I know what it is, but the thought of achieving it is, to put it simply, staggeringly intimidating.
Mind and Body
I've trained for countless hours already to improve my execution (Body) but my lack experience in training my mind is beginning to hit me full force. I've crossed a barrier recently when it comes to what part of the game most occupies my mind. For the longest time now my mind has mostly been focused on controlling my character properly and all that involves. However, as much of these things become second nature, my mind begins to reach out for another idea, but I lack the ideas at the moment and it's very scary.
Lately my only training partner has been my cousin, with whom I play Marth ditto pretty much 99% of the time. A few weeks ago I didn't notice anything, but this week alone I've been having issues - specifically ones in my mind. I think the repetitive nature of the match-up has caused me to become aware of the huge, empty mental space that now dominates my mind compared to the rest of my Smash career. There's now this distinct disconnect between my trained body and my untrained mind. No matter how many times I 3 or 4 stock my cousin, I can't shake this feeling that I'm on autopilot.
One Thing At a Time
I've opened up an entirely new world of material to work with now. The sheer amount of work that can be put into the mental game is daunting, but I read something here (likely from The Melee Library) that caught my eye, and that's the concept of one thing at a time. I'm impatient by nature, and my anxious mind wants to pin down as many of these concepts as possible, but that approach will surely stunt my growth. It's crucial now that I play to learn, keep an iron grip on my strengths, and destroy my weaknesses and bad habits now that I have the ability to identify them. I can now watch tournament matches with new perspective, and learn even more from my favorite players. I'm excited now, after writing this and sorting out my thoughts, but a part of me is still terrified.
As a player, I've improved so much now. This year specifically. Despite having to practice alone for the majority of the time, I've still found myself able to push my abilities, keeping up with and even surpassing some of my friends in my tiny scene. The five of us are the best players in our small town by a large margin, but that says more about our lack of experience than any kind of dominance.
My Marth has peaked again, and I'm feeling like I'm reaching another plateau. Good, right? That search for the next step begins yet again, but the real hunt begins now. My previous periods of improvement were fostered by a deep dedication in practicing execution: input discipline in tech skill, combos and follow-ups. While I'm not flawless at any of this yet, I feel like I've found a mountain to scale in order to find my next gem. I'm certain I know what it is, but the thought of achieving it is, to put it simply, staggeringly intimidating.
Mind and Body
I've trained for countless hours already to improve my execution (Body) but my lack experience in training my mind is beginning to hit me full force. I've crossed a barrier recently when it comes to what part of the game most occupies my mind. For the longest time now my mind has mostly been focused on controlling my character properly and all that involves. However, as much of these things become second nature, my mind begins to reach out for another idea, but I lack the ideas at the moment and it's very scary.
Lately my only training partner has been my cousin, with whom I play Marth ditto pretty much 99% of the time. A few weeks ago I didn't notice anything, but this week alone I've been having issues - specifically ones in my mind. I think the repetitive nature of the match-up has caused me to become aware of the huge, empty mental space that now dominates my mind compared to the rest of my Smash career. There's now this distinct disconnect between my trained body and my untrained mind. No matter how many times I 3 or 4 stock my cousin, I can't shake this feeling that I'm on autopilot.
One Thing At a Time
I've opened up an entirely new world of material to work with now. The sheer amount of work that can be put into the mental game is daunting, but I read something here (likely from The Melee Library) that caught my eye, and that's the concept of one thing at a time. I'm impatient by nature, and my anxious mind wants to pin down as many of these concepts as possible, but that approach will surely stunt my growth. It's crucial now that I play to learn, keep an iron grip on my strengths, and destroy my weaknesses and bad habits now that I have the ability to identify them. I can now watch tournament matches with new perspective, and learn even more from my favorite players. I'm excited now, after writing this and sorting out my thoughts, but a part of me is still terrified.
