Tournament nerves?

[tsmfoxmaster]

Hello fellow smashers I got a question how do you guys get rid of tournaments nerves? When I am practicing alone I am not nervous at all. But when I go to tournaments and get around players I tense up and start doing bad how do I fix this problem? Any tips.

 

[-ACE-]

Tournament nerves/mindset means everything. A big reason why the gods tend to beat other top 10 players is their unyielding confidence. While they enter a set basically knowing they're going to win, the other player knows they are entering an uphill battle. The more confident you are, the better you'll play. This is why many people don't say "always play to win" if you're too worried about losing it can drastically hinder your play. I've been entering tournaments since 2006 and I'm 33 years old, and I still occasionally encounter this. It happens to everyone. Never hold a player's status on a pedestal. Respect good players obviously, but don't get nervous. Do whatever it takes to keep your mood enlightened. Have fun. Learn to enjoy playing from behind. Feel good when you're behind. Love the challenge. Play friendlies with the best player in your region. Get used to losing and don't fear it. Losing doesn't matter unless it's grand finals anyway, where the amount of money you'll make drastically changes. Don't worry about your reputation or what people see your skill level as. Just keep focusing on situations, and record your sets so you can see your mistakes. After a while, playing people better than you will become the norm, and fighting seemingly uphill battles will become easy. Just stop worrying.

 

[KirinKQP]

When I attended my first tournament I played friendlies with everyone nearby and got into the mood of playing. When in pools, I listened to music and thought I was going to destroy everyone and felt lighthearted unlike the dense feeling I had walking into the venue. When I lost a stock I nodded my head in acceptance and took my time in getting out of spawn. No one will care for your performance but you, don't think about anything else except for doing what needs to be done in the game; win. Adrenaline hit me like a bus and I played probably the best I ever did in my life up until that point.

I chatted a lot, cracked a few jokes and laughed mid-set. Though it was a tournament, the mood wasn't as tense as I expected and everyone was friendly. Losing wasn't as painful as I initially made it out to be and I actually looked forward to improving and going to more tournaments. All in all, do anything to make you feel at home in the venue. Being tense and nervous ruins your mindset and performance.

 

[Pikaville]

My advice would be try listen to music during your games, it helps a lot. Also just remember everyone is there to not only play but to have some fun. So take a couple of deep breaths and just relax and play like you usually do.

 

[iAmMatt]

I always tell myself, "It's just a game, there'll be more". Don't worry about nerves. As you become more comfortable at tournaments, your nerves will disappear. I think a big part of nerves in being unfamiliar with a venue. The first few times you go are uncomfortable because you don't know anyone and you want people to know what you're capable of. As you meet people who attend your local regularly, you'll get more comfortable around them. Frankly, when I see someone lose because of something stupid like an sd, my mind always jumps straight to tournament nerves. Assuming I'm not the odd one out, people acknowledge tournament nerves and completely understand it. Don't worry, you could be the worst player at your local and people will still respect the hell out of you.