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Tourney Nerves...

tac0_

Smash Rookie
Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Messages
5
Recently I attended a tourney, and I felt like I didn't play to the best of my ability. I went 0-2 in bracket. I will admit though that I most likely would not have won, even if I had played to my best ability. Even in friendlies I was messing up some basic tech and some easy combos. I would say that I have the basic tech down and maybe even a little more than basic tech down. I was wondering what do you guys do to calm down or help relieve your tourney nerves? Any reply would be much appreciated.
 

20XXwingleborgXxx

Smash Apprentice
Joined
May 25, 2015
Messages
127
Location
Oslo Norway
1. Try to stay calm while playing
2. Remember that the game is always the same.
3. Stay postive and have fun

Results dosent show what you can do, Only what you have done.
 

kswef

Button Pressing Master
Joined
Apr 13, 2016
Messages
17
Location
Puerto Rico
Keep going to tournaments until get over the nerves, currently going through the same. lol
 

Ezlo

Smash Cadet
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
64
There's a lot of steps to getting over tourney nerves, and no two people get over them quite the same way. However, there's some things you might want to focus on...
Firstly, the more you go to tournaments, the more comfortable you'll be. Try and go to as many as you can.

Secondly, don't expect to play perfectly in bracket, or even in friendlies. You almost never do. Keep this in mind when you're practicing, too -- if you can L-cancel consistently 95% of the time when you're practicing at home, you can probably L-cancel 75% of the time in bracket, 95% when you're playing amazing.

Thirdly, don't go to a tournament with the goal of winning the tourney, or a set, or even a game -- not for now, at least. Go to have fun, meet people, make your game better, whatever works for you. Then, when you're starting to get good enough to place, you can start focusing more on winning.

Fourth, don't get caught up in individual mistakes. You start playing a match with a real person next to you, you hardly know them, and OH CRAP YOU JUST MESSED UP YOUR LEDGEDASH AND DIED (or whatever the case may be). Don't think about it. You messed up, and there'll be time to grind away the mistake later. Just for that moment, though, save it somewhere in your brain and focus on playing. Then you can write down what you need to work on, or go home and start grinding, or whatever.

Finally, start focusing more on the game, instead of the people around you, or the noise, or that food waiting at home, or that ONE option that you CAN'T seem to hit because your opponent WON'T LET YOU! (eg peach's downsmash) Nerves come with distractions and worrying. If you're focused, you won't get them half as easily.

I hope this helps, even if just a little bit :)
~EZLO
 

Crooked Crow

drank from lakes of sorrow
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
2,247
You have to get beaten a lot to really learn from your mistakes- I'm afraid there are no shortcuts. Grind your knuckles to the bone and practice, practice, practice.
 

Ezlo

Smash Cadet
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
64
I bet drinks at the bar I play at often. Playing with something on the line helps.
Just wanna confirm something. You're saying that it helps to practice with something on the line, so that you go to a tourney and you're used to having a little pressure, right?

If you're saying it helps to put something on the line during tournament day, I'd strongly disagree, but if you're doing friendlies with something on the line then that definitely would help.



By the way, something I forgot in my long post above -- play against people better than you just as much as you play against people worse than you. It feels very different to be playing while the other person has momentum, and it can be pretty scary, to be honest. If you play against people better than you, you'll get used to it. Chances are, they'll punish harder, and you'll get used to getting 0-deathed, losing neutral to stupid mistakes, lots of little things like that. Those things all add stress when they happen in bracket, but if you're used to them happening, it'll be harder to get nervous.
 
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HtramKnil

Smash Rookie
Joined
Jul 25, 2016
Messages
17
Currently having the same problem, learn from it and it will make you better. It's a game, remember why you play the game. To have FUN :)
 
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