Trouble Getting over Autopilot

[Slock]

Hi all,

So I have this terrible habit of going into autopilot mode when I play, and I don't really consciously think about why I'm using each move and what move I'm using. I am starting to pick up on patterns of opponents a little, but I still feel only semi-conscious when I play. It probably stems from the fact that I don't play with people regularly and can only really train on cpus, aside from playing friendlies with people some weekends. But nonetheless, does anyone have any tips on how they overcame the habit, or maybe somethings for me to work on?

Thanks

 

[AirFair]

A rule of thumb is to always watch what your opponent is doing, since you already know where you want your character to be. You just need to know what options you want to use in situations (opponent above you on platform teching, neutral game, etc.). Autopilot can cause you to make decisions that you will look back and regret, so before you try and get out of the neutral, try and think of how you want to take the stock. Maybe a chaingrab? Maybe a dashattack aerial?

TLDR: even if you play a little worse, try and understand what you and your opponents are doing, you will learn better options.

Hope that made sense.

 

[SwiftOfDaSouth]

A rule of thumb is to always watch what your opponent is doing, since you already know where you want your character to be. You just need to know what options you want to use in situations (opponent above you on platform teching, neutral game, etc.). Autopilot can cause you to make decisions that you will look back and regret, so before you try and get out of the neutral, try and think of how you want to take the stock. Maybe a chaingrab? Maybe a dashattack aerial?

TLDR: even if you play a little worse, try and understand what you and your opponents are doing, you will learn better options.

Hope that made sense.

What he said. AirFair is smart. Listen to him.

I have the same problem, and some ways I fix it is to try and make reads mid match and pick up on what my opponent is doing or any patterns they showcase or anything at all that gives me an excuse to hyperanalyze the game so that I never loose focus and always stay in the center of the action. If you're trying to read what your opponent is doing, you're not going to get caught with your pants down in a pointless dash dance or with you finger up your ass in a full hop Nair that made less than no sense.

 

[Stark]

I definitely had this problem, and I'm still in process of adjusting. You should basically always be watching your opponent trying to understand what's going on in his head. It is worth it to play a little slower at first, but smarter. If you train alone (which I have to do most of the time), practice combos for only a little bit so that you can pour in most of your other time to practicing movement and option covering. It's tempting to just go ham on a computer cas you can, but most of the time it doesn't translate over. The movement and control, however, does.

Getting other people to play with you is also something you should always try to have since it forces you to think. You'll get the hang of it, so keep working hard!

 

[theperson91]

For me, while I still have this habit, one of the best things was starting to watch my own replays. Then, you'll actually get to see what happens when you play in autopilot and the stupid mistakes you are making. It's definitely worth investing in something to capture your own replays, and then when you watch take mental note of each mistake you make, and you'll start thinking about it more during play.

 

[AirFair]

I like to have friends analyze matches. That really helps too.

 

[Slock]

Thanks for your advice guys! I'll definitely try and incorporate some of these into my friendlies, as well as solo practice.