When to go to tournaments?

[Glitchy_]

I am pretty new to to Smash and SSB4 is my first game, so I haven't really trained enough to execute all my combos perfectly, always space ideal or have crazy reading skills.
I am a little bit above average on FG and Bronze on Smashladder...

Here's a video of my current playstyle:

I'm sure I'll get completely destroyed but I heard it's always good to go to tournaments because you'll fight good/better players.

So should I go to tournaments or stay at home training combos/ edgeguarding/ dashdancing?

 

[Frihetsanka]

Assuming it's not too expensive or inconvenient to do so, I say go to tournaments. That way you can more easily identify weaknesses in your playstyle and work on fixing those issues. It can also give you information on which characters are the major threats so you can practice those matchups specifically (assuming the playerbase is fairly consistent), though you should still probably know every matchup just in case.

 

[Murlough]

If you want to get better than always such for new, better players. Doing the same thing will either progress you slower or not at all.

I say go to tournaments as soon as you can if you want to be good.

 

[MagnumMuskox]

You should go to tournaments, but also lab things out at home. When you go to tournaments, make sure you ask your opponent why you lost, because you probably will lose a lot. Tournament jitters affect you more than you think, and most people tend to play in a panicky auto-pilot mode.

Here's a free tip (and I hope I don't come across negatively, I'm just trying to help out a fellow smasher) : You tend to smash and counter a bit too much. You might get the hit once, but if your opponent has any brains, he'll bait you out again and again and punish you heavily for it every time. And depending on the character and player, that could mean a lost stock every time you counter or smash.

 

[Murlough]

Save replays. Even better than asking other people why you lost is figuring it out yourself. See what you did wrong. Your opponents aren't thinking about you. They don't care about your progress.

Asking others how to play better won't get you far. Analyzing your gameplay yourself will. Make sure to watch top players who use your character from time to time. That teaches you so much so fast. Good luck!

 

[Glitchy_]

You should go to tournaments, but also lab things out at home. When you go to tournaments, make sure you ask your opponent why you lost, because you probably will lose a lot. Tournament jitters affect you more than you think, and most people tend to play in a panicky auto-pilot mode.

Here's a free tip (and I hope I don't come across negatively, I'm just trying to help out a fellow smasher) : You tend to smash and counter a bit too much. You might get the hit once, but if your opponent has any brains, he'll bait you out again and again and punish you heavily for it every time. And depending on the character and player, that could mean a lost stock every time you counter or smash.

Thanks for the countering & smashing hint, I'll try to overcome my habits.

Save replays. Even better than asking other people why you lost is figuring it out yourself. See what you did wrong. Your opponents aren't thinking about you. They don't care about your progress.

Asking others how to play better won't get you far. Analyzing your gameplay yourself will. Make sure to watch top players who use your character from time to time. That teaches you so much so fast. Good luck!

My problem with this is that I always heard that if you aren't going to tournaments, you'll want to be in training mode to improve the most and there you won't get any replays to analyze the bad habits.
I may however try to get the tournament replays...

 

[Murlough]

Training mode is for practicing tech and combos. You don't need replays for that...you either have the stuff down or you don't.

 

[Glitchy_]

Training mode is for practicing tech and combos. You don't need replays for that...you either have the stuff down or you don't.

I don't xD