This is actually my area of expertise as compared to most players my mind is very quick but my twitch responses certainly are not the fastest on the planet. Most of the fights that I have won have been won before the match even started simply b ecause I have a very strong mindset that is hard to crack. You need to thrive on challenge and not let it overcome you. When you are in a deficit you need it to elevate your play not let it bring you down. The only way I can truly feel this way is with a proper combination of study and practice so I know that I am in full control of my character at all times, while constantly improving said character.
I've been playing poker for years for years, in casinos and online with a good amount of money on the line. I feel the exact same adrenaline rush as I do when I have hundreds on the line as I do when i'm a good match of smash bros. The way you prepare so you don't crack under the pressure is really identical and it's what I used in that craft to chisel out this tough to crack mindset when going into a game.
I will give you one tip right now that is the absolute 100% most important thing anybody could ever tell you when you are doing ANYTHING in life that involves you performing at your personal best, and for your benefit I truly hope you keep an open mind. Breathing is all you need. That's right, just breathe. The definition of meditation is concentration on your breathing. If you can meditate while you play aka, focus on your breathing while you perform, you will always be in a position to get the most from yourself.
Why is this? You may ask yourself, the answer is simple. To perform a simple action of following your breath, which I will briefly explain: Simply pay attention to your inhale, the entire way, and your exhale, the entire way. Try to make them both the same length of time, or as close to it as you can. Consistently breathe, do not hold your breath at all. If you allow a consistent flow of oxygen into your body and are mindful of it the entire time, you are going to be at a significant advantage over your opponents in the "not cracking" area of your game. When you are following your breath like this, you are focused to play out of instinct, you literally do not have the mental capacity to think in a conscious state and play a game at 60fps if you are following your breath. Everything you will do will be subconscious, meaning only things that you have practiced to the level of mastery will show up in your performance. Each concept or advanced technique you are trying to implement in your game will not show up, only the things you can do in your sleep.
This allows you to see what you need to work on to the point of subconscious performance while simultaneously keeping you 100% in the moment, which will always put you in your best position to succeed, in any facet of life.
I'm going to bring you down. FIGHT ME!
I wrote these tips somewhere else on this Forum, but they are worth repeating here.
1.
Don't just blindly charge into battle. Your dash attack will be predicted, and punished. I'm SO guilty for this a lot of the time, but blind attacking is a surefire way to lose.
2.
It's a lot easier to be a pest and slowly rack up damage than to KO someone. So when you're constantly getting hammered and you can't get that KO move on that fool, it can suck. Try to find patterns in his movement so you can catch that little bumsack off guard.
3.
Sometimes, your character might just suck. Even if you're good. Prediction goes a long way, but in even matches of skill, the character may put you at a huge disadvantage. For example, Charizard can't just march up to Duck Hunt. (but really, it's hard period to get to a good Duck Hunt player)
4.
Mind games, mind games, mind games. Get into your opponent's head. Remember those times you get frustrated? Your opponent is as human as you are. They can feel what you can feel. Knowing this, use this to your advantage. Make it impossible to get hit. Dodge around. Sooner or later, your opponent will get greedy and thrust himself into your hands to smash you. Punish him for it. The more desperate, the easier it is to win.
5.
If you focus on winning and percentage and damage and tiny little things, you're going to lose because you have no plan. Get a game plan set up. Figure out in your head how you're going to beat the enemy. Think about what you would do if you were the opponent. Brawl is a game of Chess.
6.
Be unpredictable. Don't always roll. And if you DO roll, don't roll towards your opponent. People who always roll can be punished with predicted attacks and down and up smashes that hit both sides. Don't always sidestep. They too can be punished. And don't always shield. You can get grabbed and comboed. Basically, what I'm trying to say is don't always use one move. Mix it up.
7.
Have fun. Don't beat yourself up when you lose. Learn.
