need some advice

[RusselC]

i need some help with a problem im having. I have friend who is extremely cocky and thinks he is really good (and he uses fox). But all he does is mix of over shielding-rolling and button mashing. He doesnt even own a GC, none the less ssbm. Its hard for me to beat him when im trying to use shffl, shl, and all that good stuff in my game but come out worse than before i even tried to use "advanced" techs. And when i explained to him what i was practicing, he said it was useless if it cant help you win. What im asking is that is it normal to be practicing for hours on "advanced" techs and have it not raise your skill?

[phanna]

I used to practice advanced techs nonstop. I would SWD with Samus virtually every time I tried. I would play whole matches against Derf doing nothing but SWD'ing his C. Falcon. But I never won.

Tech skills are useful, but aren't the key to success. Spacing, timing, and mindgames are. Teching just improves your ability to do these 3 things. You must know what you're doing first, though - and if you're getting beaten by a button-mashed, I would say you're focusing too hard on executing technical moves, without actually thinking about the effects your actions will have. Focus more on just playing smart, then once you have a feel for certain matches, practice techs in-game.

[HxCKoski]

focusing to much on advacned techs weakens my play too. Master the basics first

[Sytar]

I had the same problem. When I started learning how to wavedash and SHFFL, it killed my game. I became much worse than I had been before. I thought of it at as metamorphosis. While my skill decreased whilst learning the advanced techniques, afterwards in skyrocketed. If I played my newbie self now, I would four stock myself and make myself cry. There is just THAT much a difference. I mean, you can't even compare. Sure your friend is beating you now, but in two weeks---after you've spent all those hours practicing how to SHFFL and wavedash--you'll actually start getting them down. And whats more, you'll start implementing them strategically. When I first started wavedashing, I didn't try to implement it strategically. I just tried to get it out. Funnily enough, I used to try so hard to wavedash, and when it would finally come out, and look like it was working offensively, I would think to myself, "YEAH!" Every once in a while, however, my friend would hit me out of it. I would get all angry and be like, "WTF?! YOU HIT MY OUT OF MY WAVEDASH!!!" I was all angry becaues I thought you gained frames of invincibility and all this other crazy stuff from wavedashing. Haha, the good 'ol days. But seriously, keep practicing, and in a few weeks you'll demolish your friend.

[DDRKirby(ISQ)]

"dude how the hell did you win? I was doing maaddd WD's nonstop"
"yes, but you never actually attacked me"
"no dude, you don't understandddd, did you see me do that SWD off the edge of FD? come on!!! how the hell did i lose after pulling that off?"
"...because you ended up SD'ing by airdodging?"

anyhow, advanced techs usually do decrease your ability to win matches, at first. even after you've learned how to do them, you may not be comfortable enough with them to be able to use them effectively, or you may not know how and when and why to use them.
that being said, after you've mastered the physical motions of wd's, shffl's, etc (and i mean -mastered-), you have to get used to using them by actually trying to apply them. at first you'll try all sorts of things. some of them might work. most of them probably wont. but you'll learn, and eventually, learn how to implement them properly.

the thing that helps the most is thinking. dont be stupid and do the same thing over and over when it's failing every single time. try something else.

i wouldn't reccomend playing extremely cocky players. =/

[booshk]

i love playing extremely cocky players and beating them ahah
but yes
u should MASTER the advanced techniques before using them in battle
for example if ur trying to shffl u could do a full jump by accident and could be punished o_o
u also need to know when to shffl and wd.. dont just do it out of nowhere