Relax?! How can I?

[The Mad Hatter]

Ok guys, I need your help now more than ever.

In normal play I consider myself pretty good. (just playing with my friends) When it comes tournament time I suck hard-core. As far as mental prep I just tell myself its no big deal and to just play. When my round comes up, I cant control my hands, I forget every move, and end up losing. Ive competed in about 5 tourneys and did bad every time.

I need some advice or some personal techniques or something. Maybe I should through back a few before my match, but I want to leave that as a last hope.

 

[ThatGuy]

Some people have habits to calm themselves down or they just do in order to play properly. I used to have this habit where every time I played a serious match I would take my cap off and throw it on the ground, rest my elbows on my knees, hunch over, and play. Now I don't wear a hat but I still hunch over.

As for calming down, that's your problem. You need to simply learn how to deal with it. Some people get nervous when doing an oral presentation for the class; eventually by the time we hit college it's not as bad. Some people simply can't handle the slightest amount of pressure, it can be natural.

My advice: keep going to tournaments, and just try to keep a cool head, and when I say that, don't think of trying to keep a cool head! Just do it. If I ever stop to actually think during a smash match, I lose because I'm distracted. Just play the game and flow.

And don't drink before matches, it's a dumb idea. It'll slow your brain and you'll do stupid things and lose anyways. Plus people will get annoyed if you arrive at tournies drunk all the time, and you'll get booted.

 

[Gkryptonite]

Oh man I know how you feel, and I don't think I healed at all from it. But I think I've gotten a bit better though. Sometimes I would tell people that I'm a n00b and say that I still need to practice a bit, therefore less pressure on me. It seems to work

 

[Thunderbolt]

Ahhh stage fright. It happens to most of us. It happens to me.


When I play friends its all good because we are having fun and laughing and just being stupid. But when I play tournaments I just flatout freeze. But when I get warmed up, I feel lighter and I play better than I do with my friends for some reason.



There is no cure for shyness. So just keep trying and going to tournaments you will eventually get over the fright. Everyone starts out nervous.


And i know you've heard this many times, but relax. lol

 

[Brightside6382]

just a game man lol just chill out

 

[FireBomb]

It's that unknown factor of "is he a lot better than me? What should I do, I don't want to look bad!". Yeah, it happens since you grow more comfortable with friends. I say take it easy and have fun, man. That's the heart of Smash!

 

[Sky2042]

I swim competitively , so I know where ye come from. You should try taking a deep breath when you've just died, or just beginning a game. It slows down your mind, and gives you a moment to refocus.

Try it next time you're playing your friends.

 

[Airo]

go to more smash fests with tournament leveled players. get use to the pressure

 

[1048576]

Tell everyone that you're going to suck hardcore. That way, you've set low standards for yourself. If you suck, then you should be content; if you pwn, then you should be happy. This should take the pressure off you, so you perform better anyway. That's how I mindgame myself in tournaments anyway.

 

[Tyson651]

personally, i got over it after a few rounds on my very first tourney, i guess i was lucky, since now i dont feel any nervousness or pressure.

id say, try to make friends with everyone, just greet them, with a handshake, and say good luck or w/e, this should ease off the tension between u and ur opponent so u can have a lighter pressured game. (works until ur both down to 1 stock and 90%). haha

otherwise, u just have to get use to it.

 

[Tongji]

well I don't really need to but having a ritual might be helpfull. It could be something stupid like washing your hands or wipeing your hands on your pants or some other silly thing that justs makes you focus. I like to always bring some tea to a tourny or anywhere I play. I like green tea alot and becuse it is so hot it forces me to slow down when I drink it. idk It's kind of like a claming effect. Try not to be uptight and also talk. Talk about anything! I love to talk to the oppenent and laf with them when Im playing anything. Serious or not. If the opponent does somethin nice to you, tell him good job and if you do something stupid laf about it. Remember smash is about having fun! To me I love to hold conversations in and around playing. well hope this helps!

 

[Tyson651]

thats probably a good way to get over your nervousness, but when u get into more serious or competitive at high level plays, talking doesnt really happen at all, since both players need to concentrate.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I friends with pretty much every one I compete with. I just know Im better, but cant get my fingers to work. This leads to frustration which leads to me losing.

 

[Razed]

Whoa. This is like... not my place cause I'm like... never nervous! Take Drama class, it'll help =P. Just do some random stuff in the hallways, like telling someone they're a table. It'll make you less nervous in general, trust me =). I've called many-a-person a table! That's how my friend learned to cope with stress and nervousness =). Just remember that there's really nothing to worry about, just like there's nothing to worry about when calling someone a table =)

P.S. You're a table.

 

[Gkryptonite]

LOL, on my next tourney, I'm gonna call the next person a table

now they'll think I'm crazy and stupid so no pressure at all

 

[Shmooguy]

This guy I know plays twice as well when he's high, i guess you should give that a try.

hmm ..maybe i should give that a try.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Well, Sigmund Freud did wright his best papers while on coke. But I think Ill try something that wont cause cancer first.

 

[Frozenserpent]

one perform one's best when under complete concentration on the competition at hand. This applies to pretty much all competition. This is the state of mind that all players should strive to achieve and then maintain in any competitve sport/game.

When you become so absorbed into playing, you forget about your worries/nervousness.

I can't explain it very well, so I'll give an example. This mental focus is especially apparent to me when I play chess. When I'm seriously thinking and concentrating, and my mind isn't stumbling, I perform far better than in a different state of mind. When my opponent makes a good move, I begin to worry about the game, and then i lose my concentration, and completely fail.
Lately, I've noticed I improve a great deal from going to tournaments (and facing difficult people). I don't worry about losing in my tourney matches (ideally). This isn't from overconfidence. It is because I am completely absorbed.... it's like reading a novel..

 

[Nightblade]

One of the things I've done for nearly five years now that works wonders for me is a simple muscle tension exercise.

Tense up as many muscles as you can at the same time and hold it for as long as possible. When you can't hold it any longer, release. This, in my opinion, helps relax the mind, body, and your breathing (especially for speeches and the like).

 

[Starzonedge]

Practice technical skill rigorously, first. Practice at home until your muscle memory gets tired and you begin to suck, meaning that's when you need a break. Rest up a few days, sit down and practice again.

Assuming your technical skill is PERFECT, here are some tips for tournament pressure:

1) Befriend pros. As in, be able to go over to their place or vice versa, and practice with them; make THEM your FRIENDS.
2) Never be hungry, or have a need to use the bathroom. It'll mess you up.
3) No sleep deprivation. Get at least FOUR hours of sleep the night prior to the tournament.
4) Attend smashfests. These are tournaments, except, you actually get to play more often. And there's no prize money.

Some actual in-game tips:

1) Take note of their habits:
*When they side step -- Hold smash, or wait and grab.
*When they put up their shield -- Instead of dash attacking or run --> smash, grab.
*Patterns in their recovery -- Use tilts, aerials, whatever, it depends on your character.
*Tech patterns -- Chase them and grab them again, or smash. Again, depends on your character matchup.

These work on players of any level, really.

Hope it helps.

 

[Nightblade]

3) No sleep deprivation. Get at least FOUR hours of sleep the night prior to the tournament.

Scratch that, at least eight hours of sleep.

 

[Myztek]

I agree with Starzonedge. Technical skill is first and foremost. Practice it until you feel like you're really good at it, and take breaks when you start screwing up on it. Because unless you can do all the technical stuff you're telling yourself to do, you're going to screw up a lot and get mad at yourself.

As for the nervousness thing. I had the same problem where I would just get shakey and my hands would feel really funny. You just need to get more experience with tournament matches and eventually you won't get that feeling anymore; also maybe work on changing your mindset about the match.

 

[Starzonedge]

Scratch that, at least eight hours of sleep.

I said "four" because most smashers I've met can play at 100% with a low amount of sleep. But yeah, agreed. The more sleep, the better.

 

[Ipwn]

Don't think, DO!

 

[Wrath`]

Sometimes forgeting stuff and not being able to move can be caused by sleep deprivation,play to much before(your hands will have trouble moving due to too much repitition),plain nervesnous.Take some relaxing pills i think you can buy those OTC

 

[Tera253]

Mountain Dew = better performance, particularly with Link. Therefore, the caffeine tier list shall be intorduced. *laughs, rolls eyes*

The higher the tier, the better the performance will be when on caffeine.

WARNING: don't take this too seriously.

1. Link

Top Tier:
2. Ice Climbers
3. Samus
4. Dr. Mario
5. C. Falcon

High Tier:
6. Jigglypuff
7. Falco
8. Ganondorf
9. Pikachu
10. DK

Middle Tier:
11. Fox
12. Roy
13. Mr. G & W
14. Mario
15. Luigi

Low Tier:
16. Shiek
17. Pichu
18. Young Link
19. Zelda
20. Kirby

Bottom Tier:
21. Mewtwo
22. Marth
23. Yoshi
24. Ness
25. Bowser
26. Peach

~Tera253~

 

[Ipwn]

Do a barrel roll?

 

[virtualgamecafe]

i just go for the lalala jumping tricks then i break the opponent into tiny pieces...i mean uh...first i try to trick the opponent by jumping around...i know my stages...do u? find out wich areas u can jump to and u need a plan tp where u will go if u get caught...also when the opponent does a combo or grab slip behind e'm and smash...trick them combo them do not let them escape use a combo onthem against the wall so they can wall tec off of it then fall into ur trap also use projectiles to break shields and highten %'s those are my tips but i dont know who u use...so tell me and i can help more

 

[EnigmaticCam]

Eat a banana or two before the tournament!

Your hands shaking neverously during a match is an adrenaline rush. When you get an adrenaline rush, it's very hard to control. The potassium in a banana lowers your adrenaline, so you have more control. Trust me on this, it's true I've known a few musical performers who would get nervous on the stage and constantly make mistakes but solved it by eating a banana before their performances.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Eat a banana or two before the tournament!

I didnt know that.

Thanks for all the help, but I have one more problem. I have been struggling for the longest time in picking a main and sticking with them. Just recently it seems all my tech. skill has gone out the window. I just figure its because I change people too much. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else. I know I can fix it by just playing one char for a while.

 

[Dogysamich]

Personally, I say the best way to stay calm is to be yourself and try your best to keep your composure.

I have a few theories of how people operate successfully a tournies, and you just have to find out what works for you and stick to it.

- Personally, I like to be myself.
I'm good, not great, but you'll never hear me say it. (unless im messin around with my friends). I just try to be modest, never be overconfident, and especially stay away from cocky. Cause when most people get cocky, they get made, and they get flustered, and then they cant work under pressure. I just roll with the punches. I went to MLG last season and got 4 stocked 1st round in my 2nd losers bracket match. Then I followed that up with the worst decision ever of switching to falco (ima doc player, and my falco was NOT tournament ready). I lost my composure and therefore blew it.

But all in all, i was able to do good that day, and at the other tounies i went to cause i was just being me. Chillin, cursin up a storm but havin a good time. Gettin to know people, talkin about this that and the other. And it worked out fine. Dont try to do more than you can do, dont try any "new tricks" you might learn the day of.

"I am not better than you, nor am I worse. I do a certain style, you do a certain style. And that's all there is to it" -Nintendoking (that might not be word for word, but you get the basic idea)

- Now, I know some people who just work well under pressure.
Clutch people, as they're known as. I know a few guys who just sit down in serious play, and have all the tension in the world bottled up, but still operate in the norm. They're the kinds of people who just learned how to play with shaky hands and whatnot.

- Then there's the people who get real confident and/or cocky at gametime.
Now some people ride this off as arrogant *******s who just talk trash. Granted that is true, I dont think it's always the case. This might be the person who does the lil fist pump after they do somethin awesome or they start cheerin for themselves after they do something good, and that might be a mental thing to let them know somebody has their back. Cause sometimes, it's hard to sit down and play when the other guy has a whole entorague(sp) cheering for him, and you have nobody in your corner.

But then there is the arrogant person who will take every chance to talk trash. It's not the "friendly" way to play, obviously; but for some people, that's just their norm. When they sit down and play with their buds, they might sit down and talk trash the whole time, and it just doesnt feel right to sit down and quietly play a game, or even to compliment when they are on the receiving end of a good move. I've come across some of these people and i've never really felt discouraged or threatened by them, cause i know i'll do the same thing when im at college with my friends.

_______

That's about all i can think of right now.

Dunno if that specifically helps or anything, but that's what I do, and what i've come across in my playing.

--on a side note--

it does help a little if, when you sit down with your friends to play, you try to make it feel like a serious setting. Considering, it's pretty much impossible to make a tournament setting when you know the guy pretty well that you're playing with, and you've probably played him 100 times, but if you get used to playing him like you're gunna have to take a 4 hour trip if you lose, then it might not seem as akward when you have to do it for real.

 

[Respawn]

Whoa. This is like... not my place cause I'm like... never nervous! Take Drama class, it'll help =P. Just do some random stuff in the hallways, like telling someone they're a table. It'll make you less nervous in general, trust me =). I've called many-a-person a table! That's how my friend learned to cope with stress and nervousness =). Just remember that there's really nothing to worry about, just like there's nothing to worry about when calling someone a table =)

P.S. You're a table.

Quoted for truth. This applies directly to me, I used to be nervous all the time, in any situation. But then I got into a group of friends who do weird things in public all the time, and I figured that I might as well do it too. It all started when I got my entire lunch table to start singing Bohemian Rhapsody. And everything just kept going uphill from there. Since then, I've become a much more outspoken person, and ultimately a less nervous person.

 

[Pecans]

es...just sticming with a character might just help. Not that I'm in any real position to give adivce here. Seeing as I have the exact same problem. I remember when I first decided I wanted to play Smash in any serious way I got my friend to teach me. Since then I had gotten steadily better by playing other people and on our first rematch I got nervous and did crap like fire missles in the wrong direction as Samus. At one point I even charged all the way up and fired when he wasn't anywhere near me. I had the jitters bad. I've overcome it a bit by just letting myself be absorbed into the experience.

On a side note Jon, aren't you the new guy in the Bloodline?

Either way best of luck.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

On a side note Jon, aren't you the new guy in the Bloodline?

Yeah thats me. We did a little crew battle with STFU and I sucked it up hard-core. Who are you?

 

[ClydeArrowny]

Before any tournaments i play in i usually take out my controller and start playing with it, doing simple combos or repetitive things like wavedash's or shfflcs out of muscle memory and i find it calms me down and during a match i make alot less mistakes. Of course it makes you look like an idiot playing with a controller thats not plugged in.

 

[Aesir]

didn't bother reading the thread except for the opening post.

anyway this is what I did, I played lots of friendlies and took ever match as a learning experience basically I was playing to learn. From the sound of it it seems you know the basic techs of smash. So next tourny just try to sit back and learn don't really worry about winning.

it worked for me atleast.

 

[Luigi Ka-master]

Practice technical skill rigorously, first. Practice at home until your muscle memory gets tired and you begin to suck, meaning that's when you need a break. Rest up a few days, sit down and practice again.

Assuming your technical skill is PERFECT, here are some tips for tournament pressure:

1) Befriend pros. As in, be able to go over to their place or vice versa, and practice with them; make THEM your FRIENDS.
2) Never be hungry, or have a need to use the bathroom. It'll mess you up.
3) No sleep deprivation. Get at least FOUR hours of sleep the night prior to the tournament.
4) Attend smashfests. These are tournaments, except, you actually get to play more often. And there's no prize money.

Some actual in-game tips:

1) Take note of their habits:
*When they side step -- Hold smash, or wait and grab.
*When they put up their shield -- Instead of dash attacking or run --> smash, grab.
*Patterns in their recovery -- Use tilts, aerials, whatever, it depends on your character.
*Tech patterns -- Chase them and grab them again, or smash. Again, depends on your character matchup.

These work on players of any level, really.

Hope it helps.

I don't quite agree with that one. At least, it might not apply to everyone. I personally seem to do much better when I'm really freaking hungry, XD. Though the bathroom part might be true.

Hmm...only other thing I can think of is to drink some water before the tourney. Water's always good.

Annnd...if you're pretty nervous, try not to be too aggressive at the start of your match. Just try your hardest to observe how the other person plays for like the first minute.

And if you get ahead by like 1 stock, but have high
percent on your stock, try to play really conservatively, especially if you're at all nervous at that point in the match. Because chances are, if you try getting all aggressive with high percents, you're going to receive that one hit you need to lose your stock.

So as long as you play conservatively enough, and maybe get a nice starting percent on the other guy, usually most of, if not all your nervousness will have left you. Which is a pretty good time to consider getting a little more aggressive. Because A: You should have the attitude of something similiar to, "Hey, I've got a decent starting percent on this guy, and I'm probably not going to get much more percent on him before losing my stock, so might as well try to bust out a mid-percent-to-death"

And B: At this point your opponent has probably gotten at least a little more nervous then when he was at 0%, and is now most likely a little more susceptible to missing DI on something or not putting as much thought into the things he's doing, etc, etc.

 

[edwards-nightmare]

hahaha ah, u two guys, u'd prolly get along really well, if only james could get in, well he can wut the fudge am i talkn about???? hmm....mayb if he got over these "jitters", and im appaul-ed i thought i trained u , yet u speak of chad rather than me? grrrrr
i met ralhpy by the way, but i could hardly pay attention for reasons unknown, isn't he jackie's kid?

 

[edwards-nightmare]

jittrey

hahaha ah, u two guys, u'd prolly get along really well, if only james could get in, well he can wut the fudge am i talkn about???? hmm....mayb if he got over these "jitters", and im appaul-ed i thought i trained u , yet u speak of chad rather than me? grrrrr
i met ralhpy by the way, but i could hardly pay attention for reasons unknown, isn't he jackie's kid?

 

[Gimpyfish62]

ka-master is a nub (jk those of you nubs who dont know who he is)

anyways...

if i'm ever feeling pressured or anything like that (not to often) or if i feel like i'm not setting the pace of the match i try and space myself out from my opponent and give myself some room, give youself some time to think about whats going on. if you are pressured DONT RUSH for the love of GOD... DO NOT RUSH.

people who feel pressure in their matches tend to go to panic mode relatively easy at a stock behind then they end up 2 stocks behind because they blindly rushed feeling the need for a kill. I'll have vids up soon that are played really really patiently vs a samus and a peach (tiep and hitsugaya respectively) that show really patient play without a lot of crazy panic rushes. its slowed down until the aggression should come. patienly played videos are my favorites.

<3