6 Tips to Stop Improving in Smash

[@Radarssbm]

Hey gang, hope you enjoyed the video! I wanted to try something a bit different this time, and wanted to have a little fun. Hopefully the video didn't come across as harsh/condescending, as my goal is still to help everyone get better. If you liked the video, please subscribe and tell your friends. Also, sorry for the lack of videos lately. Since I wanna be honest with my audience, COVID-19 depression hit hard this month, and that combined with getting ready to move into a new place with my fiance meant it was tricky to stay motivated. Not sure if I'll have time for a video next week as this move is this weekend, but fingers crossed!

[@hahahalala-i1x]

i like it :) i hope you're doing ok and staying safe. good luck with the move! my family moved recently and did just fine, i think u will be too

[@ThePharphis]

I will share your videos in order to make the field better as a whole, especially relative to myself who will not be improving. thanks!

[@Zega_]

Excelente video. Loved it and now I’m more inspired to never improve again

[@dsquarehead0175]

If I'm being perfectly honest, harsher would have been nice. Every once in a while we all need our ego to get absolutely crushed as motivation to imrpove, instead of vaguely making excuses, and blaming it on 'luck'

[@Radarssbm]

dsquarehead01 not everyone works that way lol. I would definitely say that being absolutely crushed has never been motivating for me. I’m not an anime protagonist, I’m just a person ahahah

[@taylorallred6208]

Officer: “and what was the murder weapon?” Detective: *removes cigarette from mouth* “T h e t r u t h”

[@GustoFormula]

finally a tutorial I can actually follow up on

[@KevinLiangP]

Lol i've never seen a guide in this format before, that's awesome

[@AzureSkies58]

i actually love wake-up call content like this because it blatantly shows people what not to do, and sometimes that is more actionable and memorable information than what to do

[@jdaster64]

See I'm not the only one that's had CGP Grey in their recommendations a lot recently, lol.

[@Radarssbm]

jdaster64 I’ve been a fan of his content for years! I had the whole script ready to go, written in a traditional style, and then wondered what it would be like to flip it on its head. I rewatched his happiness/misery video, and channeled some of his style into it, mostly for fun. The concept is derivative, but hopefully porting it over to Smash is effective!

[@maxbets3487]

My thoughts exactly!!!

[@Aarantula]

Wouldn't even have noticed otherwise.

[@Binlaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Also DON'T STRETCH YOUR HANDS, you might get lucky and hurt yourself which would make you stop playing which would make you stop improving ;)

[@Radarssbm]

If you are feeling any pain...my advice is to only push into that pain and take zero breaks!!! You don't wanna give your body a rest, or a chance to recover after all!

[@monkeytoes9389]

no pain no gain, amirite?

[@Pslamist]

Yeah, and DON'T buy a B0XX if you are tired of the controller lottery! Consistent controllers that protect hand health are the bane of those who want to stay at the same skill level.

[@RightHandElf]

"I'll see you guys next time." Nope. Watching more would risk improving.

[@maxono1465]

my goals are intentionally vague so i dont have to face the possibility that i may never get good. also im super guilty of learning random tech that wont help me improve at all. this video kinda hurts so im back to playing unranked with my secondaries

[@arJunebugSmash]

It's actually crazy how many of these I do when I'm playing on auto-pilot/playing for fun LOL nice vid

[@johngold42]

Are you sure this isn’t a documentary of me playing smash bro’s

[@BossFFX1]

This some next level creative stuffs, i love the way you did this! Really useful 👌🏻

[@ditt0br0s42]

Damn, he's talking more than just the opposite of improving... he's talking about the community in general LoL

[@Shadrake]

This is an amazing level of sarcasm that is actually very helpful XD great video!

[@RedXLink]

Video Deciphered : 1.) Practice the things you aren't good at or the things you don't know how to do. 2.) Make sure your practice is consistent 3.) Stop doing the same things when it is consistently not working. Mix it up! 4.) Create goals for yourself. Focus on smaller attainable goals. 5.) Focus on things within your control 6.) Stick with one character 7.) Subscribe to this channel

[@Radarssbm]

RedX mostly true but it’s missing some key details 3) Mix it up, but more specifically, recognize when something is no longer working, particularly if it’s something that works at low level, but not at high level. Mixups are important, but I’m also specifically highlighting the fact that players continue to spam low-level options that will never work against players who know how to deal with it. Spamming shield grabs is the example I used, but another great one would be unsafe attacks into crouch cancel/ASDI down. It’s a mistake that doesn’t really have much to do with mixups, and more to do with just not choosing a good option, then continuing to do that. 4) create S.M.A.R.T goals. They don’t have to be small necessarily, they have to be S.M.A.R.T. The A does represent attainable, but longer goals can still be attainable. Plus, the other aspects of smart (measurable, time-bounded for example) are just as important!! 7) subscribe AND support my patreon!! Lol

[@jaredbowers9503]

I already do all of these, vid was not helpful. Please make an advanced guide for people like me

[@SpaceFrog999]

ive been called out

[@felixdoyon6546]

This is a really good video my dude! LOL you made lots of great points

[@turndownforwalt]

I subscribed and supported on Patreon so I could become better at being worse, but in a good way, badly. Am I doing it right?

[@Tommy2_0]

This video got me man, total bait and switch. Loved it 7, keep up the great work

[@DIZZY0509]

thanks dude, this help me a lot , I realize that I'm pretty good doing the 6 tips you mention :)

[@SheikAshii]

Chiiiilll. I’m just vibin man. Not trying to be murdered in my own home

[@stayontrack]

thanks man!!! these tips made me improve a lot at not improving! fantastic!

[@umi5082]

This is exactly what I needed 🙏

[@BB_Boah]

0:28 How do you toggle the action states/frames on in 20XX?(if it even is 20XX) I need it so I can practice chain grabbing with fox and that’s it.

[@djhooker8782]

It's an unclepunch thing

[@djhooker8782]

@Base Bass Forte I can't tell if you are saying this because of the video or because this is your genuine thought but like his request isn't that deep, he wants to know how late he is with numerical data and wants to practice his punish game on a CPU that DI

[@PaddyRoon7]

Man, this is a genius format.

[@LobosNinja]

Fuck yeah, can’t wait to drown in pools after following this guide. Thanks Radar!

[@AllstonMelee]

Dope concept Dope-ly implemented Dope video

[@Pslamist]

I helped my friends accomplish this by teaching them how to taunt-cancel with Young Link before they learned to wavedash or L-cancel. We need to focus on the important things.

[@NACHOZMusic]

Finally, a fool-proof guide to be a Bottom Player!

[@flashburn117]

This video is perfect lmao. Most people do at least one or two of these things. What's impressive is to know people who do all of them.

[@ladyinwight]

somehow this video has helped me understand some things more than any other video about "how to get better". i think the condescending attitude actually drilled it into my skull better maybe you should make more videos like this lmao

[@eddiestilll]

wow thanks for da last tip! :D dat indirectly means i'ma sub to this channel which makes vids on how to stop improving :P

[@LowTierFallout]

1. Quit out in the midst of getting pillared by an online Falco.

[@Alienrun]

omg this How does anyone expect to improve if they quit out the second the find someone better than them?!

[@themax2848]

Thanks for the video I needed this

[@SmileGayming]

This type of stuff applies to all competitive things that you can improve at with practice

[@GaryOAKland2]

Radar you are a gem

[@kuskus_th13]

this is the only guide I've fully mastered without knowing it

[@yaboi6851]

3:29 personally i've found that a good tactic for not improving despite the fact that there are great players who main my character is to simply brush them off as having some intrinsic skill or understanding of the game that i could never hope to achieve. remember, talent will always beat hard work, and these players didn't work any harder than you to get where they are!

[@justi600]

honestly this is a good video for strictly casual people so they dont get too good and stop their friends too bad

[@witz]

part of me loves the way u did this vid and another part of me feels discouraged for even thinking theres a chance i play melee at any competitive level

[@Radarssbm]

alt witz learning is a process and takes time, but if you’re efficient with it you can improve really quickly! Don’t get discouraged, and remember Melee is supposed to be fun! Do what you like in the game

[@Ubebread1]

This whole video and title is meta

[@Metroyeti17]

Psh, I coulda written this guide. I got near 10,000 hours in not improving at Melee. Im the master at being bad.

[@CeilingPanda]

The rookie mistake I did and just stopped practising, my bad thanks for the help!

[@TheAAJYu]

RadarSSBM: “If you’re in a position where you’ve lost faith in your character, do NOT switch.” Also RadarSSBM: “Make sure to switch characters as much as possible.”

[@ChristerOsorioHoyos]

well, I AM far closer to the bottom than to the top. So, might as well try to keep my privileged place among the reverse top.

[@romannoodles5856]

I feel personally attacked in a good way of course

[@sergioareevalo]

I love the projectbetterself style

[@DanielAronPaalman]

I feel attacked.

[@HyperGlameow]

What's practice?

[@jebjimmyjebjimmy2979]

I’m already a master at this.

[@wahbucket501]

I feel called out

[@bb97979]

Lets go Michael :)

[@mae_lia]

what if I don't always have time to practice, like with school and stuff? is this still a good way to not improve?

[@Radarssbm]

The Glitchy Hand The thing about not having time, is that the vast majority of people do have time, they just are not prioritizing practice over other things. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but 15 minutes a day is something most people have. If you don’t wanna spend your free time practicing, that’s totally fine! Smash is supposed to be fun after all. But much like exercise, many people who claim they don’t have time, could carve out even 15 minutes to do some practice, and see huge results. It can be frustrating to hear people say stuff like “I want to be the best, I want to go pro” and not even dedicate some time each day to practice. For me, I’m comfortable right now with the skill I’m at and have a lot of other priorities I’m focusing on (including making videos!). But if I ever started saying stuff like “why am I never improving 😞” I’d have to acknowledge that I’m not practicing regularly anymore, and not doing higher level stuff like analyzing pro games/my own games. The even bigger problem I see a lot (which I address in the video obviously) is that people DO actually practice, but their schedules are inconsistent, and most of that practice covers stuff that they know how to do well already.

[@mae_lia]

@@Radarssbm I see, thanks! I've been on the complacency grind for a while now, and I'm always looking for tips to stay just the same. Much appreciated.

[@brendanha6493]

was this inspired by CGP grey's how to feel unhappy video?

[@Radarssbm]

Yup! Had the original idea for the video, then rewatched that one and thought it would be a good idea to do something similar for this project

[@kingkurtis]

It me, super wavedash is the first piece of tech skill I learnt

[@yaboi3697]

i read the title wrong...I thought it said "start" not stop.

[@garo7839]

Time to make the least of all this free time!

[@Gaymu]

I feel fucking attacked

[@moosemeep3694]

I’m kind of confused: Why did you say to make sure not to switch characters because switching might make us improve, but then tell us to switch characters because it would halt our improvement. Idk if I’m supposed to switch or not, and I really want to be sure to make sure I don’t get better

[@Radarssbm]

Moose Meep I gave an in-depth answer to this question in the comments so you can check that out if you want good examples, but here’s a slightly shorter version I believe that approaching Melee as a game of counter picking, is a mistake. This approach will slow down your growth as a player. Skill is by far the biggest factor when it comes to winning games, so I think switching characters (assuming you’re playing a top tier) should be a last resort (unless you’re switching because you no longer find your character fun). If a player does make the switch however, it should be a complete switch, not something they flip flop on. On top of all of this, there’s a mental component. If a player has no faith that their character can win a matchup, and it’s becoming a serious mental block, one way they could fix that is by switching characters. It’s common to see players complaining about a specific matchup, but not actually making changes (whether or not that includes switching) to deal with that problem. Leffen switching to Sheik vs Marth, is an example of a player identifying that they’ve lost faith in their characters ability to beat a specific character, and recognizing that he must make some kind of change if he wants his results to change. I wanted to address that refusing to make changes (including switching) is a common mistake across all levels of play, while also addressing that learning the game through a specific character is the quickest way to improve.

[@moosemeep3694]

RadarSSBM Oh ok, thanks

[@tinytoasters3657]

I unironically want to improve now, damn :/

[@Pslamist]

Sick.

[@idcdammit]

if i stop doing all of these things and instead do the opposite will i improve?

[@Radarssbm]

That is the point of the video, haha so yes.

[@just_mr_gng]

Ayo that 7th tip really helped I had to unsubscribe from a lot of channels

[@amaikoori]

I know your watching this Mkleo

[@FirePuff12]

LMAOO I DIDNT KNOW THE DATE WAS APRIL 1

[@shield_rat221]

I tried maining fox for a month and didn't improve at ALL so i stopped playing because if i can't be best in the world in a month then there is no point

[@7373walker]

Fun video but honestly I had trouble keeping track of the double, triple and quadruple negatives. Also 5. "If you've lost faith in your character, do not switch" 6. "Make sure to switch characters as much as possible" ???

[@Radarssbm]

Switching characters permanently or picking up a secondary if you just do not think you can deal with one/several matchups is an option to me, especially if you’ve really tried to win with your existing character. Constantly flip flopping between different characters, or trying to play a different character for every matchup is a waste of time. I see a lot of lower level players try to counterpick in matchups they struggle with (falco player plays sheik against a Marth for example) when imo they’d be better off just getting better at Falco (as their skill is the real problem after all). Make sense? I’m also speaking to an issue I see even at high level play. For example, someone like Axe, as far as I’m aware, doesn’t really have an answer to the “Hbox problem.” He could switch to a different character, designed specifically to beat Hbox, which would be a viable solution, but he doesn’t seem to wanna completely switch to a specific character. He could focus solely on Pikachu, but it doesn’t seem like he has faith in Pika either, as he occasionally goes Young Link, or Falco. It’s possible I’m missing a key detail, but from my perspective it seems like he’s just not really addressing that issue at all, and because of that, when he matches up against Hbox, he does poorly. This, IMO, is really hurting him from being able to win more than just Summit. Leffen was similar with Fox vs Marth, and I really respect his decision to dedicate time to developing a sheik. But if he just tried to randomly play sheik in certain sets...that’s a waste of time.

[@7373walker]

@@Radarssbm Thanks for the long reply! As someone trying to learn Young Link the temptation to switch to Marth when playing spacies is very strong but I'm fighting it until I'm sure the problem is the match-up and not my terrible DI. Every "how to improve at Melee" post mentions sticking to one character when learning the game, so I was a bit surprised by the advice to switch characters. I know I'm nowhere near the level where switching characters is a smart idea, seems relevant only to high-level players or those who've plateaued.

[@Radarssbm]

CropKillah honestly, I think the switching characters thing is not unreasonable if it’s a low tier you’re playing (like Young Link). But again, I mean a permanent switch, not playing Marth just for spacies. If you find young link fun, go for it though

[@gumbo64]

I read the title wrong...

[@challjenkins7950]

Wait why am I full of bullet holes now

[@DellorWeekly]

hes joking guys

[@blackh4ze778]

LMAO, sry for all the people who don't understand sarcasm. Oh wait. No actually they will understand it, cuz if you take the video title literal, it all makes sense. Well, good job on that, nice video :D

[@supahotwasabi]

Lmao I hope you got a lot of subs from this vid :)) hope you're doing well, cheers!

[@DittoTransform]

Apparently August 27 is the new April 1! XD

[@mcmudkipp]

Unironically this calls people like myself out. For doing dumb shit like this.

[@jcast1749]

ty you just made me lose a tournament

[@noodletribunal9793]

could anyone provide more examples of a SMART goal? im really not good at setting proper goals ＿|￣|○

[@Radarssbm]

Noodle Tribunal Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Responsible, Time Bounded. To be a smart goal, you need to adhere to those rules. So a goal might be “I will learn how to waveshine up-smash as Fox by the end of the month, by practicing for 15 minutes every day.” - In this example, the end goal is specific (learning to waveshine) -It’s also measurable as you will be able to tell whether or not you achieved it - it’s actionable because you can do the specific practice routine of 15 minutes a day - you’re responsible because if you don’t learn to waveshine/don’t practice 15 minutes a day, you know what you did wrong to not achieve it -it’s time bounded because you are aiming for it to be done by the end of the month, not just “soon”

[@noodletribunal9793]

@@Radarssbm so i could do like "be able to do 10 sh aerial out of perfect shield's in a row in 3 weeks, practicing 15 min a day"? this also applies when trying stuff against another human? like "i want to cc grab falcon's nair twice in a game, this week" etc? it's when we add the second player that stuff really gets tough for me

[@Radarssbm]

Noodle Tribunal What exactly do you mean by perfect shields? But yeah that first one seems fine... I think for things where you add a second person it often gets too complicated, or isn’t necessary. It’s one thing to have a goal like “beat ____ at my local by the end of the month” But trying to track specific things in game isn’t worth it. Here’s an example: Yes you could say “my goal is to hit up throw up air on puff once a game whenever I play a puff” But why not instead make your goal something like: “consistently hit up-throw, up-air in 20XX by practicing it for 20 minutes every day.” As long as you’re practicing something that’s actually useful, it will come up in games naturally

[@Radarssbm]

Noodle Tribunal the reason why it’s a bad idea to make a goal to use a certain technique against an opponent is that Melee is a very dynamic and situational game, so you don’t really wanna force yourself to go for a technique that may not even be good. Even something like “I will be able to consistently hit ledge dashes in three months” can still be measured in practice AND in games, but it would be pointless to make the goal “ledgedash in tourney against _____” Make sense?

[@noodletribunal9793]

@@Radarssbm yea, so this is for tech only ( ´∀｀) thank you!

[@aprfinancing481]

Instructions unclear. Became top 5 in the world. Pls help.

[@Rael0505]

I'm starting to think that maybe this video is actually telling us how we CAN improve... Am I crazy?

[@Radarssbm]

Rael0505 someone call security...this man is completely bonkers

[@Rael0505]

RadarSSBM you’re right, silly me!

[@superdumptacos]

If you really wanna get good at the game you gotta devote your life to it so fuck does it matted

[@Radarssbm]

I mean, that's what you gotta do if you wanna be number 1 in the world...but if you just wanna get good, you can definitely just play it more casually and have fun with it. There's lots of games I've played where I haven't gone super all in on it, but slowly ranked up to respectable ranks just because I really enjoyed it.

[@CoinBahd]

Ow my ego

[@Webberjo]

I know this is satire, but it hits a little too close to home for me.

[@LLsunflower]

Well, you didn't have to be RUDE about it... :p

[@Radarssbm]

I did worry that this came across as rude so hopefully it didn't! The goal was to flip this on its head so that people can see it from a different perspective, in order to realize what they're doing wrong.

[@joaonogueira3952]

I went to this video hoping to find actual advice to not get better. I wish I were worst to play with family and friends without sandbagging. :( (Good ironic video tho)

[@warguy6474]

???

[@dddmemaybe]

ow

[@712toaster]

play for one day then watch a few notching streams and destroy 8 3rd party controllers and be surrounded by weird potentiometers and paints and messed up shells, oh wait what's a shield drop FOR jk don't care who's goomy i want one?

[@zephmckee872]

It's not opposite day. So I will definitely not not take your advice.

[@egon3705]

8. Sell your Gamecube and/or uninstall Dolphin

[@Valleybucker]

Nice AI insert, lmao

[@superdumptacos]

Lmao ok freak of nature

[@HonArap]

I want to report this video because I'm in it and I don't like that

[@jiyucy]

I hate this video, it's very unbased and I accidentally improved trying to not do what it didn't tell me not to do.

[@UltimateGin]

bwhahahahaa

[@NonJohns]

I already do all of this this video was a waste of my time

[@Braillionaire]

TERRIBLE video! IF you do these things you’ll never impro-… ahh… I got see what you did there.