Calculated risk vs. reckless/frustration risk

If the opponent knows they've frustrated you, and you're going to do something reckless because you don't know what else to do — they've got you right where they want you.



A great example of this is jump in attacks in Street Fighter 5.



Most of the cast has strong counters to jump in attacks, and if you attempt to attack from the air recklessly, you're likely going to end up on your back more often than not, eating large chunks of damage in the process.



On the other hand, well timed and thought out jump ins can spell the difference between victory or defeat — the key here is acting on a read, and not acting out of frustration and just hoping it works because you don't know what else to do.



To do this, you need to stay in a good mindset, because no one's mind works better when they're frustrated.



If the opponent knows they've frustrated you, and you're going to do something reckless because you don't know what else to do — they've got you right where they want you.A great example of this is jump in attacks in Street Fighter 5.Most of the cast has strong counters to jump in attacks, and if you attempt to attack from the air recklessly, you're likely going to end up on your back more often than not, eating large chunks of damage in the process.On the other hand, well timed and thought out jump ins can spell the difference between victory or defeat — the key here is acting on a read, and not acting out of frustration and just hoping it works because you don't know what else to do.To do this, you need to stay in a good mindset, because no one's mind works better when they're frustrated.

Analyzing problems to avoid frustration

As I mentioned to start this article, there are few things more frustrating and salt invoking than underperforming, or not knowing what you're doing wrong.



I'm going to cover two methods of diagnosing what's wrong.



Grind it out method: This approach is not for everyone, but it involves putting a heavy focus on what you're losing life and spacing on. You're way less focused on wins or losses when you use this tactic, as you're in the zone of diagnosing what you're doing wrong. Not everyone can see things clearly with this approach, as some get way too caught up in winning or avoiding losing the match to truly diagnose what's happening. If you find that you can't think clearly, or step back enough from the on screen action, I recommend the approach below instead.



Replay analyze method: This approach is more tedious, and most people would prefer to actually be playing the game instead of watching themselves play. That said — if you're struggling with evaluating what you're doing wrong during matches, this is often a terrific route to take. Having a relaxed and calm environment to study your play can provide insight like few other things can.



Luckily, most modern fighters provide easy access to your replays. For example, in Street Fighter 5, you can quickly get to your replays by using the following menus.



SF5 Main Menu > Fighter Profile (Square button) > Battle Log (L1 button)



From here, you can click on your replays and save them to the CFN for viewing later.



As I mentioned to start this article, there are few things more frustrating and salt invoking than underperforming, or not knowing what you're doing wrong.I'm going to cover two methods of diagnosing what's wrong.This approach is not for everyone, but it involves putting a heavy focus on what you're losing life and spacing on. You're way less focused on wins or losses when you use this tactic, as you're in the zone of diagnosing what you're doing wrong. Not everyone can see things clearly with this approach, as some get way too caught up in winning or avoiding losing the match to truly diagnose what's happening. If you find that you can't think clearly, or step back enough from the on screen action, I recommend the approach below instead.This approach is more tedious, and most people would prefer to actually be playing the game instead of watching themselves play. That said — if you're struggling with evaluating what you're doing wrong during matches, this is often a terrific route to take. Having a relaxed and calm environment to study your play can provide insight like few other things can.Luckily, most modern fighters provide easy access to your replays. For example, in Street Fighter 5, you can quickly get to your replays by using the following menus.SF5 Main Menu > Fighter Profile (Square button) > Battle Log (L1 button)From here, you can click on your replays and save them to the CFN for viewing later.

'There's so much wrong I don't even know where to start' (Proper analysis techniques)

It's all too easy to poke holes in your game, and point out 50 problems you see in just a handful of matches alone.



This often means you should only be working on one to three problem aspects at a time, as much more than that can lead to you quickly being overwhelmed.



The important part is to isolate consistent issues you have and make note of them — not try and find everything that went wrong in a match.



Often times just a few tweaks can spell the difference between victory or defeat, and you're rarely looking to completely reinvent your play style.



I personally write down the flaws I'm working on, on to a piece of paper close to where I play.



It's all too easy to poke holes in your game, and point out 50 problems you see in just a handful of matches alone.This often means you should only be working on one to three problem aspects at a time, as much more than that can lead to you quickly being overwhelmed.The important part is to isolateissues you have and make note of them — not try and find everything that went wrong in a match.Often times just a few tweaks can spell the difference between victory or defeat, and you're rarely looking to completely reinvent your play style.I personally write down the flaws I'm working on, on to a piece of paper close to where I play.