Want a foolproof way to improve or build a habit?
Make it easy.
Yup. That’s it.
The easier you make it to start or the more simplistic the process then the more likely you are to take action.
Here’s a simple improvement training loop for Street Fighter:
The key to improving anything is consistency over time. Here’s a simple loop to think about when building your training routine.
- Warm-Up – Hit training mode to reduce input errors
- Intentional Training/Practice – Focus on instilling muscle memory and automatically responding to scenarios
- Player vs. Player Games – Ranked, Casual, Local – Get your games in to test what you’re practicing
- Watch Replays of [Your] Gameplay – Even if it’s not your own matches, we’re looking to identify areas of improvement
- Research – Investigate videos, guides, whatever resources that are relative to you and what you are practicing.
Then rinse and repeat.
Warm-Up simply means get into practice mode and hit some buttons with intention.
Depending on your skill level go through what will help you reduce input errors and build muscle memory.
Beginner? Go through all the normals first. Practice dashing. Keep it simple.
Then, while in Training Mode, make sure your practice is very intentional.
You may already have an idea of what you need to work on… BnB Combos, Anti-Air, Match-Ups…
Your options are endless, but practice with intention. Get plenty of reps in.
Next, put your training into effect in real games. Hit online mode, casual, ranked, lobbies… whatever makes the most sense to you.
Practice what you trained. Look for or create the opportunities you need to do so.
Win or lose… Go back and watch your gameplay. Identify areas of improvement.
After watching your own, maybe look for others who you can learn from and watch their gameplay. Figure out what they do that you don’t.
Find the right questions (not the right answers).
Once you have some good questions, do some research. That could be looking through frame data or finding other videos of similar situations (character match-ups).
Take notes… Real notes and start plotting the answer to the questions you asked.
Just to recap… Your simple Loop is:
- Warm-Up – Practice Mode
- Intentional Training – Practice Mode
- Player vs. Player Games – Ranked, Casual, Local
- Watch Replays of [Your] Gameplay – Identify Areas for Improvement
- Research – Investigate Relative Resources
Want to join me on this Street Fighter improvement journey? Follow me on Twitter: @FightRiseFGC