Earthquakes! Meteors! Blasts of Fire! Weathers and terrains swirling as magical creatures battle for victory! Pokémon battles are exhilarating – but the real battle is taking place in the minds of two competitors locked in mental warfare! VGC is a mental game and putting yourself in the proper mindset is crucial to success!
Welcome back to VGC 101! The series is specially designed to take you from beginner to competing with and beating the best of the best! I’m SlowHomie and today we are going to talk about achieving a good competitive mindset aka “Getting in the Zone” aka “Locking In”! VGC has some intense mindgames and you need to be at the top of your game! So today we will help you understand what I consider four Keys of a competitive mindset:
How to Prepare
The battle to win an event begins far before the day of the tournament— or least it should! Whether you are playing on the ladder or in a Regional you are allowed to prepare beforehand so you should use that to your advantage! Otherwise you are starting from behind against more prepared players!
We will have whole articles dedicated to tournament preparation, but the important point here is that you should be familiar with the main strategies and teams people are using. You should be very familiar with your team, and you should make plans on how you want to tackle certain matchups.
If you are prepared to at least that level, you can dedicate your mental energy and focus to playing the battles instead of trying to figure your team out as you go!
How to Focus
Speaking of focus, being able to give your full attention to games is crucial for handling all the information and decision making of a VGC match while on a timer!
If you are playing on ladder, you will play better if you are giving your full focus to the game you are playing. VGC is not a great “second screen game.” So avoid the temptation of playing a game while doing something else that requires your focus and you’ll play better!
If you are playing in an official tournament you should take your mental and physical preparation even further. Some best practices include:
How to Avoid Nerves
We’ve prepared, we’re focused – but uh oh! The nerves are creeping in? How do we manage our nerves in a competitive setting?
I don’t think we can always eliminate them entirely — and that’s okay! The nervous and excited feeling that comes from competing is part of the fun! My hands often literally shake during a close set!
The important part is to not let the nerves phase you! Your opponent is nervous too! Try to focus on one game at a time, one turn at a time. Don’t let yourself think about what happens if you win the set or lose the set! I know that can be difficult when championship points or prizing are on the line.
I’ve found that repeating to myself “One game at a time” and reminding myself that I’m there to have fun have both been really helpful for managing my nerves!
How to Play With Confidence
Confidence is key! If you are playing afraid or down on yourself you can create a self fulfilling prophesy. You might give up too early or not have the confidence to click the winning play. So it’s important to be confident in yourself! In any round of a tournament your opponent has the same record as you do! And anyone can beat anyone in VGC! That’s one of the best things about the game! So you’ve got this!
And on the other hand, don’t get too confident and underestimate your opponent! Anyone can beat anyone in VGC! Treat every round seriously no matter who you play or what team they roll up with! They’re at the same record as you, so make sure you are at the top of your game!
If you play with the right level of confidence – believing in yourself while not underestimating your opponent – you will be ready to win!
VGC 101 Competitive Mindset Video!
To help you get into a proper competitive mindset we brought on Smogon legend Blunder to talk about it! Blunder has been competing at the highest level with amazing performances for over a decade! So be sure to check out our weekly video to learn from one of the best!
Homework
Today’s homework is to pretend like you are preparing for and playing in an event! So here’s what you are going to do:
Review
In conclusion, VGC is a mental game so we want to have every advantage we can when it comes to mindset! By being prepared, focused, calm, and confident we put ourselves in a position to succeed!
Welcome back to VGC 101! The series is specially designed to take you from beginner to competing with and beating the best of the best! I’m SlowHomie and today we are going to talk about achieving a good competitive mindset aka “Getting in the Zone” aka “Locking In”! VGC has some intense mindgames and you need to be at the top of your game! So today we will help you understand what I consider four Keys of a competitive mindset:
- How to Prepare
- How to Focus
- How to Be Calm and Limit Nerves
- How to Play With Confidence (But not too much!)
How to Prepare
The battle to win an event begins far before the day of the tournament— or least it should! Whether you are playing on the ladder or in a Regional you are allowed to prepare beforehand so you should use that to your advantage! Otherwise you are starting from behind against more prepared players!
We will have whole articles dedicated to tournament preparation, but the important point here is that you should be familiar with the main strategies and teams people are using. You should be very familiar with your team, and you should make plans on how you want to tackle certain matchups.
If you are prepared to at least that level, you can dedicate your mental energy and focus to playing the battles instead of trying to figure your team out as you go!
How to Focus
Speaking of focus, being able to give your full attention to games is crucial for handling all the information and decision making of a VGC match while on a timer!
If you are playing on ladder, you will play better if you are giving your full focus to the game you are playing. VGC is not a great “second screen game.” So avoid the temptation of playing a game while doing something else that requires your focus and you’ll play better!
If you are playing in an official tournament you should take your mental and physical preparation even further. Some best practices include:
- Getting a proper night's sleep before.
- Eating a proper meal before the tournament and eating snacks/meals throughout the day.
- If you use caffeine, make sure not to over or under do it! Nodding off in a match, having the jitters, or needing to go to the bathroom in the middle of a match can be very distracting!
- If you want to listen to the game music don’t forget wired headphones!
- Many people have found meditation or prayer before the event/between rounds very helpful.
- Getting up and walking around before rounds is great.
- If you plan on attending multiple events, finding some sort of routine is very helpful! I listen to Golden from KPop Demon Hunters on the way to the venue!
How to Avoid Nerves
We’ve prepared, we’re focused – but uh oh! The nerves are creeping in? How do we manage our nerves in a competitive setting?
I don’t think we can always eliminate them entirely — and that’s okay! The nervous and excited feeling that comes from competing is part of the fun! My hands often literally shake during a close set!
The important part is to not let the nerves phase you! Your opponent is nervous too! Try to focus on one game at a time, one turn at a time. Don’t let yourself think about what happens if you win the set or lose the set! I know that can be difficult when championship points or prizing are on the line.
I’ve found that repeating to myself “One game at a time” and reminding myself that I’m there to have fun have both been really helpful for managing my nerves!
How to Play With Confidence
Confidence is key! If you are playing afraid or down on yourself you can create a self fulfilling prophesy. You might give up too early or not have the confidence to click the winning play. So it’s important to be confident in yourself! In any round of a tournament your opponent has the same record as you do! And anyone can beat anyone in VGC! That’s one of the best things about the game! So you’ve got this!
And on the other hand, don’t get too confident and underestimate your opponent! Anyone can beat anyone in VGC! Treat every round seriously no matter who you play or what team they roll up with! They’re at the same record as you, so make sure you are at the top of your game!
If you play with the right level of confidence – believing in yourself while not underestimating your opponent – you will be ready to win!
VGC 101 Competitive Mindset Video!
To help you get into a proper competitive mindset we brought on Smogon legend Blunder to talk about it! Blunder has been competing at the highest level with amazing performances for over a decade! So be sure to check out our weekly video to learn from one of the best!
Homework
Today’s homework is to pretend like you are preparing for and playing in an event! So here’s what you are going to do:
- Go to https://victoryroad.pro/ and look at the most recent regional results. Come up with short game plans into the top 8 teams.
- Prepare yourself mentally to focus and play 3-5 games. This could include going for a short walk, listening to music, setting up a quiet place to play, etc.
- Play 3-5 games with no distractions! You are capable of winning all of these games! To try and emulate a little bit of the pressure of a tournament, give yourself a challenge i.e. win 2 out of 3 games.
- Evaluate how you did! Were you able to play with more preparation, focus, calm, and confidence? Did that help translate into better gameplay?
Review
In conclusion, VGC is a mental game so we want to have every advantage we can when it comes to mindset! By being prepared, focused, calm, and confident we put ourselves in a position to succeed!
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