In this article, Z0vvy18 talks you through some ways to manage your focus and energy so you can train at a higher level for longer and improve faster.
In the battle to become the best car soccer player that you can be, you will have to learn how to make progress over the long term to see the results you’re aiming for.
At the same time, you will also want to see results in your training as soon as possible.
The best way to deal with this dilemma is by being as efficient as possible, harnessing your energy and focus so that you can get the best out of your training sessions.
In other words, you will need to have a handle on energy management.
The basic principle of energy management is that everything about development comes down to energy: improvement requires focus, which in turn requires energy. And it’s critical to keep in mind that energy is limited.
The best way to think of this concept is to treat your focus and energy like stamina bars. This article will explain how to keep these bars fuller for longer, how to prevent needless consumption and how to increase the size of the bars so you can play better for longer.
Set Goals
The fastest way to get somewhere is to begin knowing where you’re going. If you don’t have a destination, you don’t have a set path to take. No real path means no real progress.
For example, if your ultimate goal is to become a Grand Champ, you have to know what rank you’re currently at and then see what stands between now and the end goal.
In order to reach your ultimate goal, though, you have to set smaller, easier to reach goals first. That way it’ll be easier for you to not only keep motivation but also pace out your energy over the long term.
For example, if you’re starting from Diamond, the goal list should go like this:
- D1
- D2
- D3
- C1 and so on
You could also use the divisions as checkpoints as well, but I keep them off so I don’t get overly obsessed over the exact rank I am at. It’s completely normal to bounce up and down between divisions and even ranks, don’t let that be controlling your enjoyment of the game.
At the same time, keep in mind that, even if you know what your next checkpoint is, you might not know how to get there.
If that’s the case, you’re going to need to do a quick check on what got you to your current level in the first place, then figure out what is going to take you to the next one.
Plan When, Where and What
Now that you know where you’re going and what it takes to get there, the next step is figuring out when you can make those money moves.
This is going to vary depending on what’s going on in your life and what other responsibilities you have. Nevertheless, it is essential for anyone wanting to make progress.
Firstly, make time and plan for necessary things you have to do like sleep, eating, exercise, and work/school. Once that’s figured out, then it’ll be simple figuring out when you can get good: it’ll be the time that’s leftover.
With this time, break it up into different parts. For example, if I have 2 hours to play and I want to work on my aerials, here is my plan for the day.
- Warmup for 20 minutes in Free Play
- Aerial training packs for 40 minutes
- Play for 1 hour with extra focus going into when, how, and why I’m aerialing
You can even take this a step further by planning out what you want to work on for a week and, if you’re feeling saucy enough, even a whole month!
Quantity over Quality then Quality over Quantity
In acquiring any skill, you have to go through as much repetition as possible. This requires plenty of time as you work various actions into your muscle memory.
Once you have gotten to the point where you’re comfortable with how you’ve improved on it, though, it will be time to move onto the next progression: looking for quality.
Setting a standard for how you want to perform the skill is crucial in making it consistent and sharp in game. For example, when it comes to shooting, after you’re able to hit certain kinds of shots just at the goal, the next step would be to make those shots accurately in the corners.
The next logical step in that progression would be adding speed to your shots, but before you can move onto making the shots fast, give yourself a standard of hitting the shots in the same corner a certain amount of times. If you can make them consistently, then make them consistently fast.
This approach will let your mind associate what you’re trying to learn with how it is supposed to be done from its simplest form to its most complex form. Staying with the shooting theme this is how to apply what I’ve said
- Shot on frame (10 times total on 1 shot to 10 times in a row on 1 shot)
- Shot to specific place on goal (10 times total on 1 shot to 10 times in a row on 1 shot)
- Fast shot to specific place on goal (10 times total on 1 shot to 10 times in a row on 1 shot)
Training packs are a great way to warm up to get shooting (and other mechanics) ready for playing online. Here is one video that FLuuMP made not too long ago:
Eliminate Distractions
This is the easiest method to apply immediately. You know where you play Rocket League, so you know what can be possible distractors to keep you from focusing.
Whether it be your phone, what you have around your monitor/tv, your pets/siblings/kids, etc. they can all take energy away from what’s in front of you.
Take care of your attention grabbers beforehand so that you don’t have to worry about anything else when you’re 7 minutes deep into overtime and OMG YOU NEED BOOST WHILE IN NET.
An additional thing to point out for eliminating distractions is that it keeps you focused on only one thing at a time.
This is the most efficient way to get something done as it simplifies what you have to do. The less energy you have to spend worrying about one thing gives you more to spend on the things that matter.
If you only have to worry about getting the ball in the net as opposed to getting the ball in the net, looking at what’s on your phone and whether or not your drink is going to fall over, you’ll make things substantially easier for yourself.
Develop Good Habits
Here are some great habits to get into to help you develop in Rocket League:
Meditation:
Meditation is meant to bring you back to 0, or put you in zen mode.
It may seem counterproductive to sit down and do nothing but breathe for 5-10 minutes, but that’s the whole point.
Staring at a screen for prolonged periods of time combined with the daily grind of life can have your brain feeling overwhelmed and jittery.
Adding a quick meditation break into your training can bring you back to a mindset where you’re focused on the things that matter. Like the ball. And chasing it.
Exercise:
Exercise has been proven to make you feel better and boost energy levels once it becomes a habit.
The key here is that you need to find an activity that you like and makes you think you’re not exercising.
Proper Diet:
You are what you eat so if you’re eating food that doesn’t have the good stuff you need (nutrients) then you’ll crash and have to take more bathroom breaks than Johnny from Metal Gear.
Simply put, don’t eat the stuff that has more volume but doesn’t have anything in it that you need.
Mindfulness is Key
This all comes down to knowing yourself and therefore knowing your limits.
You know how many games you can play before you start playing badly. The number can increase over time, but there will still be a limit.
There’s a reason a lower bracket run is so impressive because you have to play so many games at your best level without very many breaks: your endurance is really tested.
Know what takes focus away from what you’re working on. Of course, Rocket League is still a game so balance is needed to make it just as enjoyable as it is rewarding from taking it more seriously. Know how your day has gone and how you’re feeling to gauge what you can and can’t handle when it comes to training. Know what you have to do to recharge really quickly for the current session and for your overall training.
Now that you know how to get in the zone, go ahead and apply it. You’ll be more in tune with how you’re progressing and be able to get good quicker.
And on a lighter note to end, being in the right state of mind will help decrease these sort of moments:
So this happened against @GamersRdyHQ owner @AlexKF_ LMAO @gifyourgame pic.twitter.com/HFjPtEZrEi
— OSM (@OSM__RL) April 4, 2019
