[Help Thread] Why do I do better in comp than at home?

[GAN 356 X]

After attending my first comp in Epping I came home with a 17.xx average under my belt. I had a break from timed solves on Monday then just did and ao12 on 3x3 and got a 22.28 average and several DNFs and +2s. Why is this? Is it because of the added pressure makes me perform to my true potential?

I am really confused and annoyed at my current performance, thanks in advance

 

[EccentricSensei]

Cool! I’ll just guess.
1. Maybe the fact that you are competing against other people makes you have a sort of a... drive/motivation to beat them? Whereas at home, you don’t have a specific competitor (other than trying to get better times).
2. The excitement at the competition makes you have more adrenaline, which makes your performance better.
3. Perhaps stress ‘fuels’ you and makes you do better in competitions.
Then again, this is just my hypothesis, hope it helps!

 

[Skewbed]

The same thing happens to me.
I got a 13.50 average on 3x3 at US Nationals 2019, when I normally averaged just under 15 seconds at the time.
I think that it happens because I spend more time making sure I am ready for each solve, and more time on inspection.

 

[ImmolatedMarmoset]

Sometimes, for me, cubing at home is mechanical in a way. I pick up the cube, do a bunch of solves, and then put it down. In competition, it’s more pronounced. Each solve is important in its own right, and I put more emphasis on each. (That doesn’t take away from the fact that I do much worse in comp then at home)

 

[MarkA64]

After attending my first comp in Epping I came home with a 17.xx average under my belt. I had a break from timed solves on Monday then just did and ao12 on 3x3 and got a 22.28 average and several DNFs and +2s. Why is this? Is it because of the added pressure makes me perform to my true potential?

I am really confused and annoyed at my current performance, thanks in advance

There's plenty of psychological and practical reasons for this. Also there is a matter of perception of time.

For a lot of cubers, those few solves in comp are what matters most and what they are looking forward to. This would be my guess for the main reason.

 

[CodingCuber]

I’m sort of the opposite. When I went to my first comp I got terrible times, I forgot to start the timer, I stuffed up solves. I found the pressure hard to deal with, but now that I have experienced a comp I think I will do alright at Melbourne Summer 2020.

Also mabye you feel more relaxed at home knowing that none of your results will matter.

 

[BenChristman1]

After attending my first comp in Epping I came home with a 17.xx average under my belt. I had a break from timed solves on Monday then just did and ao12 on 3x3 and got a 22.28 average and several DNFs and +2s. Why is this? Is it because of the added pressure makes me perform to my true potential?

I am really confused and annoyed at my current performance, thanks in advance

I am kind of the same. At home, I average around 22 seconds, just like you. At my last comp, I got a 20.15 average and a 20.20 average. I think that a lot or all of the factors that people have said probably contribute to this.

 

[Nmile7300]

At my first comp, I got a 1:27 5x5 average, which at the time was like 8 seconds below my at home average

 

[GAN 356 X]

After reading through what you guys have said, I have a quick question. Do you think taking each solve slower and trying to stimulate a comp style environment at home will help? For example warming up before hand and taking everything slower, so one solve takes say 1-2 mins including wrm up compared to around 40 seconds?