Making the Switch from Pad to Stick

I recently purchased an arcade stick. I suck with it!!! I've always been a pad player- but I got a stick because alot of good players use them. It hear alot of VF players saying that sticks are the only way to go.

So my questions is- are sticks for everyone? To be fair I've only put about 3-4 hours in with it---but it really doesen't seem to be working. I find myself not being able to consistently pull off Lau's /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/uf.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif or /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/db.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif. (most diagonals give me trouble.

Has anyone else made the transition from pad to stick? Any tips for making the switch would be appreciated.

BTW I got a EX2

 

you will get the hang of it .....hang in there /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

*waits for his stick from arcade-in-a-box -_-*

 

The only thing that screws me up when I'm playing a stick is the diagonals. I had the same problem with the Xbox controller, but you can grow used to the given amount of area for each direction in any gate. If it's frustrating you can simply get another gate; they're pretty cheap. OR you can take spare parts off of your local VF players for free /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

I always had played Lei-Fei on a pad, but switching to a stick was ALOT easier than I expected. I figured the stance changing would screw me up but if you can envision yourself inputting the commands, it's not that hard at all.

If you are reading this and you are a pad player, "SWITCH TO STICK!" Pads make complacent VFers. I mean its cool if your just messing around w/ the game and you like it alot, but if you wanna get serious I'd suggest you switch.

 

Just stick at it, seriously it doesn't take long.

 

Yeah Im just gonna stick with it. Damn it's annoying though!!

 

I'm still adapting more than 3 months later but it's still worth it. The movement that you can do on a stick is so much more varied and it's easy to see yourself growing with it. It's harder but it pays off better than a pad... just be ready to lose... A LOT.

Edit: Tips! Practice a lot but when you practice in dojo take a little bit of time to look down at your stick when the move you want isn't coming out, chances are that you are not doing something right. Also, turn on the option to see what inputs you're putting in. It's the option that shows the ball of your stick and which direction you're pushing your stick to. It should be on the bottom left-hand corner.

 

hey hey ._. this is exactly what i'm looking for... do you know where can i get one? I'm using an ex2 hori stick /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif and sometimes i have some problem with diagonals.. But not like pleportamee
I want change some pieces of my ex2 like 3 buttons and the gate. For the buttons it's easy.. but for the gate.. i don't really know where i can get one and which type i have to chose /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif please help me ._. Thanks

 

You are correct--I have been losing ALOT. (I played you one match night-didn't even put up a fight) That's cool though- (I just wish there were more people playing player match so I dont have to go into ranked)

Actually I went into Dojo last night and turned on the "dislpay inputs" feature. AMAZING!! I wish I knew about that beforehand. My stick skills improved ten fold last night by using this. I discovered that it really was just me inputting incorrectly.

From what I have seen so far, you have to be more precise with a stick, but once you get percise it's a lot more reliable than the X-BOX pad.
Actually

 

Glad that "display inputs" helped /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif Here's another tip: if there are inputs that you can't seem to buffer in no matter how hard you try, ask other players that play with the character that you are trying to train with, how they buffer in tricky combos.
Sometimes there's a lot of ways to get certain tricky combos to work. I learned from asking different Lau players how to buffer in Lau's 2_3P during certain attacks and even though I don't have it down yet, it really helped to get tips and tricks from different stick pros.

 

Appreciate the tips Tony. BTW, how do you guys hold the joystick? Is there a particulaur way that works best?

 

Grip the stick between your ring finger and middle finger, in such a way, that your thumb rests on top of the ball of the stick, and the tip of your thumb just connects to your index finger. Then, while keeping a firm grip of the stick between those fingers and thumbs, slight adjust your hand until you feel comfortable at a neutral position. When you move the stick in any direction your hand will naturally change positions, but you should develop a comfortable position with muscle memory that your hand will naturally move to when you went a neutral position.

For example, when I move the stick down (or toward the screen, or at the '2' position), I take my thumb off of the ball, and push my index and middle fingers toward me.

Lastly, I know it's proper for VF to use your thumb on the 'G' button, but I'm one of the few people I've ever seen who use three fingers to hit PKG, with my index finger on the guard button, middle finger on punch, ring on kick. (I don't even use my right thumb for Super Turbo anymore because my muscles have been so dominantly programmed for VF).

Again do whatever feels comfortable for the most part.

 

Yeah, I don't use my thumb either for PKG. Too awkward for me. Dont understand how others do it to be honest.

 

i used to use my thumb for mvc too, that's how i made the switch, i'd do the aerials index,thumb, index, thumb or middle, thumb

 

OK so my X button no longer works apparantley....

 

Anatomy would argue thumb is actually less awkward than ring finger. In most humans, ring finger shares a tendon with middle and pinky. Put your hand palm-down flat on a table and try to lift your ring finger independently of your other fingers . . . unless you've got unusual hands, you won't be able to move it very far without lifting your pinky, and at least twitching your middle finger.

That being said, plenty of people use index-middle-ring; I've switched back and forth.