The final installment of the Perfect Practice article series is now available.

If you have not seen the first two installments to this series or the interviews accompanying them, please do so first by reading Part 1 and Part 2.

Unlike the Korean teams, most players will not live with their teammates, leaving their schedules with free time where they may be forced to practice by themselves.  The question then becomes; what should a person do to advance their personal skill?  With so many options out there such as aim maps, CS DM, micro maps, studying replays or VODs, mixing, custom games, and so much more, it becomes hard for players to know just what works best.  World-renowned Counterstrike professional, Patrik ‘f0rest’ Lindberg actually admits to playing a lot of WC3 servers and surf maps,

“Now-a-days I try and play wc3 CS public, a gungame can slip in here and there also and the occasional surf_map run through.”

 Patrik then goes on to say that,

“Well this might be the question were everyone wants know EXACTLY how you should practice to become a better player, but in all fairness, there is no fast way, nor a right way.
I was playing public on prodigy/militia for god knows how long; I never played DM (which seems to be extremely popular now a days). I think everyone should find something which they enjoy playing, whether it’s WC3 custom public or surfing (I love those 2, haha) DM/regular public/gathers you name it, if you enjoy it play it and the rest should fall into place.”

Knowing what you need to focus on, and what helps you progress seems to be the key in advancing ones skill set.  Aside from his regular bootcamps and team practices, Patrik Lindberg uses rather unconventional methods to help his game.  It all depends on what you are trying to improve and what your goals are. 

Amateur players often ask professional players what their specific practice methods are, what their configs are, etc, when they should be looking within and asking themselves just what it is that they need or want to improve.  The key to success is a player’s desire, dedication and devotion to their specific E-Sport, all in the while, keeping a healthy schedule, body and mind in order to give it their all.

In the end, there is no guide or how-to manual to improve and become professional.   According to the professionals, there are only keen minds that are focused completely on the task at hand, improving.  As a wise man once said, “Practice, Practice, Practice” – Johnathan ‘Fatal1ty’ Wendel

Patrik 'f0rest' Lindberg Interview

http://www.fnatic.com/filestorage/imagedb/full/6046.jpg


What would you define as 'perfect practice'?

Starting off with some music combined with WC3 public, when that session is up I go for the more relaxed surfing maps to finally top it off with the late night team practice. BOOM.

How do you, as a team, practice?

We usually practice from 4-5 days a week, 6-8hours each day.

We try also to fit in a 1 hour tactical meeting, trying to come up with new tactics or try and improve those we already have.

How do you, as an individual, practice?

Now-a-days I try and play wc3 CS public, a gungame can slip in here and there also and the occasional surf_map run through.

Do your practice methods change when an event is coming up?

Definitely, I try and play as much as I possibly can when a tournament is around the corner, playing surfmaps / wc3public when we're not practicing so ill be in my best shape.

Does facing the same opponents over and over cause problems when practicing and preparing for a match?  For instance, you play mTw, SK and NaVi a lot, how do you guys go about practicing for these matches?

We try and watch a lot of recent demos, having our laptops at events helps us a lot with that. And also trying to see what we can do to counter them in a small way, but not too much that it'll affect our regular playing style.

You guys usually bootcamp at Chris' families place before an event, how much does that help, and why do you think that helps?

First off, a big thanks to Chris’ family for putting up with us during the bootcamps. It’s a huge boost to our game, being able to play as much as possible as a team on LAN. As well, having those tactical discussions which will improve our game.

Is there such a thing as practicing too much Practicing to a point where it does more harm than good?

I myself feel that if I play too much it will eventually start hurting my game, since I will not be as motivated as say the first week of practice.
2 weeks of slow practice and 1 week bootcamping seems to be the ultimate training for me.

When you reach the top of your game, like you have, how do you continue to practice to improve  Do you ever feel like you have hit a plateau in your skill level?

I’ve..reached..the top of my game already?  That’s cheap...IM GONA GET BETTER! You’ll see. I think I have a lot of stuff which can improve my game, my teammates for example see me as this overly aggressive player which sometimes can do these insane frags but more often than not, hurts the team actually. So I’ve not reached my full potential yet, I just need to perfect my game even more.

What would you suggest to beginners who are just starting out, that want to improve their game and that might not be as experienced or skilled, as say professional players.?

Well this might be the question were everyone wants know EXACTLY how you should practice to become a better player, but in all fairness, there is no fast way, nor a right way.
I was playing public on prodigy/militia for god knows how long, I never played DM (which seems to be extremely popular now-a-days). I think everyone should find something which they enjoy playing, whether it’s WC3 custom public or surfing (I love those 2, haha) DM/regular public/gathers you name it, if you enjoy it play it and the rest should fall into place.