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What causes easy misses

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:04 pm
by Peter Clarke
Like a lot of Countdown players, I am very prone to missing easy words. Usually in a game, I would miss at least one word I would normally get, depending on my form.

What causes you to miss easy words or lose form? I expect it is a combination of health (physical and mental) factors, how you're feeling and things in your mind etc. In most games, it feels as if my brain just cannot keep up with doing 15 whole rounds to my best despite feeling fine. I often have the 'lost it' phase or even just blank. What else can course you to have the odd brain clog? Even some of the best players experience this, but some players are more able to keep their brain on form during the game. I have Aspergers, but plenty of players on Apterous have it so I reckon it might affect people in different ways, can Aspergers/Autism play a part in this? I had a few games just now when I missed a few words I would normally get like primates (for misrate).

I also sometimes struggle to relax in certain rounds (even the easier ones) or even games. What courses players to struggle to relax or how do people relax into a game or on set? Obviously that would cause easy misses. I always get really nervous on crucial conundrums, which might be what slows me down on them. Conundrums feel like my main let down right now even though I am improving a bit.

Re: What causes easy misses

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:06 pm
by Jon O'Neill
The more you practise, the less it happens.

Re: What causes easy misses

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:19 pm
by Peter Clarke
Jon O'Neill wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:06 pm The more you practise, the less it happens.
Was thinking that as well. I've been playing for nearly a year and a half now. Do you mean the more frequently you practice or the amount of practice you get in total? I don't have time to do that much practice, but my brain always gets tired after a few games in a row. Does more practice make it take longer for your brain to get tired?

They seem like weird questions, but it is interesting lol.

Re: What causes easy misses

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:18 am
by Innis Carson
Peter Clarke wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:19 pm
Jon O'Neill wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:06 pm The more you practise, the less it happens.
Does more practice make it take longer for your brain to get tired?
Yes, primarily because with enough practice, the process of word-spotting gradually transitions from an active process of rearranging letters and searching for words (which requires some mental effort) to a process of merely recognising sets of letters and recalling words you mentally associate with them (which, once the associations are lodged in your mind, takes virtually no effort at all).