The gist: avoid falling into a predictable rhythm by using a set pattern. Do something unexpected--even crazy--to throw off your opponent’s mindset.
Many veterans will harp that success in Street Fighter comes from the feel of the match. Sounds opaque, right? Let’s explore what this means and how you can incorporate “the feel” into your game.
Think of “the feeling” as the rhythm of the match. A pattern has a predictable rhythm. For example, mindlessly chucking fireballs without changing your timing or positioning is a pattern easily exploitable by your opponent. In this case, stepping a few paces back before throwing a fireball or pausing for a brief second is enough to change the rhythm.
A block string is another example (a series of attacks blocked by the opponent). Don’t always use the same attacks! By performing the same pattern, you’re conditioning your opponent on your habits. So change the the sequence to keep the opponent guessing, even if the pattern is as simple as a blocked string of light attacks.
For instance, LP, LP, LP block string.
LP, LK, pause.
LP, pause, Lp
LK, LP
LP, Throw