Footsie and Spacing

A. The Theory:

A big part of Zangief’s game is footsies and zoning. Basically to excel at this, a big part of it is simply based on EXPERIENCE. So yes you’d have to experiment a lot, play with people a lot to understand the nuances and details. BUT, you can make it a faster learning process by THINKING and EXECUTING your gameplay in certain methods.

If you approach the art of footsie, zoning and even yomi at a scientific level – you’d need to have knowledge of every possible option for BOTH you and your opponent’s character at every range, and be alert and trained to apply the correct counter to a particular puzzle, or give the opponent the right puzzle for the opponent to solve depending on whether he knows the counter. When I say “puzzle” – it can be anything from a poke at a certain range, a set up, an O/S – literally anything in the game.

The BEST kind of puzzles you can give your opponent are ones that are moves that:

  • Your opponent’s character does not have a counter that can be easily executed or a good risk/reward ratio answer.Example: At close range, Honda neutral J.HP on Gief’s wake up fits this category. It can not be countered under normal circumstances as it kills Giefs hitbox, it would still hit Gief on Backdash if done correct since its active frame is so long, nor would it get hit by ex-greenhand.
    Gief’s only counter to this is yomi that the Honda will do jump up immediately, and immediately on wakeup D.MK (to avoid the J.HP) and do either an EX SPD or Ultra. (not sure if normal spds/suplex would work). – Something that has a poor risk/reward ratio and is not easily executed.
  • Moves that your opponent does not have the answer to because he simply does not have the knowledge.These are moves that you find out the opponent does not have an answer for. E.g. you can probably abuse the move until they find out the answer. Chances are if it’s a hard one, they aren’t going to be able to figure it out in a round or two.
  • Moves that your opponent is an easy prey for because it punishes their habitThese are moves that you find out the opponent is a sucker for because it keeps aiming for their bad habit.
    Example: I always find that X Balrog player would always mash light punch or crouch tech when I’m close, therefore I would just do a SPD when I get close.

Likewise, to find out all of these counters and puzzles – you’d have to play the game, against different opponents, and experiment in training mode. It’s helpful, when playing to ask yourself these questions:

  • What are your opponent’s options at various range against YOUR character (e.g. wake up/non wakeup), and;
  • What your counter options are at X range against each character in every situation (e.g. wake up/non wakeup) in order to determine:
  • What is the range you want to be at; and
  • What you can expect the opponent to be able to do in order to get ready for them.
  • Likewise, what moves will the opponent’s character have trouble countering?

If you can master this for every character and be able to execute it well, you will be a god at both footsie, and being able to place yourself at the optimal positions