I don't know about you, but practice mode is a way of life for me when it comes to playing Madden (and NCAA for that matter). More than half my time playing Madden is spent in practice mode trying to make myself a better player. This has been the case with me for several years and I have to say that along with playing a variety of opponents online, this is one of the top things I've done to improve my game. Here are the top 5 things I find useful when it comes to spending my time in practice mode:


#5 Assessing my team's strengths and weaknesses. I play the majority of my games with the Redskins and since I'm a fan it gives me a natural edge when it comes to knowledge of the team rosters and strengths and weaknesses. But it's also important for me to get into practice mode and see right on the Madden gridiron where my biggest weapons are and where I'm going to have to find ways to work around team weaknesses. I often move around people on the roster at certain positions to see what I think will work best when it comes to game time. For instance, last year Brandon Lloyd was listed as the # 2 receiver for the Skins on the default roster and Antwaan Randle El played in the slot. I switched this so I could use Antwaan's speed on the outside and Lloyd's size over the middle of the field. I had tried a number of combinations in practice mode to see what worked best for me and came to a conclusion that it was a good personnel decision to make. There are a lot of these kind of adjustments that can be made for each team depending on what kind of offense you want to run and what makes you most comfortable as a player. Don't be afraid to shake things up and try something unique.


#4 Preparing for league opponents. The great thing about playing in a league with other people is that you have a schedule and know who your opponent is the following week. I love this because it gives me an opportunity to take my team against my opponent's in practice mode and figure out how I'm going to attack them on both sides of the ball. Knowledgeable fans often know some of the mismatches based on their real life expertise on the NFL, and checking out the ratings of both teams is helpful as well. But there's no substitute for getting both teams on the field and seeing exactly what mismatches will be able to be exploited. I've done this in every league I've ever played in, and I've never had a losing season. Back in Madden 2004 I had a league where I was the Redskins and had the Dolphins on the schedule. In preparing for the Dolphins I noticed that I had a huge advantage with the speed of my running back Trung Canidate when it came to being matched up against their linebackers. I was able to use this match up to my advantage with a lot of runs to the edge and passes where I motioned Trung into the slot. He might not have been the best running back in the NFL (although I have to say he was always pretty awesome in Madden), but that match up that I found in practice mode made him extremely tough to stop and I won the game.


#3 Improving my manual skills. Stick skills have been and probably always be one of the most important aspects of playing Madden. If you want to be a top player, you've got to be good on the sticks. Some players are even so good manually that it can make up for foolish mistakes or a lack of significant football knowledge. But even if you are an expert when it comes to the X and Os of football, you have to be able to match that on the sticks to be a successful Madden player. I work on all aspects of manual control in practice mode. I spend tons of time calling running plays and figuring out which method of breaking tackles will work best for me. I throw all of the different kind of routes I expect I'll use in a game situation and become comfortable with clicking on and making the play. I also get on defense in practice mode and use my safeties to become better at user picking passes and deflecting the deep ball. User skills are a fundamental part of Madden and should be a big part of your time in practice mode if you hope to get better.


#2 Overcoming difficulties from real game situations. If knowing your team's strengths and weaknesses is important, then knowing your own strengths and weaknesses as a player are just as key. I always get excited when I play an opponent and see something in their offense or defense that provides me with a real challenge. Regardless of whether it's a winning or losing effort for me, I like to jot down what my opponent is doing and then try and recreate the same situation in practice mode. This is a great way to overcome obstacles that can stand in your way of winning and it can make you an all around better player. The last thing you want to do is play someone who has a strategy that's effective against you and then run into another player who employs the same strategy without having figured out a way to overcome it. Take those challenges into practice mode and add a couple of more skills to your repertoire. I spent some time doing this in a league I won last year and it helped me beat 3 players in the playoffs that I'd lost to during the regular season.



#1 Learning my playbook inside-out. This is the top thing I use practice mode for. First I figure out which playbook works best for me, then I learn that playbook like the back of my hand. This is important for a couple of reasons. For one, running the same play numerous times is going to increase your ability to execute it to perfection in a game situation. The repetition can help you with nuances such as identifying a regular progression for pass plays you like to call and the timing required to run a successful play. Second, working on your playbook will help you immensely when it comes to play selection in real game situations. I know which plays work best in which situations and have run them enough times to give me the confidence that I can execute them when I need to. The last thing you want to do during the course of a game is get in a situation where you are thumbing through your plays, looking for something to call. If you know what's in your arsenal, you can make those decisions out of reflex. But it's also important to make sure you're not relying on the same tried and true plays that often work for you. Learn as much of your playbook as possible because there will come a time when plays that usually work aren't effective. It's at that point where knowing the depth of your playbook can help you in a rough situation.



I know not everyone loves practice mode as much as I do, but if you're looking to get better as a player, I strongly encourage spending some time in there to work on your strategy. It's become as much fun for me as playing and winning an actual game.

-raczilla