Springs are driving me MAD!

[naujoks]

I need some serious help with those springs.
I've sifted through all the technical information, scores of scientific data with charts and numbers, but in reality it's no help to me.
I watched many videos. There's a lot of guys there scoring highly by doing the "wait for a long spring" and run thing, but I think they were just lucky. When I do this, 80% of the times it works, but it still means I'm dead long before Level 7.
I also saw some of the masters getting up the ladder on a short spring - how does that even work?
Dean says he's watching the entry arc, with peripheral vision. Even when looking at the springs directly, the difference in the arc is not easily made out. And where do you stop to assess the situation? When I'm even just one step up the ladder and my eyes dart from the right to the left and by the time I found out I need to go back to the safe spot, it's already too late.
I think my reaction time and general skills are good enough to crack this, but right now I'm stuck. Any help greatly appreciated!

[Lyriell]

So I'm no expert on the matter, but if you are not in a rush and are willing to follow this advice it will get the job done.

Basically... I'll skip the first part of getting up the ladder and across to the safe zone,  I'll assume you have that part sorted.  If not, let me know....

What you want to do is wait for the longest spring and soon as it goes over your head start running to the right.

As soon as you start running, dart your eyes back over to the left side and watch the incoming spring... if it's short, keep going, if its long like the one you just left on... then hike it back ASAP.

With time you will read this stuff and basically only make mistakes when you are tired. 

You should try a MAME savestate for practice. 

What you should be able to do is walk Mario up the ladder without having to look at him.

[naujoks]

Thanks for the reply, I just practiced your suggestion for a bit, but it doesn't work: If I wait at the bottom of the stairs even for a split second, while I'm looking to the springs on the left, there's not enough time to get up the ladder, even if it's a short spring.

[Lyriell]

You need to be looking over there from the moment you step away.

You should know your decision before the spring has fallen, the window of opportunity is small though.   Are you playing on your TV?  Or a PC?  Can you get closer to the screen?  If you're on a TV can you switch on game mode or PC mode?

You won't have time to stop and look, you should always be moving either towards and up or running back.  If you have stood still, you are already dead unless you know your stuff.

[naujoks]

At the moment I'm playing on MAME on my PC, but my cabinet will arrive next week
I'll experiment some more.

[naujoks]

No, I'm still missing something here. By the time I start running when a long spring came, in the second it takes for the next spring to show, I'm already one step up the ladder. There won't be time to move back. and as we know, stopping even just briefly doesn't work either.

[homerwannabee]

I do something a little bit more unconventional with the springs.  I look for the distance between the two springs.  If the distance is great I make a run for it.  If the distance is short I stay.  But of course only look for the distance between the two springs when you first get a long one.  Not for the short ones.   So for instance here's an example. 

Short:    I               I  That's a no go.

Long:    I                                  I  Yep, you run on that.

[GILLYKONG]

My 2¢ I never watch Jumpman. Or the ladder I focus on the springs only. After a while you will get used to it. You can be half way up the ladder and still make it back to the safe spot it just takes practice.

[naujoks]

Nobody of the masters ever seems to wait ON a ladder - there just wouldn't be enough time to climb down. Is that a given?
If you look at this video:

at 00:39:03 he's not even waiting in a classical safe spot. How did he know it's ok to run up?

[SithOfSpades]

I made these videos a while back for a friend of mine where I show in a lot of detail how I was doing the springs: https://www.twitch.tv/collections/3fUP7rvVeBWvXQ. I now do them a little different and am much more aggressive than what I say in these videos. I discuss how to be more aggressive and how to be safer. I just watched a little and they are a bit rambling a cringy, but they may help. I don't think there is any outright bad or wrong information.

[krehztim]

naujoks, the very best are able to make their way to the top with muscle memory or a quick glance.  Their real concentration is on the springs, and they can see in their side vision where the incoming springs are bouncing.  They're able to identify short and long springs while maintaining movement towards the top.  If you can do save states for a few hours, you'll start to get a feel for watching both places at the same time.

[danman123456]

He waited there because a medium spring came. The next spring after that was a short so he knew it was ok to run up. Just takes time you can run up from the right side even but that is risky. Best answer is just takes time to get the feel for it.

Nobody of the masters ever seems to wait ON a ladder - there just wouldn't be enough time to climb down. Is that a given?
If you look at this video:

at 00:39:03 he's not even waiting in a classical safe spot. How did he know it's ok to run up?

[tjb3531]

It’s probably the skill that takes the longest to learn and once you have it you’ll be good. Even the best still get caught occasionally. There is a more advanced method going to the ladder from the right but I have no experience with that.

You will eventually be able to make a run for it and get jumpman to the ladder and start ascending without looking at him at all. It takes time but the more you play the more you will adapt to it. You start to recognize the arcs of the springs and know how they’re entering the screen. I have days where I die on the spring level several times and days where I never die on it.

[Nitelite]

It’s probably the skill that takes the longest to learn and once you have it you’ll be good. Even the best still get caught occasionally. There is a more advanced method going to the ladder from the right but I have no experience with that.

I am also having trouble with the springs and am interested in the other method from the right. Is there any instructions regarding that method anywhere?

[Barra]

I am also having trouble with the springs and am interested in the other method from the right. Is there any instructions regarding that method anywhere?

Going from the right is MUCH harder. There's more combos (20 if you don't count the "sometimes" combos) you can go on from the left than there is from the right. Its much easier to time going from the left too since you're travelling with the spring rather than against it
Here's the rundown from Spring Theory. Read this topic if you want a deep understanding of the spring stage. Its a long read but definitely worth it imo