This was probably me with Smash Bros in college: Nobody in the dorms would play me after a certain point, but I'm sure I would've gotten my ass whooped by professionals.
I went to school with the number one melee player in my state. I played him a ton over the years and never beat him once. The skill disparity between "serious tournament competitor" and "best in the neighborhood" is boggling.
This is the sobering reality for many a hometown hero of physical sports too. Being the best in your city, 1 in a million even, puts you in tight competition in college sports and then worse as a pro.
I have this problem playing smash bros with my kids. Solution? Pump up my handicap to >100% and play Kirby. Basic hits knock Kirby out, so it actually becomes a challenge for me, and they love beating me up. Win win!
Right? I watch the videos and they're pulling off moves in times I don't understand.
But wiping the floor with my friends isn't fun. I've settled on not using Roy/Ike, Captain Flacon/Ganondorf, Mewtwo/Locario, Donkey Kong and Samus. Actually I haven't used them in so long I've probably handicapped myself with at least some of them