Increasing question response speed

Dormant threads from the high school sections are preserved here.
Locked
wen39912
Kimahri
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:49 pm

Increasing question response speed

Post by wen39912 »

Are there any ways in which I can effectively increase my buzzing speed? I have been wondering if increasing one's speed is a result of increased knowledge of a subject, if it is a somewhat unrelated factor, or a combination of the two. Advice and resources would be appreciated.
Andrew Shi
TJHSST 2023
User avatar
db0wman
Wakka
Posts: 142
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:37 pm
Location: Champaign, IL

Re: Increasing question response speed

Post by db0wman »

If you're talking about buzzing at an earlier point in the question, then knowing more will help you buzz there. Quizbowl questions adhere to the principle of pyramidality, which means that harder clues come earlier in the question in order to reward people who know more about the subject.

If you're talking about winning buzzer races, you can "prime" by holding down the buzzer button halfway.
Dylan Bowman
Uni '20; Illinois '23
Jasconius
Lulu
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:46 am

Re: Increasing question response speed

Post by Jasconius »

This question's been asked before. I like Mike Cheyne and Bruce Arthur's answers.

I don't have that much more to say but to reiterate Bruce's point that, if you can figure out what word the moderator is about to say, you can buzz on a half-syllable of a word instead of having to hear the whole word. I think that's more important than being able to push the button faster.
Matthew Siff
Georgetown Day School '20
Yale University '25
User avatar
Sean
Wakka
Posts: 133
Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:30 am

Re: Increasing question response speed

Post by Sean »

My comment is more pseudoscience than anything else and you might find that other thread with serious suggestions more helpful, but you could try getting as excited as possible about a question in your speciality. If you’re a generalist then you can get really pumped about quiz bowl in general and the prospect of answering questions really fast about things you’re super motivated to study because you really care about it. With my own play I’ve found that the more excited I get about playing quiz bowl, the faster my thought processes are and the more clear my on-the-spot reasoning becomes. I see it as me wanting to think as fast and hard as possible about something I like just like a little kid getting pumped up for something they like. Not everyone responds the same to success mentalities, so this mindset helps to sustain enjoyment while also pushing yourself to become a better player not because you have to but because you want to. Again, my comment is more pseudoscientific than anything else, but it’s won me several buzzer races so far.
Last edited by Sean on Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:12 pm, edited 6 times in total.
Sean Farrell
Mandarin High '20
North Florida '23
wen39912
Kimahri
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:49 pm

Re: Increasing question response speed

Post by wen39912 »

Thank you all for the responses, I feel that I will be able to improve my buzzing speed significantly thanks to your advice.
Andrew Shi
TJHSST 2023
Locked