Pivoting

This article or section may require competitive expertise. You can discuss this issue on the talk page or edit this page to improve it.

Marth pivoting a forward smash in Melee.

Pivoting, or DA Dashing, is a technique in Super Smash Bros., Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Super Smash Bros. 4 that lets a character use attacks out of a dash. The tactic was discovered by Philly Billy.

The technique makes use of the time frame at which a character turns during a dash; any normal ground options are available as if the character were standing still - smashes, grabs and tilts can occur here without the lag that usually comes from using these attacks after a dash. Normal pivoting is primarily used so that a character can quickly change the direction they are facing whilst not suffering the usual turn-around lag that would occur when doing so. This can allow characters to improve the utility of various moves in certain situations.

One use of pivoting is to dash a short distance away from an approaching opponent and then turn around to attack them with a forward tilt, forward smash or grab. This is particularly useful for characters with disjointed attacks or far-reaching grabs. Pivoting can also be used to punish rolls and techs, as pictured.

It is also possible, though difficult, to perform a pivot without attacking, causing the character to simply stop and turn around without any lag. This is known among SSB4 players as a perfect pivot.

In SSB4, performing a pivot grab results in a grab with longer reach than usual. However pivot grabs also have more end lag. Such pivot grabs can also be performed in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where pivoting is otherwise not possible.