I don't know if this is the right place to ask but, can someone give me any advice to improve my game? I've been hitting 1550~1600 ladder with multiples accounts with any kind of team, I find easy to get there, but somehow I can't break through that wall. I've been watching some high ladder matches and the only "mechanic" I'm not using is the double switch, should I try to practise that?
Thanks!
It usually helps to have replays, but I can talk on double switching for a little bit. The short answer is yes, you should absolutely learn how to do it. The long answer is it is a difficult and somewhat risky play that relies heavily on prediction. It essentially boils down to predicting a switch and using that knowledge to switch into one of your mons to challenge what they just sent in AND keep offensive momentum on your side. That is the big difference between double switching and expecting a switch and using a move to either chip on entrance.
The main difference is in the type of counter/ check. Using a move on a predicted switch often provides low risk/ low reward counter where you will probably need to switch the next turn. This is a totally fine move in many situations, especially when you are still trying to figure out move sets and roles, where you don't need an aggressive play and could learn more by their choices but rarely creates a wincon. Sometimes it'll weaken a check down just enough or get up an important terrain, but it generally doesn't create a ton of instant opportunity. If you switch, it essentially functions as a free U-Turn and can create an immediate mismatch that can leave an opponent scrambling to counter the sudden mismatch. The difficulty with this move is that it's naturally aggressive and if they decide not to switch or switch into something different, suddenly you could be at a disadvantage.
Personally, I tend to prefer doing a double switch more sparingly so that it is harder to predict, but I find myself using it at a few points in the battle. If you can make a good prediction at the very beginning, you can weaken a wall fairly early and force them to use it more sparingly throughout the battle. I will occasionally use it to flip momentum in the middle (basically predicting them to do a double switch and switch based off that. This is much harder to pull off, so be careful with it, I don't tempt it very often as it can very easily backfire), but I find myself using it towards the end most often. Whether it is to bring in my determined wincon against a good matchup or break a final wall so I can do a quick sack to bring it in for free.
For example, lets say you have an Excadrill out and your opponent has a weakened Clefable out. Both of you know that you will go first and an Iron Head will knock out the Clefable and you also know that they have a fairly healthy Corviknight on the team. Logically, you would predict that the Corv would come out to tank the iron head, so that leaves you with a couple options: either choose a move based on that prediction or switch based off that prediction. If you choose a move, you might get some good chip damage or reset rocks, but due to the bad match up you are forced to switch next turn. The move (let's say stealth rocks) is a fairly safe move, whether or not the Clefable stays you keep the advantage and you have the ability to make an easier prediction if they switch. If Corv comes in, you might even get a free switch if they decide to defog to get rid of rocks, but you still lost the smaller matchup and there is now pressure on you for the switch. If you choose to switch, let's say switching into Rotom-H, you would have an advantage in the next matchup and force them to play around that. At the end of the day, it comes down to what you need/ want to accomplish and figuring out when is a good time to do that requires practice, but it is a valuable skill to have in your back pocket.
Sorry for the long answer, but this is a more complex strategy and I wanted to treat it in a way that was a little more nuanced in understanding the differences in predictions. Best of luck battling!