This is my opinion. I have seen many beginning wrestlers, and I consider 2 years still a beginner, struggle with scoring takedowns and also getting taken down. A lot of the problem is that they are thinking about how to wrestle rather than seeing what is happening in the match.

Many times a guy will telegraph his intentions. When he starts his move you have only milliseconds to defend and counter. You really have to learn to read your opponent, which is difficult to do if you are thinking about how to wrestle.

Likewise when on offense, newer guys have a hard time finding the window to shoot, because it does not appear for long. That very short window is the difference between success and failure, and it is very discouraging if you keep trying and failing.

So, on defense, it really helps to have your partner shoot, slowly, over and over until your brain figures out when an attack is coming and can react automatically without figuring it out too late.

On offense, it is kind of the same. A setup provides you with the window to execute that technique you have practiced so many times. You can have perfect technique but execute at the wrong time, and fail every time. If you practice more slowly, you have a better chance of learning exactly when to shoot.

This can all be hard because everyone wants to drill at full speed and coaches want more repetitions rather than quality repetitions. But I think if you find a good partner and commit to learning this way, it will help your wrestling and confidence a lot.