I hate blitz & bullet players

I've bee playing regularly since January, mostly turn based games with 24hr clock and worked my rating up to mid-1400s. I started getting bored though so lately I said to myself, "hey, why not play blitz".

Started with 5min games, got owned.

Switched to 10min games, got owned.

Tried bullet games, got completely owned.

Thing is, I've been studying chess as well, opening theory and all that good stuff. But everyone I play at my crappy live-chess level has some stupid pet opening where they inch their pawns one-by-one and avoid the middle. So naturally, I take the middle, but some way or another my position gets completely f'd up.

I suppose I'm waiting for things to *click*, but these crappy players just destroy me. 

</rant>

If you say you're better than them, then why not prove it?

Try playing 15 minutes, you might have more chance at putting your opponent in time trouble there.

As White try playing:

1. Nf3 ... 2. g3 ... 3. Bg2 ... 4. OO unless you would lose your Knight to a Pawn or an opportunity to get cheap material arises.

As Black similarly play:

1. ... Nf6 2. ... g6 3. ... Bg7 4. ... OO with similar caution.

You don't have to be slavish about the move order, and there are some other moves you can break them up with.

Don't be in a rush to attack, and if your opponent is taking a long time on a move you may be able to work out what you will do next while they are still thinking.

So don't play it then.  Blitz is fine for very good players with excellent board vision.  And it's also fine for mediocre players who want to specialize in it and don't particularly want to get good at standard chess.  That's their choice.  The very good players, with rare exception, got good playing standard chess.  It's fine for occasional play or if you want to test your knowledge of an opening, but if you play too much your progress will stagnate and you'll end up learning to perfect your mistakes.  But then I'm old so what do I know...

It is completely your choice to play or not I study too. I have to because I play in USCF. But how much do you study is the question focus on one opening etc.