I usually do that, and it worked well in 1 and 2, but it's not helping much in 3. My problem is flat parts that have offscreen enemies on them. Normally when I'm platforming I'm taking it slow and not getting hit. But when I see a flat stretch, I usually think that it's okay to go faster. And it usually is okay, but there are times where an enemy will suddenly pop up in my face. It's very frustrating.
One thing that annoys me in 3 is how much spindashing is required. It got old by the end of Hydrocity. Marble Garden is just painful.
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Yes, I laugh at my own jokes.
http://lparchive.org/Metroid-Prime-3-Corruption/Images/1-sitandspinumos.gif