[KCD2] Anyone else having a hard time doing master strikes or shield bashes with mace-sword/shield combo?

Like the game gives a good in-depth tutorial for it with the trainer but when I put that knowledge into effect in real fights I just end up repeating the same issue

Press L2 when I see the green shield and then press R2 to attack, he deflects my attack and comes back and I press L2 when I see the shield again and press R2 and he deflects again etc etc until he runs out of stamina and lets me bonk him over the head

I don’t mind this but only when it’s 1v1 due to how long it takes.

When it’s 2v1 I’m kinda screwed

I TRY and attack from the opposite direction when he is swinging and when I see the green shield but it’s often too fast to realize which direction he’s swinging from and then he opens up with more slices and I struggle to catch up with the directions of his swings leaving me to force myself to press L2 on the green shield instead of R2 on green shield to riposte/master strike

The shield bash…. I think I did it once in a fight and I completely forgot how to do it lol it’s shame because I love shield bashes and I want to do it more often!

Has anyone got any tips to ‘mastering’ the master strike and shield bashes? How are people here able to react so quickly to the enemy swings and fines on those peasants?