If you can’t take down a wrestler what makes you think you can sweep them?

Because it will add a whole new element to your game and make you more well rounded. I’m a decent wrestler but a lot of people in competition are decent wrestlers. I’ll try all my take downs but if none work I’ll eventually pull guard or pull guard off a failed take down attempt. I’ve won matches this way. The guard is the name of the game in jiu jitsu, that’s why.

Why would you be gassed from getting the takedown but not gassed from the guard and sweep?

 I love it when wrestlers (ex wrestler) dump all that energy into getting me on my back OR gas out trying to avoid being on theirs and then have the “now what” game after all that and are super gassed.    

2 points to consider , especially if you’re wanting to compete. take it or leave it,  Some wrestlers /BJJ/ judo guys are super good in defending takedowns.   So why waste  energy and more than 45 seconds trying to get that take down other than ego?   Pull guard and start working from there for a sweep or sub.   Second point:  if you  don’t put yourself outside of your comfort zone box to explore your options and abilities , you will not do so good when you meet that player that forces you  outside your box.   That person is out there training just as hard if not harder.

Someone bought into the wrestling koolaid a lil too much

Start pulling guard and playing open guard and be a jitsu player not a wrestler. Focus on pure jiu jitsu techniques get sticky insteps, play butterfly guard single x, double x, shin to shin get a nasty set of subs from guard. Heavily work on escaping and re guarding from any position. I believe you should try to win rolls but you should also not be afraid to fail in the process of trying unfamiliar shit.

- spoken from a 6 year wrestler and now a 3 year blue belt in jiu jitsu

Try letting your opponent set the pace, that could help. You can also work on being in positions you're not accustomed to such as guard/being on your back. This will help you round out your game.

Static and technical are not the same. You can be fast and technical.

Maintain your speed but focus on correct movements. What are the goals from each position, I don't mean some random goal like, pass the guard from top.

Work your half guard.  Nothing moves terribly fast in half guard.

Trying shit you suck at and getting destroyed is a great way to improve. I’ll do things like only go for submissions once I’ve gotten to deep half, swept, and then passed for like every roll for two months. At the start I’ll get destroyed but eventually it starts to click and incorporated itself into your game and you get a bit better. Or I’ll say I’m only passing guard with smash pass for the next month etc… I’ve only been training 5 years but I’d say this seems to help me get better

This is an angle I started taking recently to try to change my game. 
I was a wrestler previously too so fast game and top pressure was my go to style. 
So what I've been doing is once entangled, play like an 80-90 percent defensive game.  Like. Or even trying to advance, just not let them or only advance if it's super open and the roll is stalling.          Since I've done it I've started seeing more openings and opportunities.    When I was going faster before the window of opportunity closes too quick to see some.

If you want your game to be smoother and less forceful, then when you encounter resistance to what you are doing, don't try to push through and force it.  Redirect into a different direction or technique.

Time will help yes but I'd try to not be as reliant on being forceful, it has it's place sure but technique is important.

To some extent it's going to be something that happens in time, but I would pick a technique or two to really work on during sparring and keep doing it.  The repetitive nature helps you to remember the parts of the technique and then you'll fine tune it as you go, at least that's what works for me.

Slow down a little, flow roll sometimes, spar with someone smaller than you and turn down the intensity (this will help you to focus more on technique during those matches), etc...

Can we trade bodies? I'm pretty static/technical and my teacher always tells me I lack explosiveness and speed.

Time on the mat. As a white belt youre gonna wanna do this and that. Over time things fall into place. It takes about a year to year and a half at least of understand the position comfort then applying some sort of foundational will

Quick fixes are to control grips or understand points of control

You have to be confident enough to get beat, if that makes sense. Ego often impedes development.

Resist your urge to fight when you're "losing" - it's just training, nobody's keeping score. Instead, focus on the techniques you know from jj vs. what you know would work in a wrestling match (speed, power, burst of energy, etc). Take a breath, think about what's happening. Watching high-level black belt matches helps too - notice how "deliberate" they are about what they're doing (usually).

What helped me was to think of it as a chess match I was playing with someone where we were trying to out-think each other vs. out-wrestle each other. If you're with a good partner and get tapped, ask how you could've avoided it. Most folks I've rolled with are happy to share that info.

I have about 6-7 years of wrestling experience, and about 6 months of jiu jitsu experience gi/nogi. I absolutely love jiu jutsu, and it’s improved my life and well being in a number of ways. Although I can usually fair well against opponents given my wrestling background, I feel as though I’ve reached a point where my skillset can’t truly progress any further until I settle into myself and really focus on developing all-around technique. Does developing this type of static/technical game simply come with time spent on the mats? Should I just accept that my game will always be fundamentally wrestling based and more forceful? I’m wondering how to make that transition and change the pace/mentality of my rolls.

How to slow down my game?