Recognize the cancellation pattern
Suppose the companion is rising toward an upper branch. You reverse to begin reducing the rise, but it continues upward briefly because heading is continuous. If you immediately tap again, you restore the previous curvature before the first reversal has had much time to work.
This can feel like the game ignored both inputs. In fact, it followed both, while the path had little time to change between them. Look at the trail after a single reversal to see whether the rise is becoming less steep.
Give each correction a visible purpose
Before tapping, identify the unwanted tendency: climbing too much, descending too steeply, or curving away from forward travel. After tapping, watch for movement toward the intended outcome. Use that observation to decide on the next reversal.
This is not a rule to wait a fixed number of seconds between inputs. Some situations require closely spaced actions. The distinction is whether the second action responds to the changed path or merely repeats the first action out of urgency.
Move the decision earlier when space runs out
Close to a branch, there may be too little room for any correction to take effect. Rapid input cannot supply missing distance or turn the companion instantly. If you repeatedly panic at the same corner, start examining the approach before that corner.
Practice on an early familiar gap with one input method. Avoid alternating a mouse click and Space for the same intended action. A simpler input habit makes it easier to identify which reversal produced each path segment, and makes a useful timing adjustment easier to repeat on the next run.