Welcome To Braking Effectively

I occasionally hear other riders say that pro riders don't use their brakes much. The opposite is true - pro riders use their brakes aggressively - but only when it's helpful. Learning to brake well can change your riding since it will build confidence and control which in turns builds relaxation. You might look at a particular descent and have some subconscious fear around it which might actually be coming from not being able to control your bike in the way you want. Once you learn to brake well, steep descents and technical sections start to look a lot different.