Improve F2L

[roinuj2]

My F2l takes about 50 seconds!! I can't seem to improve on it, I've been practicing for about a month with no improvement. doing the moves/algs aren't the problem, its finding the pair and selecting the correct moves/algs to slot them it. I've checked DanH's page and other sites but everyone says "Practice Practice Practice and Go slow Go slow Go slow" What i want to know is what is the best technique for doing F2L.... Specifically.... break down the steps to how you guys do it. e.g

a) find edge and corner piece, then line up the corner piece, then perform alg

or

b) line up the corner piece, then find matching edge then perform alg

etc...

Right now i have to improve my Cross, OLL and PLL but im not worried about them, they're easy once u memorize the algs.!!


I broke down the colve by layers and this is about an arverage result


CROSS - .15

PAIR 1 - .06

PAIR 2 - .11

PAIR 3 - .09

PAIR 4 - .15

OLL - .05

PLL - .15

------------------
TOTAL - 76 SECS
1.16 MINUTES

[Lofty]

Most people just do an intuitive method for the f2l. LIke I don't line up my corner and edge where they should be but line them up relative to each other making use of all my empty slots then once i have a basic case set up I easily can insert it.

[badmephisto]

...well i first find a corner on top layer. If there isn't one, I bring one up to the top layer randomly. Then I find it's edge, and perform intuitive F2L to insert them both in. Please tell me you didn't actually memorize all of the F2L algorithms and the cases... That would slow you down rather than speed you up. Oh and by the way, the "going slow" advice applies more to people that are around 20 seconds entire F2L. For you i'd say try to speed it up more until you get there

as you get better, try to keep track of the next corner you will do after the one you are placing now. Where is it roughly on the cube? etc. That will easy in the transitions between pairs.

[roinuj2]

Thanks, I do do intuitive, haven't learnt one single F2l alg. Finding the pair is really hard tho.... i wonder if it may actuall be my cube now that i think about it. I had a crappy store cube before but it was easier to find pairs this one is MUCH BETTER but hard to find pairs and i think it may be the colors.... they're kinda dull.... i dunno maybe im just looking for an excuse deep down hahaha

[Mik]

Try a different approach. Insert the bottom corner first, and then if you see another corner before you see the corresponding edge just put in that corner first. Just do it by whatever you see first. That's what I do. Also, try and really look while doing your cross for pieces you can use for F2L so you don't have to examine the cube after doing the cross.

[DarkArcher]

I don't think you should use algorithms unless the corner and the pair edge are together in the wrong arrangement.

Most people would:
1) Spot corner
2) Find pairing edge
3) Arrange them into 3 move insert (R U R')/(L' U' L) position from where the pieces are
4) Insert using (R U R')/(L' U' L)

Then again, you won't like to hear this but practice is key. Some people I asked say they take about a month of practice for their F2L alone to get sub 30.

[Todd]

Are you doing the cross on top or bottom?

[roinuj2]

I do the cross to the left then put it to the bottom during F2L. Apparetnly doing it at the bottom is the best way... I tried but it takes a little getting used to. As for practicing - I totally agree nothing will get me better.... actually i think i've somehow improved, yesterday i got 58 sec and 59 sec and i found that im starting to arverage around 70 seconds. Dropped from 76 seconds or maybe its just a good day

[hait2]

damn your oll is better than mine -_-:;

i have no idea how u can get 5sec oll yet spend on average 10sec per c/e pair and 15sec on cross
huk
i'll go use LL trainer some more..

[Radu]

my question is similar. how can i improve my f2l. i solve the cube at the moment around 50 seconds, so i guess my f2l is about 25 or something like that...
the main question is...should i learn those algs or not? i do it intuitevly at the moment and i like it so. i just want to get faster. oh..plus sometimes when i do a corner edge block i take some other out (maybe i'm not careful ienough), then i need to put that back.
so from what i read above...your suggestion is to: do it intuitive and practice like that? or should i learn some algs for certain cases?\
thanks