Using others' critiques to get to sub-11 average.

[DaKrazedKyubizt]

Description from video, PLEASE READ.

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REALLY bad average for me. I was kind of out of it, and I sorta did the average on the spot. I should have done it in an average of 100, but i don't have time for all that editing on Tuesdays; I have a job. I was just trying to get something out there since I was two days late. This should have been done on Sunday (June 3rd).

Next time, I'll make these videos on a Sunday. Hopefully it'll be a much better average. Sorry guys.

But I did learn a few things from watching this video. Among them is this: I have pauses that are longer than normal, even in my good solves, usually between the last F2L pair and OLL or OLL and PLL (usually both ). I don't think other cubers (who are better than me) pause for this long between F2L pairs and stuff when they actually know what to do next. I guess my reaction time isn't very good? Any hints on how to improve that would be highly appreciated.

Extra time was taken during beginning of solve. I'm trying to work on fully finding F2L 1 during examination time. I will practice this more by trying to do cross + F2L 1 blindfolded. It's kinda hard when I still have trouble finding a good cross for color neutrality.

(I have color n00btrality.)

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Statistics for 07-05-2011 22:12:45

Average: 13.73 (13.86)
Standard Deviation: 1.68
Best Time: 10.06
Worst Time: 19.00
Individual Times:
1. 15.77 U B L' B2 R U F U B U' D' R B2 D F2 D F2 L2 D' R2 F2
2. 11.96 U R2 L' F2 U' R L2 B2 R' B' R' U B2 U B2 L2 U' D2 F2 D2 F2
3. 14.90 F2 U2 B' R L F L' F' L2 D2 B' U2 L2 B2 L2 B2 D' F2 D2 F2 L2
4. 12.81 R2 U' R L2 F U2 R U2 L' U L' F2 D L2 F2 U2 L2 B2 U' D2 F2
5. (10.06) R2 D B2 R2 U F2 D2 R U' F' R2 D' L2 B2 D' B2 U' B2 R2 D2
6. 11.28 R' L' B' L2 U2 R D' L2 U B' U L2 D R2 L2 B2 L2 D' L2 D'
7. 12.00 B' L2 B U D R2 L B R2 B D' R2 D' R2 D' R2 L2 F2 D2
8. 14.19 D B2 R2 D2 L D' F2 R' L F2 B R2 D' R2 F2 U L2 U F2 L2 D
9. 17.56 F' L2 U B' D' R2 B' U L' D' R' U' F2 B2 U' B2 U B2 D2 R2 D
10. 12.94 R2 B2 L' U2 F' R L' F' R2 U2 F D R2 B2 R2 B2 U2 L2 U' F2 B2
11. (19.00) R' F2 B' D2 L2 B' L F R2 F' B2 R2 F2 U L2 D F2 B2 L2 U
12. 13.84 R' B R2 U L U' D2 B' R' D B L2 U B2 R2 U' R2 F2 D' F2 D

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(Solves 2-6 from above)

Statistics for 07-05-2011 22:17:33

Average: 12.02 (12.20)
Standard Deviation: 0.48
Best Time: 10.06
Worst Time: 14.90
Individual Times:
2. 11.96 U R2 L' F2 U' R L2 B2 R' B' R' U B2 U B2 L2 U' D2 F2 D2 F2
3. (14.90) F2 U2 B' R L F L' F' L2 D2 B' U2 L2 B2 L2 B2 D' F2 D2 F2 L2
4. 12.81 R2 U' R L2 F U2 R U2 L' U L' F2 D L2 F2 U2 L2 B2 U' D2 F2
5. (10.06) R2 D B2 R2 U F2 D2 R U' F' R2 D' L2 B2 D' B2 U' B2 R2 D2
6. 11.28 R' L' B' L2 U2 R D' L2 U B' U L2 D R2 L2 B2 L2 D' L2 D'

[Toire-Dakku]

Interesting. Maybe this thread will help you, my friend. =)

Another thing I realized about my cubing--I'm trying too hard to think fast, so I make extra moves such as y2, U3, etc. often. If you have a similar problem, then try this: While inserting an F2L pair, if you haven't found the next one, then once you insert that one, force yourself to just stop moving and look for the next pair, before you decide what to do.

Ohh, I haven't noticed that yet. I'll try it, thanks :P

I've been trying some other stuff like slowing down on cross + first 2 pairs because I'll need better lookahead, and then going at full speed on the remaining steps since the places that I have to look at will be narrowed down by then. Though sometimes it's hard to maintain consciousness/focus and I drift into passively solving the cube. Poor attention span

Here's some algos I started adopting recently:

A-perm: R U R' F' r U R' U' r' F R2 U' R' (doing a (x) rotation at the start helps me get a better grip at execution. i use this on certain angles, getting 1.5-1.8 with this)

F-perm: U M U2 r' U l' U2 r U' R2 r U2 R2 (i've started getting 1.5-1.7 consistently with this)

E-perm: R U' R' D R U R' D' R U R' D R U' R' D' (i just can't get this right, i'm still 1.8-2.x with this. It's crazy that people can get 0.7 on this algo o__o)

N-perm: U R' D R2 U' R (D' U) R' D R2 U' R D' R' (still can't get this right either, i've never been sub-2 at this)

U-perm: R U2 R U R U R2 U' R' U' R2 (newly learned. haven't used it much, but i'm trying)

[DaKrazedKyubizt]

Ohh, I haven't noticed that yet. I'll try it, thanks :P

I've been trying some other stuff like slowing down on cross + first 2 pairs because I'll need better lookahead, and then going at full speed on the remaining steps since the places that I have to look at will be narrowed down by then. Though sometimes it's hard to maintain consciousness/focus and I drift into passively solving the cube. Poor attention span

Here's some algos I started adopting recently:

A-perm: R U R' F' r U R' U' r' F R2 U' R' (doing a (x) rotation at the start helps me get a better grip at execution. i use this on certain angles, getting 1.5-1.8 with this)

F-perm: U M U2 r' U l' U2 r U' R2 r U2 R2 (i've started getting 1.5-1.7 consistently with this)

E-perm: R U' R' D R U R' D' R U R' D R U' R' D' (i just can't get this right, i'm still 1.8-2.x with this. It's crazy that people can get 0.7 on this algo o__o)

N-perm: U R' D R2 U' R (D' U) R' D R2 U' R D' R' (still can't get this right either, i've never been sub-2 at this)

U-perm: R U2 R U R U R2 U' R' U' R2 (newly learned. haven't used it much, but i'm trying)

I'm trying something similar. I try to figure out the cross + F2L 1 during inspection and then immediately place it at the LDB corner once finished (or do it so that F2L 1 ends up in LDB corner). Practicing this with eyes closed is so hard....

I've never seen some of those algs before. Interesting. I'll definitely try out the A-perm & F-perm. I've never seen either of those before, nor the U-perm. I don't like the U-perm, but it's definitely not a bad algorithm. I use the E-perm. I've done it in like... 1.1 seconds. 0.7 is WAAAY too insane for me, but keep working at it! I used to use that N-perm, and I could get sub-2 with it, but it was so inconsistent that I dropped it.

I use an algorithm derived from T-perm for my F-perm: R' U' F' [R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R'] U R. I use OH left index U for the second to last U and regular right index for the last U, but I might switch to regular right index for the second to last U and ring finger for the last U.

I use an algorithm derived from J-perm for the N-perm that you have typed: R U R' U [R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R'] U2 R U' R'. Kinda long, but at least I can get around 1.8 a little more consistently with this one. I might switch back though. I just got a 1.46 with yours.

For my other N-perm, I use R' U R U' R' [F' U' F] R U R' F R' F' R U' R.

[Jorghi]

Don't concentrate too much.

[DaKrazedKyubizt]

Don't concentrate too much.

I know. I try. It's hard. I fail...

But I did notice something. I cube a bit better when I'm walking around. Maybe it's because my brain's doing more than one thing at a time. I mean, yeah, walking is mainly cerebellum, and using fine motor skills is more mid-cerebrum, but I think maybe there's some sort of electrical connection that allows my primary motor cortex to work a bit better. I really need to do more research on my own brain. My brain's pretty trippy sometimes. It's always tripping over itself.

I learned some stuff about ADD/ADHD. (I have ADD.) I talked to a doctor about my ADD, and she showed me some brain scans of people with ADD. It turns out that a common sign of ADD/ADHD is that when they try harder to concentrate, certain parts of the brain start shutting off. They did an extra test on one of the subjects. Without medication, the person's IQ was only 90 (which approaches mental retardation), but after medication, her IQ jumped to 140 (which is almost genius). I was thinking that using my cerebellum takes some focus stress off my primary motor cortex. I need to test that hypothesis. If only I could get a functional MRI done on me, but those are so expensive...

Frustration!

But I digress... A lot. Cuz I <3 neuroscience.

But yes, thank you for the recommendation.

[theanonymouscuber]

First: Your PBs sure don't agree with that statement. You seem to be rockin' sub-11 average, no prob.
Don't be modest. If you're an awesome cuber, say you're an awesome cuber. You have the times to prove it.

Oh no, I average closer to 11.5, that average of 100 was very lucky and fast. I don't get near that on average.

[Hazelnut]

I think you can lose about 2 seconds from the cross to F2L part. It looks like you're trying to find the pair as soon as you finish the cross.

Try memoing the cross in your head and focus more on finding the pair BEFORE you finish the cross. Btw your LL is pretty fast =D

[DaKrazedKyubizt]

Oh no, I average closer to 11.5, that average of 100 was very lucky and fast. I don't get near that on average.

That sounds almost impossible. How do you get that much luck?

But meh, alright, whatever you say, doc...

I still think you're an awesome cuber though, merely because you're better than me. I've always wanted to be in the sub-12 range. You do sub-12 averages like it's nothing, so of course I'm a little jealous. I guess it's because I've always thought of sub-12 and sub-11 speedcubers as within the realm of "elite speedcubers". I mean, nowadays, sub-12 is approaching commonplace, but that's just always what I've thought.

[DaKrazedKyubizt]

I think you can lose about 2 seconds from the cross to F2L part. It looks like you're trying to find the pair as soon as you finish the cross.

Try memoing the cross in your head and focus more on finding the pair BEFORE you finish the cross.

Yeah, I'm always trying to do that, but sometimes I just can't seem to find it. It's partially because I'm still not used to color neutrality. But I'm still working on it. In my 1st video of many to come, I'm actually trying to find the first C/E pair during inspection because I can very easily find and memorize the cross in my head, but if I find the cross alone during inspection, I often get distracted by what I'm doing that I sorta forget to look for the first C/E pair. In fact, sometimes I do the cross and then either lose the F2L pair that I had found or finish the cross and realize that it's a terrible F2L pair to start with because the corner is in some random incorrect C/E slot and the edge is in another random incorrect C/E slot. I can't fully control my eyes yet. I've definitely seen improvement in my "visual prowess" though!

I'm so ADD, lolz. BUT I MUST OVERCOME!!!

But yeah, this is what I mean by "my brain trips over itself". It sees a butterfly (AKA the cross) and gets distracted from doing schoolwork (AKA 1st C/E pair). Or my brain will literally just sit there and do nothing when I ask it to do something. Here's an example:

Btw your LL is pretty fast =D

I'm surprised you would say that. I tend to lock up on LL a lot...
But thanks, anyway! I'll keep working on it! =P

[theanonymouscuber]

That sounds almost impossible. How do you get that much luck?

Not so much luck, I just sort of get on a roll. I have really good days and really bad days, it sort of depends.