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How to be sub 20

*LukeMayn*

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ok, I think this would be a good way to start the intermediate place so here we go!
First off I'll be talking mainly about the fridrich method. if you know another method, stay here as it will likely be beneficial anyway. So here we go!

step 1: Use the search bar for stuff (seriously) :)

ok so with fridrich you will want to know all/most PLL and you should be using 2LOLL. Seriously speaking, you can get through PLL and 2LOLL in a month. 1+ alg a day isn't hard to remember so just get it done. But please this is very important:

GET GOOD ALGS

Seriously without good algs there is not point learning it so take your time. go though EVERY alg in the speedsolving wiki and find the best to suit you finger trick.

you will want to know a form of F2L which is quick (I'll talk about Fridich here sorry other users but keep using your methods ;)) so I don't want to see any LBL. You will need to know at least keyhole otherwise intuitive F2l (highly recommend) or alg F2L (don't recommend).
Now that you have your stuff down we can get to the important parts :D

*** apply concepts from this to other methods ***​
eg. 2x2x2 block = cross etc.​

So first our cross. You want it to be about 6-7 moves on average so think about inserting several pieces at the same time using more complex thinking. But in saying that you also want to keep it finger trick friendly so:
8 move finger tricky > 6 move non-finger tricky

A very handy thing to practice is doing the cross blindfolded (I am dead serious, I REALLY recommend practicing this as the results will come very quickly. The purpose of doing this is so you know the whole cross in your head as you are doing it, thus meaning you need not look at it while solving and can concentrate on the next F2L pair. This helps a ton!!!

Next thing. While doing F2L you want to constantly be looking for the next pair. NEVER think about the pair you are doing at the moment as you should of figured it all out all ready from looking ahead in the stage before. Continuous flow > speedy, stop, speedy, stop.

Track pieces. When I am doing F2L I am constantly checking out pieces and their relative partner (eg. corner-edge). Another trick is to memorize where some of the pieces are so you can be ready to use them later.

That's about it for F2L. Just keep practicing. The rest of the solve is just relying on fast algs and good recognition. This should slow down the constant flow of " how can I be sub 20" threads :p

Also, one last thing. I think that these are the most important steps in achieving sub 20:
Slow down while doing you first 2 layers and look ahead (meaning tracking other pieces.)
Get good LL algs (cos if you don't, you'll regret it)
Practise your LL algs (figure out perfect finger tricks and DRILL)
Don't look at the cross while doing it (have it planned out)



PS. you may want a DIY as they help a bit.
 
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DavidWoner

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SLOW DOWN AND LOOK AHEAD is much more important than GET GOOD ALGS, in my opinion. Case in point: it's well within the realm of possibility to reach sub-20 without knowing full OLL.

Agreed. I was sub-19 with only 17 or so PLLs and roughly the same number of OLLs. Having an 11-12 second f2l is what made the difference.
 

*LukeMayn*

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SLOW DOWN AND LOOK AHEAD is much more important than GET GOOD ALGS, in my opinion. Case in point: it's well within the realm of possibility to reach sub-20 without knowing full OLL.

I was refering to PLL for get good algs.
Also I mentioned continuous flow > speedy, stop, speedy stop F2L
ALSO I said 2LOLL :fp
 

kuzelnet

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Dec 19, 2008
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I use Badmephisto's PLL + OLL (didnt learn even half)
I didnt like F for PLL ([R' U2 R' d'] [R' F'] [R2 U' R' U] [R' F R U' F])
So I looked through Cube Wiki, and found " R' U R U' R2 F' U' F U x R U R' U' R2 B' " Quite nice alg :D and pretty damm nice flow. So, really changing alg helps ..
 

JTW2007

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take you long to learn how to do ur cross blindfolded? i could place 3 parts but even when looking i cant track the 4th piece ! :(

Do it slowly, and don't cheat yourself by looking (I'm actually still working on this...)
you just have to memo 4 pieces, and it's about as challenging as ZZEO BLD (For me).

I just memorize my solution and then perform it. It normally takes me around 6 seconds for memo and 4 for execution.
 
D

Deleted member 2864

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very, very, straight-forward. I like it :D

I've been struggling with sub 20 for quite some time now (average like 20 seconds) and I've been reading all the guides and taking notes of the tips I find. Though my times have risen a little since I'm back onto computer gaming.
 
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spdcbr

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SLOW DOWN AND LOOK AHEAD is the main reason noobs keep on posting "how do I get to sub 20" threads, I don't know why, but they just ignore it and think you're a jerk for not giving "specific instructions." That's all the info I need to get faster.
 

brunson

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take you long to learn how to do ur cross blindfolded? i could place 3 parts but even when looking i cant track the 4th piece ! :(
It took me a couple of hours of practice to get it at first, but I find I need to go back and practice it periodically to stay good at it. I tend to get lazy and only find the first three edges then waste time finding the fourth after the cross is 3/4 solved.

P.S. "ur" should be spelled "your" in this case. Also, we capitalize the first words of a sentence in English. That's at a minimum, I'm overlooking the other punctuation mistakes, but the capitalization really helps to make your postings more readable. :)
 
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