How long did it take you to master F2L?

[toronto754]

I've been doing layer by layer, I also only know maybe 7 algorithms tops, I sometimes have to use 3 agorithms to do OLL and then 3 more for PLL, but usually 2. I've been doing this for so long, and I'm so accustom to it, my average is below 30 seconds(about 28). From what I've heard, most people don't have below 40 sec averages at this stage(I've been on this stage for so long I'm 12 seconds under that)...I haven't learned F2L mainly because of laziness(didn't wanna learn another method), but I'm finally doing it now. I've been working on my PLL as well, doing great and learned 6 algs yesterday. However, I've been working on my F2L as well for a total of approximately 4 hours(Yesterday and today, I know lots of spare time lol) and I really can't seem to grasp it. After all of this time, I can still only do it in maybe 1/4 of the time I do layer by layer, still pausing and making mistakes. I don't really seem to be getting better at it anymore either...I'm thinking that maybe I've been doing layer by layer for so long that F2L is going to be really difficult to learn and it's discouraging...How long did it take you to do F2L faster than you could do layer by layer?

 

[GuRoux]

It took me about a week or so but my LBL F2L was about 1 minute. Maybe 2 weeks for someone who i'm assuming does LBL F2L in around 15 seconds. anyway, sub 30 with LBL is pretty impressive. It'll be interesting to see how long it takes you to get your CFOP on that level.

 

[STOCKY7]

Im still trying to master it... and I probably never will, as its something people can always improve at.

Yeah I agree with GuRoux, I'd say 2 weeks and you should have grasped it really well. After a month you're times will have dropped drastically.

 

[Smiles]

the only way u can do it that fast is if you have pretty good lookahead, so I think f2l shouldn't be too hard once you get a hang of the basic concepts. its just hiding corners and edges and then repairing in 2 possible ways... other than the exceptions it doesn't take long.

practice might take a couple of weeks depending on how much you cube, just cause of adapting.

 

[Rocky0701]

It took me about two weeks, at first, I was like you and started to hate F2L and think it was stupid. Then something clicked and my times started improving rapidly. If you stop thinking about it as 42 cases, and instead think of it as 3, it is much easier. Those cases being, the corner and edge in the top layer and the top color of the edge being opposite of the top corner color, both being in the top layer, but your cross color being on the top, and both being on the top, and having the same color on the top. Learn those 3 cases well and then the rest will become intuitive.

 

[STOCKY7]

It took me about two weeks, at first, I was like you and started to hate F2L and think it was stupid. Then something clicked and my times started improving rapidly. If you stop thinking about it as 42 cases, and instead think of it as 3, it is much easier. Those cases being, the corner and edge in the top layer and the top color of the edge being opposite of the top corner color, both being in the top layer, but your cross color being on the top, and both being on the top, and having the same color on the top. Learn those 3 cases well and then the rest will become intuitive.

Yeah, this is exactly what i did

 

[toronto754]

I'm starting to get the hang of it now, I'm getting use to the feel of it and I rarely make mistakes...However, I'm still having a lot of difficulty locating both corner and edge pieces, so I pause for like 3 seconds to find them and I STILL can't get use to placing the corner/edge pieces into their spot together. With layer by layer I was taught to match the corner with its color then do R, U, R' on top of that, for edge pieces I am use to pushing it AWAY from the spot I'm trying to get it into so if I have blue/orange/white corner/edge pieces matched to the blue side I end up doing U', L', U, L or U', F, U F' sometimes even just L', U', L. When I see the matched pair I try to figure out what case it is, but I know it's different from what I normally do so I try to do something a little different and it just gets me confused so I do something really stupid that I have to recover from. So I always have to think for a second when I do this, otherwise I have to keep recovering from my mistake.

So far, from cross to finishing F2L I do it in about 40-50 seconds.

 

[Johnny]

A week.

The main issue is that it's extremely confusing if you're used to the beginner's method.

 

[TDM]

It probably took me ~2 weeks for my intuitive F2L times to be faster than my F2L previously, but I used keyhole before that, so you can't really compare the time I took to improve to the time you'll take.

Just stay using intuitive F2L, practisepractisepractise, and you'll get faster. Don't let slower times discourage you.

 

[Deleted member 19792]

Your question is invalid.

You never master F2L

 

[TDM]

Your question is invalid.

You never master F2L

... did you even read his post, or just the thread title?

How long did it take you to do F2L faster than you could do layer by layer?

 

[rjcaste]

However, I'm still having a lot of difficulty locating both corner and edge pieces, so I pause for like 3 seconds to find them and I STILL can't get use to placing the corner/edge pieces into their spot together. With layer by layer I was taught to match the corner with its color then do R, U, R' on top of that, for edge pieces I am use to pushing it AWAY from the spot I'm trying to get it into so if I have blue/orange/white corner/edge pieces matched to the blue side I end up doing U', L', U, L or U', F, U F' sometimes even just L', U', L. When I see the matched pair I try to figure out what case it is, but I know it's different from what I normally do so I try to do something a little different and it just gets me confused so I do something really stupid that I have to recover from. So I always have to think for a second when I do this, otherwise I have to keep recovering from my mistake.

Taking a long time to recognize the cases is just your recognition. Recognition will improve over time. With practice and training, your brain will make the yellow sort of disappear and the white colors will pop out more. The same thing happens to me when I do some other cross color like green or red. I take a LOT longer to recognize cases as I only solve on white. All you need to do now is just practice and your recognition will improve.