looking for some feedback

[ryannn]

ok so I've been following this forum for a good 3 weeks now and I've finally got my first diy new type D. After reading several threads I was begining to think that it was a bad choice. although after about 5 different lube applications and about 100 solves later its not to bad but still has times where it will catch and lockup.. anyway.. not really the point of this thread.

i have a few questions that i would like some feedback on..

ive had the cube for about 4 days now and after trying the beginners method i found it very confusing to learn several algorithms (i know that 6 or 7 is nothing for most of you guys) so i tried to pick up F2L.

ive been practicing fridrich method like crazy and its starting to make alot more sense. recognition is my main problem it feels like. along with fast placement. my mind just stalls i guess. anyway

my average cube solve seems to be around 4 minutes when im in the zone.. ive got a 3 minute solve and i get quite a few 5 and 6 minutes on occasion but i notice myself getting faster..

im slightly discouraged seeing as how there are 11 yr olds doing 30 second solves.. Am I on the right track? i feel like i should be progressing much faster than what i am.

also am i too old to begin speedcubing as a hobby? just turned 22 yesterday

my main goal is to break the sub 1-minute barrier, i know its not a great compared to everyone on these forums, but i feel like its an achievable goal id be happy to accomplish.

on another note..

should i stay away from megaminx? something about it attracts me to it.. i have a 5x5 that i havent really had much success with, but again i havent really tried to solve it more than once and i got all the way to edge paritys

sorry if this is more than you'd like to read or very unorganised, and thanks for your input/advice/feedback


Edit: ok so i officially timed myself using a makeshift stack timer (darkcube using both ctrls) and a cluttered desk lol the offical time is 2:12.217 and it felt a little slower than what im usually doing. apparently my speeds are increasing at OK rate.

And my pb is officially 1:52..

should i be doing better?

 

[AlanAlanine]

if you learn the layer by layer beginner method and get reasonably good at it you can average a minute.

learning fridrich takes a lot of time and practice to get fast. f2l is going to make you slow for a while until you get good at it.

For the last layer I think you should learn a 2 look OLL and a 2 look PLL.

you are definitely not too old to start speed cubing.

if you *really* wanted, with sufficient practice and guidance, you could average 40 seconds in a month.

 

[Ellis]

im slightly discouraged seeing as how there are 11 yr olds doing 30 second solves.. Am I on the right track?

I think its more like 6 year olds doing 16 second solves. But that should motivate you, not discourage you.

also am i too old to begin speedcubing as a hobby? just turned 22 yesterday

Happy Birthday!! And no. I'm 23 now, and even though I've known how to solve a cube for probably 8 years, it wasn't until this year where I actually considered speedcubing a hobby.

Learn at a reasonable pace. If 6 or 7 algorithms is a lot, and I know it was for most everyone here at one point, then just do one or two. You don't need to learn all of 2-look OLL in just a few days.

If F2L is making sense then go for it. But it is really important that you don't race through every one of your solves. Maybe put down the timer for a few days or a week and really practice your F2L/LBL slowly and make sure you understand it as thoroughly as you can. The best way to get fast is not to start as fast as you can and try to get faster, but to really learn it properly and speed it up from there.

As for the minx... I'd leave it for now. Its just a big F2L ball. Learn F2L first on the 3x3 then you can get a minx.

 

[TMOY]

As for the minx... I'd leave it for now. Its just a big F2L ball. Learn F2L first on the 3x3 then you can get a minx.

This statement is definitely totally wrong. When I got my minx I had no clue about F2L on the 3^3 (I do corners first) and that caused me no problem at all.
People who think megaminx is just a big 3^3 are completely missing the point of the puzzle. The extra faces and their pentagonal shape offer much more extra possibilites, just explore them.

 

[ryannn]

awesome. thanks for the replies. as far as going for speed, ive really only timed myself about 5 times to see where im at.. i really underestimated my times by alot though.. im averaging about 2 - 3 minutes per unless i screw myself on stupid f2l mistakes..

as of now f2l is becoming easier and easier, im working on my recognition and the placement of my last 2 slots in f2l in cases where i get same color on top with corner and edge where i hid the corners..

as far as oll and pll goes im not really worried about speed on that til i master f2l so far i can get my yellow cross in a F R U R' U' F or add another R U R' U' in there.. then i solve top by using R U R' U R U2 R' based on what corners are filled.. this usually fixes in 2-3 cycles with the occasional 1 cycle or 4 if i misread the corners

but every post i look at for improving time i typicall see "practice f2l and worry about oll pll and cross later" so thats what ive been doing and so far its helped alot..

as for layer by layer.. i seem to do much better with intuition of f2l and its less algs to get confused with..

thanks again for all the input..

although i think once i get closer to the 1 minute mark i gotta buy me a mefferts minx.. something undeniably attractive about one of those things that makes me insane.. especially when i see nakajima sub-1 on it lol!

 

[herg]

also am i too old to begin speedcubing as a hobby? just turned 22 yesterday

Man, I really feel old now. I'm 31, and I had never solved a cube until about six weeks ago. My first timed solves were about 8 minutes, mostly due to me screwing up the LL algos and having to start over. I'm at 1:20 AVG, 1:08 PB now using F2L and a 4-look LL.

The way I look at it, I'll probably never compete with younger cubers since I don't have the time to practice enough. My main goal is just to have fun.

 

[d4m4s74]

I noticed I actually go faster when moving slower
So to speed up some more, don't go for speed, just practice lookahead