Older cubers discussions

[JanW]

I'm curious, when you more experienced cubers plan the cross during inspection, do you think of the solution like an algorithm, or just visualize it somehow, or something else? I mean, do you look at what needs to be done and think "R B U2 F2 D2" or more like "this goes there, then this there..."? I've been practicing some blind crosses and found I have a higher success rate if I spell out the algorithm in my mind, but it also takes longer to memorize the solution that way. It's faster for me to just visualize the movements of the pieces, but it also leads to more mistakes. Not sure which of these methods I should keep practicing.

 

[mafergut]

I guess it has something to do with not knowing the color scheme "very well" and by just have been trying it a few minutes, but for now it's pretty difficult for me to make pairs and I feel dumb, I was hoping there was any trick or something.

Well, yeah, I solve Mega by pairing again and again F2L style but I agree that being a Roux solver you should be able to apply your block building skills to F2L pair building. Being color neutral (which I am not, only dual white/yellow) would also help for a CFOP solver but, as a Roux solver, you must be used to pair corners to pieces where the pieces do not exactly form a "proper F2L pair" so the better for you.

It is important, though, not only to know your color scheme but to develop a specific order in wich you do things, as this helps you find the correct pieces. For example. I always do the 5 white edges, and then the 5 white F2L pairs, after that I always continue with red, by placing the two other red edges and inserting the 3 F2L pairs that have red as "cross / bottom color". Then I go to the left with dark blue, placing the missing dark blue edge and inserting the two pairs with blue "bottom", then to the left again until just the last face but the top (grey) face is missing. I do that and then just LL on grey.

 

[muchacho]

Yeah, I'll start doing a fixed order from now (well, once I receive the stickered yuhu, because with the stickerless I have some issues with colors, I will not make many more solves with it since I won't improve much from solving it).

First color and the path is usually randomly choosen or is there something to take into consideration? Do people rearrange the colors of each face to try to avoid having similar pieces or it doesn't matter that much assuming you have a good selection of colors?

 

[mafergut]

Yeah, I'll start doing a fixed order from now (well, once I receive the stickered yuhu, because with the stickerless I have some issues with colors, I will not make many more solves with it since I won't improve much from solving it).

First color and the path is usually randomly choosen or is there something to take into consideration? Do people rearrange the colors of each face to try to avoid having similar pieces or it doesn't matter that much assuming you have a good selection of colors?

If you had told me sooner we could have exchanged Yuhus, as I'm already hating my stickered one (black plastic) because the stickers ar so tiny due to the raising the pieces have for added grip and would have liked a stickerless one better. And as we both live in spain maybe we could have interchanged them Maybe we're even neighbours, hehehe. Anyway, I have ordered a Shengshou as I'm also fed up of the instability, the layers move all the time when you try to grip the puzzle and cause a lot of lockups. Don't know if that happens to you too.

I took the idea of starting with white, then red and always to the left from some more expert megaminxer here in the forum. I have read somebody name some methods that I assume are just recommended order of solving but I have not checked those, I just decided to go with red just because Anyway, I have just started with Mega (maybe 15 timed solves and like another 15 untimed ones) and my times are still quite slow, being my best like 6:45 so, not an expert. Isaac Lai, are you there and can help us?

 

[Logiqx]

I'm curious, when you more experienced cubers plan the cross during inspection, do you think of the solution like an algorithm, or just visualize it somehow, or something else? I mean, do you look at what needs to be done and think "R B U2 F2 D2" or more like "this goes there, then this there..."? I've been practicing some blind crosses and found I have a higher success rate if I spell out the algorithm in my mind, but it also takes longer to memorize the solution that way. It's faster for me to just visualize the movements of the pieces, but it also leads to more mistakes. Not sure which of these methods I should keep practicing.

I visualise the movement of the pieces and try to think how I will finger trick it. I don't use actual notation to remember it.

In some ways it is similar to how I remember PIN numbers. I tend to remember the shape on the keypad rather than the actual numbers.

 

[mafergut]

I visualise the movement of the pieces and try to think how I will finger trick it. I don't use actual notation to remember it.

In some ways it is similar to how I remember PIN numbers. I tend to remember the shape on the keypad rather than the actual numbers.

Same here, even though I don't consider myself an experienced cuber
I just visualize the movement of the pieces and how I will actually execute it, no cube notation involved.

 

[muchacho]

If you had told me sooner we could have exchanged Yuhus, as I'm already hating my stickered one (black plastic) because the stickers ar so tiny due to the raising the pieces have for added grip and would have liked a stickerless one better. And as we both live in spain maybe we could have interchanged them Maybe we're even neighbours, hehehe. Anyway, I have ordered a Shengshou as I'm also fed up of the instability, the layers move all the time when you try to grip the puzzle and cause a lot of lockups. Don't know if that happens to you too.

I took the idea of starting with white, then red and always to the left from some more expert megaminxer here in the forum. I have read somebody name some methods that I assume are just recommended order of solving but I have not checked those, I just decided to go with red just because Anyway, I have just started with Mega (maybe 15 timed solves and like another 15 untimed ones) and my times are still quite slow, being my best like 6:45 so, not an expert. Isaac Lai, are you there and can help us?

Probably shipping in Spain would not be that much cheaper than ordering a new yuhu (I've ordered a white one), and the stickerless is nice as just a decoration item. I'm hoping the small stickers are not a big problem (that's why I ordered the stickerless). I have some lockups, maybe they are mostly my fault, but since I have no experience I don't know how bad it is... but at my speed they don't bother me.

 

[mafergut]

Probably shipping in Spain would not be that much cheaper than ordering a new yuhu (I've ordered a white one), and the stickerless is nice as just a decoration item. I'm hoping the small stickers are not a big problem (that's why I ordered the stickerless). I have some lockups, maybe they are mostly my fault, but since I have no experience I don't know how bad it is... but at my speed they don't bother me.

Well, the interchange of Yuhus was just a funny comment more than anything, as you are right, even within Spain the shipping would just cost more than the Yuhu ordered from China, which makes me think that there's something wrong in the world I'm used to having lockups on 3x3 because incorrect alignment of the faces I'm moving but with the Yuhu I have lockups because faces I'm just grasping turn very easily. Maybe I don't know yet how to properly hold the thing in my hands but, even when I am, e.g., rotating LL corners to finish the Mega, with the beginners corner rotation alg, I have unintended face misalignment and, at this stage the Mega is sitting on the table so, it's like this thing has life of its own.

Tell me how you like it (or not) once you have some time to get familiar with your new stickered one.

 

[Jason Green]

I'm curious, when you more experienced cubers plan the cross during inspection, do you think of the solution like an algorithm, or just visualize it somehow, or something else? I mean, do you look at what needs to be done and think "R B U2 F2 D2" or more like "this goes there, then this there..."? I've been practicing some blind crosses and found I have a higher success rate if I spell out the algorithm in my mind, but it also takes longer to memorize the solution that way. It's faster for me to just visualize the movements of the pieces, but it also leads to more mistakes. Not sure which of these methods I should keep practicing.

I just visualize it. One thing I saw online was to initially do cross either on correct sides or opposites. That is easy to think of. Although I will now do it under any color. I really don't think of any algs when I'm solving as far as the turn names.

 

[JanW]

I visualise the movement of the pieces and try to think how I will finger trick it.

Same here

I just visualize it.

Okay, I'll be aiming at that. I suppose the reason I make more mistakes that way is that I do it faster. Must slow down.

One thing I saw online was to initially do cross either on correct sides or opposites. That is easy to think of. Although I will now do it under any color.

Yes, noticed this also. It's much easier to build it under correct or opposite colors. If I build it at 90 degree rotation, I get the opposites correct, but then the other pair of opposites is easily the wrong way around. I suppose this comes with experience.

 

[MarcelP]

It's such easy thing.

Well, you beat me in all events in weekly contest week 43.. There was a time when that was not the case.. LOL. It seems like it is an easy thing for you nowadays...

 

[Isaac Lai]

I took the idea of starting with white, then red and always to the left from some more expert megaminxer here in the forum. I have read somebody name some methods that I assume are just recommended order of solving but I have not checked those, I just decided to go with red just because Anyway, I have just started with Mega (maybe 15 timed solves and like another 15 untimed ones) and my times are still quite slow, being my best like 6:45 so, not an expert. Isaac Lai, are you there and can help us?

Here

Westlund and Balint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxWrXrXlEs0&list=PLJ1BFt1hZm2rIeW_2dpDYuUb6xxD6H3UI&index=3
Balint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkLahEn83n4
Yu Da-Hyun (the one that you use): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE-H3V7XGxE

Btw not many fast people use Yu Da-Hyun's S2L order because there are so few resources on it. However, I believe I read somewhere that Rob Yau uses it. I also use it (switched from Westlund), and I find that transition from solving a 3x3 is slightly easier because instead of thinking of it as S2L, a whole new step, you are thinking of it as more of just cross+F2L. I do white star, then rotate so that purple is on bottom, and my last layer is on pink (I chose these colours only because they were the easiest to do the first time I tried this order). Also, the pieces you know you need to find are more specific, so lookahead is somewhat easier.

 

[mark49152]

Okay, I'll be aiming at that. I suppose the reason I make more mistakes that way is that I do it faster. Must slow down.

Like the others, I visualize or imagine the movements. I did quite a lot of blind cross practice, about 2000 solves, and found a very clear pattern to fast and slow crosses.

For me, fast crosses tend to have a single flowing movement, and that's more important than tps. So I try to find a solution that is finger-friendly with no regrips or switches from right to left hand etc., and I try to imagine executing it as one flowing movement. Wide turns and M slices can be useful sometimes.

If a cross solution clearly breaks into sections, I tend to execute it in sections, and that makes me slower, even at faster tps. If I videoed it I bet I would see a pause in between sections, even though I don't feel like I pause.

 

[h2f]

Well, you beat me in all events in weekly contest week 43.. There was a time when that was not the case.. LOL. It seems like it is an easy thing for you nowadays...

Oh, I didnt notice it. I think about it only as a matter of luck. But it was close to inverse our places in 4x4 - I didnt practice it for few weeks and my times are worse and worse.

I'm going to take part in more events in weekly comp this week - I wont have as many things to do in my job like in last 4 weeks.

 

[h2f]

Here


Btw not many fast people use Yu Da-Hyun's S2L order because there are so few resources on it. However, I believe I read somewhere that Rob Yau uses it. I also use it (switched from Westlund), and I find that transition from solving a 3x3 is slightly easier because instead of thinking of it as S2L, a whole new step, you are thinking of it as more of just cross+F2L. I do white star, then rotate so that purple is on bottom, and my last layer is on pink (I chose these colours only because they were the easiest to do the first time I tried this order). Also, the pieces you know you need to find are more specific, so lookahead is somewhat easier.

Isaac, thanks for resources. I dont practice mega but maybe I will start it after watching it.

 

[Isaac Lai]

Isaac, thanks for resources. I dont practice mega but maybe I will start it after watching it.

You're welcome. Other resources shouldn't be too hard to find (Cubing World has quite a bit). Likewise I am also starting to get into BLD(learning turbo now)

 

[muchacho]

I'll try Yu Da Hun order.

About building the faces during S2L, apparently both Westlund and Balint solve one edge under the center, then insert the pair under the center.

Would it be harder to build it this other way (first 2 pairs and then the remaining edge on the left)? Less efficient?
View attachment 5589

 

[h2f]

You're welcome. Other resources shouldn't be too hard to find (Cubing World has quite a bit). Likewise I am also starting to get into BLD(learning turbo now)

I found Cubing World as a great source for almost every event. Good to know they got good tuts for mega.

For 2 weeks I am also back to turbo - I knew that method earlier but didnt practice it. Now I do.

 

[Isaac Lai]

I'll try Yu Da Hun order.

About building the faces during S2L, apparently both Westlund and Balint solve one edge under the center, then insert the pair under the center.

Would it be harder to build it this other way (first 2 pairs and then the remaining edge on the left)? Less efficient?
View attachment 5589

The thing about how you solve the pairs is that inserting that one edge sucks compared to normal pairing. I understand why you would do this though since you are a Roux solver and do not do F2L but I really think that sticking to the "conventional" method (inserting that edge in 1 first) is definitely better.

 

[newtonbase]

On holiday and I have a few hours to myself for a change. Did my first ever timed 2x2 AO12 and it was appalling. My worst time was slower than my worst 3x3 of the day. I scraped under 20s for the average.

However I did get a 3BLD (3.12) PB and a low 2 mins on 4x4 which might be a PB. Also a sub 5min 5x5 which is hard cut off for the UKs.