I think I made a learning mistake (moves involved)

[Cristobal]

It took me a week to learn the algorithms and to solve the cube at a comfortable pace 3 months ago. Since then I've been cubing around one or two hours a week. My average is around 1'30, and my best time is 1'09, with the beginner's method.

So I was about to learn the 2 look OLL and planning to learn the 2 look PLL later, and then I suddenly realized that from the beginning I've assimilated the moves by turning the upper layer with the right hand or the front side with the left hand, instead of turning and making the moves only from the left or right side of the cube with the fingers.

I'm thinking now that algs are like automatic reflexes (muscle memory as I read here and there), I have to unlearn my bad habits of doing some rotations with a hand, and relearn everything form the beginning using only fingers.

 

[Shiv3r]

Yes you do. When I learned that my best time had been holding steady at 2:30 for about 2 years.That was a month ago its now 31 secs.
Fingertricks are good because they can be sped up and up and up really easily.

2-look PLL was always confusing for me, so I learned One-look PLL. Dont be shy, its only about 21 cases!
but I still use 2-look OLL. PLL is harder to recognize as a 2-look. I never learned it, because I transitioned from a layer by layer method where you permute+orient the corners, then permute& oirient the edges. So PLL and OLL were completely new to me.

 

[AlphaSheep]

You'll constantly have to relearn stuff. My average is just over 20 seconds and I'm still relearning algs as I change my fingertricks. The good news is that it gets easier the more you do it.

 

[stoic]

You'll constantly have to relearn stuff. My average is just over 20 seconds and I'm still relearning algs as I change my fingertricks. The good news is that it gets easier the more you do it.

This.
One of the best things about cubing for me has been "learning how to learn".

 

[SenorJuan]

You don't HAVE to learn 'fingertrick' methods to improve your times, it's perfectly possible to get solves of 30 seconds using 'wrist' turns and beginners methods. It's just that you have a modern cube that's suitable for the fingertrick technique, and there's no shortage of educational videos (youtube etc) showing you how to do it, so it's worth starting to practice them now.

It's worth pointing out that 2 hours practice per week is not much. If you can find more time, it will pay off with a more rapid progression.

 

[Cristobal]

Ok.

It's a bit reassuring, I am not very comfortable with fingerstricks. On the other hand, I'm not in the sub 30 race, and cube more as a dilettante, that's the reason why my practice lasts only a couple of hours a week. If my times slowly reach the sub 1 minute solving time, I'll be glad enough.

 

[SenorJuan]

You remember on your 'memo sheet' thread, where I suggested the short F' L' U2 L F sequence to insert a first-layer corner? And everyone kept telling you to use the other longer sequence? That's because they're all 'fingertrick merchants', who would be able to execute the longer move quicker than the short one. I said use the short one because you're a beginner - it's short and symmetrical, so easy to learn, and you're a 'wrist-turner' so it's quicker, for you.
On that subject, you will appreciate the cube has symmetry, so the 'mirror' of the above sequence also does the same thing: F R U2 R' F' (but solves the front-left corner). You may find it more ergonomic (and you can try out your beginners finger turning tricks on it)

 

[Cristobal]

You remember on your 'memo sheet' thread, where I suggested the short F' L' U2 L F sequence to insert a first-layer corner? And everyone kept telling you to use the other longer sequence? That's because they're all 'fingertrick merchants', who would be able to execute the longer move quicker than the short one. I said use the short one because you're a beginner - it's short and symmetrical, so easy to learn, and you're a 'wrist-turner' so it's quicker, for you.
On that subject, you will appreciate the cube has symmetry, so the 'mirror' of the above sequence also does the same thing: F R U2 R' F' (but solves the front-left corner). You may find it more ergonomic (and you can try out your beginners finger turning tricks on it)

Indeed, I precisely use the algorithm you recommended, quick to learn and to execute.

 

[dskids]

My recommendation would be: take a few weeks and learn fingertricks in earnest. Like you, I started out with wrist turns and turning the cube that way became a habit. But after spending some time turning a cube with fingertricks, I couldn't imagine doing it the old way. The movement is so much more efficient. Even if speed is not your primary focus, the fluidity and efficiency of fingertricking are worthy of the time spent learning it.

Fingertricks also lend themselves to triggers - subgroups of common move sequences. It's clear that your primary goal in cubing is not speed, but once you get comfortable with fingertricking triggers, it not only makes algs faster - it makes them much easier to memorize, because you can start to think of them as groups of a few familiar triggers instead of long sequences of individual moves.