[Help Thread] What To Do Next...

[JFischer00]

Long I know, but please read.

Ok, so first a brief history of me and cubing. I started cubing about a year ago. I learned the basic beginner's method from rubiks.com. I practiced that for what must have been hundreds of hours over several months. Eventually, I got my PB down to around 30 seconds, with an average of 40-45 (not exactly sure). After not bringing down my PB at all, despite much practice, I got discouraged and stopped cubing for a while.

Fast forward to this month and I've started cubing again, but I don't know how I should proceed. I've used badmephisto's videos and website to start learning CFOP. Currently, I have watched and applied his methods for standardizing my cross by restricting my rotations to Y rotations, doing basic F2L, and 2 look OLL. I have not ever specifically learned finger tricks, but I have picked up some finger tricks like moves naturally.

I have been practicing solves using these new ideas for about a week, but I still haven't even come close to my current beginner's method average (~45 seconds since picking up cubing again). I am now at a complete loss as to what to do now and I am seriously considering dropping cubing for good, because it's seriously frustrating to me to not be able to learn to do something well. If anyone has any advice for me, I welcome it gladly. Thanks in advance!

P.S.
If it would help, I can record video of one of my solves.

 

[DGCubes]

If you're not using a speedcube, you should definitely get one. From there, it takes a lot of practice to get faster, but the best thing you can do is work on F2L and start learning 2-look OLL and 2-look PLL. Or, if you prefer, you could try another event (maybe 2x2, 4x4, Pyraminx, Skewb, or Megaminx; they're pretty easy to pick up for someone who only does 3x3), and maybe you'll enjoy those more.

 

[deadcat]

You will get slower before you get faster, that's natural when moving to an advanced method. But you will get faster. Also check out Roux before you invest in CFOP, it's much more fun.

 

[tlfypbyq]

^

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

[JFischer00]

First of all, sorry for the late reply.

If you're not using a speedcube, you should definitely get one. From there, it takes a lot of practice to get faster, but the best thing you can do is work on F2L and start learning 2-look OLL and 2-look PLL. Or, if you prefer, you could try another event (maybe 2x2, 4x4, Pyraminx, Skewb, or Megaminx; they're pretty easy to pick up for someone who only does 3x3), and maybe you'll enjoy those more.

I am currently using a Moyu Yulong, although I have been considering getting the new (ish) GuoGuan YueXiao. I also have a 2x2, 4x4, 5x5, Megaminx, and Pyraminx. I can solve them all, but I really want to focus on speeding up my 3x3 solving. The biggest problem I have is "working on F2L" or "working on the cross". I can't seem to grasp how to do those quickly, despite reading and watching many tutorials. I've learned 2-look OLL ( case recognition and matching the alg with the case could be better) and I'm starting on 2-look PLL. I'm just frustrated trying to do the intuitive steps quickly.

You will get slower before you get faster, that's natural when moving to an advanced method. But you will get faster. Also check out Roux before you invest in CFOP, it's much more fun.

I know that you will slow down, but how many hours does it take? When I say I've practiced for a week, I mean ~10 hours of solves. Also, I looked at this thread here and it says you should use Roux if you aren't good at learning algs and like intuitive solves. That's basically the opposite of my personality. Also, I can't do M's very well. What makes Roux a good fit for me?

 

[Malkom]

Just practice, if you are just doing solves all the time maybe try and just sit down and try to learn better ways to do stuff like cross or F2L

 

[deadcat]

CFOP may very well be a better fit for you, but it's worth it to try out all the big methods to decide in which to invest.

Watch and read much less, practice much more. It's hard to say how long it will take, but definitely more than a couple of weeks. Check out the "how long did it take you to get sub 20" thread for some ballpark figures.

 

[JFischer00]

Just practice, if you are just doing solves all the time maybe try and just sit down and try to learn better ways to do stuff like cross or F2L

Well, that's my problem. I don't know how to get better at the cross and F2L. Learning algs and practicing them, so that my recognition and speed with them is relatively easy for me. All the intuitive stuff is confusing and frustrating.

CFOP may very well be a better fit for you, but it's worth it to try out all the big methods to decide in which to invest.

Watch and read much less, practice much more. It's hard to say how long it will take, but definitely more than a couple of weeks. Check out the "how long did it take you to get sub 20" thread for some ballpark figures.

I searched for the thread you mentioned and the numbers were all over the place. Also, most people didn't mention how many hours, which is more important than months. I will try some of the other methods, even though none of them seem my type.

 

[Malkom]

Just sitting here and saying its difficult wont make you faster, focus on your weakest sides and try to make stuff that was hard before so easy you can do it without thinking

 

[JFischer00]

Just sitting here and saying its difficult wont make you faster, focus on your weakest sides and try to make stuff that was hard before so easy you can do it without thinking

Just sitting here and giving vague instructions ("make stuff that was hard...easy...") isn't doing anything either. If you meant to say practice, just say practice. However, I've been practicing. I practice ~2 hours every day, yet I'm seeing no improvement in times. I wanted to see if anyone had any advice for me, but saying practice isn't helpful to me. Of course, no matter what, I will keep practicing, but practicing without improvement seems pointless to me, which is why I came here for help.

 

[Malkom]

How are you practicing? Just solving wont help that much

 

[Malkom]

Check out this thread if you want to know how to improve with CFOP https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/...aining-that-yields-systematic-progress.39406/

 

[Tom606060]

Here is a what I think you should do for each portion your solves. I am not fast by any means(~11 sec) but this is what I did to get from your speed to where I am now.

Cross: Practice seeing the entire cross before making any turns. You mentioned that you restrict to y turns during cross but I strongly recommend that you make no cube rotations at all during cross. This all comes with time but soon you will be able to see how putting in one cross edge will lead to an easier second cross edge etc. Also do cross on white/yellow but start experimenting with color neutral since you are averaging ~45. When you get to around my speed it will be too late to switch and I regret not switching earlier so now I can only solve white/yellow.

F2L: Ideally, F2L should be done without a single rotation but sometimes it is more convenient. for ex. Rotate, R' instead of B'. I dont know if you do corner edge or advanced f2l but if you are not doing advanced, I recommend you do that. When solving each pair, you should be tracking your next corner/edge and so you have no pauses in your solves. If you have to slow down turns to look ahead, do that, it is better in the long run.

OLL: 2 Look OLL is fine and can definitely get you sub 20. I would focus on cross/f2l first but if you would like to improve 2 look oll I suggest just drilling the algs till you get all of them sub 1.

PLL: Just same as OLL, drill algs.

Also, about your cube, I would suggest picking up a yuexiao or weilong gts, one of those cubes that dont lock up in solves. Or you could wait for the thunderclap v2. Good luck on your speedcubing journey

 

[JFischer00]

- SNIP -

The only F2L I know is the basic one from badmephisto. Basically, I've watched up to "Revisiting the F2L" on this page. I do the cross following the third video, F2L following the fourth and fifth videos, OLL following the sixth and seventh videos, and PLL following the first video. Also, ~45 seconds is my average since picking up cubing again when I use beginner's method only. When I use ideas from badmephisto's tutorials, I average 60-70 seconds.

 

[Malkom]

This thread is a great example of the Dunning-Krueger effect

 

[JFischer00]

This thread is a great example of the Dunning-Krueger effect

Why would you say that? I know I'm not very good at cubing, I just don't know how to get better, which is why I asked for advice here, where there are many great cubers. I'm not saying I'm already so good that it's impossible for me to improve, I just don't know how. I even know what my problem is: the cross and F2L. I can learn algs and practice them (for OLL and PLL), however it is not so simple for me to practice the intuitive steps. Specific advice, such as Tom606060 gave, is mostly what I am looking for. "Solve the cross without looking" is something I can practice. "Focus on your weak side" is not something I can practice.

 

[Malkom]

Focusing on your weak side is something you can do to improve, you may want some more specific description of what to do but i think its funnier to figurer it out by yourself. I have become sub 20 and i have only watched a few videos about how to practice and on which areas people with my speed usualöy need to focus. Right now i find it very difficult to solve two pairs without looking so preditcing F2L Cassé almost seem impossible to me. Therefore im now practicing on those things which so i will become faster.

 

[JFischer00]

Focusing on your weak side is something you can do to improve, you may want some more specific description of what to do but i think its more fun to figure it out by yourself. I have become sub 20 and i have only watched a few videos about how to practice and on which areas people with my speed usually need to focus. Right now i find it very difficult to solve two pairs without looking so predicting F2L Cases almost seem impossible to me. Therefore im now practicing on those things which so i will become faster.

Ok, that makes more sense. Now, after some practicing, I've discovered that I'm pretty good at solving the cross or one F2L pair with my eyes closed, so it seems the next course of action is to start learning to do look-ahead. Would you agree?

 

[Malkom]

Well in a way you are already looking ahead, but if you mean "be able to solve without pauses" i dont think its really worth it yet. You will become faster but there are easier and faster ways to get sub 60. Making your F2L more efficient, learning all F2L Cases so well you can solve them blandfolded, try to minimize rotations and improve recognition for both F2L cases and LL-algorithms would be "better" i think.

 

[Tom606060]

The only F2L I know is the basic one from badmephisto. Basically, I've watched up to "Revisiting the F2L" on this page. I do the cross following the third video, F2L following the fourth and fifth videos, OLL following the sixth and seventh videos, and PLL following the first video. Also, ~45 seconds is my average since picking up cubing again when I use beginner's method only. When I use ideas from badmephisto's tutorials, I average 60-70 seconds.

So based on the videos you provided for f2l, you have a pretty good background knowledge of advanced f2l but it probably isnt very "fluent" yet. I suggest checking out Paradox Cubing's video on advanced f2l here:

. After you learn that, if you want some more specific f2l tricks that may come in handy go here:

. However, these are quite a bit more advanced and may not be what you are looking for.

For cross, I also recommend checking out ParadoxCubing's video on advanced cross:

. Practice it and remember cross should be rotationless and ideally done in 0.5-3 sec. Just keep using the tricks in that video and practice like so:
1. Scramble cube and look around the best way to do cross. Give yourself as much inspection time as you need, speed will come with time.
2. Execute what you planned as fast as possible and if your cross is not done, analyze what you did wrong. Just focus on one step at a time so do not finish your solve. Just scramble again, do cross, scramble, cross, etc. You can also do the same with cross and f2l.
3. As you get more comfortable with one looking your cross you can start trying to find the first f2l pair in inspection.

Also, dont worry about your times with the advanced method. You will be slower than normal but once you master the advanced method it will be a lot faster. I suggest you just practice without a timer for a while and see the magic happen.
As for OLL and PLL start learning full OLL and PLL when you hit around 25 sec average but that is more long term so focus on cross/f2l for now. Good luck!