Older cubers discussions

MarcelP said:
Yeah, my Valk has slowed down also a bit. [...]

I have analysed my solves and cross plus 1 takes me 3.5 secs on average. And complete F2l around 10 - 11. So my weakest point is definatly last layer :) LL is hard for me to improve. Drilling algs does not work for me, because in real solves I will mess up because I will mix up triggers.
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I'm already disappointed with my Valk3 even before I got it. I hope this is not a new case of Moyu Tanglong. A cube that you can only use for 500 solves and then it's rendered unusable and cleaning, lubing, etc. will do nothing to make it good again.

Regarding LL I also need to improve my LL. I would like at least to reach @Logiqx speed. Michael makes algs seem so effortless and fluid. But I don't think I have the innate skills to do that. Anyway, drilling and good selection of algs does something and there's also some time to be shaved off by better recog (like 2-sided for PLL). But I think there's much more time I can shave on cross+F2L that I'm gonna focus on that for the moment. At least I hope I can consistently get more 15-to-17 sec solves and get my long averages down to sub-18 or even mid-low 17.

MarcelP said:
Oh man... the cube gods are really messing with me..

1. 11.11 U' B2 L2 D B2 L2 U L2 R2 D R2 B' R D U' L D2 R2 B R' D
2. 22.84 L2 R2 D2 F2 U B2 U' L2 B2 R2 U' F' R2 F L R2 F' D2 B F' U'
3. 13.49 F D2 F2 D2 B2 U R2 U' B2 D' F2 L D2 U R2 B D2 F R'
4. 22.84 U2 R2 F' L2 D2 B' D2 B' U2 L2 F' U' R U2 F L' F' D2 L
Arggg!
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Same feeling here with my Mo3 video from yesterday. Times going like 19.xx, 13.xx, 18.xx, 14.xx, 18.xx.
 
mafergut said:
I'm already disappointed with my Valk3 even before I got it. I hope this is not a new case of Moyu Tanglong. A cube that you can only use for 500 solves and then it's rendered unusable and cleaning, lubing, etc. will do nothing to make it good again.
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No, don't worry. It is a great cube. But for me it is too small. If it was 56 mm I would do everything in my power to keep it as a main.
 
@MarcelP - Oh I feel for you and you know how I can throw away great averages. Nearly threw away the 12.77 ao5 but a day later I had 11, 11, 10 ...... 19, 18 Haha :D

@newtonbase - Grats on the PB Mark :)

@mafergut - I hope so too Miguel. Cleaning and re-lubing this evening. I hope it is not a repeat of the MoyuBochuang 5x5 that did the same. The reason I feel more confident that it won't its Qiyi plastic doesnt usually go so quickly. Will report back later :)
 
mark49152 said:
Those are the ones I use. I really like <R,U,D> algs. When I discovered how nicely the Rowe E perm could flow if you get the finger tricks right, I did some research and switched most of my PLLS and some of my OLLs to <R,U,D>. I can post them if you're interested. [...]
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Most of the PLLs I took from Christopher Olson's PLL fingertrick vids on YouTube. Since he demos all of 'em at a second or less I know they have high potential even if some don't turn out to fit my style. One goofy exception is my rotated U perms with the 3-bar on the left which I started using early on because I can do the opening and closing R2 much better than F2: R2 U' S' U2 S U' R2

I absolutely love what folks have done in alg research in the past 15 years. Any algs I turn out not to like will have LOTS of candidates for replacement!
 
pglewis said:
Most of the PLLs I took from Christopher Olson's PLL fingertrick vids on YouTube. Since he demos all of 'em at a second or less I know they have high potential [...]
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Oh, and the other thing I like about his alg selection is he keeps a strong eye on ones he can perform without a re-grip. Re-grips are the Devil.
 
Been doing some slow solves. I filmed a slow turning sub 20 average of 12 last year and linked it here but we have had a lot of new regulars. I always found most slow turning average videos had a very fast last layer and being older I could not relate to attaining that so this is slow turning throughout the solves from beginning to end. Might be useful for some new members. Apologies for those who saw the one last year. These solves are by no means completely fluid but hopefully will give motivation to some:-

3x3 Slow Turning Ao12 - 19.41 Seconds

 
Selkie said:
Been doing some slow solves. I filmed a slow turning sub 20 average of 12 last year and linked it here but we have had a lot of new regulars.
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Man, sooooo smoooooth. This is exactly the sort of thing that made me move the goalposts to an official sub 20 average: seeing proof that I already turn more than fast enough to attain that with proper look-ahead.

Selkie said:
I always found most slow turning average videos had a very fast last layer and being older I could not relate to attaining that so this is slow turning throughout the solves from beginning to end. [...]
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The kids definitely have an advantage but I consider muscle memory "the great equalizer". I timed my Jb perm last night and I can definitely get it in 2.5 seconds, which is 5.6 TPS for a trigger-friendly alg I have committed to muscle memory, and that's with maybe 6 months of serious cubing and a month and a half of knowing the alg. Another year to 18 months and my raw TPS for last layer might almost be respectable. F2L pairs, though... it would cause physical pain for you to watch a solve of mine. It's amazing how often I still find myself looking around the cube twice for an edge that's right in front of me. I have some weird cousin of dyslexia, I swear. With a guitar background I'm super comfortable with forcing my fingers to do things they're not the least bit interested in doing. I was exclusively a flat-picker until about 4 or 5 years ago when I decided to force myself to get used to a thumbpick, picking up an entirely new technique in my mid 40s. A few years later and I almost feel like I know what I'm doing on a good day. The technique involves covering the bass, rhythm, and melody simultaneously, which works out real well... when you can't afford a band :D.

 
Selkie said:
Been doing some slow solves. I filmed a slow turning sub 20 average of 12 last year and linked it here but we have had a lot of new regulars. I always found most slow turning average videos had a very fast last layer and being older I could not relate to attaining that so this is slow turning throughout the solves from beginning to end. Might be useful for some new members. Apologies for those who saw the one last year. These solves are by no means completely fluid but hopefully will give motivation to some:-

3x3 Slow Turning Ao12 - 19.41 Seconds

Click to expand...
I agree with @pglewis, it is inspiring to see a "slow solve" like this. It brings my motivation up.

On another topic, I decided to take my old zhanchi out. I put 2 drops of cubicle silk in, and somehow I beat my PB! ao5 of 21.43. So apparently, it's not all due to hardware ;).
But anyway, I will continue ordering the newest cubes.
 
I did my 15000th timed 3x3 solve earlier today and thought I'd share my progress:

Solve #'sMo1000Sub-25'sSub-20'sPB single
1 - 100001:37.800000:42.xx
1001 - 200000:46.780000:27.xx
2001 - 300000:38.305000:21.xx
3001 - 400000:34.682000:21.xx
4001 - 500000:33.1314000:21.xx
5001 - 600000:32.1723000:20.xx
6001 - 700000:31.4836000:20.xx
7001 - 800000:30.8739100:19.xx
8001 - 900000:30.2861100:19.xx
9001 - 1000000:29.7794000:19.xx
10001 - 1100000:29.2291200:18.xx
11001 - 1200000:28.29192500:17.xx
12001 - 1300000:26.722691200:17.xx
13001 - 1400000:26.083491000:17.xx
14001 - 1500000:25.833732200:14.xx

Slow advancements perhaps but I'm still heading in the right direction regardless. :)

PS: Nice playing @pglewis. I play guitar myself (2x electric, 1x electro-acoustic and 1x classical in this very room) although you're well ahead of me skill-wise. I just strum along to the 20 or so chords I know with D-DU-UDU and similar patterns or do very simple finger-picking. Much like cubing, guitar is something I've learned from the internet.
 
@pglewis - Awesome guitar skills there sir. I have heard a lot of synergy over the last few years with cubing and guitar and piano. As for turnspeed, I agree that with the right muscle memory we can attain a fair pace. I timed all my PLLs a couple of years ago and I can sub 2 second all of them.

The act of looking for pieces right in front of you remains with me to this day. The most promising thing is once you start solving the case you are on without looking and start being able to look ahead the pieces will be far easier to spot moving than static.

@megagoune - Glad you found it useful. I often do an average on my Lubix Zhanchi. It was my main for 3 years though I do feel now how far hardware has come in recent years when I solve on it now.

@Shaky Hands - Wow, great progress Andy. You certainly are headed in the right direction mate :)
 
Selkie said:
[...]The most promising thing is once you start solving the case you are on without looking and start being able to look ahead the pieces will be far easier to spot moving than static.[...]
Click to expand...

Yeah, I can tell this is going to end up inducing some big epiphanies. Y'all have done me well here in just a couple days of milling around :).
 
Jason Green said:
The f2l that seems to throw me the worst is the easy case (RUR') when it's already in position for the slot. It's like my brain excludes the possibility that it could be sitting there ready to go. :)
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Yeah I get that too. I think it's related to Chris's phenomenon where pieces are harder to find when static. And the phenomenon where keys are hardest to find when they are left in the door :)
 
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