h2f
Premium Member
When I have such series of DNFs I take a break for at least few days.
It's a good sign by the way because it means you practiced a lot.
Older cubers discussions
- Thread starter MarcelP
- Start date
When I have such series of DNFs I take a break for at least few days.
It's a good sign by the way because it means you practiced a lot.
Logiqx
Veteran
Smooth, easy to turn cubes are also a good idea. Weilong GTS or Valk are my favorites for OH.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
@ Mark Newtonbase: I'm not sure how useful my advice will be on OH solving, but...
Re: the smaller cube, it's worth considering using one, though I remember when I started out, the 57mm cube seemed large, and it took a long time to develop good movements. And I've got big pasties, the 57mm is actually just fine, and even a 4x4 I find is manageable.
It will feel hard to turn initially, and you'll be tempted to use lighter lube / looser adjustments / etc. This is not the best idea, if anything, your OH cube needs to be stiffer / gummier than for 2H, as you have less control over it. You just have to practice until you develop the speed/strength. You're not going to be turning at 2H TPS, so you don't need a cube suitable for such speed.
I remember as my speed was increasing, I was turning more agressively, and starting to over-turn, and stiffening the cube allowed me to keep on improving.
Practice for several short sessions during a day, to give your hand/arm time to recover, eventually you'll have the strength and stamina to do longer practice sessions.
( I turn R' with my index finger, it baffles me how anyone can do it with ring/pinky, but I suspect the R' move is the least natural move for you, and will be the one that 'hurts the most' when you're learning. )
Re: the smaller cube, it's worth considering using one, though I remember when I started out, the 57mm cube seemed large, and it took a long time to develop good movements. And I've got big pasties, the 57mm is actually just fine, and even a 4x4 I find is manageable.
It will feel hard to turn initially, and you'll be tempted to use lighter lube / looser adjustments / etc. This is not the best idea, if anything, your OH cube needs to be stiffer / gummier than for 2H, as you have less control over it. You just have to practice until you develop the speed/strength. You're not going to be turning at 2H TPS, so you don't need a cube suitable for such speed.
I remember as my speed was increasing, I was turning more agressively, and starting to over-turn, and stiffening the cube allowed me to keep on improving.
Practice for several short sessions during a day, to give your hand/arm time to recover, eventually you'll have the strength and stamina to do longer practice sessions.
( I turn R' with my index finger, it baffles me how anyone can do it with ring/pinky, but I suspect the R' move is the least natural move for you, and will be the one that 'hurts the most' when you're learning. )
Last edited:
newtonbase
Premium Member
Valk is the plan.
newtonbase
Premium Member
It does seem bizarre but it appears to be effective if you can do it.
Logiqx
Veteran
When I started OH, in 2003, there was minimal guidance available on how you should hold / turn, which hand to use, just a few suggestions based on what others did, it was up to me to find out what worked. That aspect of it seemed quite appealing to me, I liked the idea of having to work it all out for myself, rather than blindly following rules. I'm right-handed, and not particularly good with my left, but saw the logic in using Left turning, so from the outset that was my choice. I chose pinky finger rather than ring, because that would leave the ring finger available to help hold the cube. Plus the pinky is more dextrous, with extra muscles in the hand, I understand. But when it came to the R' move, I was stuck. Pushing upwards on BRD was tricky without an awkward grip, and the shortness of my pinky didn't help. But pushing backwards on FDR seemed to only work if the R layer was aligned OK - if it was turned R a bit,(so more than 90 degrees was needed to perform R' ) there was no way I could execute the turn, and the fact that I was using my nail, rather than the fleshy fingertip gave me no grip. So I chose Index finger for R' . And Ryan Patricio was multiple WR holder in 2005-8 (roughly) using this turning style, which showed it had some merit.
I did change from pinky to ring-finger turning about 4 years ago, as I was continually slicing up the edge of my fingernail on sticker chips, and red inflamed fingers are no good for cubing. It didn't take too long to re-learn, and my much longer Ring finger seemed to help in many situations.
(I did wonder if I could successfully use both, for R2 turns, but it didn't seem easy, and now, if I try and intentionally revert to pinky turning, it feels bizarre, like having a 6th finger)
I did change from pinky to ring-finger turning about 4 years ago, as I was continually slicing up the edge of my fingernail on sticker chips, and red inflamed fingers are no good for cubing. It didn't take too long to re-learn, and my much longer Ring finger seemed to help in many situations.
(I did wonder if I could successfully use both, for R2 turns, but it didn't seem easy, and now, if I try and intentionally revert to pinky turning, it feels bizarre, like having a 6th finger)
Logiqx
Veteran
I think a key point is that modern hardware is a lot better nowadays. Back in 2005 the hardware wasn't great and even 4 years ago it was not as good as today.
There are times when alternative finger tricks are useful (just as with 2H) but I believe pinky is the best default. I was tempted to go for the easy option (ring) when I started OH but I'm glad that I listened to the advice and went for pinky.
I recall Jayden McNeil switching from ring to pinky a year or so ago despite averaging sub-15. He clearly thought it was worth re-learning even at his level.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
There are times when alternative finger tricks are useful (just as with 2H) but I believe pinky is the best default. I was tempted to go for the easy option (ring) when I started OH but I'm glad that I listened to the advice and went for pinky.
I recall Jayden McNeil switching from ring to pinky a year or so ago despite averaging sub-15. He clearly thought it was worth re-learning even at his level.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Yeah, I remember Jayden's post, asking how long it would take to re-learn, I posted a reply to it, based on my change-over experience. What did it for me was the day I used a craft knife to extract 8 different sticker chips of 5 different colours that were embedded under the edge of my pinky nail. Not as colourful as it sounds, due to them all being blood-stained.
I can't really say how much slower/faster I was after the changeover, as I was improving in speed at the time anyway, I also was changing cubes ( I got my first Zhanchi about that time).
My Ring finger is an inch longer than my Pinky, I recall that with Pinky-turning, I had to hold the cube in a fairly correct position in order to perform the R move, but with the Ring finger, I can grip the cube in a variety of 'transitional' positions and still reach.
If stickerless cubes were legal back then, of course, I wouldn't have had the sticker-chip problem, and would still be a Pinky turner. Discounting the fact I'm far too picky about my colours, and wouldn't like stickerless cubes...
"I was tempted to go for the easy option (ring)"
Curiously, I never thought it was easy, the idea of holding the cube with just 2 fingers sounds precarious, which is why I chose pinky-turning originally. In practice, as my index finger does most of the turning, the Ring and Pinky finger are used for holding/rotating the cube anyway, it's only the R move that leaves 2 fingers gripping, when doing Ring-finger turning.
I had hoped that doing wide r, r' moves would be easier with Ring instead of Pinky, but admit I'm still clumsy at them.
I can't really say how much slower/faster I was after the changeover, as I was improving in speed at the time anyway, I also was changing cubes ( I got my first Zhanchi about that time).
My Ring finger is an inch longer than my Pinky, I recall that with Pinky-turning, I had to hold the cube in a fairly correct position in order to perform the R move, but with the Ring finger, I can grip the cube in a variety of 'transitional' positions and still reach.
If stickerless cubes were legal back then, of course, I wouldn't have had the sticker-chip problem, and would still be a Pinky turner. Discounting the fact I'm far too picky about my colours, and wouldn't like stickerless cubes...
"I was tempted to go for the easy option (ring)"
Curiously, I never thought it was easy, the idea of holding the cube with just 2 fingers sounds precarious, which is why I chose pinky-turning originally. In practice, as my index finger does most of the turning, the Ring and Pinky finger are used for holding/rotating the cube anyway, it's only the R move that leaves 2 fingers gripping, when doing Ring-finger turning.
I had hoped that doing wide r, r' moves would be easier with Ring instead of Pinky, but admit I'm still clumsy at them.
Last edited:
newtonbase
Premium Member
The Valk is much easier to turn OH than my Thunderclap but I'm running low on skin on my finger so I'll have to take it easy.
pglewis
Veteran
I don't think I've seen it mentioned yet so: stretch. Athletes don't just throw some shorts on and go run six miles. I'm no speed solver but I've logged my time on guitar and it makes a world of difference.
And a question for the ignorant: with so many people being highly right biased for two hand, why lefty for OH?
And a question for the ignorant: with so many people being highly right biased for two hand, why lefty for OH?
Most right handed solvers tend to 'hold with the left, turn with the right', so when transferring to OH, you still hold with your left, and most of the "U,R - heavy" algs you already know can be re-used as-is.
Strength is not really an advantage, as OH turning on your right hand would still be very difficult at first, it's just not a natural thing.
Strength is not really an advantage, as OH turning on your right hand would still be very difficult at first, it's just not a natural thing.
Logiqx
Veteran
The main reason is because you can execute standard 2H algs more easily with your left hand. Your left hand doesn't have to do anything unusual such as rotations to execute RU moves. This means you can reuse a lot of the standard algs without much need for re-learning.
Another benefit is that when your right hand gets tired doing 2H you can do a bit of OH and vice versa.
muchacho
Veteran
Maybe in the long run it doesn't matter, but at first I tried each hand and my right one seemed to be better, and since the faster OH Roux solver was using his right hand, I chose right. Most people just copy what others, especially fast ones, do.
newtonbase
Premium Member
My damage was to my right hand so OH isn't affected. The cold weather causes me issues though and it's a good job we don't use our knees as they are pretty shot.
bubbagrub
Veteran
I can just imagine the joy from the cubing community at having that as a new event -- "3x3 solved with knees"...
One Wheel
Legend
That sounds like a good challenge. I'll have to try it. That's the kind of thinking necessary to get short-lived UWRs, which is the only kind I'll ever have a chance at.I can just imagine the joy from the cubing community at having that as a new event -- "3x3 solved with knees"...
I find R/R' and U/U' easiest if I ONLY target the middle layer, not between them.
pipkiksass
Veteran
A fascinating progress update to satisfy those who are really bored this morning! 1 month and 1 day after returning to cubing, when I did a 21.25 Ao50, I've just done a few solves:
Rolling Ao50 is on 18.96
Current Ao12 is 17.62
Best Ao12 is 17.10
Best Ao5 is 16.02
Also, I picked up my 4x4 yesterday, for the first time in 2 years. It's a Weisu, I think, and its a bit catchy. Any tips on how to make it more fun to turn?
Rolling Ao50 is on 18.96
Current Ao12 is 17.62
Best Ao12 is 17.10
Best Ao5 is 16.02
Time List:
1. 15.66 B2 U2 F' L2 F D2 B U2 R2 D2 F' U' F U B D B D2 L B' R'
2. (14.21) B L' U2 R D2 U2 R2 U2 L D2 R F L2 R U B D' F' U R
3. 15.46 D2 B2 R2 F D2 B R2 B' R2 D2 L2 D L R' F L' D L' R' D U
4. (20.20) U' B2 L2 D U2 B2 R2 U2 F2 R2 D L' D2 F' L2 R' B' D2 F' R F
5. 16.94 L2 B U' R' L D' F2 R L' D' L2 U F2 U' F2 U R2 U2 F
1. 15.66 B2 U2 F' L2 F D2 B U2 R2 D2 F' U' F U B D B D2 L B' R'
2. (14.21) B L' U2 R D2 U2 R2 U2 L D2 R F L2 R U B D' F' U R
3. 15.46 D2 B2 R2 F D2 B R2 B' R2 D2 L2 D L R' F L' D L' R' D U
4. (20.20) U' B2 L2 D U2 B2 R2 U2 F2 R2 D L' D2 F' L2 R' B' D2 F' R F
5. 16.94 L2 B U' R' L D' F2 R L' D' L2 U F2 U' F2 U R2 U2 F
