Older cubers discussions

[h2f]

My fastest time with 3BLD was 3:30 and my oficial is froma year ago i think 5:59. I do not time myself a lot, it is more for fun. I started timing my blind again now with 4BLD rehearsing.

Your first attempt is very impressive. With times around yours my first attempts were around 20 minutes with 31 first success (but during memo I was doing a bread so the memo had around 25 minutes).

 

[mitja]

Your first attempt is very impressive. With times around yours my first attempts were around 20 minutes with 31 first success (but during memo I was doing a bread so the memo had around 25 minutes).

Just tested my 3Bld, felt too tired for 4BLD
Generated By csTimer on 2018-1-25
solves/total: 3/4
mean of 3: 4:31.55

1. DNF(6:21.92) F D2 F2 D2 R2 F2 L2 F' U2 F' R F2 L' B F L' U R2 F' L Rw2 Uw2
2. 4:02.32 L U' F' R2 B U L' B R2 D2 L U2 B2 R' D2 L2 F2 R' F2 B Rw2
3. 4:04.58 U2 L U2 B2 R' U2 F2 R' D2 B2 R D' B L' D' B2 U' B2 F U R' Rw2 Uw'
4. 5:27.76 U' B U2 B2 D R F' R2 D F2 B L2 D2 L2 F R2 U2 F U2 B Fw

Memo felt better since 4BLD rehearsing, but need to rehearse more. I am trying to use advanced M2 if possible, so execution has many pauses.

 

[pglewis]

@pglewis - Great to see a filmed solve from you. I have to say you have great technique. Minimal rotations, some good F2L cases and a smooth turning style for your times. I have been told often before to not just practice but practice what is good about your solves. You are a great example of this. Over 40's need to watch out soon mate. Look forward to seeing more of your solves in the future ... Keep filming, there is no better self critique!

Thanks! My turning has come a long way, M slices once had a 50/50 chance of sending the cube flying. Re-visiting the scramble and preserving the two gifted pairs led to a different LL but still friendly with a 6-move T and an R perm. 6-8 attempts later I got a 13.8, another 6-8 for a 13.3, then another 8-10 for a 12.5. At that point the majority of the pauses were eliminated, so that's a rough theoretical ceiling right now with near perfect lookahead and a friendly scramble; faster than that and I'd have to turn faster.

Birthday next month, then I still have to wait 3 years until I qualify for the 40+ rankings... Maybe my goal should be to eventually enter the rankings at sub-15. Need to get myself to some competitions before that.

I'm still waiting for the next good comp to attend but whenever that is it'll be my debut in the over 50 club. If ya can't beat 'em, move to a different class! .

 

[One Wheel]

Is there sufficient interest other than mine to justify coming up with an over-30 ranking? I'd love to see the WCA list age ranks with 20-year ranges, but in the meantime I've got just over 9 years until I hit 40.

 

[Selkie]

2 days before Welsh Open nice to get my first sub 30 OH average and on film too. No consistency at all and still not confident enough with OH turning accuracy to maintain good look ahead but much to work on

Must take a look at video quality of the export though which seems to be regularly poor in Adobe Premier Elements which I have recently purchased.

 

[Logiqx]

Good luck to everyone competing this weekend.

@Selkie - Sub-15 average please. Here's one from this morning, showing how easy they can be when relaxed.

14.38, 13.65, 14.82, (18.04), 13.20 = 14.28 Ao5

 

[Selkie]

@Logiqx - Great average mate. What is your ao5 PB? The turn style is there, the look ahead is there, your finger tricks are so smooth and much better than mine. A bit more TPS and you could easily get sub 13 averages.

 

[Logiqx]

@Logiqx - Great average mate. What is your ao5 PB? The turn style is there, the look ahead is there, your finger tricks are so smooth and much better than mine. A bit more TPS and you could easily get sub 13 averages.

My best Ao5 is 13.99 from July last year.

I stopped working on 3x3 for a few months and my times regressed somewhat but now I'm back to sub-15 Ao5 being a common occurrence.

 

[AlphaSheep]

Is there sufficient interest other than mine to justify coming up with an over-30 ranking? I'd love to see the WCA list age ranks with 20-year ranges, but in the meantime I've got just over 9 years until I hit 40.

It would be interesting to see, but it would be far larger than the over-40s ranking. Maintaining the list should be quite easy - you could just adapt the scripts for the over-40s. The really hard part is collecting the WCAIDs of all of the over-30s.

 

[Selkie]

Well after my first sub 14 ao12 the other day managed to get another one this time on film.

Average of 12: 13.85
1. 13.33 L' F R' D2 L' D2 L' D2 F B2 U' B2 D' R2 B2 R2 B2 U' B2 R2
2. 13.42 F' B U B' U' F2 D F' U R F2 R F2 B2 R' F2 D2 L F2
3. 14.33 R2 D' B2 U' F2 R2 D' U2 B2 D L' R2 D B2 D2 F R B D F
4. 14.29 B' L2 B2 R2 D2 L2 F' L2 B2 R2 F2 D F2 U2 L' B2 R' B' D' F'
5. 13.24 L2 R2 B2 D R2 B2 D F2 U' B2 U B' L R' U B' R B2 D U' R'
6. 13.44 D2 F2 R2 U' R2 U' B2 U2 F2 L2 U' B' R F' L D2 R B R B' D
7. 15.91 R F' U L2 B' U2 R' L' B' U L2 U' R2 U F2 B2 L2 U2
8. 13.28 U' F2 U F2 L2 B2 D' B2 L2 R2 U' B' D' B2 U2 R' B2 F2 D U2
9. 14.40 D' F2 L2 U2 L2 D R2 U F2 L2 U' R' F D2 R2 B D' F D2 R F2
10. 12.86 F2 L' B2 D' R D' L2 U' B' R2 F' D2 F2 L2 U2 R2 B2 R2 B2
11. (12.08) F2 R' U R L2 U' D R' B D2 F2 U' L2 U R2 L2 D L2 B2 U
12. (16.31) F2 L2 U F2 U2 R2 F2 R2 D F2 U2 B' R U B' F' R F2 U' L' B

Sorry for the video flood today!

 

[SpartanSailor]

It would be interesting to see, but it would be far larger than the over-40s ranking. Maintaining the list should be quite easy - you could just adapt the scripts for the over-40s. The really hard part is collecting the WCAIDs of all of the over-30s.

On the one hand, I think it would be interesting to be able to look at over 40s officially. Over 40 tends to be a "master's" category in every competitive event otherwise... maybe another at different age groups. But then would we need to that subset at competitions? I'm pretty sure I'd be the only one in the "master's" category at every event I attend, with limited exceptions. At most, there has never been more than 3.

On the other hand, I rather like that WCA has no age/gender classification. It's a totally even competition field. For me, anyway, I'm not competing against anyone other than the clock and my own expectations. Even if I were the fastest, or among the fastest (which I most certainly am not), I would be more interested in how I perform against what I know I can do over just being 1/100th of a second faster than the others.

 

[Selkie]

I have very recently raised the question of official age bracket rankings with the WCA board. There are potential possible issues with using data for purposes for which we have not gained permission but I personally believe these can be overcome. We will have to see how this progresses but I feel it would be a very welcome addition.

 

[SpartanSailor]

I have very recently raised the question of official age bracket rankings with the WCA board. There are potential possible issues with using data for purposes for which we have not gained permission but I personally believe these can be overcome. We will have to see how this progresses but I feel it would be a very welcome addition.

I would expect the "grass roots" demand for this will only grow over time. At some point, all the fastest cubers will be over 40.... Right now there are likely so very few that it may not make sense. But over the next 10-15 years or so, as long as new young cubers keep coming to the scene, there will be larger and larger numbers of those that fall into older age classifications.

 

[mark49152]

The majority of young cubers will move on. My guess is that over-40s will always be a tiny proportion of the field.

Also, only results achieved when over 40 (or in whatever bracket) should count. For example, if Feliks retires at 39, he would have no results or rankings in the over 40 bracket the following year.

 

[SpartanSailor]

Agreed. I would expect that results attained after the age are fair and appropriate. I do expect that the over 40s will grow, but certainly will always be a small percentage of the active cubing population.

 

[Logiqx]

Well after my first sub 14 ao12 the other day managed to get another one this time on film.
Sorry for the video flood today!

You're certainly in good form for this weekend. Try to stay calm and the results will look after themselves!

 

[mark49152]

Good luck @Selkie , @Shaky Hands and everyone else competing this weekend!

 

[pglewis]

@Selkie, @Logiqx Thanks for sharing those. I've always enjoyed watching your solves but now it's actually almost useful, rather than just laughing and shaking my head. Logiqx at 1/4 speed is just so fluid and accurate, that's pretty much dead-on the turning style I'd like to emulate.

Cheers and good fortune to all competing!

 

[Jason Green]

You're certainly in good form for this weekend. Try to stay calm and the results will look after themselves!

I thought this video was interesting in the middle where he talks about relaxing vs. trying hard. I know for me I am pretty much in try hard mode and it works out for me. I do take a deep breath and try to relax before I start inspection, but otherwise I just enjoy the nerves. I've said before I wish my nerves had a good effect like that in bowling but it's opposite!

 

[phreaker]

For those into non-WCA puzzles... I just got a 2x2x2x2 (physical). Very cool puzzle. I need to spend some quality time with this one .