Solve Critiques for sub-28 second CFOP 3x3 cuber

[SamuelCrawford]

Hello,
I used to cube quite a bit back during lockdown (2018-2019) and I cracked sub-30 on 3x3 using CFOP with 2-Look OLL and full PLL. I'm now at the same stage after getting back into it for 2 months (sub-28/27 now but I haven't relearnt full PLL yet). I was wondering if anyone could give my any tips on how to improve (bad fingertricks, inefficient F2L or whatever is holding me back.

Here is my link:

Scrambles in the description

 

[Mattecuber]

hi, i average low 13 secs so i can't give you super advanced tips, but here there are some: learn new fingertricks and avoid regrips, expecially in f2l. learn how to solve every case of f2l in 8 moves or less, i saw in the video that you weren't really efficient. avoid looking at the back while searcing for pieces, instead do U or U'. focus a little bit on lookahead, that means watch your next f2l pair while you're solving your current one, that will really help especially once you will be sub 20. rotate less and do f2l cases also in the back slot. learn full pll and better fingertricks for plls. practice a lot!!!

 

[Garf]

Hello,
I used to cube quite a bit back during lockdown (2018-2019) and I cracked sub-30 on 3x3 using CFOP with 2-Look OLL and full PLL. I'm now at the same stage after getting back into it for 2 months (sub-28/27 now but I haven't relearnt full PLL yet). I was wondering if anyone could give my any tips on how to improve (bad fingertricks, inefficient F2L or whatever is holding me back.

Here is my link:

Scrambles in the description

Man learned the cube at Hogwarts. Did Hermione show you the ways?

 

[LBr]

You just wouldnt understand what it’s like in the Uk xD

 

[NigelTheCuber]

Ima do this cause why not (only solve 1)


Cross
Your solution: z2 U' F2 U' R2 y' R U R' F2
Better solution: z2 y' F2 D2 R D R' D2

You should learn to solve pieces relative to each other, meaning that you solve the whole cross and then finish off with a D move. So you could do green white next to orange white with F2, then solving red white relative to the pieces you have solved (ignore blue white) by doing D2 R and solving blue white with D R' D2.

F2L
Won't go deep into your solutions but you paused a lot. You should eliminate that. Generally your solutions are good except from your last pair where you should have done y U L' U L U L' U L U' L' U L, and you can also work on lookahead (try looking for your next pair while solving)

Last Layer
You did 2 look OLL which is fine for your level. However you regripped a lot, which you should try not to do (J perm has some videos showing how to execute OLL/PLL algs, so check those out)

For PLL, you should know most of the easy ones by now. The one you got (a G perm) isn't easy, so you could leave that for later. Your t perm exec was nice, but you paused a lot before for recog. Your u perm recog also wasn't good, and your fingertricks also could have been better (also don't rotate for ep)

 

[SamuelCrawford]

Ima do this cause why not (only solve 1)


Cross
Your solution: z2 U' F2 U' R2 y' R U R' F2
Better solution: z2 y' F2 D2 R D R' D2

You should learn to solve pieces relative to each other, meaning that you solve the whole cross and then finish off with a D move. So you could do green white next to orange white with F2, then solving red white relative to the pieces you have solved (ignore blue white) by doing D2 R and solving blue white with D R' D2.

F2L
Won't go deep into your solutions but you paused a lot. You should eliminate that. Generally your solutions are good except from your last pair where you should have done y U L' U L U L' U L U' L' U L, and you can also work on lookahead (try looking for your next pair while solving)

Last Layer
You did 2 look OLL which is fine for your level. However you regripped a lot, which you should try not to do (J perm has some videos showing how to execute OLL/PLL algs, so check those out)

For PLL, you should know most of the easy ones by now. The one you got (a G perm) isn't easy, so you could leave that for later. Your t perm exec was nice, but you paused a lot before for recog. Your u perm recog also wasn't good, and your fingertricks also could have been better (also don't rotate for ep)

Thanks for the reply. I've had a look at your progression thread and it's really inspirational seeing someone go from low 20s to getting sub-10 solves!.

I do sometimes solve my cross relatively, but probably not often enough . I'll try to work on this.
Thanks for all the other tips, will try to work on fingertricks and lookahead as well as recognition

 

[SamuelCrawford]

Also just wondering about lookahead. I had a look online about improving lookahead and I noticed most of them mentioned not working on it until I'm sub-20 (or even faster) which I'm definitely not. Any advice on this - should I still learn it?

 

[ProStar]

Also just wondering about lookahead. I had a look online about improving lookahead and I noticed most of them mentioned not working on it until I'm sub-20 (or even faster) which I'm definitely not. Any advice on this - should I still learn it?

There’s not a massive need to focus on lookahead yet; focus on making f2l efficient and fluid