Jared Burkhart's Big Cube Walkthroughs!🙂

[Jared Burkhart]

I will teach 7x7 here. I will first explain the concept of the approaches to 7x7 solving for beginners and advance as time goes on.
For beginners, the process is simple, but the sheer amount of pieces are often overwhelming. Do not worry about the pieces and focus on the approach: reducing it down to a 3x3 state.
Solve the centers first (in 5x1 bars generally recommended) from the middle layers outwards.
Pair the edges. You can do this without damaging your centers or doing very little breakups with them. Beginners generally slice the layers, flip the edge, and restore the centers to their solved state. Do not do that! Instead, just slice the layer(s),STORE the edges in either thw "U" or "D" layers,and keep slicing to pair the next set of edges. Do not do "f2" or similar moves when doing this. Slice only the "E" layers and do R U R, or R' D R to store the edges safely. In total, this wilk be done 8 times, after which you will restore the "E" layer back to its solved state.
You will then begin solving the last four edges by "swapping" an edge you completed with an unsolved one. Then slice the layers, SWAP the edges, and restore the centers back to their solved state. This works for two edges, and for the last two you slice the layers,FLIP the edge, and restore.Once completed, you will be faced with a 3x3 stage.

 

[acrystal]

I need help improving i avg 12-17 minutes

 

[Jared Burkhart]

I need help improving i avg 12-17 minutes

Are you doing all this already?
Those are good times BTW

 

[acrystal]

Are you doing all this already?
Those are good times BTW

i learnt 7x7 a long time ago, but rarely practice
but i rlly need to improve in big cubes

 

[Yann1qua12DagOat]

I need help improving i avg 12-17 minutes

Honestly just solve
I see loads of cubers who ask how to improve when they're just starting out, and (not saying I'm an expert, I kinda suck) usually they just don't want to face the reality of they just need to solve
of course if you have a trash cube then just don't bother with big cubes lol
But, assuming you don't have a really bad cube, just do solves for now, it brought me to sub-5:30, and only then did I start doing f2c targeted practice and slow solves where i think a lot about what I do

 

[Jared Burkhart]

i learnt 7x7 a long time ago, but rarely practice
but i rlly need to improve in big cubes

Describe to me how long it takes to solve each step of your cube (for example, first center:25 seconds,second center:24 seconds,etc.) I need perspective in order to try to help

 

[acrystal]

Describe to me how long it takes to solve each step of your cube (for example, first center:25 seconds,second center:24 seconds,etc.) I need perspective in order to try to help

each center takes 50-60 seconds, edge pairing takes 5 minutes, 3x3 step is 1 minute

 

[Jared Burkhart]

each center takes 50-60 seconds, edge pairing takes 5 minutes, 3x3 step is 1 minute

Ok
Let's work on center efficiency first!
So how do you solve it? In 5x1 strips? Or do you build blocks?

 

[acrystal]

Ok
Let's work on center efficiency first!
So how do you solve it? In 5x1 strips? Or do you build blocks?

Blocks, i make an inner 3x3 in the middle, then 2 1x3x3 outer edges, then 2 1x5x5 strips.

 

[Jared Burkhart]

Blocks, i make an inner 3x3 in the middle, then 2 1x3x3 outer edges, then 2 1x5x5 strips.

Misquote (sorry but device is horrible with handling stuff)

How do you build 3x3? I solve 2x1,2x2,2x3,3x3. This seems to be quite smooth with transitions for me.
Going on to 5x5 block I build (continuing from 3x3 block) 3x4,4x4,4x5,5x5.
How to do it?
Building smaller bars to "slide" into their appropriate spots.
From what you are doing now, you make the 3x3 block, solve the 2x1 bar (super simple) and pair it with another 2x1 bar to expand it to being a 2x2 block.
Building the 2x3 block you just insert another 2x1 bar, and complete with a 3x1 bar. This finishes the 3x3 block!
Expanding it is simple, because it follows the same basic principle as building the 3x3 block.
Build a 3x1 bar and slide it into place with the 3x3 block. This makes it a 3x4 block.
Build a 4x1 bar and slide it into place with the 3x4 block to make a 4x4 block.
Do this one more time to build a 4x5 block.
Finally, build a 5x1 bar and slide it into place to complete the 5x5 square.
Was this easy to follow?

 

[acrystal]

How do you build 3x3? I solve 2x1,2x2,2x3,3x3. This seems to be quite smooth with transitions for me.

actually, 1x1x2->2x2x2->2x2x3->3x3x3

How to do it?
Building smaller bars to "slide" into their appropriate spots.
From what you are doing now, you make the 3x3 block, solve the 2x1 bar (super simple) and pair it with another 2x1 bar to expand it to being a 2x2 block.
Building the 2x3 block you just insert another 2x1 bar, and complete with a 3x1 bar. This finishes the 3x3 block!
Expanding it is simple, because it follows the same basic principle as building the 3x3 block.
Build a 3x1 bar and slide it into place with the 3x3 block. This makes it a 3x4 block.
Build a 4x1 bar and slide it into place with the 3x4 block to make a 4x4 block.
Do this one more time to build a 4x5 block.
Finally, build a 5x1 bar and slide it into place to complete the 5x5 square.

oh ok guess i can work with this method

Was this easy to follow?

yeah

 

[Sub 20 Cuber]

12-17 minutes on 7x7? I average 12 minutes on 6x6

 

[Jared Burkhart]

each center takes 50-60 seconds, edge pairing takes 5 minutes, 3x3 step is 1 minute

Ok,let's work on your edge pairing now.
To pair edges efficiently you must stop slicing the layers, flipping the edge,and restoring the centers.
Look up "free slicing" for better walk throughs than what I am about to say...
To free slice, you must keep the cube oriented well (like keeping the yellow centers on top) Then you slice the "E" layers to pair the edges. The centers will get a bit goofed, but you can fix them later. Then you store the completely solved edge in either the U or D layers ( R U R for the U layer or R' D R to store in the D layer) and continue pairing edges WITHOUT restoring the layers) Once all four slots in the U and D layers are filled, restore the E layers to their solved state. Then solving the last four edges is quite easy.
Swap an unsolved edge to place it in the U layer, slice the appropriate layers to solve one edge set, swap that solved set with the unsolved one you have in the U layer, and restore the centers.
For the last two centers I just slice flip restore actually.
Was that easy to do?

 

[acrystal]

Ok,let's work on your edge pairing now.
To pair edges efficiently you must stop slicing the layers, flipping the edge,and restoring the centers.
Look up "free slicing" for better walk throughs than what I am about to say...
To free slice, you must keep the cube oriented well (like keeping the yellow centers on top) Then you slice the "E" layers to pair the edges. The centers will get a bit goofed, but you can fix them later. Then you store the completely solved edge in either the U or D layers ( R U R for the U layer or R' D R to store in the D layer) and continue pairing edges WITHOUT restoring the layers) Once all four slots in the U and D layers are filled, restore the E layers to their solved state. Then solving the last four edges is quite easy.
Swap an unsolved edge to place it in the U layer, slice the appropriate layers to solve one edge set, swap that solved set with the unsolved one you have in the U layer, and restore the centers.
For the last two centers I just slice flip restore actually.
Was that easy to do?

THX. actually, i know free slicing and i tried it sometimes, but not on big cubes
Will use it

 

[Jared Burkhart]

For anyone else wanting help with their 7x7, you can post your stats here like what @acrystal did, and let me know in quite a bit of detail how you solve your cube, (how you solve your centers to be exact) and what cube you use. Sending videos will be the most helpful and gives me the most perspective on how to be of the most assistance. Here is how he responded:

each center takes 50-60 seconds, edge pairing takes 5 minutes, 3x3 step is 1 minute

 

[Jared Burkhart]

Now that we went over the basics for beginners, this may help you improve your solves as you get advanced (and continue advancing if you already are)
While block building is simpler for beginners, the truth is IT IS NOT THE BEST APPROACH.
Advanced solvers (@Garf to mention one) have told me that. And it is true. The best approach is solving 5x1 BARS. This is more intuitive, as @Garf has told me, but makes it more effective. To do this you will solve the bar in the very middle and work your way outwards. This can be done intuitively primarily because it is self explanatory. Without breaking the last bar, and inserting the one you just finished, this is what even ELITE cubers do. Practice makes perfect, and huge thanks to @Garf for encouraging me to work on it!
Next is edge pairing. You will probably want to use Yau, as it reduces rotations throughout the solve. Huge thanks to @mdcuber9, @SpeedCubingLord and @Caleb Valenzuela for encouraging me to make the switch! To use Yau effectively, you have to understand the finger tricks. It is a misconception that Yau restricts the left hand movement. It actually increases it a lot! To keep some general rules in mind when using Yau, just remember that all you have to do is NOT to regrip your lefty. It is locked to the layers, but is allowed to SHIFT from the L layer to Lw to 3Lw as needed. U(') moves are simple to do as well.

 

[Jared Burkhart]

Lim Hung's video of how he set the now former world record is worth noting in my opinion after he made the first two centers and 3 cross edges.
What he did: he solved half the center prior to solving half the fourth center.
Why this is efficient: You do not have to keep resetting your third center just to solve your fourth center as much, reducing overall move count. After solving half the fourth center, you return to solving the rest of the third center. Once complete, you can finish the fourth center with reduced effort. Efficient, simple, and fast. If you can !water this (easier said than done) then your overall average will drop quite a bit in theory.

 

[Jared Burkhart]

When building centers, either block building or strip solving, the most important thing to look for is which one us almost built already and take advantage of it.
If you see a strip that has 3 gaps in it but they are all in a row, work with that. It is easier to find 2 pieces rather than finding 5 random pieces to group.

 

[Jared Burkhart]

So I have been drilling 5x5 a lot recently and want to share how I have improved!
The techniques I use are block building and Yau!
Lets get into it!

 

[Jared Burkhart]

So building the first center as quickly as possible is super important to me, as it affects how fast the other centers are solved. If your first center was horrible, then your second will be worse. Recovery from a poor center is super difficult for me.
So I use block building to negate any pauses I may have.
1x2 block,2x2 block,2x3 block, and 3x3 block. It is easy, effective, and fun for me.
For the first center an ideal time would be 3-4 seconds in my opinion. There are nine pieces to solve for the first center, and solving 2 pieces per second is perfect.
If you prefer strip solving, then you would do the strip in the very middle, and then one of the strips to the sides of the first one you made without breaking it. Same solving time is ideal here.