Do you believe in the P-word?

[Eleredo]

So in like every thread where the opener asks how to get faster, I mainly read the answer 'Practice', 'Practice' and... 'Practice'!

Some cubers even claim that you can average 30 seconds with ANY method. However, what I don't understand is; what exactly is it that makes you better by practicing?

For example, a cuber knows all algorithms by heart and can perform them blindingly fast, what exactly will get better by practicing, then?

I personally don't believe in practicing. Well, it will help you, for the first two months, but I think that your time will no longer decrease if you already know all algorithms by heart and recognize patterns almost instantly.

Does practice really lower your times, even after like a year?

 

[cincyaviation]

yes

 

[Kian]

Yes, of course it does. Knowing algorithms is not the be all end all. Turning speed and lookahead are improved only through lots of practice. These are extremely important factors in cubing.

 

[cuber952]

practicing is always good because you will find better ways to do things.

 

[Escher]

Practice is important for improving, but seemingly not as important as basically random, unexplainable jumps in speed.

 

[Chrish]

Take two people who started cubing at the same time, and finished learning all the OLLs and PLLs are the same time. Person A doesn't practice because he doesn't think he needs to. Person B does.

If they met back up in 2 months, you'll see a significant difference between the two.

 

[Weston]

There is no secret to getting faster...
Fast people just practice a lot.

Do you really think that two months is enough time to be able to recognize and execute your algorithms as fast as humanly possible? You can always get a little faster. That's what practicing is for.

Also, there is more to speedsolving than just executing and recognizing algorithms.

 

[amostay2004]

C'mon, the entire cubing community can't be wrong >_>

 

[Eleredo]

You can always get a little faster.

But isn't there ever a limit, that when reached you just have to learn faster algorithms / OLL/PLL's in order to get faster, or can you keep getting faster and faster with the same algorithms without learning let's say OLL/PLL?

 

[Olivér Perge]

I personally don't believe in practicing. Well, it will help you, for the first two months, but I think that your time will no longer decrease if you already know all algorithms by heart and recognize patterns almost instantly.

I have to quote John McEnroe: You cannot be serious!

Your statement fails in many ways:

Well, it will help you, for the first two months

Not only in the first two months. Go and experience it!

but I think that your time will no longer decrease

This means after 2 months of practice everyone reaches their peak?

if you already know all algorithms by heart and recognize patterns almost instantly

After 2 months? Seriously?


I think this thread was looking for a mystery, imaginary key to get faster, which is (sorry, but I have to disappoint you) is practice...

 

[Weston]

You can always get a little faster.

But isn't there ever a limit, that when reached you just have to learn faster algorithms / OLL/PLL's in order to get faster, or can you keep getting faster and faster with the same algorithms without learning let's say OLL/PLL?

There is no limit. Or if there is, its so ridiculously fast that we don't have to worry about that.

 

[~Phoenix Death~]

Practice doesn't make perfection, but excellence.

 

[Mitch15]

C'mon, the entire cubing community can't be wrong >_>

more like, the entire competitive world can't be wrong, haha

 

[iChanZer0]

p word= fast times

 

[shelley]

Practice is important for improving, but seemingly not as important as basically random, unexplainable jumps in speed.

But those unexplainable jumps in speed don't happen without (at least some) practice. You can memorize all the algorithms there are to know, but there is absolutely no way to get from a minute to sub-20 without any practicing.

I personally don't believe in practicing. Well, it will help you, for the first two months, but I think that your time will no longer decrease if you already know all algorithms by heart and recognize patterns almost instantly.

Prove it. Get a world record in two months.

Speedcubing is more than memorizing and regurgitating algorithms. It might even be an overstatement to say that the algorithms are only half the battle. There's a lot of dexterity, pattern recognition and recall that can only happen with practice. If you don't believe practice is key, what's your idea for improving your times then? Magical flying pony droppings?

 

[oprah62]

I think anyone can learn algs, but it's dedication in practicing to get better, and changes start slow and increase steadily. Also, no practice= slower times . If you quit cubing for a year without practice, you'd be much slower then practicing everyday because when you practice you realize things you need to work on and you learn more.

 

[Mike Hughey]

If you don't believe practice is key, what's your idea for improving your times then? Magical flying pony droppings?

That's it! I'm going to follow Dan around at the next competition and collect all his magical flying ponies' droppings. And I'll be awesome!

 

[Kian]

If you don't believe practice is key, what's your idea for improving your times then? Magical flying pony droppings?

That's it! I'm going to follow Dan around at the next competition and collect all his magical flying ponies' droppings. And I'll be awesome!

What a load of crap.

 

[iChanZer0]

Fall of 09 my best average was in the low 40's using intuitive F2L, 2-Look OLL, and 2-Look PLL. Today my best average is 20.xx using intuitive F2L,2-Look OLL + a few OLLs I learned intuitively,and 2-Look PLL + the two Js.

 

[jms_gears1]

If you don't believe practice is key, what's your idea for improving your times then? Magical flying pony droppings?

That's it! I'm going to follow Dan around at the next competition and collect all his magical flying ponies' droppings. And I'll be awesome!

What a load of crap.

Kian i love you