How to start learning Fridrich?

[AWingPilot]

Hey folks,

I have been working with my cube for about a year off and on and my best time is a staggeringly slow 2:45. This is because really all I have done is memorize the algorithms in a beginners method and just rotate through them until the cube is solved.

I want to start speedsolving and my next move is to the Fridrich method. However I don't have a real mind for algorithms and have a lot of difficulty seeing how the cubes would move in my mind. All I know of the cube is the algorithms I have memorized. So my question is how should I go about learning the algorithms for the Fridrich? Just cold memorization? I'd like to avoid that and start seeing why these algorithms are the way they are. Should I just keep running through them and hope that something clicks? So far I have been using the cross practice sheets and the explanations on Dan's Cube Station (cubestation.co.uk).

Jessica Fridrich teaches at my school and I may try meeting with her again, although she goes far too fast for me to understand. I understand the regular notation but have trouble seeing the y, y', z rotations and things like that, so online guides sometimes are hard to follow.

tl;dr How do individuals without innate cube solving abilities start learning the Fridrich method?

Thanks

Nick

 

[Nestor]

I would suggest playing with the cube and trying to understand it a bit more before you even attempt to go into Fridrich. Lowering your times to sub 1 minute is a must too... if you go into Fridrich as you are now all you would do is skyrocket your times to over 10 minutes.

Analize how every move of the memorized ones you do now affect the cube to get a sense of its workings. Toy around with corner / edge inserting after cross from multiple angles to train yourself to understand how the pieces move.

 

[Specs112]

It's easily possible to get under a minute with the beginner method. Don't even try Fridrich until then. Just practice.

 

[RyanReese09]

I would suggest playing with the cube and trying to understand it a bit more before you even attempt to go into Fridrich. Lowering your times to sub 1 minute is a must too... if you go into Fridrich as you are now all you would do is skyrocket your times to over 10 minutes.

I was averaging 1:30 when I learned Fridrich (I learned full OLL/PLL before beginning solves)....

Proof that his times will go over 10 minutes? <_<. You're making wild accusations.

I should note that upon me finishing OLL/PLL and beginning doing solves, my times jumped down to 50 seconds or so. I forget the exact averages I got in the beginning.

 

[theace]

First of all, I'd recommend learning intuitive f2l. You can check out LanceTheBlueKnight's tut or Rido's hunting story.

For the OLL and PLL algs, go over to the algorithm database. That place has an alg animator. You can play each alg on a virtual cube and remember it visually. That would be the best way to remember any alg IMO. Keep looking at the alg, slow it down if you need to and think up visual markers after every few steps in the alg. In most algs, you can track f2l pairs around the cube to remember the alg. Examples of such algs would be the Sune, Double Sune, J perms, etc.

For your rotation problem:

x - R
y - U
z - F

That helped me remember.

 

[Andrew Ricci]

In order to memorize algorithms, just perform it as many times as necessary until you can do it without looking. Of course, there are many tricks you can use in order to make them easier to learn. Some algorithms are made up of 2 or more shorter algorithms, and in many there are short 4 or so move algorithms known as "triggers", which can be used to break the algorithm down into smaller pieces. Finding triggers inside algorithms can make them much easier to learn. Some triggers include: R'FRF', RUR'U', and RUR'U.

Of course, it may just come down to muscle memory. Once you relate a certain pattern with a certain series of moves, your fingers will be able to perform the algorithm without even having to think about it.

Here is a good place to start: www.badmephisto.com

 

[AWingPilot]

Thanks for all the help so far guys.

For the time I listed, that is my average time. My best is 1:40, but the only reason is because the algorithms came up with the right way each time, so that I only had to run through them once each. It is just annoying to me that my time depends on the random event that each algorithm will end in the correct pattern so I can move on. But I will try doing some more practice first.

Also thanks for the sources and rotations theace.

More advice is appreciated of course.

 

[Zarxrax]

Learn 2-look OLL and 2-look PLL.
I think its maybe 10 algorithms altogether, or something around there.

Once you know those, just practice until you are 1:30 or better.
The main key to getting faster on the cube is just knowing what pieces to look for and then being able to find them quickly. You just get better at this through practice.

 

[freshcuber]

He averages nearly three minutes. He doesn't need to learn anything new at all. Just practice until you get to around 60-80 seconds. Then look into intuitive F2L or a 4-look Last Layer. Badmephisto has great tutorials that you can learn from on youtube.

 

[EricReese]

He doesn't have to continue with beginners method. I say go ahead into fridrich. I never did a LBL method, the first way I learned how to cube was with fridrich..

 

[freshcuber]

I feel like blindly learning a method without being very familiar with the cube will only hinder your improvements later.

 

[EricReese]

I disagree. Ive been cubing 3 months, not even very actively and I'm averaging sub 23...

 

[Krible]

Me too, i don't understand why you have to be sub 1min to learn fridrich or sub 20sec to learn oll and all that stuff. How does it hinder later improvements? In my opinion: the earlier the better.

 

[freshcuber]

Blindly executing algorithms is not the same as knowing a method. At 3 minutes he probably doesn't understand the simple LL algs he uses now.

 

[RyanReese09]

I disagree. Ive been cubing 3 months, not even very actively and I'm averaging sub 23...

BULL.

 

[freshcuber]

^^^

I lol'ed

 

[EricReese]

I haven't been solving ryan. I have only been learning algs really in the past month. Don't call someone out unless you know what your talking about

 

[RyanReese09]

I haven't been solving ryan. I have only been learning algs really in the past month. Don't call someone out unless you know what your talking about

I know exactly what I'm talking about. What about the average of 597 or whatever you did a few days ago?

 

[EricReese]

That's only been recently. Since freshcuber told me how to be color neutral and to do ao1000's. Besides your wrong. Im not doing an ao597. I'm doing an ao5000. Get it right fool

 

[RyanReese09]

I haven't been solving ryan. I have only been learning algs really in the past month. Don't call someone out unless you know what your talking about

That's only been recently. Since freshcuber told me how to be color neutral and to do ao1000's. Besides your wrong. Im not doing an ao597. I'm doing an ao5000. Get it right fool

I see the error of my ways :fp