[Help Thread] Advice and Tips for Competitions

[Ordos_Koala]

There are people with 9+ minutes, 30 secs are just fine btw you have still time to improve

 

[antoineccantin]

No its the Toronto Open, Winter 2011

I'm might be going there too!

My tips:

Have fun, relax, make friends, read WCA regulations, stay for the pizza in the after party . One of the worst thing that you can do is be super nervous!

At my first comp (Toronto Fall Open), I was super nervous and screwed up 2 of my solves. (DNF and 39.xx, I averaged around 29)

By the way from what region of Canada (I assume) do come from?

 

[blakedacuber]

your first solve you WILL be nervous but after that the nervous fade aaway(they did for me) have fun dont worry about your time(i broke 2 NR's without realising it :L) and other than that just be yourself

 

[FoxWolf]

I would love to go to the Toronto open, but eastern canada and a 500$ plane ticket for one day...

They really need to hold an eastern comp /sigh

 

[EricReese]

A thing that helped me is just realize no one gives a **** about your times.

Also don't try going fast. You are alrady going to be nervous so trying to go fast will cause a ton of lockups which will cause even worse times. Just do slow turning and once you get a decent solve in (in my experience) you will feel more confidence and be more consistent.

Not that it matters. I doubt you will be going to second round..

 

[Owen]

Just chill. Competitions are fun.

Edit:
IT'S TEH BIG FIVE HUNDRED!

 

[RyanReese09]

A thing that helped me is just realize no one gives a **** about your times.

Also don't try going fast. You are alrady going to be nervous so trying to go fast will cause a ton of lockups which will cause even worse times. Just do slow turning and once you get a decent solve in (in my experience) you will feel more confidence and be more consistent.

Not that it matters. I doubt you will be going to second round..

This summarizes me.

One piece of advice is don't be annoying. Nothing makes cubers not like you then being annoying.

 

[theace]

Don't lend your main speedcube to ANYONE but a trusted friend. I had a really bad experience at RCMO when I lent my cube to some annoying kids. I don't know what they did to it. It got screwed so bad that I could hardly turn it. Luckily, a friend of mine fixed it. But I wasn't really used to that particular setting due to which my entire 3x3 section was fornicated...

EDIT: Ninja'd at annoying...

 

[ilikecubing]

Don't lend your main speedcube to ANYONE but a trusted friend. I had a really bad experience at RCMO when I lent my cube to some annoying kids. I don't know what they did to it. It got screwed so bad that I could hardly turn it. Luckily, a friend of mine fixed it. But I wasn't really used to that particular setting due to which my entire 3x3 section was fornicated...

EDIT: Ninja'd at annoying...

Really,lol.what did they do,did they screw up the tension of your cube?

 

[theace]

Yes. And it felt like they had wiped off ALL the lube. And put some dust in there...

 

[musicninja17]

Don't think you're trying to be cool and go for a yellow color neutral solve because you see a juicy cross there only to realize halfway through the solve you cant effing recognize F2l that way xD

just chill....i have a problem with that, i almost didn't sub 30 at my last comp....even though i hover around 20 at home
JUst do NOT care about your times. Thats what killed me...

 

[timeless]

Have a look at Chris Hardwicks's corner on Speedsolving.com, there's an excellent article on competitions.

http://www.speedcubing.com/chris/competitiontutorial.html
the vid got removed

 

[ExtazyCuber]

first competition nervous ans scared

so..
next month is going to be my first competition ever
and im scared that i wint do well cuz i will be very nervous.
any tips on doing well on competitions and not being nervous?

 

[freshcuber]

Nobody cares about your solves except you. Very few will be watching so just chill and have fun. What comp are you going to?

 

[Chapuunka]

Take lots of ecstasy (or extazy in your case).

(Don't actually do drugs. You'll do fine anyway.)

 

[JyH]

Is it Harvard Spring? I'll be there. =)

I was nervous too, but I actually didn't do as horrible as i thought I would. My hands were shaking the first solve, but then I got a good solve after. Just imagine you're solving at home.

 

[danthecuber]

My lookahead just went away at my first comp, cause I was so nervous. It's very important to make sure you keep looking ahead during F2L, whether nervous or not. That will make the difference between good and bad times.

 

[cuberr]

Next month will be my first competition too and I'm going with one of my best friends who will be going to his first as well. Are you going to the Cornell competition? anyway, I've been reading a lot about people's opinions on competitions since I've been very nervous about going to one and many people said that barely anyone watches people solve so I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you go to have a fun time, then you will. Just try to meet new people.

 

[hic2482w]

Here's a thread I started a few months ago:
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?27187-Competition-advice

 

[Cool Frog]

Just chill, you're not there to win. Mostly to have a good time, There won't be a very competitive atmosphere.