Cubing Under Pressure!?

[PandaCuber]

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Yuxuibbs]

just get used to cubing in front of other people.... i cube at school/out of school/in stores (basically everywhere lol) and now i don't even mind when people stare at me wide eyed/in shock but i do get nervous when the teacher tells me to solve the cube in front of the whole class for some reason.... anyway just get comfortable solving in front of other people because people will be watching you at competitions anyway.

 

[Samania]

I'm used to cubing under the pressure now.. but sometimes it gives me an adrenaline rush that makes my solves miraculously faster ^^ But I freak out a little if I'm solving it in front of a group of teachers >__<

 

[MisterQueb]

A 1 min+ solve probably impressed them all anyway. No?

 

[PandaCuber]

A 1 min+ solve probably impressed them all anyway. No?

Yeah cause they cant figure out one face. lol

 

[masteranders1]

I believe you should gradually work up people you cube in front of. For example, start by cubing in front of family members/friends, then go on to acquaintances, then go on to random people. Just concentrate on cubing and nothing else. Cubing competitions really help for cubing in front of others, it gives you multiple opportunities to just concentrate on cubing, not others watching you. You can also use inspection time to your advantage as well!

 

[unirox13]

Remember, what you're doing is to them, an impossibility. They're going to be impressed whether you solve it in 2 minutes or whether you solve it in 20 seconds. To them just the act of solving it is impressive. Whenever I solve in front of a big group I make a point of constantly reminding myself of that fact. It helps to calm me down.

If I'm around a big group of folks I tend to do a bit of a slower solve and talk to them as I'm doing it. Sometimes explaining the solve, others just idol chit-chat about cubing. Just try to keep the conversation lighthearted and maybe a bit funny. If I'm solving around a smaller group of people or if I notice people watching me during a solve I usually just ignore the people and continue as if I were alone, all the while reminding myself, that they can't do it!

 

[PandaCuber]

Remember, what you're doing is to them, an impossibility. They're going to be impressed whether you solve it in 2 minutes or whether you solve it in 20 seconds. To them just the act of solving it is impressive. Whenever I solve in front of a big group I make a point of constantly reminding myself of that fact. It helps to calm me down.

If I'm around a big group of folks I tend to do a bit of a slower solve and talk to them as I'm doing it. Sometimes explaining the solve, others just idol chit-chat about cubing. Just try to keep the conversation lighthearted and maybe a bit funny. If I'm solving around a smaller group of people or if I notice people watching me during a solve I usually just ignore the people and continue as if I were alone, all the while reminding myself, that they can't do it!

Lol thats funny. Thanks, it helped

 

[Jungleterrain]

Just tell them how pointless it is to do what they do. Ex.- Playing soccer could be reduced to an acting class since they fake injury to win.

Insulting other people and what they do isn't the way to go. It makes you as ignorant as they are. Either way, that's not a good example since cubing does not push you to your physical limits as "soccer" (or most other sports or extreme physical activities) do, which can keep you healthy and in shape, which has some significance.

@OP Just keep practicing in front of people. Expose yourself more to the environment and cube with friends/family. Just cube in public and get used to it. It's the same as public speaking, in a way. Practice Practice Practice.

 

[slimjamin]

i'm the biggest showpony, it's a real problem -_-

just solve like a bawwss, they don't really care about time. i usually do cross, F2L1 and 2, then switch to OH and do F2L3 and 4, then do a casual OLL and rip a PLL. the crowd goes wild.

then exit in a puff of smoke

 

[Forte]

Just do Roux, MU moves look cooler lol

 

[DRAGON_RYU]

Justcube alot around friends, then it becomes normal.

I don't think this works cause I don't get tense with friends but others.... :fp

 

[Goosly]

I think I'm more relaxed while solving for a group of people than before. I'm not sure how this developed, but maybe it might help to cube in public as much as possible.

Every time I take the train from my home town to my school, I cube. Sometimes I get stressed out, when thinking people stare at me, but then I look up and nobody is actually watching.

Comments from people on the train also help me relaxing. Once I was solving a 4x4, and when I finished, the guy in front of me said: "You've done that before" (in Dutch, off course). It was kinda funny.
Another time I got in a conversation really, and I said I was 11th in Belgium (meaning 3x3 avg5, but I didn't explain that). Then I did a solve, which I really messed up, and while I did the slowest 6-move OLL ever, he said: "Wow, that's really fast". I tried not to laugh.
I remember another time (congrats to the people who are still reading) I was solving a 5x5. At the window on the other side of the train was a father with his daughter. the girl was kinda impressed, I think, and the guy commented on my solve, like at the end: "OK, now it's getting difficult", and then explaining to the girl that it should be hard not to mess up the entire puzzle while finishing the last part. I didn't start a conversation with him, because it'd probably end with "I used to peel the stickers off". :fp

 

[timelonade]

"I used to peel the stickers off". :fp

I had a job over the summer behind a till and in 9/10 conversations this is what I was told. Another favourite is "oh.. I used to be able to do 5 sides but could never do the last one." But I'm sure you're familiar with all of these...

 

[PandaCuber]

I think I'm more relaxed while solving for a group of people than before. I'm not sure how this developed, but maybe it might help to cube in public as much as possible.

Every time I take the train from my home town to my school, I cube. Sometimes I get stressed out, when thinking people stare at me, but then I look up and nobody is actually watching.

Comments from people on the train also help me relaxing. Once I was solving a 4x4, and when I finished, the guy in front of me said: "You've done that before" (in Dutch, off course). It was kinda funny.
Another time I got in a conversation really, and I said I was 11th in Belgium (meaning 3x3 avg5, but I didn't explain that). Then I did a solve, which I really messed up, and while I did the slowest 6-move OLL ever, he said: "Wow, that's really fast". I tried not to laugh.
I remember another time (congrats to the people who are still reading) I was solving a 5x5. At the window on the other side of the train was a father with his daughter. the girl was kinda impressed, I think, and the guy commented on my solve, like at the end: "OK, now it's getting difficult", and then explaining to the girl that it should be hard not to mess up the entire puzzle while finishing the last part. I didn't start a conversation with him, because it'd probably end with "I used to peel the stickers off". :fp

LOL this is really funny. This is why im really interested in 4x4 cubes and 5x5 because most people can do a 3x3 so its like WOW. You know what I mean?

 

[SkaterFly]

Today me and a friend raced twice in 3x3 in front of a big crowd, while we were on a stage....my times were a second or two slower than they usually are (maybe because I did a wrong perm on the first solve >_<). Focusing on your cube and imagining you're alone helps, I'd say.

 

[PandaCuber]

Today me and a friend raced twice in 3x3 in front of a big crowd, while we were on a stage....my times were a second or two slower than they usually are (maybe because I did a wrong perm on the first solve >_<). Focusing on your cube and imagining you're alone helps, I'd say.

Yeah i do this alot at school, because i dont personally know anyone that can solve faster than me(that i know of course). So it lifts my spirits.

 

[insane569]

think of it as no one is looking at you but more at the cube
i remember i was doing a BLD at school and when i finished no one was looking at me
and if your in a comp remember theres also more people solving so theres probably like 2 people watching you

 

[Hershey]

Focusing on your cube and imagining you're alone helps, I'd say.

This.

 

[xabu1]

Just do Roux, MU moves look cooler lol

this, since I switched to roux, I started getting comments like "woah, I have seen people solve it, but not turn the middle before"

it is a good feeling!