Please answer...

[CUBENOOB123]

1. Tips on making the cross faster.
2. My average with the begginers method by Rob on youtube is 1.13.44. Do you think i should swithch to a different method? If yes, what method?
3. Memorization tips.

 

[ooveehoo]

1. Try to solve the cross slowly in under ten moves, just the cross (practise). Over and over again. Try different techniques, I'm sure you'll be faster, if you first learn to do it slow, but efficiently. And always start with the same colour. The system you use, requires a lot of moves and fast recognition is essential, and being color neutral doesn't save that much moves.

2. I think you should get it in under a minute before you start learning a new method. I was averageing around 45 seconds with my own method before I changed to fridrich, which I think was a mistake, because Fridrich requires learning alot of algorithms, it's kinda repetetive and not nesseceraly that fast. So I would recommend way more fun and as fast Roux (http://grrroux.free.fr/)
or Petrus (http://www.lar5.com/). You can choose one from here

3. Don't learn too many algorithms too early, but learn to do the first few - more kind of intuitive steps - well.

Also don't memorize the algorithms as "F T R T' R' F'", but learn to just execute it so that it's in your "muscle memory"(you don't even think when your doing it). Learn the longer sequences in parts of 2-5 moves that can be done in a fast hand movement. For example the T-permutation would be (F R U) (R' U') (R U') (R2 F') (R U' R U R'). And learn the more used notation from here.

Hope that helped.

 

[Escher]

when building each quarter of the cross, look at what your moves do to the rest of the cube, and how they affect the edge pieces you want. If you take each move slowly, and use moves wisely, you can shorten your move count.

i got to under a minute when i began to 'learn' freidrich. i say 'learn', because my Friedrich is, and always has been, intuitive. you dont need to learn the algs. just try and get each pair together in as few moves as possible. Although, petrus and roux have their advantages. (badmephisto on youtube has an excellent f2l guide)

finally, when learning algorithms, learn the notation (i.e by rote), then repeat it a few times until you are familiar with it visually (take out that pair, do that trigger, u2, put that pair back in). then repeat. a lot

 

[nitrocan]

when you are doing the cross, know opposite colors, (when you have a red white on top, put the orange white opposite to it.) you might want to check other relations of the cubies during inspection as well. try to look at the pieces, then try to do it blindfolded after as much inspection as you want. after some time, it will get really easy and fast.

 

[Speedy McFastfast]

Learn Petrus. That does away with memorization, for the most part, you won't have to worry about a cross, and you can start using it at any time. Actually, the sooner, the better. Switching from sub 20 Fridrich to Petrus is a pain (yeah, I'm talking from personal experience here.)

 

[mrbiggs]

If you want to get fast, learn Fridrich. Nearly every good cuber uses it. Needless to say, that's not evidence that it's the best method, but if the best cubers in the world use it, it should be good enough.

Petrus and Roux are also good methods, and both are used by several very fast cubers. Roux is especially notable because it requires very few algorithms to learn.

You can get much faster than one minute with a beginner's method, but it might be a good idea to start learning a new method (whichever you choose) now. Once you get down to 40 seconds you're going to want to switch to a new method to get faster, and it would suck to have to learn 70 algorithms before you see significant improvement. (or, if you choose a blockbuilding method, efficient ways to build blocks and other concepts in lieu of the algorithms).

Making the cross faster is, as others have posted, largely a matter of practice. Something that also helped me is to look at example solves online, at this forum and others, and see how experienced cubers do the cross. That will help you get an idea of the best way to move the pieces around to make a cross in 8 moves.

 

[DavidWoner]

i got to under a minute when i began to 'learn' freidrich. i say 'learn', because my Friedrich is, and always has been, intuitive. you dont need to learn the algs.

not only is your spelling of Fridrich incorrect, it is inconsistently incorrect. although i agree that f2l should be intuitive

Learn Petrus. That does away with memorization, for the most part,

you shouldn't lie...
both fridrich and petrus have intuitive f2ls. and unless you can intuitively solve petrus LL, i think they both have memorization. and though you can claim that even though intuitive fridrich f2l still uses "algorithms" i am willing to bet that you subconsciously use "algorithms" for certain situations while blockbuilding.

And always start with the same colour. The system you use, requires a lot of moves and fast recognition is essential, and being color neutral doesn't save that much moves.

WRONG!!!! if you start practicing color neutrality now, it will be be very easy in the future. since you are still a beginner, it will be easy for you to learn to recognize cases for all colors later on if you start now. and color nuetrality is especially important if you learn petrus or roux. i know a color nuetral cuber that can get around 15 sec avgs, and he says that he doesnt even really realize the difference in colors.

I was averageing around 45 seconds with my own method before I changed to fridrich, which I think was a mistake, because Fridrich requires learning alot of algorithms, it's kinda repetetive and not nesseceraly that fast.

i do not know what your previous method was like, but if it was very different from fridrich then that might explain why your transition was so difficult. most beginners use LBL, which makes for a very easy transition to fridrich.

also- what is repetitive about fridrich?

If you want to get fast, learn Fridrich. Nearly every good cuber uses it. Needless to say, that's not evidence that it's the best method, but if the best cubers in the world use it, it should be good enough.

Petrus and Roux are also good methods, and both are used by several very fast cubers. Roux is especially notable because it requires very few algorithms to learn.

petrus and roux easily have the potential to be just as fast or faster than fridrich. at this time, there is very little research about the potential of roux and petrus, since so few people use it. however, if you(cubenoob123) are having difficulty with cross-building, then a block building method like roux or petrus might be a little hard right now. however i would highly recommend looking into both methods once you gain a better understand of the cube.

as for memorizing algs: just do it over and over until you can do it without looking at the sheet, then do it over and over until you can do it without thinking about the sheet(anywhere between 15 and 50 times)