uvafan
Member
**I don't take full credit for this content. These are my edits to a draft that CubeRoots sent me.**
This tutorial is meant to provide a guide for those who have never learned how to solve a cube to get to sub12 using the ZZ method. However, if you have already learned another method, you may be able to skip a few steps after watching asmallkitten's ZZ tutorial and practicing a bit. The estimated time for each step is an estimation; it may take you longer or shorter than that amount of time to complete each step. This is not meant to be followed exactly; remember that everyone progresses differently! Good luck!
How to get faster using the ZZ method
Step 0
Current Average: 60 - ∞ seconds
Goal Average: 40 - 60 seconds
Estimated Time: 2 – 4 weeks
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Step 1
Current Average: 40 – 60 seconds
Goal Average: 30 – 40 seconds
Estimated time: 2 – 4 weeks
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Step 2
Current Average: 30 – 40 seconds
Goal Average: 20 – 30 seconds
Estimated time: 2 – 4 weeks
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Step 3
Current Average: 20 – 30 seconds
Goal Average: 15 – 20 Seconds
Estimated time: 4 – 10 weeks
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Step 4
Current Average: 15 – 20 seconds
Goal Average: 12 – 15 seconds
Estimated time: 2 - 4 months
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Step 5
Current Average: 12 – 15 seconds
Goal Average: sub 12 seconds
Estimated time: 6 – 12 months+
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I would appreciate any critiques, and I would be happy to answer any questions!
This tutorial is meant to provide a guide for those who have never learned how to solve a cube to get to sub12 using the ZZ method. However, if you have already learned another method, you may be able to skip a few steps after watching asmallkitten's ZZ tutorial and practicing a bit. The estimated time for each step is an estimation; it may take you longer or shorter than that amount of time to complete each step. This is not meant to be followed exactly; remember that everyone progresses differently! Good luck!
How to get faster using the ZZ method
Step 0
Current Average: 60 - ∞ seconds
Goal Average: 40 - 60 seconds
Estimated Time: 2 – 4 weeks
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- Buy a decent cube, learn the notation and choose a color scheme(i.e. blue front yellow top).
- Learn the following (more) beginner-friendly version of ZZ from this tutorial - part 2 may be especially helpful:
Edge Orientation
Line
Intuitive ZZF2L
Beginners Last Layer: Three algorithms: Sune for corner orientation, A-perm for corner permutaion, U-perm for edge permutation. Explained more in this video at 17:48. - Try to reduce pauses during solves: when possible, glance around the cube while solving one aspect of the cube to see what case is about to come next.
- Learn clever ways to perform certain sequences of moves and algorithms.
- Practice lots - especially EOLine.
Step 1
Current Average: 40 – 60 seconds
Goal Average: 30 – 40 seconds
Estimated time: 2 – 4 weeks
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- Learn OCLL & 2-Look PLL -
- Begin to predict where line edges end up after EO, or even combining EO and Line.
- Practice/Experiment/optimize/learn with ZZF2L – an efficient ZZF2L is an art, practice a lot and do slow solves to experiment with different (possibly more efficient) ways of doing things.
Step 2
Current Average: 30 – 40 seconds
Goal Average: 20 – 30 seconds
Estimated time: 2 – 4 weeks
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- Learn the rest of the PLL’s.
- Ensure that EO is planned during inspection and that you can accurately predict where line edges end up during EO – this should give you a seamless EOLine. Completion time for EOLine should be comfortably under 6 seconds at this stage.
- Practice looking-ahead during EOLine and ZZF2L, turn more slowly if need be to avoid awkward time-consuming pauses between EOLine and ZZF2L, and during ZZF2L.
Step 3
Current Average: 20 – 30 seconds
Goal Average: 15 – 20 Seconds
Estimated time: 4 – 10 weeks
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- Go through each LL algorithm you use, check to see that there are no better algorithms and practice them over and over, almost all algorithms should take less than 3 seconds to perform.
- Practice EOLine blindfolded, this should enable you to look ahead even more and make the transition from EOLine to ZZF2L seamless.
ZZF2L: - Learn some multi/open-blocking techniques
- Optimize the more awkward/time consuming cases by learning an algorithm to deal with that case.
- Try to gradually increase tps while maintaining the ability to look ahead.
- With decent tps, look-ahead and efficiency, you should be able to complete ZZF2L in around 10 seconds or less.
- Don't forget to turn slowly and look ahead; it sounds counter-intuitive to turn more slowly, but it works because of reduced pauses!
Step 4
Current Average: 15 – 20 seconds
Goal Average: 12 – 15 seconds
Estimated time: 2 - 4 months
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- Learn some or all of COLL - at least all of the H cases and most of the Pi cases
- Try to preserve pairs that come up during EOLine or that are premade in the scramble. Experiment with looking very far ahead into the solve; try to solve the cube in the least amount of looks possible when not speedsolving.
- Complete EOLine in around 2 seconds, on average.
- Go through ZZF2L cases in detail, learn new finger-tricks for ZZF2L cases and practice them over and over. Assuming look-ahead is good, tps will now become a limiting factor in your ZZF2L.
- Experiment with solving 2 pairs at once during ZZF2L, with practice these techniques can lead you to an extremely efficient ZZF2L.
- ZZF2L should be completed in around 8 seconds on average.
Step 5
Current Average: 12 – 15 seconds
Goal Average: sub 12 seconds
Estimated time: 6 – 12 months+
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- There is probably no last layer method that is "the answer" - maybe learn a little or all of COLL as well as some easy CLS cases. Explore last layer options here.
- Do LOTS of slow solves - there should be practically no pauses in your solves.
- Play around some with other methods - it could help you understand the cube overall
- With great efficiency, tps and lookahead, anything is possible. In theory a cuber could:
Do EOF2L and influence the last layer in under 30 moves
Turn at 5+ tps during EOF2L
Perform all algs from large sets sub 2.
These three combined would give you times around 8 seconds or maybe even less.
I would appreciate any critiques, and I would be happy to answer any questions!
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