[Unofficial] 8.66 3x3 Average of 5. Tips?

Firsteval cross.. It's too slow, you have to do cross 2 times faster. F2L is quite good but it's not so smooth. And the disaster - LL. You lose a lot of time thinking what to do. Training, training, training again and I think your times will be 2 times better.

Of course joke. I don't know what you want to improve in ~8 seconds averages :) Of course you shouldn't pause but you should fight for sub8 or sub7. But I think it's hard to say what you need to improve on. Great average :)
 
Generally cross and one corner piece. Sometimes first pair if its easy.

You're more than ready to start planning your first pair every solve. I don't think just solve grinding will help much at this point.

Remember back to when you were first trying to figure out efficient crosses. Just basic ones. Do you remember how hard it was to think through the movement of all the pieces? Do you remember having to actually think through the finger-tricks you'd use for each cross? How much time do you spend thinking about your fingers during inspection now? You need to feel that frustration again, that feeling of "I'm never going to be able to do this, it's too hard!", because that is the feeling of being on the verge of gaining a new ability. I think that often a person finds improvement hard, or just doesn't see any way to improve, because they're trying too hard to get better at things they're already very good at, which is insanely difficult to do. Everything you did in those solves was stellar. I don't see how you could improve much at what you're already doing. You need to stop looking for ways to improve at what you're already doing, and start looking for things you're not doing at all. It's time to gain some new abilities, ones that will bring your times down if you had them, and then practice those up to the same level you're at with your current abilities.

So, I recommend figuring out the whole cross+1 for a few solves every day, even if it takes you a few minutes to inspect. Don't time the solves, and don't look at the cube after starting until your cross+1 is done.

Then, find two pairs, pick one to solve first, then figure out how the other pair will end up afterward. Once you have both pairs figured out, do them without looking. So, you should only have looked at the cube once after starting the solve, and have cross+3 done. Just do it a few times a day, don't grind it. You're not trying to memorize a ton of information, or gain a ton of muscle memory. Those both require grinding in most cases, but in this case you're just trying to get your mind to be able to step through a process effortlessly, and you won't gain much from over practicing it. Just focus on successfully doing it a few times a day, and you'll find it easier and easier until it becomes automatic, just like crosses once felt hard to think through, but became so much easier over time.

It's hard to see the benefit of an exercise like that until you have done it for a while. However, consider what you're doing in that video. Just because there are many people who can figure out a cross doesn't make it any less complex than it is. You could inspect a six move cross solution in seconds without even trying, hand it over to a non-cuber, ask them to figure out a six move cross solution and get back to you, and then realize a year later that you're never getting your cube back. It's always hard until you're able to do it, then it's easy.
 
Woah. What a treat to watch. Okay first of all, What dominate said, learn some X cross tricks and try to do cross+first pair , at least in half the solves when cross is not wild(7-8 moves).
Secondly, Your Turnspeed is total mad and smooth when you are going. Your transitions still need work. You can easily sub8 at this turnspeed with better transitions during substeps. Your individual steps have almost negligible scope of improvement as such I agree.

Of course i am not that fast to tell that to someone like you, but there is this huge visible difference between your solves and Faz's 1 second faster average
 
So, you've done an incredible job at achieving high turn speeds. Great, now slow down.

Very nice advice has been listed so far, so hopefully you're satisfied with the various tips you've received.

And it wouldn't be a crime if you got a few lucky solves in comp. ;p
 
Your solve looks like run stop run stop again...
I guess if you try do the firsts moves of F2L fast and the last 3 a little bit slower you will improve you look a head to the next pair so try this.
 
Chris Olson - 8.66 3x3 av5 (unofficial)

[youtubehd]P0xXAkq0zvM[/youtubehd]
L2 D2 B2 D' L2 R2 B2 U F2 U2 R2 F' U2 F2 U L B' L' F' L' R

x2 // inspection
R' F B' R2 D F // cross
R U' x' U L' U' M' // 1st pair
U2' R' U R // 2nd pair
U R U2' R' y' R U R' // 3rd pair
y R U' R' U R' F R F' // 4th pair
U2 r U R' U R U2' r' // OLL
R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' // PLL
View at alg.garron.us
Code:
[B]Step	Time	STM	stps	ETM	etps[/B]
[COLOR="Red"]Total	8.13	56	6.89	63	7.75	[/COLOR]	[B][SIZE="4"]%[/SIZE]
							Step		Time	STM	ETM[/B]
Cross+1	1.63	11	6.75	13	7.98		Cross+1/F2L	30.9%	32.4%	32.5%
F2L	5.27	34	6.45	40	7.59		F2L/Total	64.8%	60.7%	63.5%
LL	2.86	22	7.69	23	8.04		LL/Total	35.2%	39.3%	36.5%
L2 D2 B2 D' L2 R2 B2 U F2 U2 R2 F' U2 F2 U L B' L' F' L' R

x2 // inspection
R' F B' R2 D F // cross
R U' x' U L' U' M' // 1st pair
U' U' R' U R // 2nd pair
U U' U R U' U' R' y' R U R' // 3rd pair
y U U' R U' R' U R' F R F' // 4th pair
U2 r U R' U R U' U' r' // OLL
R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' // PLL
View at alg.garron.us
D2 L' B2 L D2 B2 U F' R2 F' L' B D' L' R' D' U' B' L'

x2 // inspection
R2' F2 D' R' D' // cross
L' U2 L2 U L' // 1st pair
U2' R' U R U' R U R' // 2nd pair
y L U2' L' U L U' L' // 3rd pair
R U R' U2' R U R' U' R U R' // 4th pair
L F' L' U' L U F U' L' // OLL
l' U R' D2 R U' R' D2 R2 // PLL
View at alg.garron.us
Code:
[B]Step	Time	STM	stps	ETM	etps[/B]
[COLOR="Red"]Total	8.68	56	6.45	63	7.26	[/COLOR]	[B][SIZE="4"]%[/SIZE]
							Step		Time	STM	ETM[/B]
Cross+1	2.10	12	5.71	13	6.19		Cross+1/F2L	36.6%	31.6%	30.2%
F2L	5.73	38	6.63	43	7.50		F2L/Total	66.0%	67.9%	68.3%
LL	2.95	18	6.10	20	6.78		LL/Total	34.0%	32.1%	31.7%
D2 L' B2 L D2 B2 U F' R2 F' L' B D' L' R' D' U' B' L'

x2 // inspection
R2' F2 R R' D' R' D' // cross
L' U U L2 U L' // 1st pair
U' U' R' U R U' R U R' // 2nd pair
y L U' U' L' U L U' L' // 3rd pair
R U R' U' U' R U R' U' R U R' // 4th pair
r U' r' U' L U F U' L' // OLL
l' U R' D D R U' R' D D R2 // PLL
View at alg.garron.us
U F2 R2 U L2 U F2 L2 F2 U' F2 L' B' L R' F U R2 D2 B L2

x2 y // inspection
D' F' U' R2 D2 R // cross
U' R U' R' U' L' U' L // 1st pair
y U R' U2 R U' R' U R // 2nd pair
(L' U L U')2 L' U L // 3rd pair
U2 R U' R' U' y' R' U R // 4th pair
U' R U2 R2' F R F' R U2' R' // OLL(CP)
M2' U M U2 M' U M2' U' // EPLL
View at alg.garron.us
Code:
[B]Step	Time	STM	stps	ETM	etps[/B]
[COLOR="Red"]Total	8.62	60	6.96	66	7.66	[/COLOR]	[B][SIZE="4"]%[/SIZE]
							Step		Time	STM	ETM[/B]
Cross+1	1.84	14	7.61	15	8.15		Cross+1/F2L	32.2%	34.1%	33.3%
F2L	5.71	41	7.18	45	7.88		F2L/Total	66.2%	68.3%	68.2%
LL	2.91	19	6.53	21	7.22		LL/Total	33.8%	31.7%	31.8%
U F2 R2 U L2 U F2 L2 F2 U' F2 L' B' L R' F U R2 D2 B L2

x2 y // inspection
D' F' U' R2 D D R // cross
U' R U' R' U' L' U' L // 1st pair
U y R' U2 R U' R' U R // 2nd pair
(L' U L U')2 L' U L // 3rd pair
U U R U' R' U' y' R' U R // 4th pair
U U' U' R U2 R2' F R F' R U2' R' // OLL(CP)
M2' U M U U M' U M2' U' // EPLL
View at alg.garron.us
D2 B L2 B2 U2 B2 D R' D2 F' D' R B L' D' R' B L2 F2

x2 // inspection
D R2 D U r U' x' D // cross
R U' R' U2' R U' R' U' L' U' L // 1st pair
y2 U' L F' L' F L U L' // 2nd pair
y' U R' F R F' R' U' R // 3rd pair
U' R U' R' U y' R' U' R // 4th pair
U' r U R' U' r' F R F' // OLL
U2' R U R' F' R U2 R' U2' R' F R U R U2' (R') // PLL
View at alg.garron.us
Code:
[B]Step	Time	STM	stps	ETM	etps[/B]
[COLOR="Red"]Total	12.15	72	5.93	81	6.67	[/COLOR]	[B][SIZE="4"]%[/SIZE]
							Step		Time	STM	ETM[/B]
Cross+1	2.72	20	7.35	22	8.09		Cross+1/F2L	33.6%	43.5%	40.7%
F2L	8.10	46	5.68	54	6.67		F2L/Total	66.7%	63.9%	66.7%
LL	4.05	26	6.42	27	6.67		LL/Total	33.3%	36.1%	33.3%
D2 B L2 B2 U2 B2 D R' D2 F' D' R B L' D' R' B L2 F2

x2 // inspection
D R2 D R' R U r U' x' D // cross
R U' R' U' U' R U' R' U' r' F' r // 1st pair
y U' U' U U y U' r U' r' F L U L' // 2nd pair
U y' l' U l F' R' U' R // 3rd pair
U' R U' R' U y' R' U' R // 4th pair
U' r U R' U' r' F R F' // OLL
U' U' R U R' F' R U2 R' U2' U U' R' F R U R U2' (R') // PLL
View at alg.garron.us
L2 B2 L2 B2 D L2 U L2 B' F R' U L2 F L' U' R2 B' D'

x2 // inspection
R r U' r' U' R2 D' R D // cross
U' R U' R2' U R // 1st pair
U L U' L' // 2nd pair
U L' U L (U' L' U L)2 // 3rd pair
y' U2 R' U R U' R' U R // 4th pair
U2 F' (L' U' L U)2 F // OLL
R U R' F' R U2 R' U2' R' F R U R U2' R' U // PLL
View at alg.garron.us
Code:
[B]Step	Time	STM	stps	ETM	etps[/B]
[COLOR="Red"]Total	8.69	66	7.59	70	8.06	[/COLOR]	[B][SIZE="4"]%[/SIZE]
							Step		Time	STM	ETM[/B]
Cross+1	2.28	15	6.58	16	7.02		Cross+1/F2L	47.4%	38.5%	38.1%
F2L	4.81	39	8.11	42	8.73		F2L/Total	55.4%	59.1%	60.0%
LL	3.88	27	6.96	28	7.22		LL/Total	44.6%	40.9%	40.0%
L2 B2 L2 B2 D L2 U L2 B' F R' U L2 F L' U' R2 B' D'

x2 // inspection
R r U' r' U' R2 D' R D // cross
U' R U' R' R' U R // 1st pair
U L U' L' // 2nd pair
U L' U L (U' L' U L)2 // 3rd pair
U U y' R' U R U' R' U R // 4th pair
U U F' (L' U' L U)2 F // OLL
R U R' F' R U2 R' U2' R' F R U R U2' R' U // PLL
View at alg.garron.us
Code:
Average (removing fastest and slowest solve)

[B]Step	Time	STM	stps	ETM	etps[/B]
[COLOR="red"]Total	8.66	60.67	7.00	66.33	7.66	[/COLOR]	[B][SIZE="4"]%[/SIZE]
							Step		Time	STM	ETM[/B]
Cross+1	2.07	13.67	6.59	14.67	7.07		Cross+1/F2L	38.3%	34.7%	33.8%
F2L	5.42	39.33	7.26	43.33	8.00		F2L/Total	62.5%	64.8%	65.3%
LL	3.25	21.33	6.57	23.00	7.08		LL/Total	37.5%	35.2%	34.7%

Code:
Mean (5/5)
	
[COLOR="red"]Total	9.25	62.00	6.70	68.60	7.41	[/COLOR]	[B][SIZE="4"]%[/SIZE]
							Step		Time	STM	ETM[/B]
Cross+1	2.11	14.40	6.81	15.80	7.47		Cross+1/F2L	35.7%	36.4%	35.3%
F2L	5.92	39.60	6.68	44.80	7.56		F2L/Total	64.0%	63.9%	65.3%
LL	3.33	22.40	6.73	23.80	7.15		LL/Total	36.0%	36.1%	34.7%

Code:
Best from each field

[B]Step	Time	STM	stps	ETM	etps[/B]
[COLOR="red"]Total	8.13	56	7.59	63	8.06[/COLOR]

Cross+1	1.63	11	7.61	13	8.15
F2L	4.81	34	8.11	40	8.73
LL	2.86	18	7.69	20	8.04
 
Thanks Brest. I really loved the second and third f2l pairings in the 4th solve.
Very good execution Chris. :) I just did not understand why the first set of moves in the 1 st f2l pairing of the fourth solve was actually done. By mistake?
 
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