"sub30 is easy"

[Escher]

The word 'practise' has completely different meanings to different people.

As a coach I think I could get almost anybody to be sub-30 within a month, it just so happens that for some people, the methods of learning they need, and the way it's relayed, aren't as easily available online - nor do you have the luxury of somebody who knows what they're doing to point out your mistakes and get you to correct them. I would go so far as saying that I could get anybody with the will to do it to around 12 seconds within 6 months, as long as I had at least weekly contact with them. Honestly, cubing is primarily mental and if you aren't lucky enough to have the resources out there to help you learn in your own way, then you're going to have a lot setbacks, so much so that you might never reach the potential you deserve. Cubing can be thought of in so many different ways that I think it's actually the kind of hobby that can fit a hell of a lot of different people.

That said, a necessary fact of everybody's brains being different means that some people just can't absorb the info in the right way, or visualise the cube in an intuitive enough way to do it quickly. It's not a weakness, it's just like how some people can't write essays, or that others simply can't do maths - regardless of whether they have the mental ability to solve the problems in a different context. Being young and having the benefit of a high level of neuroplasticity really does help though.

 

[antoineccantin]

It really depends on the circumstances.

Personally, it took me much over a year to get sub-30 because I didn't cube a ton, my methods were crappy and I didn't know better.

 

[mark49152]

I agree with Jayefbe. My experience in running club is that some people average 8 minutes per mile, some 7, some 6 and some faster. Everyone's got different ability and potential and everyone's on the same mission, which is to improve their own time. But I never heard anyone say to anyone else "6 mins per mile is easy, just train". Probably because they wouldn't dare say it f2f

 

[Dene]

i did do it within that time, but only cause i was pretty dedicated and cubing all the time.

Having to practise a lot to achieve something is a given... surely no one thinks their targets are going to solve themselves?

This is exactly the kind of BS that I agree with the OP is really annoying. Everyone is different. As with anything in life, when those who find it easy patronise those who find it more difficult, it's annoying.

How is everyone different such that with dedicated practise sub30 can't be achieved even with a nice Guhong or Zhanchi and the multitude of algorithms available? That's not to mention the hundreds of great tutorials from top cubers available on YouTube.

Yeah, and sub 10 should not take more than 4 months. Especially when you have no life other than cubing.

That's retarded; although I would suggest sub15 is well achievable in 4 months with dedicated practise. If you have other things to do and can't find the time to cube, then I repeat, of course these goals aren't just going to occur themselves. You actually have to put in the time and effort to achieve things in life, surprisingly enough.

You have been cubing since 2007 and you STILL haven't achieved an official sub 10 single? There is no excuse for that.

Rawr, don't practise, don't care about 3x3, etc.

hmmm so then what does that say about me? I've been cubing 2 years and not sub30 (and I practice every chance I get)

And how much is "every chance [you] get"? An hour or two a week? Or an hour or two a day? I'll give you an example of what I used to do: I'd show up to lectures, and while waiting for them to start, I'd sit with my algorithm sheets which I printed of CubeZone 6 years ago (I'm oldskool), and learn my PLLs. I'd check a few times throughout the day that I still knew the algorithm, then the next day I'd check again until I was sure it was memorised, while moving onto the next alg. I still use most of the same algorithms today. It wasn't a lot of time dedicated, but that little effort here and there is what makes the difference to achieving a goal. Do you do the same thing?

 

[kcl]

Idk if I'm normal or not, but I started cubing like January 1st of 2013. After like a month I learned CFOP. I was sub 25 in around a month and a half. To get sub 30 I pretty much drilled f2l. I made it a goal to be under 20 seconds every time. Now I'm at a point where it's my LL slowing me down not f2l.

 

[uniacto]

Idk if I'm normal or not, but I started cubing like January 1st of 2013. After like a month I learned CFOP. I was sub 25 in around a month and a half. To get sub 30 I pretty much drilled f2l. I made it a goal to be under 20 seconds every time. Now I'm at a point where it's my LL slowing me down not f2l.

how fast is your f2L?

 

[wontolla]

I think age has something to do with this.

It looks like older people (30+ years) we struggled to get sub-30. Regardless of countless hours of practice, new hardware and great documentation.

 

[CuberCat]

For me, cubing is COMPLETELY about competing with myself, and trying to reach the absolute best of my abilities. Everyone should know that their abilities are not the same as everyone else's, and therefore, should not make universal statements like "there's no excuse for not being sub-30 in two weeks". Which side note, is one of the most jerkish statements I've seen on this forum. Dene, you obviously no longer remember what it was like to be a noob. You may have gotten very fast at cubing in a very short amount of time. Guess what, nobody cares!!! If you're so eager for recognition that you have to belittle EVERYONE'S abilities (I haven't seen anyone actually achieve sub-30 in two weeks), then you're obviously lacking in some aspects of your life.

For the most part, I think people on this forum realize that getting better at cubing is a personal struggle that is different for everyone. For the most part, people seem to support each other, and get pleasure out of everyone's progress, regardless of their skill level. But their are some people that feel like they need to brag unnecessarily, or denigrate other people's progress in some passive aggressive manner. Everyone's abilities are different. You might be able to cube better than someone else. Cool, use that ability to support them and try to make them better. But being faster doesn't give you the right to belittle someone's progress. Everyone has different struggles. Chances are, this slower person can absolutely whoop you in some other aspect of life. For the most part, this is a very supportive community. But I think there are a few that could use some more self-awareness and humility. Being sub-30 is not easy. For the majority of the world, just solving a Rubik's cube is not easy.

And remember, those that need to brag, don't actually have anything to brag about.

Dude, thanks. I started to feel like a terrible cuber cause I've been at SUB 1 minute for ages. I started to learn CFOP this Easter. Hope I can SUB 50 - SUB 40 soon. Thanks...

 

[cxinlee]

It took me like 4 months to get sub 20, and 6 months to get sub-30.

 

[sneaklyfox]

For me, cubing is COMPLETELY about competing with myself, and trying to reach the absolute best of my abilities. Everyone should know that their abilities are not the same as everyone else's, and therefore, should not make universal statements like "there's no excuse for not being sub-30 in two weeks". Which side note, is one of the most jerkish statements I've seen on this forum. Dene, you obviously no longer remember what it was like to be a noob. You may have gotten very fast at cubing in a very short amount of time. Guess what, nobody cares!!! If you're so eager for recognition that you have to belittle EVERYONE'S abilities (I haven't seen anyone actually achieve sub-30 in two weeks), then you're obviously lacking in some aspects of your life.

For the most part, I think people on this forum realize that getting better at cubing is a personal struggle that is different for everyone. For the most part, people seem to support each other, and get pleasure out of everyone's progress, regardless of their skill level. But their are some people that feel like they need to brag unnecessarily, or denigrate other people's progress in some passive aggressive manner. Everyone's abilities are different. You might be able to cube better than someone else. Cool, use that ability to support them and try to make them better. But being faster doesn't give you the right to belittle someone's progress. Everyone has different struggles. Chances are, this slower person can absolutely whoop you in some other aspect of life. For the most part, this is a very supportive community. But I think there are a few that could use some more self-awareness and humility. Being sub-30 is not easy. For the majority of the world, just solving a Rubik's cube is not easy.

And remember, those that need to brag, don't actually have anything to brag about.

Good post.

I'm as fast as I am now and I am improving (though sometimes I run into time barriers for awhile) and I believe I can be faster. Good enough for me.

I think age has something to do with this.

It looks like older people (30+ years) we struggled to get sub-30. Regardless of countless hours of practice, new hardware and great documentation.

Yes, age is definitely a factor. I don't think I would say I struggled with sub-30 though. The first one I actually felt was probably sub-20. Now I'm at the sub-16 but I think I'm finally making progress again.

 

[Ross The Boss]

it took me like a month or so days to get sub 30 with lbl. i cubed like every waking moment of every day though. i couldn't get under 29 seconds so i learned f2l, got to 25 seconds, switched to roux and im getting under 20 seconds now. it was easy for me to get sub 30, but is took a really long time for me to get faster after that. every one progresses at different rates.

 

[kbrune]

With modern cubes and the volume of information available around today, there is absolutely no excuse for taking more than even 2 months to reach sub30. You should be able to do it in 2 weeks.

No matter how you try to defend this post. It was arrogant. Once I decided I wanted to go to a comp and post an official sub30 result I was averaging 45-50 seconds. It took me at least 5-6 months of obsessive practice (3 hours per day on average) to be confident I could average sub30 in five solves. I've been pushing for sub 20 since that first comp last may. Some days I feel like i'm getting closer, and some days I feel like I just don't have the processing power required to consistently hit sub20's

We're not all blessed with the brain power that is required for sub X

 

[s3rzz]

I think everyone could be sub 30 and if you have time like that take full advantage of ways to optimize. I've seen a lot of guys just get lazy and not want to learn algs, finishing up doing multiple olls and plls because of it.

 

[Ninja Storm]

Sub-30 is achievable, for the most part, within a year with decent practice(inb4 hate comments about "time is arbitrary" and other ********). If you practice daily(not 100 solves, just 10-15 every day), learn your algs and more advanced strategies, and upgrade hardware, you'll be fine.

 

[Dene]

It took me like 4 months to get sub 20, and 6 months to get sub-30.

Makes sense XD

 

[JHB]

I've been cubing for about 2 and half years and currently average 45 seconds. I feel okay with this because cubing has to come last in my life.
Those who work full time and have young families may be in similar positions. Sometimes I can get 50 solves in a day, but most days less than 5. Dedicated practice time is not something I have a choice in.

rant: people that say that "sub30 is easy just practice" **** me off - am I the only one to say this? (prolly)

Amen brother! Sub 30 seconds may come easily to a lot of cubers but unfortunately manners and social graces don't always.
Sub 30 is more than achievable and I'm well on my way. Heck, I have halved my average times in the last year or so and I'm trying to do the same again this year.

 

[pipkiksass]

Sub-30 is achievable, for the most part, within a year with decent practice(inb4 hate comments about "time is arbitrary" and other ********). If you practice daily(not 100 solves, just 10-15 every day), learn your algs and more advanced strategies, and upgrade hardware, you'll be fine.

But time IS arbitrary. It's not false, it's a fact. That's like saying anyone can learn to speak fluent French in a year. Send someone who understands language to live in France, and they'll be speaking French in a fortnight, and fluent in 2 months. After a year, they've changed their name to Jean-Pierre and own a small garlic farm in Rouen. Sit someone who doesn't understand language in front of a YouTube video about how to learn French, let them practice in their own living room for an hour a night... 2 months later they're lucky if they're any further down the line. After a year, they're frustrated and wondering if French is the right language for them; maybe watching a YouTube video about how to learn Russian!

Everyone learns, and acquires skills, at a different pace, depending on how much time they can dedicate to the subject, and how analytically and methodically they approach it. Why should cubing be any different? It's entirely arbitrary to say that everyone should be able to achieve sub 'x' within 'y' months.

I'd agree with your comment about "decent practice" though, and I think this is the key. You can do 1000 timed solves a day, but if you aren't analysing your own solves, just blindly practicing, progress will be slow. So it's just as arbitrary to say 60,000 hours of practice will get you to sub 'x'. There's a massive difference between good practice and bad practice, and bad practice may get you to sub-30, but not very quickly!

I'm guilty of it myself - I'm sure I could be sub 20 already if I'd drilled PLLs and worked on my lookahead with slow solves, but I just love solving the cube! I have limited time to practice, so I spend the majority just doing solves. I'm happy with my progress - I know sub-20 will come, because I know what I need to work on. But I'm in no rush!

How long it will take each individual to get to sub-30 it's impossible to say. For some it'll be weeks, for some it'll be months or even years. Some may never make it. With the right guidance, "decent practice", support from other forum members and good use of the available resources, it should be achievable for most, but putting a time limit on it only flatters those who are lucky or talented enough to progress more quickly, and frustrates those who are already struggling.

 

[MarcelP]

... After a year, they're frustrated and wondering if French is the right language for them; maybe watching a YouTube video about how to learn Russian!

LOL.. That is so true.. When I was averaging 1.30 minute I tried Block building Petrus method ,Roux and key-hole method because I was intimidated about the 47 (or how many are there?) F2L cases. Once I saw the intuitive F2L video of my cube God Badmepisto I was doing much better real quick.

 

[Dene]

@pipkiksass You seem to be referring to sub30 as if it's some level that requires enormous skills and development of methods, but it isn't. Sub30 is simply knowing 2 look OLL, full PLL, and turning at 2tps. It's simple, not complicated. All it takes is turning faster, and most probably for people struggling to reach sub30, minimising the delay between steps. I bet everyone struggling to reach sub30 spends almost half the solve just looking at the puzzle. Remove that half of the time and you'll be well under sub30.

 

[applemobile]

Blah Blah I'm so great blah blah blah.

Just stop talking.