Practicing - How?

[d_sprink]

Ok, I've been doing the cube for 5 years now, and my times all fall anywhere between 40 and 1:20 (most between 50 and 1:00). I am using the Fridrich method, with an intuitive F2L, and I know about a fourth of the OLL's and PLL's. So my last layer is either 2 look or 4 look, depending on how lucky I get.

I know its possible to hit sub 30 on a 4 look last layer with a beginner's method. I won't ask you what to do to lower my average, because I know the answer - practice. What I'm asking is how to do this. Should I just do a bunch of solves over and over again, hoping my times will improve? (if this is true, I'm not getting anywhere ). I sorta think I jumped on to the OLL's and PLL's too soon, which is why I haven't memorized more (I started this summer, and brought my avg down from 1:15, along with learning F2L), but want to work on - whatever it is I need to. Because I feel like I'm missing something really important.

I haven't been learning algs for the F2L, but just focused on doing it intuitively, and now can get almost all the cases without having to use too much thought. I think I'm most likely losing time in the recognition process. How do I fix this?

And you all can tell me what it is I need to be working on (faster recognition times, thinking ahead, etc), but please consider me a complete idiot and please tell me how to do so.

Thank you for your time.

 

[Vulosity]

Ok, I've been doing the cube for 5 years now, and my times all fall anywhere between 40 and 1:20 (most between 50 and 1:00)

5 years of cubing and you have that average?

I am using the Fridrich method, with an intuitive F2L, and I know about a fourth of the OLL's and PLL's. So my last layer is either 2 look or 4 look, depending on how lucky I get.

I know its possible to hit sub 30 on a 4 look last layer with a beginner's method. I won't ask you what to do to lower my average, because I know the answer - practice. What I'm asking is how to do this. Should I just do a bunch of solves over and over again, hoping my times will improve? (if this is true, I'm not getting anywhere ). I sorta think I jumped on to the OLL's and PLL's too soon, which is why I haven't memorized more (I started this summer, and brought my avg down from 1:15, along with learning F2L), but want to work on - whatever it is I need to. Because I feel like I'm missing something really important.

I haven't been learning algs for the F2L, but just focused on doing it intuitively, and now can get almost all the cases without having to use too much thought. I think I'm most likely losing time in the recognition process. How do I fix this?

And you all can tell me what it is I need to be working on (faster recognition times, thinking ahead, etc), but please consider me a complete idiot and please tell me how to do so.

Thank you for your time.

Work on F2L. If you can handle OLL and PLL, then focus less on it. Also, look ahead during F2L.

There's been so many threads like this...

 

[ErikJ]

do slow solves and check and make sure EVERY move is being put to good use

 

[Escher]

yeah, there have been so many other threads like this...
anyway.
you clearly havent been doing much right so far (not trying to be harsh).
On F2L
go back to layer by layer for a few days. practice looking for and mentally 'tagging' corners, while you solve other corners, and try to use this to your advantage (do less rotations, less pointless U2s). Do this until you do it almost unconsciously. Then return to f2l, and do f2ls over and over again, gradually introducing looking for one corner while you solve one pair, and then looking for the corresponding edge at the same time. practice this as much as possible i.e repeat indefinitely.
soon you will be able to see cross+1st pair straight away, and then at least 2 more pairs, and you will be able to put them in a logical order while you complete them.
i can currently do this and it means that my f2l can (after some warming up) be sub 8.
On Cross
practice doing the cross as efficiently as possible. make sure you know the colour scheme inside out, so that you can put the pieces in relative to each other, and then just ADF (Adjustment of the D Face). Also, use movements wisely. set up your cube like this - R'F'RUR2. now you might just do R2 and sort out the other piece from there, but isnt it much wiser to just go R'U'R'F?
On Last Layer
Forget 1-step OLL. Once you know badmephisto's two look OLL (search it on youtube) you will be sorted for a long time.
LEARN THE PLLS! seriously! most of them are not that hard. I suggest learning the Gs, then Y, then T, then the Js, then the Ns (do RUR'U and perform J1, work out the other one), then V and F, then the Rs, and finally H. i mightve forgotten one or two but hey.
then practice them over and over and over and over and over and over... you get the point. A reasonably healthy PLL time attack time is around 1:15
on general cubes
DIY Old Type (a). break in (use a lot), then lube. this combination is reliable. It seems B-F types are a lot more subjective than old (a) - it feels like most people agree its a decent cube. I dont particularly recommend rubiks made ones, as they are expensive and pretty rubbish (for me in the UK anyway).
lube with PTFE silicone spray. there are many threads on specifically which lubes.
on this forum
use the search function as much as possible, or go on here regularly as possible. you will make far, far fewer enemies. we are all quite OCD and like it tidy

 

[nitrocan]

Not improving is up to you. If you want to improve, you improve. I had this too when I was averaging 40 seconds. I was just doing the same thing, but then I decided to learn some F2L tricks and more PLL. I dropped to 35 seconds, then I learned full PLL and dropped to sub30, then more F2L stuff, then I dropped to 25, now I learned full OLL and all F2L, so I average somewhere between 22-23. Hopefully I will average sub20 soon.
Honestly, I would've given up if I averaged 50-1:00 in 5 years, it usually takes about 2 months. You might need a good cube too.

 

[d_sprink]

Thank you all for your help. I know I'm a complete newb at the forum.

And I know 5 years is a long time, but I've been doing all this with no help whatsoever from anything online or in books... In the past, I used all my own methods for all the puzzles, which I solved by myself (I still use my home-brewed methods for the other puzzles, which take me a long time because of it), but I eventually realized I'm not dropping below a minute without some outside help. Its quite fun and challenging to try to develope all the algs yourself, and learn what works the hard way, but... Its just not efficient. What IS efficient has already been discovered.

Sorry to go off on that. But that's my reason. Again, thanks for everything. I'll keep checking regulary to avoid posting what's already been asked. One question, though, about the PLL's - I've been learning each alg the way its supposed to be learned, and then mirrored (left-handed, if you will). This reduces the J permutation to only one thing to memorize, as well as the R (I'm not quite familiar with the names, but I believe that's the one). Is this wise? Or should I go ahead and learn the two totally different algs for mirrored cases? And with the orientations, the main thing slowing me down is that I haven't learned to orient all the edges at once, which is my own fault. So I'll work on that one. Algs are pretty easy to memorize....

I'll stop rambling. Thank you for your time.

 

[blah]

Depends on your style. If you're ambidextrous and want save some learning time, then mirrored algs are perfectly fine.

But I think it's noteworthy that even the most ambidextrous cubers rarely use left-handed algs for PLL because that's where you spam moves like crazy, and no matter how ambidextrous you are, your dominant hand is definitely way faster than your non-dominant hand at maximum speed. Yep. Left-handed OLLs are fine though, because you don't go full speed yet.

 

[Borislav]

Hm, I make a cross on the First Layer, and that's the reason for my time in the borders of a minute...

 

[Escher]

i do mirrored algs, and its definitely not good for J (i should learn the other one) but i actually prefer R when its mirrored to the other algs ive ever tried. my N' (conjugated J') is really slow too...
anyway, its good as a stopgap solution but i would definitely suggest learning the dominant handed way asap.

 

[ScottKidder]

I've been cubing for about 8 months now and average about 25 with intutive F2l + like 3 special cases, full PLL and like 1/3 OLL (learning MGLS now) Good F2L practice is to use a metronome and make one move per click and try to increase the speed as you get better at looking ahead. Learning how to solve different slots without cube rotations is really good, and preserving premade pairs in the U layer or slotted in the place. Maybe watch badmephisto's advanced F2L video sometime in the near future. Good luck

EDIT: Maybe try out Petrus, you sound like you'd be pretty handy at that

 

[MTGjumper]

Amidextrous PLLs, in my opinion, is still a viable technique. I'm quite dominant in real life situations with my right hand, but can execute my mirrored PLLS effectively still. Furthermore, if you end up with a correctly adjusted U face with a PLL such as a T perm that is mirrored, you can execute it left-handed rather than having to do U2 - T perm - U2.

 

[Escher]

my point was that RH (well dominant hand, but lets just call it RH) algs are generally faster, but that mirroring algs is a good thing to speed up learning, although RH algs should also be eventually learnt (the least rotations/U's possible).
For example, i know 6 U-perm algs so that i only ever have to do a U to get something i know, and i know an M slice alg so i can use that on cubes that do Ms well

 

[Neutrals01]

no matter how ambidextrous you are, your dominant hand is definitely way faster than your non-dominant hand at maximum speed.

hmm..I am left handed(writing, and many real life things)..but my right hand is much faster in cubing than my left...:confused: wonder why...

Hm, I make a cross on the First Layer, and that's the reason for my time in the borders of a minute...

hmm..wow..u have a very fast 2x2 speed...as in the gap speed for ur 2x2 and 3x3 is quite far..:confused: I barely get a 15 secs avg for 2x2, usually 16~18 secs avg

Thank you all for your help. I know I'm a complete newb at the forum.

And I know 5 years is a long time, but I've been doing all this with no help whatsoever from anything online or in books... In the past, I used all my own methods for all the puzzles, which I solved by myself (I still use my home-brewed methods for the other puzzles, which take me a long time because of it), but I eventually realized I'm not dropping below a minute without some outside help. Its quite fun and challenging to try to develope all the algs yourself, and learn what works the hard way, but... Its just not efficient. What IS efficient has already been discovered.

Wow..really respect that u spent 5 years without any online info or help

I only learned pyraminx and magic myself... all the cube puzzles also need to at least get some help from online..

anyway, I know some friends 5~12 years of cubing and still have slow time.. but it is because they do not actually train..they just solve for fun when they are free. Some of them stuck at 2~4 mins..

 

[d_sprink]

I've looked into the Petrus method, and it makes and excellent F2L. But I kinda prefer modding it and using it just for that purpose - F2L. Then get the last layer with an orient/permute strategy. I don't understand the whole philosophy of not moving your sacred block of pieces... who out here uses this method? Is it more efficient to use it mainly for the first 2x2x3 block and do f2l from there, or to actually carry out the method for the last two faces?

Again, thank you for bearing with me and all my questions.

 

[waffle=ijm]

I'm a lefty. I use both left and right algs. just for fun but my right hand algs are so much faster.

 

[cmhardw]

But I think it's noteworthy that even the most ambidextrous cubers rarely use left-handed algs for PLL because that's where you spam moves like crazy, and no matter how ambidextrous you are, your dominant hand is definitely way faster than your non-dominant hand at maximum speed.

With all due respect I couldn't disagree more. I am a right handed person, but I am consistently between 0.10 and 0.25 second faster on the T, J, and R perms using my left (non-dominant hand) compared to when I use my right (dominant) hand. And yes I take averages of 12 for this on occasion.

Also, I use left handed PLLs quite frequently. Even when I have the option, due to symmetry, of using the right handed version. Some examples of this are Z perms, where the U layer is already rotated such that the left handed version is already facing me, U perms where I am equally comfortable using either hand and thus I will execute with the hand that is not currently gripping the cube.

Be careful of those blanket statements. Sometimes not all of us fit your stereotypes lol. And yes I know I am not fast by most people's standards, but I have gotten sub-15 average in competition officially which is, dare I say it, still respectable (?) (it better be at least lol).

Chris

 

[pjk]

But I think it's noteworthy that even the most ambidextrous cubers rarely use left-handed algs for PLL because that's where you spam moves like crazy, and no matter how ambidextrous you are, your dominant hand is definitely way faster than your non-dominant hand at maximum speed.

With all due respect I couldn't disagree more. I am a right handed person, but I am consistently between 0.10 and 0.25 second faster on the T, J, and R perms using my left (non-dominant hand) compared to when I use my right (dominant) hand. And yes I take averages of 12 for this on occasion.

Also, I use left handed PLLs quite frequently. Even when I have the option, due to symmetry, of using the right handed version. Some examples of this are Z perms, where the U layer is already rotated such that the left handed version is already facing me, U perms where I am equally comfortable using either hand and thus I will execute with the hand that is not currently gripping the cube.

Be careful of those blanket statements. Sometimes not all of us fit your stereotypes lol. And yes I know I am not fast by most people's standards, but I have gotten sub-15 average in competition officially which is, dare I say it, still respectable (?) (it better be at least lol).

Chris

Added onto this, I also do most my algs with my right hand, even though I throw left handed.

 

[hawkmp4]

I throw right-handed and happened to learn most of my algorithms decidedly right-handed. However I am ambidextrous in the sense that I can learn something with either hand. So I only have to learn 2/3 of the PLLs, because I can easily, easily mirror them to my left hand and with a tiny bit of practice get nearly equal times.

 

[blah]

That sweeping statement of mine just got a hell lot of rebuttals didn't it?

My bad then, I didn't think it was biologically/physically possible (?) for your non-dominant hand to be faster than your dominant hand even with training, because well, isn't it like a nature versus nurture thingy?

Who else is like Chris by the way? I think you've just convinced me to train my left hand like mad (together with your other post in a BLD thread)

By the way, the I'm-left-handed-in-real-life-but-faster-with-my-right-hand thing isn't that new anymore, there were already guys like that 20 years ago: Lars Petrus himself is one of those guys if I remember correctly

 

[cmhardw]

My bad then, I didn't think it was biologically/physically possible (?) for your non-dominant hand to be faster than your dominant hand even with training, because well, isn't it like a nature versus nurture thingy?

I have a theory on this for cubing actually. I think non-dominant hand cubing for an alg that is very finger tricky can be faster because the pad of your thumb is significantly weaker and smaller on you non-dominant hand. Notice on the hand you write with, that the pad of your thumb is huge compared to the pad on your non-dominant hand. Now compare the flexibility of your thumbs by moving them in circles. Try to move both thumbs very quickly when doing so. To me it feels subjectively easier to move my non-dominant thumb quickly, and through a larger range of motion.

Also, to be fair, for some triggers like A perm my dominant hand trigger is much faster and more consistent, no matter how hard I train my non-dominant hand. But for me A perm is a slightly more wristy hard trigger kind of alg, not a finger tricky kind of one.

Chris