Suggestions!!!

[ManuK]

Hi all,
Just crossed 60 sec mark on 5th October.Now i avg below 55 sec,with 49 sec best.(I dont time usually,this is as of 11 Oct).
Anyway, i am using 4-look LL right now with fridrich F2L.

I'm right now doing slowsolving and try to track pieces while solving F2L, but not having much luck.(Only if i go very slow,ie above 110 sec,can i track).For solving cross,i used to do 'D' moves..now started doing 'u' so that i can see where the F2L pairs are located in advance.

Also am very slow at solving cross(avg 7-9 sec).
I always start by forming white cross.Should i practise with the opposite colour now?

Also when would be the right time to start learning blindfolded?
( Dont understand completely the last-look algos,does it come automatically, or should i start studying the rubik's cube math involved?)..

Also should i start learning the other methods(roux,petrus)? Or would it interfere with my learning the Fridrich?

Any SUGGESTIONS would be welcome.Sorry for the long post
Thanks in advance..

 

[Sa967St]

I think you should keep practicing using the white cross, and stick with Fridrich unless you don't like it

 

[PCwizCube]

To get faster at the cross, you just need to practice it over and over. That's how you get fast at something in the Rubik's Cube. These guides can help you get fast:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY_FbpdNRCQ
• http://www.cubefreak.net/cross.html
• http://www.cubestation.co.uk/cs2/index.php?page=3x3x3/cfop/cross/cross

You could practice the opposite color cross if you want, but that would just make your F2L harder. I would recommend sticking with the white cross only. Also, practice solving the cross on the D face - it will be very beneficial later on when you get faster.

You can start blindfold cubing whenever you want. Just know that it's not very hard, but it requires a lot of dedication to be able to solve it blindfolded.

Since you've started Fridrich, you should stay with it. If you don't like it, then switch. You should know that Petrus and Roux require block building which may be difficult for beginners to get used to.

 

[ManuK]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions.
I watched the badmephisto's video on cross, and the things he talked about i had pretty much figured out on my own.But it was very useful to know that u can always solve a cross within 8 moves.The biggest problem i have is that i can usually visualise only upto 4-5 moves or so.


I have tried solving a cube only 6 moves distant from the solved state and i've been unable to do.(tried it only once, and there was a time limit of 20 s)
About the practice solving on D face:i will be continuing that.But would the 'u'(Up face,clockwise,two layers) moves prove useful in the future (so that i will be able to solve the F2l immediately after forming the cross)? (or should i stick with 'D' which i'm more comfortable with).

 

[Vulosity]

Why are there two threads on this?

 

[PCwizCube]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions.
I watched the badmephisto's video on cross, and the things he talked about i had pretty much figured out on my own.But it was very useful to know that u can always solve a cross within 8 moves.The biggest problem i have is that i can usually visualise only upto 4-5 moves or so.


I have tried solving a cube only 6 moves distant from the solved state and i've been unable to do.(tried it only once, and there was a time limit of 20 s)
About the practice solving on D face:i will be continuing that.But would the 'u'(Up face,clockwise,two layers) moves prove useful in the future (so that i will be able to solve the F2l immediately after forming the cross)? (or should i stick with 'D' which i'm more comfortable with).

For your problems only able to visual 4-5 moves, you should first practice planning with no time limit. If it takes you 10 minutes to memorize a 10 move cross, do it. Practice solving it blindfolded so it will force you to memorize it. Then, after a few days, begin setting a time limit - maybe 30 seconds. Then GRADUALLY lower that time limit until it's about 12 seconds or less.

Yeah, solve the cross on the bottom of the cube. You can use u moves (a.k.a. Uw moves) to adjust for the cross. In fact, Yu Nakajima does that almost all the time when he does the cross. I suppose it's better to use Uw instead of D but it's a matter of opinion. I think using both moves is the best though.

 

[MistArts]

Start BLD when you start learning the fundamental techniques at Ryan Heise's site like commutators, conjugates, and stuff like that in order to understand the cube better and therefore understanding BLD better.

 

[ManuK]

Thanks.Will start learning BLD soon.
Abt the double thread,my mistake, i donno how it happened.Hw should i delete one thread?

 

[fcwy1]

my suggestion is to keep on practicing.
My friend Does the same thing as you and can sub-20. (Which is amazing)

 

[razorjumper]

i can solve a cross within 8 move( most of the time ) but i haf a major problem, i execute them 2 slowly... mainly because i use lots of U moves and F moves.. this makes me palm the cross almost fully average time on cross is sub 5..

 

[cookingfat]

For your problems only able to visual 4-5 moves, you should first practice planning with no time limit. If it takes you 10 minutes to memorize a 10 move cross, do it. Practice solving it blindfolded so it will force you to memorize it. Then, after a few days, begin setting a time limit - maybe 30 seconds. Then GRADUALLY lower that time limit until it's about 12 seconds or less.

Yeah, solve the cross on the bottom of the cube. You can use u moves (a.k.a. Uw moves) to adjust for the cross. In fact, Yu Nakajima does that almost all the time when he does the cross. I suppose it's better to use Uw instead of D but it's a matter of opinion. I think using both moves is the best though.

This is good advice, I have problems with my cross, so I remove the inspection time limit and have switched to cross on bottom. It helps learn faster ways of getting the cross and reduced my times.

If you want to do blindfold, then nothing is stopping you. I've only cubed for 6 weeks and I learnt blindfold in one day.

 

[Neutrals01]

I learned blindfold in few days... I think blindfold is easier to learn than fridrich...

 

[ManuK]

@Rubik's Cube Fan,

I dunno why,but ur suggestion really helped.After closing my eyes,its much easier to visualise.I probably take about 8-10 sec inspection time, then when i execute the cross(generally 6-10 moves),i can do much faster,surprisingly.Of course,the cross solving is not in the fewest moves.I should probably start practising that too.

I think my execution speed (for cross)was/is bad, coz 1.i dont utilize the inspection time,well,i expect the cross to come to me automatically. 2. When executing i try to track,but cant do...

I jst watched badmephisto's video on bld.I'm pretty sure,it'll take me a long time to do BLD right now.(ie,if i finish).What were ur initial timings,Neutrals01 and cooking fat. and did u all start with the pochmann method?.Which are u using currently?

 

[Neutrals01]

I started with 3OP and *currently* still 3OP...the one from macky's guide... http://www.cubefreak.net/blindfoldcubing_guide.html

my first successful blindfold solve was around 10~12 minutes... then I quitted blindfold... haha...because I started to learn fridrich after that...before that was using jasmine lee's method and first method was some fish formula method =.="