Older cubers discussions

[MarcelP]

Lol. I didn't like my last layer either... both OLL + PLL were cases that I sometimes lock up or trash the F2L so I did them "cautiously". It was still a PB single despite the LL - 15.53.

I use the long Na algorithm which includes Jb (where the Jb is similar to T-perm) and the overall TPS is better than many of my PLLs.
R U R' U (R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R') U2 R U' R'

13.02 on first try . Nice scramble indeed..

 

[mark49152]

I hate plateaus. Did 600 pairs solves today, with no improvement. That's over 2000 pairs solves in the last 3 weeks, in addition to blind practice and full solves. Average of first 500 = 10.07, average of 600 today = 10.12. Bao50's were 9.53 and 9.62 respectively.

I need a change of tactic - if I'm not improving over that number of solves, I must be doing something wrong...

 

[Artic]

I hate plateaus. Did 600 pairs solves today, with no improvement. That's over 2000 pairs solves in the last 3 weeks, in addition to blind practice and full solves. Average of first 500 = 10.07, average of 600 today = 10.12. Bao50's were 9.53 and 9.62 respectively.

I need a change of tactic - if I'm not improving over that number of solves, I must be doing something wrong...

You're doing the right thing, you just have to keep practicing! It took me 8000 solves to go from an average of 21.xx to 19.xx. Right now I've gotten two Ao100 in the high 18's...so the improvement comes slowly sometimes. But one important thing that I will emphasize over and over again. PRACTICE slow solves!! People keep repeating that...and I know it's hard to swallow....but it really will help you improve. It definitely did for me!

 

[Rocky0701]

Really, why?
Also cubetimer is the worst online computer timer I've ever seen; don't use it unless there really is no alternative. It uses 25 move 6-gen scrambles for 2x2. And no it does not have random state scrambles.

Because my computer sucks. I only use cubetimer for big cubes and 3x3, but I think that I am just going to start using Ruwix scrambles, along with timing on my Kindle. Would you recommend Ruwix?

 

[MarcelP]

I hate plateaus. Did 600 pairs solves today, with no improvement. That's over 2000 pairs solves in the last 3 weeks, in addition to blind practice and full solves. Average of first 500 = 10.07, average of 600 today = 10.12. Bao50's were 9.53 and 9.62 respectively.

I need a change of tactic - if I'm not improving over that number of solves, I must be doing something wrong...

I agree with Artic, you are doing it right. But I think you are a little impatient You want to progress too fast. The way you are putting effort and time you will definatly come very far. Just do not watch the youngsters that become sub 15 in the third month of cubing. At our age that's not going to happen. Last few weeks I have been putting in a lot of time. Doing many timed solves. Like getting up 05:00 AM to do an Ao100 and then do another Ao100 at the end of the day, and in between I do training like cross or LL. Still I am around 21.xx with my Ao100's. So average -wise I am not really getting faster.. BUT.. I get sub 20 Ao12's daily. And I get a lot more sub 18 Ao5's.. So I know there has been made great progress on my part.

EDIT: Yesterday I had my first Ao12 sub20 that was on camera. At least I do not remember doing that before. It's on my Youtube.

 

[mark49152]

I agree with Artic, you are doing it right. But I think you are a little impatient

Thanks both for your support. Yeah I got a little fed up after that session. I don't expect fast improvement, just some improvement - 0.1-0.2s would have been enough to keep me motivated. Instead I got slower! Maybe I now need a day off to let that practice sink in

 

[DeeDubb]

I hate plateaus. Did 600 pairs solves today, with no improvement. That's over 2000 pairs solves in the last 3 weeks, in addition to blind practice and full solves. Average of first 500 = 10.07, average of 600 today = 10.12. Bao50's were 9.53 and 9.62 respectively.

I need a change of tactic - if I'm not improving over that number of solves, I must be doing something wrong...

Here's my two cents on things. You can't control your hands getting faster. Obviously that takes time/practice, and for everyone that develops at a different rate, so worry about the things you can control. Sure, dedicate time to helping your hands/muscle memory, but dedicate some time to adding new weapons to your solving arsenal. Did you finish OLL? If you did, maybe look at some edge control stuff, once you get better at edge control, look at winter variation to force some OLL skips. Sure, you may feel like you should be faster with what you have, but why not add some new things? More info can't hurt you, but that's just my opinion. Right now, I'm adding Color Neutrality to my Roux, which I don't really NEED to get faster. I could probably keep pushing to sub-15 only solving a fixed block, but I like to add new tricks to how I solve. It keeps things fresh and keeps me motivated. everyone has different style though, so it's up to you.

 

[mark49152]

Here's my two cents on things.

I was just sounding off after having a frustrating session. Nothing to take too seriously

Those 2000 solves were F2L pairs only. I'm working on adding lookahead to my arsenal. Actually I think I will stop timing for a while - under time pressure I'm probably going too fast and not concentrating on lookahead as I should. So the next 1000 solves will be untimed.

 

[sneaklyfox]

Pfft 2000 pairs only. I've done perhaps 20 times that many full solves since May 2013 when I went to comp and got a 15.92 Ao5. Today I'd say my global average is only slightly (less than half a second) faster than that. It's annoying.

 

[sk8erman41]

I was just sounding off after having a frustrating session. Nothing to take too seriously

Those 2000 solves were F2L pairs only. I'm working on adding lookahead to my arsenal. Actually I think I will stop timing for a while - under time pressure I'm probably going too fast and not concentrating on lookahead as I should. So the next 1000 solves will be untimed.

Haha if anything you should be proud of yourself for doing that much deliberate practice! I think you hit the nail on the head with the sink in factor. The practice might now show itself while practicing, but later in full solves. When you get frustrated it might help to switch puzzles, do some 4x4 or something for a little while. If you are not into anything but 3x3 maybe just take a break for a day or two. And like you and everyone else says, untimed solves will help that deliberate practice sink in.

 

[mark49152]

Pfft 2000 pairs only.

Well, in the time that took me, I could only have done 1000 full solves, so half the lookahead practice. Half of zero improvement would be even worse, right

At some point I'll make up for it with 2000 cross+1 and 2000 LS+LL, etc. Hopefully I won't end up single.

 

[MarcelP]

Hopefully I won't end up single.

That is the hard part of practise.. making it look like you are doing something usefull to your partner.. LOL

 

[mark49152]

That is the hard part of practise.. making it look like you are doing something usefull to your partner.. LOL

Yeah that is really difficult LOL. How about "I can make loads of money if I get good". Maybe not. Or, "it improves my dexterity which makes me better at washing dishes". That's plausible.

 

[Rocky0701]

Yeah that is really difficult LOL. How about "I can make loads of money if I get good". Maybe not. Or, "it improves my dexterity which makes me better at washing dishes". That's plausible.

I have an equation for your problem. X-1 = S, where s represents the amount of solves to do, and X represents the amount of solves it would take for your wife to leave you.

 

[sneaklyfox]

Yeah that is really difficult LOL. How about "I can make loads of money if I get good". Maybe not. Or, "it improves my dexterity which makes me better at washing dishes". That's plausible.

LOL... good one! I was just saying "pfft" to your 2000 pairs solving because of just comparing my very little improvement with many more solves.

 

[sk8erman41]

I went through Jskyler's CN training for about a month when I was averaging around 28 seconds or so. I got my times very close to normal average on all colors. Then I decided that I wanted to focus on white cross because I thought that it would help me narrow my focus a bit and increase my overall improvement. I haven't solved CN for a long time now and although I am still improving, the progress has slowed significantly and I am averaging about 22-23 now. Last week for whatever reason I just decided to do a red cross on a random solve. Since then I have found myself trying out other colors without even thinking about it. I did a full CN Ao25 yesterday and although I was slightly higher than my normal avg. I was sub-25 with it. It totally took me by surprise because I did no real CN practice whatsoever since I stopped. I think that it might be because I have been solving megaminx lately. It has forced me to see other colors better and not focus so much on specific pieces. I think that it is also helping me with look ahead.

I have gotten to the point (thanks to Marcel and this thread) that I am really not that concerned with my times, more just the enjoyment of cubing. I was really pushing myself to get faster and faster and would get discouraged with lack of progress, but I have now changed my mindset. I am just cubing now for the fun of it. Obviously its more fun to see faster speeds, so I am still working on getting faster, but just without as much self pressure. I guess the purpose of my post is two fold- one to recommend megaminx as a good training tool for other puzzles, and two to ask: Think I should keep up with the CN? I think I will still just do white cross for the CFOP subset race.

 

[MarcelP]

I guess the purpose of my post is two fold- one to recommend megaminx as a good training tool for other puzzles, and two to ask:
Think I should keep up with the CN? I think I will still just do white cross for the CFOP subset race.

I have a Megaminx. I do not know how to solve it without the instruction paper with algs I think Megainx is fun, but I also like Pyra, Skewb, Big puzzles etc. I just do not have enough time to practise all of them. I do 5 solves per week on the 4X4, and 5 solve on 2X2 in weekly competition. I wish I could do more.

About CN, if you are fairly comfertable with CN you should try to stick with it. Yeah it is all about you own fun. No one else cares if you are sub 12 or sub 22. If you are enjoying cubing then you are doing it right. In my last video (sub 20 Ao12) I have a few red, blue and green crosses in there. Overall I think my yellow cross are the fastest because pairs on yellowcross are my absolute best. But then the white OLL really is my worst OLL color. I need full second most to recognise the case. I have a strategy that is working now. I have been doing this for almost a year I think. Untimed solves I try to stay away from white/yellow. And on timed solves I scan white/yellow first.

 

[sk8erman41]

I have a Megaminx. I do not know how to solve it without the instruction paper with algs I think Megainx is fun, but I also like Pyra, Skewb, Big puzzles etc. I just do not have enough time to practise all of them. I do 5 solves per week on the 4X4, and 5 solve on 2X2 in weekly competition. I wish I could do more.

About CN, if you are fairly comfertable with CN you should try to stick with it. Yeah it is all about you own fun. No one else cares if you are sub 12 or sub 22. If you are enjoying cubing then you are doing it right. In my last video (sub 20 Ao12) I have a few red, blue and green crosses in there. Overall I think my yellow cross are the fastest because pairs on yellowcross are my absolute best. But then the white OLL really is my worst OLL color. I need full second most to recognise the case. I have a strategy that is working now. I have been doing this for almost a year I think. Untimed solves I try to stay away from white/yellow. And on timed solves I scan white/yellow first.

I used to have trouble with Last Layer for mega, but then I watched Antoine Cantin's tutorial and realized that you already know what you need for the basic method, T-perm, Y-perm and a simple PLL and OLL "alg" that is really just common sense. I learned by watching the video once and since I have been pretty hooked. Makes it a lot more fun when you don't need the sheet.

Not sure what "paper" you use, but I used to use Andy Klise's beginner guide and this method is WAY easier

 

[MarcelP]

Allright, I will try to watch this sunday. I always wanted to be able to solve the Megaminx without paper

 

[MarcelP]

PRACTICE slow solves!! People keep repeating that...and I know it's hard to swallow....but it really will help you improve. It definitely did for me!

Yes, Mark, here is how I practise slow solves, when I have company of my kids and pets I can not concentrate and go full speed. Instead I try to make solves smooth and without stops.. I think that is the best practise you can do..

[video=youtube_share;M2Y7l0FjJkw]http://youtu.be/M2Y7l0FjJkw[/video]

EDIT: these where my first solves of the day and far from smooth and without pauses. I just wanted to show how I cube with distraction.