Asbjørn's Progression Thread - Grinding 3x3 / Goals: Sub-10 ao5, Learn COLL, ZB *updated 10/18/26

So, finally started looking into some new algsets. Very interested in learning ZB, but first I have to learn COLL which shouldn't be too bad at all. I feel like a nice roadmap would be something like to learn COLL, then 2GLL, T, U, L ZBLL, the rest, VHLS, and finally ROLL and JOLL. If I had infinite memory, full 1LLL too. I think by then I will have solved the cube 10 million times lol. But, I think before I learn any of this, F2L needs so so so much work. It's regularly taking me 10+ seconds to finish it and I still solve intuitively, and have been sticking with really bad algs over the years.

Sup, yall. It's time for an update.

I went through a really long hiatus. I don't even remember for exactly how long. I would pick up the cube here and there, and maybe solve it once, maybe 100 times, then put it back down over the last two years, and then things really dropped off when I started going to college this summer. As of the last few weeks, I really decided to deep dive again, as a matter of fact as a direct result of an assignment I'm working on currently lol.

Biggest few things lately: Picked up another 3x3, the Tornado v5 Pioneer, got a new 7x7, the Moyu v5 triple track with UV coating, and I managed to fluke with a phenomenal 8.09 3x3 single (-1.29!!!), as well as my first sub-7 on 7x7 with 6:47.68. This was all within the last week. I never analyze my solves but thought I would give it a try.

Scramble: B L B' R2 U2 L2 U2 B2 D2 B' D2 B' U2 L' U2 R2 F2 D R' U

inspection: x' y
F2L: L F R' D2 B2 // cross +1 for free // y' L' U L2 U' L' U' R' U' R L' U' L U2 L' U' L
OLL: U' R U2 R2 U' R2 U' R2 U2 R
PLL: U (R' U' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' U R) U'

Solving for the green cross as per usual, I had an incredibly lucky F2L with perfectly lucky cube rotations as well. The OLL was fast and I fell right into my favorite AUF for F perm. Alternating between hands here was super satisfying.

As for my 7x7 solve, there is no way I'm analyzing that lol. All I can say was the 3x3 stage was also very lucky, with some accidental keyhole/pseudoslotting on pairs 2 and 3. This new Moyu is making my turning speed go through the roof. I've always done 7x7 on this no-namer that the sticker fell off of years ago. I might post later to see if anyone would like to help identify it, maybe idk.

The desire to learn all those algsets I told myself I would learn is still there. I just have no idea when I'm meant to do any of that. Full time enrollment and a part time job is not doing me any favors here, but this assignment has got me rediscovering cubing as a passion rather than just a hobby. But yeah, I guess all I have to do is open up a list of COLL algs and get to work.

That's all for now.

I think I'm going to switch gears a bit and learn actual ZZ as opposed to just ZBLL. Been trying to learn EO, although it's incredibly foreign to me, but it's like magic solving F2L with no F or B moves. I am so thankful for crystalcuber.com allowing a custom top and front color. No love out here for us green crossers as all the tutorials focus on white cross and yellow top, so hard to visualize. Anyway, just now starting to get it a little bit. Also my ao5 has dropped to 11.55 but I haven't actually been able to implement EO into any of my solves yet. When timing my solves, I'm focusing more on TPS and less pauses since that has produced the best immediate results for me personally.

I will say, I'm really excited to see what sort of results learning ZZ will have. I feel like it'll make my solves so much more efficient, something I've been trying to get CFOP to do for a long time. Like, even if I just learn EO and nothing else, my solves will be so much better. Like I can't believe I've been sleeping on this for so long. This whole time, I've just been doing CFOP with like 2 seconds of inspection, I figure out half my cross, and just have at it, hoping to get an ok time. I didn't realize there was so much inspection to be had...during inspection. Crazy, I know.