[Help Thread] 3x3 Cross Help and Discussion

[cube100]

how to plan out cross in the inspection time ?

I am not able to fully plan out the cross. If any tips please help me.

 

[Goosly]

Make a video of you doing like 5 crosses. Say your thought process out loud during each inspection. That way, we can give tips especially for you, instead of only general tips.

 

[avgdi]

Use more than the 15 seconds. Use as much time as it takes to plan it out, and don't turn the cube until it is fully memorized. Also, work on your efficiency. The cross can always be done in 8 or less moves. After practicing that enough times you will eventually be able to do all that during the 15 second inspection.

 

[slinky773]

What avgdi said is great. Like you, I struggle a lot with the cross, but you shouldn't worry about it too much. Though it seems basic, doing anything like the cross (EOLine in ZZ) efficiently and quickly takes a lot of intuition and knowledge about the cube. It takes a lot of practice, but as long as you keep practicing it (try doing averages with cross + 1 F2L pair) it'll get good.

BTW, I like your DFTBA avatar avgdi

 

[TheNextFeliks]

How can I get my crosses better? I am white/yellow neutral. I avg about 8 moves and 2-3 seconds for average ones. But bad ones can be 4-5. How can I get them faster?

 

[sneaklyfox]

How can I get my crosses better? I am white/yellow neutral. I avg about 8 moves and 2-3 seconds for average ones. But bad ones can be 4-5. How can I get them faster?

If movecount is your problem for bad ones, work harder at the 8 moves max. But you said you avg 8 moves, so...
If fingertricks is your problem then try using more fingertrick friendly moves. Sometimes it is ok to sacrifice efficiency for fingertrick-friendly moves instead. And also don't forget wide turns can be useful for finding a fingertrick friendly cross. If you use computer scrambles and you practice cross only, take the ones that are bad and see if it's because of efficiency or fingertrick problem. Try starting from different angles.

 

[brian724080]

How can I get my crosses better? I am white/yellow neutral. I avg about 8 moves and 2-3 seconds for average ones. But bad ones can be 4-5. How can I get them faster?

I suppose the reason that you get 4-5 second crosses is because the solutions you find are too complex or are not finger-trick friendly.

 

[TheNewbCuber]

Can I get sub 20 with a 6 second cross? 2 look OLL.

 

[Hypocrism]

Can I get sub 20 with a 6 second cross? 2 look OLL.

Sure, but cross would definitely be an area to focus on-it won't take much effort to halve that time for cross.

 

[windhero]

Can I get sub 20 with a 6 second cross? 2 look OLL.

Yes but you need one hell of a 1F2Lpair transition and a succesfull F2L in general. Full step 2LookOLL+1LookPLL takes something like 6-8seconds at sub25 second speed (typically). This leaves you 6-8 seconds for F2L pair insertions which can be a toughie at those speeds.

It would be easier to practice the cross to 3-4 seconds from 6 seconds rather than F2L insertions to 6-8 seconds from 9-11 seconds.

 

[AmazingCuber]

Can I get sub 20 with a 6 second cross? 2 look OLL.

2look OLL yes, 6 second cross no

aim for 3 second cross for sub 20

EDIT: ninja'd

 

[maytagcuber34]

Advanced Cross

Anybody have a video or website that has good tips on how to plan your cross?:confused::confused:

 

[sneaklyfox]

Can I get sub 20 with a 6 second cross? 2 look OLL.

2look OLL yes, 6 second cross no

aim for 3 second cross for sub 20

EDIT: ninja'd

Of course he can get sub 20 with 6 second cross. Just have F2L and LL as fast as Faz and you could have a 14 second cross for all I care.

 

[kcl]

Can I get sub 20 with a 6 second cross? 2 look OLL.

I'm sub 13 and that would even be tricky for me, especially without full OLL. I would just drill your cross.

 

[LucasBurchardt]

Cross during inspection

I am really bad at looking for a solution to the cross during inspection. Around 6 seconds to solve the cross.
What can I do to practice?

 

[EMI]

What can I do, practice?

Exactly. Also, look into some reconstructions of fast 3x3 solves.

 

[ILMZS20]

just look where the pieces are and try to think logical and see how you can one look the cross. i practiced by taking my time and ignoring the inspection at first and when i got better at thinking logical about it i tried to do it faster. kinda like practicing f2l actually, take your time to fully wrap your mind around and look ahead and then get faster

 

[windhero]

I am really bad at looking for a solution to the cross during inspection. Around 6 seconds to solve the cross.
What can I do to practice?

The most common advice is to do blindfolded cross solves. Another good one is to look for optimal solves for certain hard cases. I use this website to find them http://laire.fi/jarcs/

The best thing to do in my opinion is just bld crosses. Maybe learn a few fingertricks like R u R' u' to insert a single edge piece thats flipped on the top face but flipped the wrong way.

 

[Renslay]

The most common advice is to do blindfolded cross solves. Another good one is to look for optimal solves for certain hard cases. I use this website to find them http://laire.fi/jarcs/

The best thing to do in my opinion is just bld crosses. Maybe learn a few fingertricks like R u R' u' to insert a single edge piece thats flipped on the top face but flipped the wrong way.

For the bld cross: try to insert just 2 pieces blindfolded. And you don't need to put them in their correct place, it is enough if they're correct relative to each other.
If you are good enough with 2 pieces, try 3, then 4.

 

[LucasBurchardt]

For the bld cross: try to insert just 2 pieces blindfolded. And you don't need to put them in their correct place, it is enough if they're correct relative to each other.
If you are good enough with 2 pieces, try 3, then 4.

Will try, had some problems doing all 4 to start with.