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Jake Serpico

Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2017
Messages
3
Hello reader!

My name is Jake, and I need some assistance with getting faster on 4x4. I currently average around 46-47 seconds, but I recently managed to get a 43.28 average. However, I seem to be sort-of, hitting a wall, and I want to know how I can improve, and hopefully get down into the 30s.

To start, I use Yau with 3-2-3 edge pairing, so I do use a fairly efficient method. I currently average around 11 seconds on 3x3, but I've seen people get low 30s with that speed before, and I am curious as to how. Where I think I'm losing time is near the very beginning. My first two centres, first three edges, and my last centres. I was hoping you could help by explaining some tips and techniques, as well as potentially linking me to some useful videos.

Thank you,

- Jake

 

AcuberCubes

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2017
Messages
39
WCA
2017JHAA01
Hey, I have a cangfeng and there is just this weird internal catching issue. One of the center pieces (screwed to the core) has a bulge type thingy. Which locks up on one of the four center pieces. How do i make it go away?
 

One Wheel

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
2,883
Location
Wisconsin
WCA
2016BAIR04
Hey, I have a cangfeng and there is just this weird internal catching issue. One of the center pieces (screwed to the core) has a bulge type thingy. Which locks up on one of the four center pieces. How do i make it go away?
That's a little vague, but it sounds like you're talking about the alignment mechanism. You need to make sure the "bulge" is on the same side as all the other bulges on the other centers. Does that make any sense?
 

AcuberCubes

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2017
Messages
39
WCA
2017JHAA01
That's a little vague, but it sounds like you're talking about the alignment mechanism. You need to make sure the "bulge" is on the same side as all the other bulges on the other centers. Does that make any sense?
The bulge is on the same side. This is the photo of the bulge I was talking about. [credits: CrazyBadCuber]
cangfeng.png
 

One Wheel

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
2,883
Location
Wisconsin
WCA
2016BAIR04
The bulge is on the same side. This is the photo of the bulge I was talking about. [credits: CrazyBadCuber]
View attachment 8949
That is the alignment mechanism I was talking about. If you strip it down to just the core and those center pieces you should be able to see that each center piece has 2 planes in which it is in line with 3 other center pieces. There are a total of 3 planes. Each bulge or nub in a given plane has to be on the same side of the center relative to the others in that plane. It sounds like that's your problem, but if the nubs are all lined up correctly and do not spin then I don't know what the problem is but it's not that.
 

MusiCuber

Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2018
Messages
6
Hello guys can u tell me please how I can make the edge pairing faster
I suggest doing 6-2 edge pairing for yau or any other cross first method.
It's basicly about setting up your first three pairs before you slice, the inserting three more pairs into the slice and finally finisshing up th last remaining 2 edges with 9 moves at most. I'll go a litttle more in depth on this if you want to please feel free to ask for it
 

MusiCuber

Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2018
Messages
6
What is the best alg for PLL parity?

I'm using this one right now. MR2 U2 MR2 T2 MR2 MU2

Well the alg depens on your cube. When slice moves are very easy and you can turn very accurate I would suggest doing Uw2 r2 U2 r2 U2 r2 Uw2


But otherwise your alg should work just fine.
 

cubeshepherd

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2018
Messages
2,258
WCA
2016STEE01
Centers - 25
Edges - 35
3x3 - 30
Average - 1:30
Tips?
Here are some tips that I have been using and doing myself and they are helped me a lot to getting sub 1:00 - 55.

Centers
: Scramble a 4x4 and practice just doing centers, and see if you can do centers in less the 20 seconds, then 15-17, etc. I average around 10-12 seconds and by just doing "center solves" has helped me a lot. One thing to keep in mind when doing centers is to try and solve either (1) Two centers at once, or (2) If you have trouble with the first tip, then as you are solving 1 center, try and at least get one or both pairs for the next center formed as you finish the first center, so that the second center is really easy to just put together.
Also, make sure that you plan out at least the first center during inspection, but if you are able to do the first and second in inspection then that would be best.

Edges: I do not know how you do edges/edge paring so I cannot really tell you what to focus on in particularly, but what I can say is make sure that you are not pausing during edge paring, and that your look ahead is flawless (well not completely flawless :), but with not many pauses, and that you are looking at the next pair as you complete the last). What I do for edges once I have all centers done is (1) Pair up all cross edges (white cross for me) and put them in the right spot (~10 seconds), then (2) pair up all remaining 8 edges (~15- 18 seconds).

3x3: Practice more 3x3. I do not know what you average on 3x3, but once you get your normal 3x3 times under 25-20 or even 15 seconds you should be around that same times on 4x4. With that being said though, there is parity on 4x4 which could take you a few more seconds, but if you know fast parity algs and can execute them at a good speed then it should not take you to much longer. If I get OLL and Pll parity then that on average adds about 3-5 seconds to my times, plus I already am about 2-3 seconds slower on 4x4 (3x3 stage) so on average I am around 14-15 on the 3x3 stage, not counting parity and with parity I could be around 18-20 secounds.

I am in no way great at 4x4 and there are a lot of other cubers that are much faster then I am , but I am sub 55 (soon to be sub 52), and I am sure that once you practices more 3x3 and 4x4 you will be soon averaging sub 1:10 - 1:00. Practice, patience and a lot of solves is key to getting sub 1:00, and once you get sub 45 give me some tips:D.
 

xyzzy

Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
Messages
2,879
Centers - 25
Edges - 35
3x3 - 30
Average - 1:30
Tips?

My splits are something like 13/26/24 for pure redux, which is somewhat faster than I was about a year ago, when I wrote this post (a few pages ago in this thread):
What sqAree said [use Yau], but if you choose not to switch to Yau or Hoya and stick to reduction, there's plenty of room for improvement on the centres and edges. I average 1:20 with redux and my splits are roughly 16-34-30.

For your centres, you should try to be colour neutral. Plan one whole centre and look ahead into the second centre during the inspection, and make sure you know your colour scheme well enough that you don't pause to think about stuff like "wait, does white go above green or below?". (Also applies to Yau and Hoya, except the colour neutrality bit. It's arguable whether CN helps with those methods.)

For your edges, I think it's just plain lookahead training that you need. Even with the beginner's method, you can form two edge pairs in around 8 moves, so at your current level, you don't need very high tps for your edge pairing to get faster. Stop doing timed solves and do slow, untimed solves instead, and always try to be aware of which edges you're going to pair next.

I'd still highly recommend learning Yau over staying with reduction, however. I average 51.x with Yau compared to ~1:05 with reduction, and most other people find Yau easier to get fast at too.
 
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Kevin S

Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2018
Messages
16
Hi, I just got a 4x4 (literally today lol) and plan on learning the reduction method after I attempt intuitive. When do you know you are ready for another method, such as yau?
 

One Wheel

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
2,883
Location
Wisconsin
WCA
2016BAIR04
Hi, I just got a 4x4 (literally today lol) and plan on learning the reduction method after I attempt intuitive. When do you know you are ready for another method, such as yau?
When you can solve it via reduction (which is intuitive, other than parity) and want to get faster, you're ready to learn Yau. (Or Hoya, if that's what makes you happy.)
 

Kevin S

Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2018
Messages
16
When you can solve it via reduction (which is intuitive, other than parity) and want to get faster, you're ready to learn Yau. (Or Hoya, if that's what makes you happy.)
ok ty!


OK. So I have a new method. At least... I think. It is for solving the centers for reduction in a heavily algorithmic manner, which is the most effective way to solve for me. I have one problem. I want a more efficient way of checking that your centers are correct. Preferably, no need to check at all. Just an algorithm that swaps centers and inserts F2L pairs. I also don't know if this is a method already. This is also not a method for speed solving, just for being more efficient at reduction method. If you'd like to help or know how it is done, please request it by replying or PMing me. Thank you!
 

xyzzy

Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
Messages
2,879
OK. So I have a new method. At least... I think. It is for solving the centers for reduction in a heavily algorithmic manner, which is the most effective way to solve for me. I have one problem. I want a more efficient way of checking that your centers are correct. Preferably, no need to check at all. Just an algorithm that swaps centers and inserts F2L pairs. I also don't know if this is a method already. This is also not a method for speed solving, just for being more efficient at reduction method. If you'd like to help or know how it is done, please request it by replying or PMing me. Thank you!
Sorry, I don't think most people can follow your description. Are you talking about a layer-by-layer type of method or a reduction type of method? (You say "reduction", but solving F2L pairs is not normally done during the reduction stage, and especially not while solving the centres.)
 

Kevin S

Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2018
Messages
16
Sorry, I don't think most people can follow your description. Are you talking about a layer-by-layer type of method or a reduction type of method? (You say "reduction", but solving F2L pairs is not normally done during the reduction stage, and especially not while solving the centres.)
Sorry, it is a reduction method, where you solve the centers, pair the edges, then solve it like a 3x3.

I have found the way to switch centers for my system, but I still need it to become a shorter algorithm, for it is mostly intuitive. It would be easier if you PMed me if you would like to contribute an idea.

I don't feel life learning Yau 4, so I was wondering how fast I could get with redux.
 
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