Advice To Improve My Times

[Tyrannous]

Hey guys, I know there are a lot of threads on ppl who want advice to improve their times, so i figured i could be just one more to ask.

Ok, so my cubing goal is to be a sub 25 avg, I ask you from seeing the video below do you think this would be possible, and if so, what can i do to improve my times to be near that level.

The video shows an average solve for me, as I avg around 45secs. I use intuitive F2L with 2LOLL and full PLL (nearly, like 18 PLL's). I am trying to improve my look ahead, but other than that, what should i do?

 

[Dimeg]

i'd say try to minimize the cube rotations..
holding the cube in one position should buy you some time

 

[Tyrannous]

i'd say try to minimize the cube rotations..
holding the cube in one position should buy you some time

Thanks, ill try it, though i imagine recognition will be tough trying it, even no cube rotations in LL?

 

[MrMoney]

Well, I will just throw things out here:

- Do not turn so much with your whole wrist, use fingers more.
- Go SLOWER and be conscious where the other pieces are. Once you recognize an f2l case execute it while looking for the next pair. Your eyes do not need to see you do a R U Ri, look for next. And when you do recognize a pair, do not "shoot" out the algorith since it distorts your lookahead.

- Most people will say do not learn all OLL and PLL untill your F2l is good enough, I am more on the part that knowing all algorithms from start is not a bad idea.

All in all, your F2L needs to grossly improve.

 

[Zane_C]

I know you have probably heard this plenty of times before, LOOK AHEAD for your F2L. you had a lot of pauses. Make use of empty slots and maby learn keyholes, however I find it faster to ignore key holes because I don't like D turns.

 

[MrMoney]

Cuberotations are nececcary on 50% of all f2l cases (unless "hidden" in doublelayer turns). The problem is if you use 2rotations for 1 case, that means you could do it with NO cuberotations. If you have 2 pairs that need no rotation, and 2 pairs that need one, it is easy to understand what cases to do first. Ofcourse, this requires experience, lookahead and understanding of how the edges move.

 

[Tyrannous]

Cuberotations are nececcary on 50% of all f2l cases (unless "hidden" in doublelayer turns). The problem is if you use 2rotations for 1 case, that means you could do it with NO cuberotations. If you have 2 pairs that need no rotation, and 2 pairs that need one, it is easy to understand what cases to do first. Ofcourse, this requires experience, lookahead and understanding of how the edges move.

Yeah i understand what you mean, but i think practice will make me be able to see that more, overall awareness of pairs in F2L, ie lookahead seems to be what i expected, but cube rotations i didnt think would shave much off my time, suppose now that i look back, it would actally cut a lot of time off because i do turn it a lot lol

 

[Tyrannous]

I know you have probably heard this plenty of times before, LOOK AHEAD for your F2L. you had a lot of pauses. Make use of empty slots and maby learn keyholes, however I find it faster to ignore key holes because I don't like D turns.

I might sound quite nub like here, but what are keyholes in a brief sentence? And yeah i did have a lot of pauses, my recognition isnt the best, even on my OLL, look ahead is hard if im minimising my cube rotations though =/, I think after a hell of a lot of practice ill get there lol

thanks Zane

 

[Edward]

A post I made earlier, with some things added/removed.


In a perfect, transition-pause-less world, I'm sub 15. Good transition between steps is one of the most important things (the only things more important are look-ahead and alg speed). Our F2l Is about the same (I'm only a bit faster). Just improve your transitions and PLL speed.
This can help you improve your transition.
Also turning a slower and looking ahead to the next step can help, i.e. looking to OLL while on the last F2L pair, Looking to PLL while on OLL, ect.

For PLL speed, just go through all of them, check the algs, and practice them. If you have a very "locky", long, or slow alg, learn a new one (You can get algs at the wiki, but I used Badmephisto.com, and Joels speedcubing page.) . I used to use a horrible 19 move G-perm that I found myself...
If you have algs that you know are optimal and/or fingertricky/fast, just practice them till you can sub 2 them (I need a new z and n perm). Shouldn't take too long to weed out the slow algs.
Badmephisto PLLs
Joel's Speedcubing Page PLL's

Also, your cross seems to need a bit of work... You should be sub 2.5 cross in no time.
Here ya go.
Oh and this too.

Another VERY important factor (as you already know) is the F2L look-ahead. I don't need to go into much detail about it, as you are already practicing it.
F2L Look-ahead "tutorial"


Lastly... LESS CUBE ROTATIONS
Watch this...

Other things you might want to consider:
Finishing up PLL (almost mandatory)
Partial edge control (What I'm using until I finish OLL) (Tutorial)

 

[MrMoney]

I counted around 22 cubeturns

 

[Zane_C]

I know you have probably heard this plenty of times before, LOOK AHEAD for your F2L. you had a lot of pauses. Make use of empty slots and maby learn keyholes, however I find it faster to ignore key holes because I don't like D turns.

I might sound quite nub like here, but what are keyholes in a brief sentence? And yeah i did have a lot of pauses, my recognition isnt the best, even on my OLL, look ahead is hard if im minimising my cube rotations though =/, I think after a hell of a lot of practice ill get there lol

thanks Zane

Basically you just use a free slot to insert an individual corner or edge.

Keyhole example:

set up: D' L' U' L D
execution: D' L' U L D

If you wanted to insert an edge you might do something like this:

set up: D R U R' D'
execution: D R U' R' D'

With the edge type of keyhole (above) I prefer to do something like this:

set up: R2 U R' U' R2
execution: R2 U R U' R2

By the way ignore the fact that you are solving 2 F2L pairs, because these empty slots are being used it's just coincidence if the slot fills.

I hope you understood this. Just play around with the keyhole examples I gave you and it'll catch.

 

[Tyrannous]

A post I made earlier, with some things added/removed.


In a perfect, transition-pause-less world, I'm sub 15. Good transition between steps is one of the most important things (the only things more important are look-ahead and alg speed). Our F2l Is about the same (I'm only a bit faster). Just improve your transitions and PLL speed.
This can help you improve your transition.
Also turning a slower and looking ahead to the next step can help, i.e. looking to OLL while on the last F2L pair, Looking to PLL while on OLL, ect.

For PLL speed, just go through all of them, check the algs, and practice them. If you have a very "locky", long, or slow alg, learn a new one (You can get algs at the wiki, but I used Badmephisto.com, and Joels speedcubing page.) . I used to use a horrible 19 move G-perm that I found myself...
If you have algs that you know are optimal and/or fingertricky/fast, just practice them till you can sub 2 them (I need a new z and n perm). Shouldn't take too long to weed out the slow algs.
Badmephisto PLLs
Joel's Speedcubing Page PLL's

Also, your cross seems to need a bit of work... You should be sub 2.5 cross in no time.
Here ya go.
Oh and this too.

Another VERY important factor (as you already know) is the F2L look-ahead. I don't need to go into much detail about it, as you are already practicing it.
F2L Look-ahead "tutorial"

Other things you might want to consider:
Finishing up PLL (almost mandatory)
Partial edge control (What I'm using until I finish OLL) (Tutorial)

Thanks very much edward, very helpful, I think cross and F2L will be my focus and then after thats up to par ill move onto OLL and PLL practice, yeah some of my PLL's are quite slow, got them off:
http://www.ws.binghamton.edu/fridrich/system.html#last

OLL's are so long so i think this might be my last step to learn full OLL, or is this a bad move?

 

[Edward]

'Post I made'

Thanks very much edward, very helpful, I think cross and F2L will be my focus and then after thats up to par ill move onto OLL and PLL practice, yeah some of my PLL's are quite slow, got them off:
http://www.ws.binghamton.edu/fridrich/system.html#last

OLL's are so long so i think this might be my last step to learn full OLL, or is this a bad move?

Not really. Its what I'm doing so I can't say anything against it.

 

[Tyrannous]

I know you have probably heard this plenty of times before, LOOK AHEAD for your F2L. you had a lot of pauses. Make use of empty slots and maby learn keyholes, however I find it faster to ignore key holes because I don't like D turns.

I might sound quite nub like here, but what are keyholes in a brief sentence? And yeah i did have a lot of pauses, my recognition isnt the best, even on my OLL, look ahead is hard if im minimising my cube rotations though =/, I think after a hell of a lot of practice ill get there lol

thanks Zane

Basically you just use a free slot to insert an individual corner or edge.

Keyhole example:

set up: D' L' U' L D
execution: D' L' U L D

If you wanted to insert an edge you might do something like this:

set up: D R U R' D'
execution: D R U' R' D'

With the edge type of keyhole (above) I prefer to do something like this:

set up: R2 U R' U' R2
execution: R2 U R U' R2

By the way ignore the fact that you are solving 2 F2L pairs, because these empty slots are being used it's just coincidence if the slot fills.

I hope you understood this. Just play around with the keyhole examples I gave you and it'll catch.

thanks, i sortofish get it, seems a little bit complicated at first, but ill probably catch on i hope, thanks for the examples and explanation

 

[ZamHalen]

I would try doing some edge control.Not full edge control but enough to get either the line or L case because the no edge case takes awhile to do.I'm not sure what to say about F2L because eventually it should get better with some messing around.Also if you try keyhole give u a shot instead of D if your like Zane C.

 

[vcuber13]

key hole is basically when you use a hole to make things easier
so of you have the LF edge in the right place but the corner isnt and the RF slot is empty you can do a D then insert the LFD corner into the RFD corner place and then do a D' to put it back in place.
or if the corner is in the right place and you dont want to do the beginner method alg you can turn it out of the way insert the edge and then reset the corner

 

[Tyrannous]

key hole is basically when you use a hole to make things easier
so of you have the LF edge in the right place but the corner isnt and the RF slot is empty you can do a D then insert the LFD corner into the RFD corner place and then do a D' to put it back in place.
or if the corner is in the right place and you dont want to do the beginner method alg you can turn it out of the way insert the edge and then reset the corner

Ahh yes i get it now lol, that would be very useful for my F2L

Thanks