Any Last Minute 5x5 Tips?

[pjk]

I need to drop below 3 min avg on the 5x5 within a day or so. I am currently around 3:10-3:15. What tips do you have? I was looking at the competition area and people are avg'ing close to 30 seconds, and avg'ing sub-3 on the 5x5, so this is more directed toward them, but anyone, please give your input if you have any suggestions.

How do you build your centers? Do you start off on a side and build a 1x3 middle block, then build another 1x3 and add it, and then add the last 1x3, and do this for all centers? It takes me around 1:05 avg to solve centers. I get the first 2 centers done in around 27 seconds avg.

How do you pair pieces? I pair pieces similar to on the 4x4 2-at-a-time. I find the edge in the lower left position, and find the middle edge, put it in, do the slice, and look in the lower right, find the center, and slice back to fix it. Then find the last edge to finish off a group, etc. Can you leave some tips on how you do the centers quickly, using your method? I do need to look ahead more, but I was wondering if I am missing something obvious.

My 3x3 solving stage takes like 30 seconds or less, so if I can get centers+edges down in 2:30 or less, that would be perfect. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks

Pat

 

[aznblur]

I build my centres using 1x3 blocks and 2x1 blocks. Depending on whats there.

The way I pair up my edges, I just do one at a time, so I spend less time looking around.

 

[AvGalen]

Three tips:
1) Watch my videos
2) LOOK AHEAD!!!!!!!
3) Talk to me on Friday night and I will teach you enough so you can get below 3 minutes on saturday.

This is how a solve for me works:

Centers: I prefer 1x3->2x3+3x3, but I also use 1x2->2x2->3x2->3x3 depending on the case.
1) Start color-neutral and find a way to make a 2x3 center block during pre-inspection. This will take between 4 and 8 moves depending on the scramble.
2) Finish first center while looking at the opposite center and preserving pieces of a 1x3 line that are already correct
3) Finish opposite center
4) Start with any of the last 4 centers that has an easy start
5) Start with the center that is not opposite to the previous one and has the easiest start
6) Finish centers. I end up with a "sune" about 75% of the time (r U r' U r U2 r')

Find or create a semi-pair and keep it on the higher left (watch my video). REMEMBER YOUR SEMI-PAIR!!! Now do the same as you already do, only in a different order:
1) Find the edge in the lower left position and say the colors of the sticker on the left, then on the front out loud (white-green for example). This white-green will be your d-slice-match.
2) Find the white-green middle edge, rotate it mentally so white-green is on the front-right side of the cube and say the colors that would be below white-green (orange-blue). This orange-blue will be your d'-slice-match
3) Now put the white-green middle edge at front-right while you look for the orange-blue middle edge
4) rotate the orange-blue piece mentally so orange-blue is on the front-right side of the cube and say the colors that would be below orange-blue(yellow-green). This yellow-green will be your NEXT d-slice-match. At this point you have only made 2 or 3 turns to put your first middle-edge at Front-Right, but you have already found the next piece and you know which piece to look for after that!
5) You can now do the 4x4x4 2-at-a-time-replacement (d-slice, replace white-green with orange-blue, d'-slice) WHILE you look for the yellow-green middle-edge, because that will be your next d-slice-match.
6) Repeat from step 2 untill you are done or left with parity (you will only get the "edge flip/swap" from http://bigcubes.com/5x5x5/lastedges.html)

Special cases: Orange blue (d'-slice-match) is middle ring (not U or D)
4-1) If the orange-blue middle edge is at the Back-Left or Back-Right position, use a B or B' move to put it on the Back-Up position before you do the d-slice
4-2) If the orange-blue middle edge is on the Front-Left or Front-Right, you have a special case (edge-swap/parity or simple match-flip-restore) that I will have to explain in a video or in person

Finally solve like a 3x3x3.

Your current steps take about 27 (1+2) + 38 (3+4+5+6) + 95 + 30 = 190 seconds.

A normal solve for me takes:
8 (1) + 12 (2) + 11 (3) + 10 (4) + 9 (5+6) = 50 seconds for centers
65 seconds for edge-pairing
50 seconds for 3x3x3

I think you could reach 55 + 80 + 30 = 165 seconds by saturday with these tips. I think you could reach 45 + 65 + 30 = 140 seconds within a few weeks.

Good luck, and see you friday-night (my plane lands on 19:50 Chicago(Midway))

 

[Erik]

Yep, what arnoud says though it is maybe good to try not to be left with 2 single pieces to swap on the last centers...

 

[pjk]

Thanks for the replies, that should help. Arnaud, are you bringing a laptop? If so, I can email you my room # when I get there so we can find a way to meet Friday, if that is fine with you. See you there.

 

[AvGalen]

I am not bringing a laptop. I am afraid it will got lost/stolen/damaged and I have no need for it anyway. I will just ask for your roomnumber at the desk, but I think it is more likely that I will see/hear cubers in the lobby/bar.

Expect me at the hotel between 21:00 and 21:30 and start practising that 5x5x5!

 

[ExoCorsair]

Fluidity is the key. Take the edges slowly if you have to, but keep moving. (Something I should work on, I usually just take each edge as quickly as I can and hope that I can find an edge during the execution of the previous edge, which usually yields a similar time. Although, when I first did that, my times dropped a good 10 seconds.)

I assume you're on a Professor Cube. Wrist trick more than finger trick.

Hm, you will need to be able to recognize patterns for the centers to get them significantly faster, imo.

For the first two centers, what usually works for me is to build more than one 1x2 block at once. Only build 1x3 blocks if they're no more than 2 moves. My reasoning behind this is that if you have a 1x2 block, you can insert that immediately with maybe 1-2 set-up moves, and you can spend that time looking for the other center pieces you need.

For the next two centers, build as many 1x2 blocks of one color as possible and try to insert blocks in the same setup move. The latter is easier, I think. Here's an ASCII art example:

B center:
ooo
oox
oox

U center:
ooo
oox
oox

F center:
ooo
xxo
ooo

Let x be your target color. I would do an F', then r', and then another r' before the F and r to fix rest of the centers.

Last two centers, build 1x2 blocks until you get a 2x3 block on one center.

A good rule of thumb is to look for easy cases. The "lightning bolt" and "L-shape" are pretty common (see http://www.bigcubes.com/5x5x5/centers.html)

 

[Rama]

Most people tries NOT to break the centers while edging up, but I'll break them that they are still 1x3 pieces, so the ''single'' edge flip alg R U' R' F' U2 F becomes just R2.

after I made 8 edges I will make the centers whole again and then I'll just pair up the last four edges.

 

[Erik]

Say Rama, you got that technique from Belgium open right?

 

[Rama]

Originally posted by Erik@Jun 13 2007, 09:46 PM
Say Rama, you got that technique from Belgium open right?

Really? hmm not that I am aware of

I knew that you tried to show me a method to solve 1 layer comletely and then you worked it out, but I don't recall

Great my OH cube is too loose and the screw I cannot tighten it, so I will put in a new kernel and screws in it this weekend, so whilst waiting I will practise the method I mentioned above and learn faster endings for the last 3/2 edges :huh:

 

[Erik]

Hmm anyway I heard Ron talking about something like it I'm not really sure anymore..
Oh and that method is not very fast for 5x5 best time for me is about 2:20..

 

[Rama]

Well I will meet Ron this weekend, so I will squeeze some tips out of him :rolleyes:

 

[Erik]

I'm jealous

 

[Rama]

Originally posted by Erik@Jun 13 2007, 11:01 PM
I'm jealous

You should be it is THE Ron van Bruchem B)

Btw. I have gotten an original 5x5 Meffert, I will prepare it this weekend too

It has screws, so that means no problems anymore that the kernel is too loose

 

[AvGalen]

Remember that PJK is asking for last minute tips. He has to break 3 minutes on the 5x5x5 on saturday to qualify for the finals on sunday. Changing method completely is not an option for him at this moment.