Ayce's progression to sub-10 on 3x3. | Clock time! |

[Ayce]

Annoucning: BIG N' BLIND SEPTEMBER (original name ikik)
Its not a competition, just going to dedicate the entire month to everything 3BLD or 5x5 and up. I just want to see improvement in these areas and I believe this is the best move for me.

 

[Ayce]

Need help with memo, how am I supposed to do it? I’ve been putting corners into words and edges into audio but I always forget it, I end up forgetting it the moment I put on the blindfold. Jack Cai talked about “even reviewing” and “grouping” How does everyone else do it?

 

[Eli Apperson]

Need help with memo, how am I supposed to do it? I’ve been putting corners into words and edges into audio but I always forget it, I end up forgetting it the moment I put on the blindfold. Jack Cai talked about “even reviewing” and “grouping” How does everyone else do it?

For corners I use the roman room/memory palace technique, since my desk is right beside a staircase, I'll put my first letter pair words on the first step, the next on the landing, and so on and so forth. Idk if that's the best way to do it, but it works well for me.

 

[Jorian Meeuse]

At your level (judging from previous posts) I would not recommend using audio edges yet. Ideally, you want to split everything into letter pairs. So BAGIPTKSH on corners would become BA GI PT KS H. For consistency's sake, you want to have a letter pair to word conversion list prepared. This takes a lot of time to make though, and I don't think it's worth the effort yet. Just come up with words on the fly. I use Dutch words in my solves but for this example you could think of BA = baby, GI = gift, PT = pet, KS = kiss. H, the parity target, can just be memorized as H on its own, since one letter is not too hard to remember i suppose. Now make a story out of it: A baby has been given a gift, it is a pet, and because he is so happy with it, he gives the pet a kiss. To make memorizing the story even easier, you can use the so-called method of loci. Timothy Goh has a cool tutorial on it on youtube.
Just use words or edges as well until you are sub 1.
As for the 'forgetting it the moment I put on the blindfold', make sure to review the memo once without looking at the cube. Then, if you aren't sure, you can check afterwards if you were right or not.

Really, it's all about practise. I used to find this hard as well, but after doing thousands of attempts, you start memorizing the corners without a story, just a random set of words, which can only work if the memory is short term. This is also why audio edges is only applicable when you are around sub 1. Anything above that is just too much time to retain audio.

If you need any more help or if this is just unclear (I really don't know if this explanation is a mess or not) just ask it.

Oh and funny side note: translating my hypothetical Dutch story for BAGIPTKSH, it would be a baby putting a watering can in his cap and then eating some cheese.

 

[Ayce]

Big Update! its not actually big but rather the cubes I was- ah forget it...

Only practicing big cubes for the past week and a half has helped my times pretty tremendously, here's a status update.

4x4
I know that 4x4 isn't technically a big cube, its a refresher to long big cubes. Tons of sub-1 singles for 4x4, and I'm starting to average low 1:00s,
Mo3: 1:01.99
Ao5: 1:02.03
Ao12: 1:04.82
Ao100: 1:13.11

5x5
Single: 1:59.47
Mo3: 2:16.23
Ao5: 2:22.95
Ao12: 2:33.35
5x5 feels so small after practicing 7x7

6x6
Literally broke I kid you not
I know I said 6x6 and 7x7 will be combined but that's just not practical now.
It broke, I don't know what else to say.

7x7
Single: 7:39.94
Mo3: 8:05.17
Ao5: 8:14.70
Ao12: 8:33.98
I'm still figuring out how to do L2C without commutators.

3BLD
2 sucesses!

4BLD
The algs are so hard...
It's crazy, I feel like I'm scrambling it but then the last 2 moves circles everything back.

 

[Ayce]

Is there a good way to fix this? My way is too slow and there has to be a better way.

 

[Abram Grimsley]

View attachment 20760Is there a good way to fix this? My way is too slow and there has to be a better way.

Pull out the wings and put them back in the right way. Lol

 

[Timona]

View attachment 20760Is there a good way to fix this? My way is too slow and there has to be a better way.

From Cuberoot.

 

[Ayce]

Small Update!
Got some questions about big cubes, but here's my records.

Clock:
Ao12: 8.16
Ao1000: 9.63

4x4:
Inching closer towards sub-1 averages.
Mo3: 1:00.52
Ao100: 1:12.50

3BLD:
Accuracy going up! Don't feel like reporting records as I don't put in DNFs in my session as it would clog it up too much XD.

5x5:
Single: 1:57.16
Mo3: 2:07.72
Ao5: 2:12.22
Ao12: 2:20.69
Ao100: 2:46.83
Alright so I got my splits for 5x5 solves, tell me what I need to work on and how I should do it. I use redux. I did three solves (all with parity), here are the means. Let me know if I missed a step or I should break it down further. I average low 16 on 3x3 for perspective.

First 2 Centers	All Centers Finished	All Edges Finished	3x3	FINAL TIMES (mo3)
16.74	29.45	1:14.03	27.45	2:32.95

7x7:
Single: 6:54.85
Mo3: 7:32.26
Ao5: 7:48.81
Ao12: 8:20.13
Same thing as 5x5, redux, average low 16 on 3x3. I'm learning how to not use comms for L2C and I can do it up to the last 2 outer bars.

First 2 Centers	All Centers Finished	All Edges Finished	3x3	FINAL TIMES (mo3)
1:26.30	2:30.04	2:53.63	28.63	7:18.61

All being said, I enjoy this event. I feel that I would like 6x6 more but this feels relaxing. It also feels much more natural as I have large hands.

Final Notes:
Another update! Going to continue big cubes, still saving up for 6x6. Thanks to whoever reads all of this <3

 

[Ayce]

Medium Update!

I've been intentionally holding off on posting for a bit. But I'm here and I got news!

3x3:
Ao100: 15.42
Ao1000: 15.99
SUB 16 LETS GO!!!

4x4:
Ao100: 1:09.89
Most of the competitions in my area has a cutoff of 1:10 so now I'm confident I can start doing 4x4!

5x5:
Single: 1:52.46
Mo3: 2:02.08
Ao5: 2:02.08 weird
Ao12: 2:09.78
Ao100: 2:28.16

7x7:
Single: 6:23.12
Mo3: 7:04.28
Ao5: 7:22.39 Got this one on the weekly competiton
Ao12: 7:47.84

Clock:
Ao100: 8.91
Ao1000: 9.53

Final Notes:
So! A few months ago, I said that I have no idea how I'll get sub 16, now I'm sub 16. I want to say I have no idea how I'll get sub 15, but that wouldn't age well. Thank you to whoever reads all of this <3

 

[Ayce]

BIG UPDATE!!


Look how polite he looks holding the 4x4

Also I got my first ever sub-10 single 9.87

 

[Filipe Teixeira]

Look how polite he looks holding the 4x4

he looks creepy

Also I got my first ever sub-10 single 9.87

congrats!!

 

[Ayce]

Well I think you look creepy,
thanks!

 

[Filipe Teixeira]

Well I think you look creepy,
thanks!

no u

 

[abunickabhi]

BIG UPDATE!!

View attachment 21302
Look how polite he looks holding the 4x4

Also I got my first ever sub-10 single 9.87

Nice congrats on your sub-10 single yo.

 

[Ayce]

Big Update!
So I guess its about time to return to this thread, got some news too.

3x3
Single: 9.87
Ao100: 15.32
Ao1000: 15.90
There is something so legendary about sub-10, its like completing a game that you've worked on forever, or that one project you thought you've never finish. I've always seen sub-10 single as the big goal of cubing, like once you get there, you have completed CUBING, THE HOBBY. And you start to ease into the advanced cubing parts, where turning style and finger trick and lookahead efficiency is the difference between making the next round or being knocked out. Thanks for all of you reading this, this thread has probably saved my love for cubing.

4x4
Ao100: 1:09.19
Sub-1s are more and more common
I've outgrown my MGC and I'm simply going a little too fast for it, I'm getting a new high-end 4x4 for Christmas. Love this cube.

5x5
Single: 1:49.05 good stuff
Mo3: 2:02.07 .01 second drop
Ao12: 2:33.35
Ao100: 2:23.79
Good to see progress in this event

6x6
ITS NOT BROKEN! I finally got a new one! Another MGC 6x6 and they shipped my cube with two tiles in the wrong spot so...
Single: 4:17.37 Not bad for a starter who has a 6:23 pb in 7x7
Mo3: 4:33.80
Ao5: 4:33.80
Ao12: 4:43.36
Only have 15 solves so the session isn't really fleshed out, gimme a month or two and I'll show what I can do on the 6x6 for real

7x7
Ao12: 7:39.22

Square-1
After seeing the world record being broken twice at Northeast Championships, I wanted to learn it, I was scared of parity but I learned it in a solid 5 minutes of focusing.
Single: 43.66
Mo3: 59.55
Ao5: 59.72
No Ao12 as I don't have that many solves on session. There's always something so nice about learning a new event, being a beginner at something is great as its pretty hard to not improve.

Clock
Ao1000: 9.42

Skewb
Picked this event back up, I used to main this event I guess I put it down and forgot about it, first solve a center piece pops out and a instantly remember why I don't like this event much. Anyone know how to put a center back in a wingy skewb?

Final Notes:
So, I'm back! Hockey season started and I've had no time for stuff outside of it. I'll be doing my best to keep this updated. Thanks to whoever reads all of this <3

 

[Jorian Meeuse]

I've always seen sub-10 single as the big goal of cubing, like once you get there, you have completed CUBING, THE HOBBY.

I used to think that as well, but once you achieve sub 10 average it is going to feel like it is only the beginning. Really funny how the human brain works.

 

[Ayce]

Just picked up my Aosu, if I want to slow down my 4x4 (without causing a repeat of the squeaking) what should I buy? I always go to SCS for my lube because its a really simple product, but all their heavy stuff is sold out. What should I buy?

 

[Ayce]

Competition coming up! Made some changes and working on some new things I’ll discuss here

Going to a comp in April, my goals before the competition goes as follows:

• Finish learning OLL, currently have about 8-10 left, I think it’s about time to finish that, plus I could use a .5 second boost in my times.
• Be able to comfortably get sub-1 4x4 solves. I currently range from 1:00 to about 1:10, with a sub 1 every ten or so solves, the cutoff is exactly 1:00, my L4C could use some work.
• Get Square-1 times down, cutoff is 40 seconds, I don’t practice it but my times are 50 seconds without pairity, if I learned a few more algs I think I can get that down pretty easy.
• Decide whether to do 2x2, I don’t like 2x2, I just don’t, I use ortega and I average 6-7 seconds, but the whole event feels so annoying and I feel I could use the downtime to prepare for clock.

I’m having a dilemma with my main 3x3, I have either my ancient Angstrom GTS3M, or the YOO cube, I want a new feel that is slick and smooth but allows me to make really rough turns, GTS3M has some of the best corner cutting I’ve seen. The YOO cube (Weilong WRM 2021 with CubeHead’s customization) is super smooth and still has great corner cutting. I find myself using the YOO cube more and more so very likely I will be using that, but I will bring both and whichever cube I’m performing better on, I’ll use.

Clock is what I’m looking forward to, one round is the finals and I’m facing off against some decent talent from my area. I have a good shot at placing if any of the top 3 mess up and DNF their average, it’s clock so DNFs are common but these guys are at the top for a reason so I’m not betting on it.

With all of that out of the way, I need to put up some goals for the competition.

• Break a 15.50 average on 3x3, my current Ao5 PR is 15.50 so I might as well knock that off. My single PR is 12.52 and I think I can get that off if I get a good scramble but I’m not gonna make that an official goal
• Sub-9 clock average, sub-8 clock single, that would put me at around 5th in the state and I would comfortably finish around 5th in the competition.
• Get an official 4x4 average, this means completing all 5 solves, which means making the cutoff of 1 minute

I’ll update this as needed. Broke a couple of my PBs for averages so I’ll make a post soon discussing that. If anyone is going to Northampton Cubing B let me know! Thanks to whoever reads all of this <3

 

[Ayce]

BIG UPDATE!
Broke multiple single records, and the competition went really well for me!

3x3
Single: 9.02 broke my record twice, a 9.2 and now a 9.02 right before 3x3 in the competition
Mo3: 11.81
Ao5: 12.51
Ao12: 13.53
Ao100: 14.97
Ao1000: 15.37 getting closer to sub15 global average
Competition: 14.84 average, made round two and missed finals by .3 seconds, 13th overall finish

4x4
Single: 48.59 somehow broke this in competition, pretty wild
Mo3: 56.04
Ao5: 56.49 Also at competition??
Ao12: 1:00.87
Ao100: 1:05.90
Competition: 9th overall finish

Clock
Single: 5.70 finally broke this record after roughly two years
Mo3: 7.09
Ao5: 7.49
Ao12: 8.02
Ao100: 8.49
Ao1000: 9.05
Competition: Placed fifth overall with an 8.57 average in the first round and a not so good average in the finals.

Final Notes:
I competed in 2x2 despite the fact I hate the event and got a low 5 second average, I also made 4x4 finals even though I didn't even make cutoff, which I didn't know it was possible. The upcoming competition is in Cambridge, which means its going to be pretty big with some talented people there. I'll post my goals for that as it comes closer. Thanks! <3