Beginner's Guide to Choosing a Speedsolving Method

[ImmolatedMarmoset]

Thanks for all of the replies. I am going to move forward with learning Roux method for these reasons:

• It will appease my desire to understand how the solve works
• It can be used as a speed solving method
• It is not as repetitive as other methods which will make it more enjoyable for me and keep me motivated

Are there any recommended resources for learning the Roux method from beginner to advanced?

Thank you! We always enjoy more followers. (obviously doesn’t matter, but roux is fun. you will not regret it)

Sub-15 Guide to Roux
Kian’s Roux Guide

 

[Metallic Silver]

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

CFOP: This method is just easier to get fast with mostly because the majority of us used LBL as a beginner method. CFOP is just a faster method of LBL, solving the cross perfectly and instantly and solving the first layer and second layer in one progress. If you're very good with inspection planning, alg execution, and lookahead, CFOP would be the best choice. The only problem is that F2L is going to be a pain and it will take years of patience to get fast at.

Roux: This method can be a bit awkward, but you really have to get used to it. This method gives you more freedom where F2L pairs or blocks can be made much faster. Half came from Salvia background and half came from LBL background using this method. In this method, you just have to experience a lot with M-Slices and how M-Slices work with edge orientation and permutation. The only alg subset you'll be learning is CMLL. If you can blockbuild offset, know your color pieces very quickly, and strategize with M-slices, Roux would be good for you. The down side about this method is that when it comes to advanced Roux, everything will be offset from center piece color and you would have to get used to awkward blockbuilding, which also takes a lot of patience to practice on. LSE will also become awkward too when becoming advanced and will take a lot of strategizing such as predicting and knowing which move would solve quicker or in least fewer moves.

ZZ: This is the most flexible method out of everything. Doing EO (edge orientation) causes you to solve and blockbuild rotationlessly (which is why it's the best one-handed 3x3 method). F2L can be executed easily and very fingertrickable, as well as last layer can be done in one solve. Because of EO, this causes multiple variants of ZZ because of personal preference, which is why it's considered to be the most flexible. ZZ techniques and strategies can also be done very well and can really help you solve faster. The main problem about this method is that it is the most difficult speedcubing method. Even though it's "intermediate ZZ", it gets advanced and complicated super quickly. Doing EOLine is the most difficult beginner step and requires a lot of experience and practice to perform this step perfectly and fast. ZZF2L depends on you, whether doing regular CFOP F2L, pure blockbuilding, openslotting, or Chris Olson Style F2L fits you naturally, so you would have to experiment a lot. If you're good at detecting pieces very quickly, finding efficient move count, 3-gen fingertricking, step adapting in the middle of a speedsolve, and instant recognition, ZZ will make you super fast at 3x3 very quickly. Good luck getting advanced though, because that's where you're gonna have to practice all ZZ-techniques and apply them simultaneously while speedsolving, which is super difficult. (Practicing this method caused a lot of 3x3 CFOP cubers to be sub-10, because it really strengthens your lookahead and inspection prediction).

Petrus: This is the most efficient method because you have more freedom than Roux. With petrus, you can create huge blocks in fewer moves. Now putting it in speedsolving perspective, the fewer moves, the faster your time would be. This method is just pure blockbuilding and takes a lot of experience to be efficient and fast at it. No restrictions, just straight up solving blocks less than 30 moves. The 3rd step of Petrus also depends on you as well. There are different styles on how you do petrus: Old Skool/Regular style where you do EO, then solve 3x3x2 block, then COLL->EPLL or
LLE+1C->L3C; and then there's the Modern/OP Hybrid style where you just keep blockbuilding until you solve 3x3x2 block, then OLL->PLL. The bad thing about this method is that scrambles can be a b**** sometimes and you have to strategize a lot on how to execute in fewer moves and in comfortable positions. You're gonna also have to develop Petrus fingertricks too to deal with awkward movements. If you can blockbuild very fast and efficient, execute awkward moves, keep track on color pieces, and have very fast reaction or recognition in blocks, then Petrus would be good for you.

It really depends on you personally and on what abilities you have. I know there are others who don't fit in this category and those are: Columns First/SSC, Snyder, Corners First/Waterman, Edges First, XG/Keyhole, Tri or Hex Franciscos, CFCE, FreeFOP/SideFOP, Ribbon, Zipper, and others.

 

[Pyjam]

With Petrus, you will learn a lot of basic and essential concepts like block building, edge orientation, corner permutation, and so on. And there isn't a lot of algs. It will help for whatever method you choose after.

 

[PetrusQuber]

Do whatever you find most fun. Try all of the methods

 

[DerpBoiMoon]

who is actually method neatural?

 

[Metallic Silver]

who is actually method neatural?

That means using multiple methods right?
Me.

 

[ari(a cuber)]

so I tried roux and I couldn't get under sub 1 minute
so i dont want to do cfop because its to mainstream(in my opinion) and too much algs
zz doesn't seem much different than fildrich method
does anybody know any methods not related to cfop, and could get me under sub 30?

 

[WarriorCatCuber]

ZZ IS much different.
Petrus or Petrus-W or LEOR are also good.
There's also waterman, Ortega, Portico, and much more.
The ones with the best resources would be ZZ or Petrus/Petrus-W/LEOR
Also, you can't be sub-1 minute in one day with any method. When I first started with ZZ, I averages 2:30. So you should still consider roux.

 

[Hazel]

Almost literally any method can get you to sub-30. If you don't want a CFOP/ZZ-style method, Roux really is a good choice—you just have to give yourself time to break the 1-minute barrier. It's really fun once you get the hang of it

 

[ProStar]

ZZ is way different from CFOP, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're afraid of algs; ZZ's main weakness is that it requires a bunch of algs. With some practice, Roux can definitely get you sub-30. Just look at all the speedsolving methods and what makes them unique, and decide based on personal preference. Of mainstream methods, Petrus and roux are your best bets, because you said you don't like learning algs(Roux doesn't have that many algs, even at the highest level. Although Petrus LL can have a lot of algs[up to 493 for ZBLL], the majority of the method has none)

Edit: I compiled a list of methods that can get you sub-30(there may be more that I missed):

Pizel
Ribbon
Russo
ZZ
Waterman
Tripod
Sledgehog
L2L
Hahn
Hexagonal Francisco
Quadrangular Francisco
CFOP
CFCE
CFEC
FreeFOP
Corners First
PCMS
Petrus
Roux
Heise
Snyder
SSC
B2
LEOR
3-Style
MGLS
ZB
Petrus-W

(in short, any remotely decent method)

 

[ari(a cuber)]

could not find any recourse for leor,i want to try it. thank you pro star for all of those methods.

 

[WarriorCatCuber]

could not find any recourse for leor,i want to try it. thank you pro star for all of those methods.

LEOR resources :
LEOR discord server : https://discord.gg/FSMXqEB
LEOR wiki page : https://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/LEOR
@PapaSmurf also has an unlisted video tutorial, but I won't share it without his approval.

EDIT : https://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Category:3x3x3_speedsolving_methods this page contains all methods.

 

[ari(a cuber)]

thanks

 

[PetrusQuber]

Just know you’re not becoming sub 1 min through switching methods, that comes through practise

 

[Mischiiii]

I guess roux should be your bet even though you have trouble improving.

There is a reason why CFOP an Roux are the two most popular options right now.

Also if you want to learn a new method other than the 3 “Mainstream” method you gonna have a hard time finding recourses and tutorials online.

Also: Don’t use a other Method because you want to be “special” and not “mainstream”. That’s ridiculous. Use it because you have more fun with it and because you get better times with it. Everything else is showing off to impress others.

 

[WarriorCatCuber]

thanks

If you're interested in waterman, I can give you personal training through PMs.

 

[Owen Morrison]

It really needs to be understood that if you want to be good at big cubes you need to use CFOP.

 

[WarriorCatCuber]

It really needs to be understood that if you want to be good at big cubes you need to use CFOP.

I agree.

 

[brododragon]

It really needs to be understood that if you want to be good at big cubes you need to use CFOP.

I agree.

What aren't other methods viable for big cubes?

 

[Owen Morrison]

Because pretty much every other method requires that you have inspection before 3x3 stage which you can't get on those cubes. But also, because most big cube methods involve solving a white cross which is also not good if you use other methods.