Caleb Valenzuela's progression thread - Road to 3x3 world champion/NR holder // championship grind apparently is starting again

[acrystal]

But he knows how to scramble it LOL

i know how to solve a clock, but i dont have one
(tuff)

 

[Martyt7777]

i know how to solve a clock, but i dont have one
(tuff)

I’m learning how to solve an FTO (100+ aura points)

 

[Caleb Valenzuela]

guess who snatched yet another comp

Registrations for Cebu Cool Off 2026 | World Cube Association

The World Cube Association governs competitions for mechanical puzzles that are operated by twisting groups of pieces, commonly known as 'twisty puzzles'. The most famous of these puzzles is the Rubik's Cube, invented by professor Rubik from Hungary. A selection of these puzzles are chosen as...

www.worldcubeassociation.org

also
@CubeLite
i’m competing in your favorite event

sigh (syebuincg mention?????)

my times weren’t really that great at this comp, they were enough to get podium, but all of them could have been so much better.

2x2 Finals: 2.96 average the first solve was a 2.77, but I had too many lockups despite being able to one-look the solve. I also got a 3.08+2, which counted a 3.81. I was able to get a 1.72, but it didn’t really matter much anyway. Third place (podium, but first place was VERY much possible, since the winning average was only like 2.43)
3x3 R1: 9.09 average I messed up cross like 3 times, and the first solve could have been much better since I forced a free pair, but my cross wasn’t solved yet. My turning was also pretty bad, and the scrambles were decent, so I basically just fumbled the round.
3x3 R2: 8.16 average. Very mid, I also had a 7.4 which had like a 1 move 1x2x2 block AND a free pair, and while I was able to utilize it, I paused the third and fourth pair. Not a single sub-7 (let alone sub-7.4) solve.
3x3 Finals: 8.50 average. It was very consistent for the most part (if you ignore the 10, all solves were within 0.6 seconds of each other), but it just wasn’t good for my standards. I still managed to podium though.
3x3 OH Finals: 15.02 APB OH WR average!!! The solves were:
12.92
14.49
20.xx (idk it was a +2 but it would have still been the worse solve)
13.98 (sune PLL skip)
16.59
I messed up the pseudo-223 on the 13, so it could have been a 12 or a 11 without it. I also think there were 3 V perms in the average
Skewb Finals: 6.69 PR average! (yay). I only just started practicing skewb a few days before the comp, but I think my results were similar to what I get at home, but the first solve had a 2 move layer, into a double-sledge, into a Z perm (iirc). I locked up on the layer though, and my Z perms on skewb are like 2 seconds because I do the one with 3 sledges, and I regrip for each sledge so meh

Overall: Atleast I got third place in 2x2, 3x3, and 3OH, which is still a win (I’m not disappointed by that), but my times could have been better considering I do average 6.8. I also noticed a pattern with my solves:
if I’m not pausing, my turning is bad
If I’m turning well, my lookahead disappears partially
If my turning and lookahead are good, then I get a good solve (in my case now, that’s a low-mid 6)

Now that my comp rush is over, I can finally start learning ZB and drilling C+2!

 

[Caleb Valenzuela]

sigh (syebuincg mention?????)

my times weren’t really that great at this comp, they were enough to get podium, but all of them could have been so much better.

2x2 Finals: 2.96 average the first solve was a 2.77, but I had too many lockups despite being able to one-look the solve. I also got a 3.08+2, which counted a 3.81. I was able to get a 1.72, but it didn’t really matter much anyway. Third place (podium, but first place was VERY much possible, since the winning average was only like 2.43)
3x3 R1: 9.09 average I messed up cross like 3 times, and the first solve could have been much better since I forced a free pair, but my cross wasn’t solved yet. My turning was also pretty bad, and the scrambles were decent, so I basically just fumbled the round.
3x3 R2: 8.16 average. Very mid, I also had a 7.4 which had like a 1 move 1x2x2 block AND a free pair, and while I was able to utilize it, I paused the third and fourth pair. Not a single sub-7 (let alone sub-7.4) solve.
3x3 Finals: 8.50 average. It was very consistent for the most part (if you ignore the 10, all solves were within 0.6 seconds of each other), but it just wasn’t good for my standards. I still managed to podium though.
3x3 OH Finals: 15.02 APB OH WR average!!! The solves were:
12.92
14.49
20.xx (idk it was a +2 but it would have still been the worse solve)
13.98 (sune PLL skip)
16.59
I messed up the pseudo-223 on the 13, so it could have been a 12 or a 11 without it. I also think there were 3 V perms in the average
Skewb Finals: 6.69 PR average! (yay). I only just started practicing skewb a few days before the comp, but I think my results were similar to what I get at home, but the first solve had a 2 move layer, into a double-sledge, into a Z perm (iirc). I locked up on the layer though, and my Z perms on skewb are like 2 seconds because I do the one with 3 sledges, and I regrip for each sledge so meh

Overall: Atleast I got third place in 2x2, 3x3, and 3OH, which is still a win (I’m not disappointed by that), but my times could have been better considering I do average 6.8. I also noticed a pattern with my solves:
if I’m not pausing, my turning is bad
If I’m turning well, my lookahead disappears partially
If my turning and lookahead are good, then I get a good solve (in my case now, that’s a low-mid 6)

Now that my comp rush is over, I can finally start learning ZB and drilling C+2!

now that I think about it
my brain is panicking because it doesn’t know why I did so poorly at this comp despite having decent lookahead (few pauses on most of the solves)
I think it was my turning? Because I locked up a lot, and I’m a TPS reliant solver (blue-collar solver), so having a lower TPS due to lockups meant my solves would be significant slower.
My Makati comp had good turning but more pauses, which I guess lead to better solves. When I had good turning and good lookahead, then I got a mid-low 6

idk
I think I’m overthinking

 

[SpeedCubingLord]

now that I think about it
my brain is panicking because it doesn’t know why I did so poorly at this comp despite having decent lookahead (few pauses on most of the solves)
I think it was my turning? Because I locked up a lot, and I’m a TPS reliant solver (blue-collar solver), so having a lower TPS due to lockups meant my solves would be significant slower.
My Makati comp had good turning but more pauses, which I guess lead to better solves. When I had good turning and good lookahead, then I got a mid-low 6

idk
I think I’m overthinking

honestly found a way ti get over nerves this comp.

think about this, you have more rounds next comp, this comp doesnt matter that much, and focus on the fact that you shouldnt be nervous because of yiur skills. it worked for my last solve of my last round in tidays comp lol

 

[CubeLite]

sigh (syebuincg mention?????)

my times weren’t really that great at this comp, they were enough to get podium, but all of them could have been so much better.

2x2 Finals: 2.96 average the first solve was a 2.77, but I had too many lockups despite being able to one-look the solve. I also got a 3.08+2, which counted a 3.81. I was able to get a 1.72, but it didn’t really matter much anyway. Third place (podium, but first place was VERY much possible, since the winning average was only like 2.43)
3x3 R1: 9.09 average I messed up cross like 3 times, and the first solve could have been much better since I forced a free pair, but my cross wasn’t solved yet. My turning was also pretty bad, and the scrambles were decent, so I basically just fumbled the round.
3x3 R2: 8.16 average. Very mid, I also had a 7.4 which had like a 1 move 1x2x2 block AND a free pair, and while I was able to utilize it, I paused the third and fourth pair. Not a single sub-7 (let alone sub-7.4) solve.
3x3 Finals: 8.50 average. It was very consistent for the most part (if you ignore the 10, all solves were within 0.6 seconds of each other), but it just wasn’t good for my standards. I still managed to podium though.
3x3 OH Finals: 15.02 APB OH WR average!!! The solves were:
12.92
14.49
20.xx (idk it was a +2 but it would have still been the worse solve)
13.98 (sune PLL skip)
16.59
I messed up the pseudo-223 on the 13, so it could have been a 12 or a 11 without it. I also think there were 3 V perms in the average
Skewb Finals: 6.69 PR average! (yay). I only just started practicing skewb a few days before the comp, but I think my results were similar to what I get at home, but the first solve had a 2 move layer, into a double-sledge, into a Z perm (iirc). I locked up on the layer though, and my Z perms on skewb are like 2 seconds because I do the one with 3 sledges, and I regrip for each sledge so meh

Overall: Atleast I got third place in 2x2, 3x3, and 3OH, which is still a win (I’m not disappointed by that), but my times could have been better considering I do average 6.8. I also noticed a pattern with my solves:
if I’m not pausing, my turning is bad
If I’m turning well, my lookahead disappears partially
If my turning and lookahead are good, then I get a good solve (in my case now, that’s a low-mid 6)

Now that my comp rush is over, I can finally start learning ZB and drilling C+2!

Wwww skewb PR : DDD

 

[mdcuber9]

and my Z perms on skewb are like 2 seconds because I do the one with 3 sledges, and I regrip for each sledge so meh

not me who uses a 4 sledge z perm

 

[acrystal]

not me who uses a 4 sledge z perm

BRUH WHAT

 

[Caleb Valenzuela]

honestly found a way ti get over nerves this comp.

think about this, you have more rounds next comp, this comp doesnt matter that much, and focus on the fact that you shouldnt be nervous because of yiur skills. it worked for my last solve of my last round in tidays comp lol

the thing is
I wasn’t nervous
it’s like my hands just weren’t having it

 

[mdcuber9]

BRUH WHAT

LOL I can do it sub-1.5 tho

 

[acrystal]

LOL I can do it sub-1.5 tho

i cant even do Sarahs Z-perm in 3 seconds

 

[mdcuber9]

I need to learn the new one lol