[Help Thread] CFOP F2l Sucks, Acually I Just Suck At It.

[pTr]

So, we all have this question: "How do I get better?" The answer is always: "Improve your F2l." or "Improve your lookahead."

But I say, "No, that's dumb. I can learn all of OLL and PLL and do that in 4 seconds, surely I can get a sub-20 average like that."

Well, I can't.

That version of me is dead now, and I want to learn better F2l. But with all these bad habits, I don't know what to do.

Here is one of my solves

scramble (Green as F, Yellow as U): U' B D2 B' D2 R2 D2 F U2 F' R2 F2 L' R F' D U' B R2 F' L'
Cross: x' U M' D' M'2 z2
F2l-1: R U' R' y' R' U' R (yeah, I know I did it wrong looking back, it's in the wrong slot. So I suck, that's what I said.)
F2l-2: M F' M'
F2l-3: U' R U R' U' R U R U R' U R
redoing f2l-1: d R' U' R
F2l-4: y' U' R U R' U2 R U' R' y' U' R' U R
OLL then PLL

Generated By csTimer on 2025-03-31
solves/total: 95/95

single
best: 18.05
worst: 44.27

Average: 27.96 (σ = 3.85)
Mean: 28.10

So I have a lot of room for improvement. But I don't know how to get my F2L to a better spot. I want to be able to solve sub-10 9/10 times, but I know that's a little unrealistic.

 

[Chicken-Cuber]

A few things.
Ok if you are really struggling with f2l I would recommend doing slow solved and getting solve criqtues but if that really isn't working I would try this F2L method I used to use but notice this is not as good as F2L with practice

It's called zeta slotting but its not as good as f2l but is a medium between CFOP and beginner method and its really easy and intuitive to understand

But honestly F2L is better in the long run you just need to practice OR you could switch to roux but since you seem good at OLL and PLL I think you would like cfop more. That's all and good luck! :v

 

[Fred]

I suggest lots of slow solves where you make sure to use good habits. If you go too fast, you'll automatically do your habitual (bad) stuff. Things to look out for: don't rotate twice for one F2L pair, don't regrip away from home grip if you don't need to, if you have to rotate do it in a way that leaves more solved back slots than front slots. I'd also suggest going through a list of F2L solutions such as https://speedcubedb.com/a/3x3/F2L and seeing if you can find any solutions you like more than your current ones (check solutions for all of the slots too), and making sure to use those new solutions when they come up in your solves.

 

[Jorian Meeuse]

Here are a few things that you could have improved on in that particular solve:
1. Make your cross on the bottom so you don't have to rotate. For example, z2 x' R Rw' F D' R'L would have solved the cross (and z2 x' R Rw' F D'U' R'L even makes it an x-cross)
2. Second pair of course you should have put in the right slot but you pointed that out yourself. The basis of the solution was good though. It should have been R U' R' U L' U' L
3. Your third pair can be done with U2 R' U2 R U R' U' R. Maybe you thought you can't split the pair up with L' U2 L because of the solved slot underneath, but you can just move it above an empty slot with U2 and do the solution from the back right. Or maybe you didn't know this solution yet, in which case, now you do.
4. Then for the fourth pair there are a few rotationless solutions like U' F U' R U' R' U2 F', U' L' U' L U2 L' U L U' L' U L or even U' L D L' U L D' F' L' F, but I think at this stage it is most important that you know the 'basic' solution for this F2L case, which is splittig the pair up with y' U' R U' R' and then inserting. The fact that this requires 2 rotations is secondary for now, I think it's more important that you first know a good solution for each case before expanding to rotationless solutions. Definitely never rotate *more* than twice for a pair, though!

Lastly, you should probably scramble white top green front, so you are used to that if you ever have to scramble for a competition.

 

[pTr]

Lastly, you should probably scramble white top green front, so you are used to that if you ever have to scramble for a competition.

Why is that?

 

[pTr]

Also, on second thought, should I learn HLS? I think it's 108 algs w/out mirrors.

Or any other cool/fun/good alg sets I could learn?

 

[Jorian Meeuse]

Why is that?

Because white top green front is the official scrambling orientation, and if you scramble in competition from the wrong orientation, it's a misscramble.

Also, on second thought, should I learn HLS? I think it's 108 algs w/out mirrors.

Or any other cool/fun/good alg sets I could learn?

No, just learn good F2L solutions

 

[pTr]

Because white top green front is the official scrambling orientation, and if you scramble in competition from the wrong orientation, it's a misscramble.

Ahhh, that makes sense...

 

[DA_BOY]

A few things.
Ok if you are really struggling with f2l I would recommend doing slow solved and getting solve criqtues but if that really isn't working I would try this F2L method I used to use but notice this is not as good as F2L with practice

It's called zeta slotting but its not as good as f2l but is a medium between CFOP and beginner method and its really easy and intuitive to understand

But honestly F2L is better in the long run you just need to practice OR you could switch to roux but since you seem good at OLL and PLL I think you would like cfop more. That's all and good luck! :v

Thats the f2l method I use
same exact tutorial I used to

 

[Filipe Teixeira]

git gud

 

[Chicken-Cuber]

Thats the f2l method I use
same exact tutorial I used to

ohhhhh then learn f2l algs

 

[finger go brr]

help this thread seems so serious i cant tell if its an april first joke

 

[pTr]

It's not... I suck at F2L... it's not a joke.

 

[finger go brr]

It's not... I suck at F2L... it's not a joke.

ok thanks for clarifying im so sorry ahaha

 

[pTr]

R2 B' U2 F R2 B2 U2 L2 D2 B U' R U2 R' F R2 B2 U

Cross: x2 y' D' L F' R' F' (yeah, someone could turn a 5 mover into an x-cross, I can't yet)
F2L-1: L U' L' U' F' U' F U2 R U' R'
F2L-2 y' R U' R' U'2 R' F R F' R U R'
F2L-3: y'2 U' R U2 R' U' D' R U R' D
F2L-4: R U R'
OLL then PLL

I think this was better?

 

[Fred]

That cross was a great way to start your solve.

For first pair, you somehow picked the least obvious pair, and every other pair was pretty good. L U2 L' U2 L U' L' (red-green pair), U R' U2 R U R' U2 R (red-blue pair), and even U2 L' U2 L U' L' U L (orange-green) all would have been easier and faster. If your heart was set on blue-orange, you could at least do L U2 L' R U' R' U R U' R' to avoid the F moves. Pairing up with R U' R' instead of F' U' F is an important F2L trick to know.

After rotating for the second pair, your solution is ergonomic, even if it's a bit long. Also good job on rotating in the correct direction, moving your solved slot into the back. A better solution would be L' U L U R U R' taking advantage of the free front left slot or R' F R F' U R U R', which doesn't require a free slot. There's also U' R U R' U2 R U' R' U R U' R' which is also long but at least only uses R and U moves. The red-green pair is also an option : U' L' U L U2 L' U L. I wouldn't have seen it either, but solving the red-blue pair was possible without rotating: U L R' U L' R.

y2 rotations should generally be avoided. I still do it rarely if I managed to solve both front slots and can't find anything, but in this case just use your lefty turning. Keyholing is usually a good trick, but in this case it's kinda long. Faster are U2 triple lefty sexy or U' F' L F L' U L' U' L. Red-blue is also possible here with U L' U L U L U L', though that might be considered an advanced F2L case.

Cubehead recently made a couple F2L videos that might be helpful: Intuitive F2L Solutions and Solving into the Back. Keep at it!

 

[pTr]

Quick question:

How would you solve this F2L?

White bottom: R' F R F' R U R2 F R F'

My Alg: F R' F' R2 U' R' F R' F' R or F R' F' R2 U' R' y' U' R' U R (if there are still F2Ls to solve)

 

[Fred]

Quick question:

How would you solve this F2L?

White bottom: R' F R F' R U R2 F R F'

My Alg: F R' F' R2 U' R' F R' F' R or F R' F' R2 U' R' y' U' R' U R (if there are still F2Ls to solve)

I'd just rotate for that one: y' U R' U' R U R' U2 R.

 

[pTr]

@Fred just wanna say thanks for helping me out with this. You don't have to, but you've chosen to, and it mean a lot.

---

F' L F B2 U2 L2 D' R2 B2 D L2 U' R2 U L F2 R D2 R2 F U

Cross: x2 D R' F U L'2 U' R' U2 F R' F' D' (I really tried)
F2L-1: y' R' F R F' R U' R'
F2L-2: U' R' U R
F2L-3: E (E'? I'm moving green to F) L' U L2 F' L' F D
F2L-4: R U' R'
I'll show the rest
OLL: f R U R' U' f' U' F R U R' U' F'
PLL: [U2] R' U' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' U R [U']

---

Got 23.85

 

[Fred]

@Fred just wanna say thanks for helping me out with this. You don't have to, but you've chosen to, and it mean a lot.

---

F' L F B2 U2 L2 D' R2 B2 D L2 U' R2 U L F2 R D2 R2 F U

Cross: x2 D R' F U L'2 U' R' U2 F R' F' D' (I really tried)
F2L-1: y' R' F R F' R U' R'
F2L-2: U' R' U R
F2L-3: E (E'? I'm moving green to F) L' U L2 F' L' F D
F2L-4: R U' R'
I'll show the rest
OLL: f R U R' U' f' U' F R U R' U' F'
PLL: [U2] R' U' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' U R [U']

---

Got 23.85

F2L pair successfully preserved during cross and a really smooth rest of F2L! Good stuff! Yeah, the cross got a bit awkward trying to preserve that pair, but it worked. I came up with two alternate ways of dealing with cross + free pair:
x2 L U' F' L F' B R U' R' L'
z2 R2 F U2 D' R' F D L R' U2 L' R