Does anyone consider themselves an "expert" at Speed Solving?

Thanks FCM! Here are some of the questions I have:

1. How do you think speedcubing has evolved over the years?

2. How did you become as fast as you are at solving?

3. Do you think the speedcubing community is growing? If so, at what pace?

4. When should you learn new methods of solving?
 
I'm not an expert at all (almost sub 15, cubing for 2-ish years) but I could answer the questions, if you want me to. Your school project could be modified to be like " a majority of cubers believe..." instead of "an expert in cubing says...".
 
1. New cubing "technology" has been developed (more corner cutting on cubes, magnets, better designs) so fast times are now easier to attain. More people are using these developed cubes, so it is considered " normal" and old cubes are considered "bad". Overall, it is a very positive change to the community.
2. I learn and practice [3x3] in sections. Some include learning F2L, 4LLL, then gradually improving (2 look OLL/PLL, 1 look, etc.). I am now learning the OLL's. You also have to do practice solves to reinforce your knowledge, while still learning some new.
3. The community (IMO) is improving steadily and healthily. There seems to be more people making the conversion from learning how to solve, to speedsolving.
4. You should start learning new methods when there is a benefit (lower times) by switching. Also if you feel your current method is not right for you, or if you use beginners method, you should switch.
 
Cain Chitwood said:
Thanks FCM! Here are some of the questions I have:

1. How do you think speedcubing has evolved over the years?

2. How did you become as fast as you are at solving?

3. Do you think the speedcubing community is growing? If so, at what pace?

4. When should you learn new methods of solving?
Click to expand...

1. I think speedcubing started off with a small community, where many people knew each other, there were few companies designing good cubes because there wasn't that much of a demand (not many cubers). Since tutorials were available online for people, there was a massive outbreak in cubing interest (Somewhere between 2008-2012), where more companies began producing more cubes, methods were developed furthur (CFOP came along) and easily available resources were created. Speedcubing is still growing rapidly in both the population and in knowledge. Another note, as I believe, cubing started off for older cubers maybe around 18+ but then as the cubing world grew and especially in these last few years, younger kids have been attached to puzzles.

2. Many people aren't convinced or aren't patient to believe that just practice can get you really far. I have felt many times also that I have been stuck at a certain time zone in my solves that I didn't believe practice could help me, but many times it could. If you first have the knowledge, and learn an advanced method, practice can get you unbelievably far, and I'd say that being more specific about practice really only matters down to under 10-12 seconds. I feel like a lot of slow cubers (younger kids) don't get this and are doing things like learning full OLL before sub 25 which is completely unnecessary. Also, as you get faster you learn that slow solves become a massive part in improving, and I think this is trying to be communicated to the cubing community.

3. I think cubing is growing at a fairly steady pace right now, but I think that a few years ago, there was an even bigger burst of cubers. Eventually, the new generation of cubers will use the knowledge gained from the previous generation and explore a ton of new things. I don't see it slowing down for awhile but I don't think it will continue at this fairly fast pace for a long time.

4. For this point, people argue that you should switch straight away, once you have learned and can solve with a beginners method. However I usually encourage that you spend time with the method and grow really comfortable with it. With a better understanding of the cube, moving methods shouldn't be as hard. But I guess if you are able to switch successfully with not much experience with beginners method to CFOP, it should be fine but it will just take time to thoroughly take it all in.

Anyone feel free to add to that because I reckon the more responses, the more accurate information he can use.
 
FastCubeMaster said:
1. I think speedcubing started off with a small community, where many people knew each other, there were few companies designing good cubes because there wasn't that much of a demand (not many cubers). Since tutorials were available online for people, there was a massive outbreak in cubing interest (Somewhere between 2008-2012), where more companies began producing more cubes, methods were developed furthur (CFOP came along) and easily available resources were created. Speedcubing is still growing rapidly in both the population and in knowledge. Another note, as I believe, cubing started off for older cubers maybe around 18+ but then as the cubing world grew and especially in these last few years, younger kids have been attached to puzzles.

2. Many people aren't convinced or aren't patient to believe that just practice can get you really far. I have felt many times also that I have been stuck at a certain time zone in my solves that I didn't believe practice could help me, but many times it could. If you first have the knowledge, and learn an advanced method, practice can get you unbelievably far, and I'd say that being more specific about practice really only matters down to under 10-12 seconds. I feel like a lot of slow cubers (younger kids) don't get this and are doing things like learning full OLL before sub 25 which is completely unnecessary. Also, as you get faster you learn that slow solves become a massive part in improving, and I think this is trying to be communicated to the cubing community.

3. I think cubing is growing at a fairly steady pace right now, but I think that a few years ago, there was an even bigger burst of cubers. Eventually, the new generation of cubers will use the knowledge gained from the previous generation and explore a ton of new things. I don't see it slowing down for awhile but I don't think it will continue at this fairly fast pace for a long time.

4. For this point, people argue that you should switch straight away, once you have learned and can solve with a beginners method. However I usually encourage that you spend time with the method and grow really comfortable with it. With a better understanding of the cube, moving methods shouldn't be as hard. But I guess if you are able to switch successfully with not much experience with beginners method to CFOP, it should be fine but it will just take time to thoroughly take it all in.

Anyone feel free to add to that because I reckon the more responses, the more accurate information he can use.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the reply! You went over all the questions really well and in detail!
 
I think the only difference between an "expert" (or "professional") and an "amateur" is, that the "expert" gets paid for his job.

So i don't really think that there are cubing "experts" as the sponsorships today aren't bigger than material and trip costs, so they don't really get paid.
 
FJT97 said:
I think the only difference between an "expert" (or "professional") and an "amateur" is, that the "expert" gets paid for his job.

So i don't really think that there are cubing "experts" as the sponsorships today aren't bigger than material and trip costs, so they don't really get paid.
Click to expand...

I think what Cain Chitwood meant by expert was extremely skilled cubers who have obtained a vast plethora of cubing knowledge.
 
FJT97 said:
I think the only difference between an "expert" (or "professional") and an "amateur" is, that the "expert" gets paid for his job.

So i don't really think that there are cubing "experts" as the sponsorships today aren't bigger than material and trip costs, so they don't really get paid.
Click to expand...
'Expert' is not synonymous with 'professional'.
A professional is someone who does whatever is in question as an occupation (as opposed to a hobby or whatever else), an expert is simply someone with especially extensive and authoritative knowledge in some field.
 
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