Expert help: Could someone take a look at my solves?

[enigmahack]

I'm new here but I've been speedcubing for around 2 years roughly off and on. I've never been to a competition simply because I'm located in Nova Scotia in Canada, and haven't ever had one around here.

Basically since having learned all of my OLL's, I'm starting to get averages around 25 seconds but I'm finding it extremely hard to get below that. I've gotten a few solves around 15-16 seconds, but most solves hit 26 seconds...

I know there are a lot of amazing speed cubers here, and I was hoping if anyone would be so kind as to offer me some advice as to what I could be doing to work towards getting faster.

I know everyone suggests practicing looking ahead but I guess my question is "How do I practice that"

I've tried the metronome trick, the "go slow" trick, etc... I'm just stuck at this point and I really seem as though I can't get any faster.

Anyway, I'm really looking for some feedback for things I could change. I already know that I have issues with how I stop the timer, which I'm working on as well.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCUTxOZ2qSc - This is a 23.15 second solve.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ_4XAG4V5I - This is a 21.43 second solve.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZmrmc5qr-U - This is a 20.20 second solve.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HZq3PmNiTk - This is a 18.63 second solve.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w28IQc_196E - This is a 16.23 second solve

Anyway, any advice is welcome advice. I'm serious about getting faster and any suggestions that are offered, I'll take into due consideration.

Thanks in advance!

 

[blah]

Why show us the fast solves when the "problematic" ones are obviously the ~26 second solves?

I can already see (relatively) long lag times between F2L pairs in the 23 second video. Are you sure you're going slow and have been using a metronome? Use it more.

 

[Jhong253]

I can't give you a perfect advice, because for some reason, my comp is having problems playing your videos properly.

First of all, do you have a good cube?

But just by judging based on why you said, I don't understand why you are getting that kind of times if you know all the OLLs. When I used to use the 3-look OLL method, I got around 23 second average with few solves down around 16sec.
If you are decent at F2L and know your OLL and PLL pretty well, then you should be able to get to sub-20 (assuming you don't pause between moves and can perform fingertricks reasonably).

I'd say refine your fingertricks, make sure you cut down any pauses, and work on F2L/OLL/PLL depending on which you have the most trouble with.

 

[nitrocan]

I've been cubing for 6 months or so, and I'm almost sub20.(so does that make me an expert? ) Your problem is probably F2L and the cross. The LL recognition can be improved as well.

 

[enigmahack]

Thanks for the advice - When it comes to showing the slower solves - I already know what I'm doing wrong there and I'm working on it little by little.

I'm more interested in finding out what I could be doing to get faster when I do a solve that is pretty much the best I can do so to speak.

As far as my cube goes, I have several AMAZING cubes. Most of them are type A DIY, and I take care of them so I am very safe in saying it's not them.

Thanks all for your feedback so far, I'll keep working on it!

 

[enigmahack]

I've been cubing for 6 months or so, and I'm almost sub20.(so does that make me an expert? ) Your problem is probably F2L and the cross. The LL recognition can be improved as well.

Perhaps!

I would have been MUCH faster in getting where I am now if I didn't have so much other stuff I'm doing as well. I'm a full time IT guy, I have a side business, part time musician, oh yeah, and I like cubing too.

 

[DavidWoner]

here is an approximate breakdown of your 23 sec solve:
cross: 3 seconds, pretty slow for a 4-mover, you should have performed it as R' U (L r) U2, which would put your cross closer to the bottom as well.
f2l pairs: 12 seconds, I think you know what you need to do here, you obviously werent tracking your pieces.
OLL: 3 seconds, that OLL(actually called double-sune) is one of the faster ones. it looks like you used your right thumb instead of your left index for U' turns. switch to left index for U' and your algs will get a lot faster.
PLL: 5 seconds, The edge cycles are the easiest to recognize especially if they are already positioned, like this one was. you wasted 2 seconds doing U U' and then a rotation. if you had stopped after just that U move you could have saved a U', a rotation, and a U at the end. work on recognition, and learn to use U-moves instead of rotations, especially for algs that end with more U moves.

lets do another one, how about the 21 sec one:
F2L: 13 seconds, still not fantastic lookahead, but a little better.
OLL: acceptably done
PLL: also acceptable, but this one is Called the Y-perm. you should learn the common names for the OLLs and PLLs so other cubers will know what you are talking about.

In general, work on Look ahead big time. next should be PLL recognition, then fingertricks.

 

[enigmahack]

That's awesome Vault - Thanks so much for your analysis. I know what you're talking about with the PLL, where I should recognize it first and THEN place it once completed... I remember someone once telling me I should do it the other way around (place and then solve)

I'll definitely take your advice though. I'll keep working on look ahead, and then PLL recognition. I hadn't thought about using U' with my left index before, I tend to just use my thumb but it makes sense

 

[Raffael]

since I'm about the same speed as you, i don't know, if i can help, but i'll give it a try anyway.

your transition from last F2L -pair to OLL seems pretty good but your recognition time for the PLL can certainly be improved. maybe you should try slowing down a bit during the end of OLL execution.

 

[enigmahack]

Awesome - I'll definitely try all of these things! It makes more sense to me to do what everyone has suggested instead of what I've heard before for solving. Thanks!