explanation of centers

[Gparker]

ok, ive been learning 4x4 blind recently. i know centers are the hardest to explain and do. but i just cant learn them. so is there any easy method? ive looked at websites and seerusgod's tutorial but they dont make that much sense.

and the only i do kinda get is the r2 for centers on lucas's page. but i really don't understand.

And when i learn ill be doing centers first because that is most reccomended

 

[Mike Hughey]

I'm guessing you've probably already looked at my tutorial for 4x4x4 centers, and this is one of the things you're saying doesn't make much sense. But I recently exchanged messages with someone else who was having the same problem, and I suggested they look at my tutorial again:
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2207

and suggested that they simply try to follow it again, making sure they understand the purpose of every move. It seemed to click for them after trying again; maybe it will for you too. It may take several tries, but if you really go over it until you understand each move, you'll eventually get it.

Another thing that can be helpful is to take each commutator in the description and perform it on a solved cube (instead of working through the scramble). Perform it 3 times, so you can see the 3 pieces getting cycled. That way you can understand exactly what you're doing with each commutator.

Just keep plugging away at it and you'll eventually get it.

 

[Gparker]

wow thanks mike, i cant believe i havnt seen that thread before. thats a really good explanation and i think im following it really good. you still use this method?

 

[Mike Hughey]

wow thanks mike, i cant believe i havnt seen that thread before. thats a really good explanation and i think im following it really good. you still use this method?

Yes, I still pretty much exactly use this same method for centers. In many cases now, I have the "algorithms" memorized for a given image pair, so I don't have to think about them anymore, but often I still think through it just to be sure I'm doing it right.

Before I tried 5x5x5 BLD for the first time, I did work through several solves by finding the next pair, closing my eyes and solving that pair, and then opening my eyes to look for the next pair. Once you can do that successfully all the way through a solve, you're ready to go.

 

[Gparker]

wait, is this the same thing? because i watched it again and it sounded like yours. except the memo but the execution sounds the same

 

[Mike Hughey]

wait, is this the same thing? because i watched it again and it sounded like yours. except the memo but the execution sounds the same

Actually, yes. I haven't been through that whole video, but someone pointed me to it a few weeks back and I watched this particular one, and it looked to me like he was using essentially the same method as I am. Which is not surprising, because it's just basic commutators. I got mine from reading articles by Chris Hardwick and Daniel Beyer; the thing I did to make it easier to understand was to actually label all the pieces with my specific memorization scheme and walk through each piece one move at a time so you can see it happen, but all the real work of inventing it was done by them. My method is nothing new.

 

[Gparker]

yes but you did one heck of a job explaining it

 

[Mike Hughey]

Thank you very much! I hope to see you report your first successful solve soon!

 

[Gparker]

ill try my first sometime next week, i want to get a couple more good times on 3x3 first, and good luck at ohio open!! youll break the multi WR