[Help Thread] F2L Discussion and Help

Right now I'm at about 22 sec.
F2l is the key to sub 20 for me right now. If I get lucky and and have a pair done, I can get sub 20.

Here is what I'm working on currently.
Don't turn the U face to look for pairs.
Don't rotate the cube to look for pairs.
When I the find two pieces of a pair. I should be able to close my eyes and get them inserted. (this is taking the longest)

I find myself sometimes breaking a single pair into three steps.
get both to the top,
adjust to a case I know
insert

I feel like if I could get every case to one step I'd easily be sub 20. Having these sub steps kills my look ahead. I need to think less. A lot of Look-Ahead videos say that if you can't do this your aren't ready for look ahead. I'm starting to agree.
 
once you find a pair, stop, find your next pair, and while you insert the first pair, track the pieces of the next pair. in f2l you should always be looking for your next pair and the current pair should just be muscle memory to do it. that's what is key for me during my F2L, and my F2L still isn't all that great, but i'm trying to consciously just keep looking at other parts of the cube and noting where various edges and pieces are so that while i'm doing one pair i'm planning in my head which pair i'd do next. just something to get used to thinking about.

but yes F2L cases should be less of thinking what you have and waht do do, and more of just doing
 
I currently average around 9-12 seconds for my F2L (though I'm changing to Roux).

What I did to sub-12 was mainly to turn slowly, while looking throughout the cube to find pieces for the next slot. This really helped my times go down in my F2L. When you start learning F2L, try and find 'shortcuts' to make pairs for example, taking out an edge or corner and pairing it up instantly, or doing U2 instead or just U at times when separating incorrect pairs to set it up instantly.

Just to let you know, I haven't learnt a single F2L algorithm (well I have, but I never use it).
 
F2L Help?

I have been using badmephisto's tutorials as a guide to master the F2L. I can easily solve it intuitively, but that is pretty inefficient. I don't know the best way to practice it and make it faster/more efficient.

If someone people could give some tips and practice techniques for F2L, that would be great. I just feel like I've hit a brick wall as far as F2L improvement goes.

My best Ao12 is about 55 seconds using 2 look OLL and 2 look PLL. I would say that I've been comfortably solving F2L intuitively for about 2+ weeks.
 
Just keep practicing. Look at where your pairs are going. Optimize. If something feels akward, it doesn't have to. Look at some sheets on non-intuitive F2L moves and you might be surprised at what you'll find. Learn the rest of your PLL's, they're important.
 
F2L rotationless insert

ok so i should start by saying HEY GUYS! First time post!

im relatively new to cubing (around 4 months), my daughter found a cheap 2 dollar knockoff cube at a dollar store, lost interest in it almost immediately, I picked it up and remembered the hours of frustration from my childhood...

obviously in todays world of the internet and Youtube i decided to try and figure out how to solve it.. which i did, using first the beginners method, now im using the Fridrich CFOP method, averaging about 45 seconds per solve, using a Dayan Guhong (ive done a few edge mods on it, and also pretty much ruined it by trying to lube it with WD-40... derrp) I am currently awaiting delivery of my new cube, ordered from Lubix, the new Zhanchi, prelubed and tensioned, hoping it will help me with my times as the cube im using now is really messed up and sluggish to turn....

ANYWAY... heres the meat and potatoes of my post:

im fiddling around with F2L, trying to improve my times using look-ahead and minimizing rotations.. ive seen a few videos by Westonian and Badmephisto about rotationless F2L inserts.. and i was turned onto this method by BM in a video but he doesnt really go to far into it and ive never seen anyone else use it..

the suggestion Westonian gives for rotationless F2L inserts uses an M slice and those are really awkward for me..

here is the ALG ive been using to do an FR F2L insert (it works exactly the same mirrored for all the cases, front and back) and ive found that once you master a slight grip change in mid-alg, its the fastest way to insert F2L pairs, no matter where you need to insert them, rotation needed or not...

just wanted to share this, and see if anyone else uses this method.

for the FR F2L insert:

the pair should be in the U layer BL with cross color facing left

(l' R) U' R' (U R2')

if you do the first 2 moves simultaneously, insert the f2l pair with the first U', then reposition your right index finger to execute the U turn simultaneously with the R2' the whole sequence comes out like a quick double twist... its by far the easiest way to insert an awkward F2L pair without turning the cube, and ive actually found that this is faster to get pretty much any F2L into any slot, regardless of whether is requires a rotation or not....

does anyone else use this method?

if no, have you tried it and found it to be slower than other methods?


(I realize im not the fastest turner on the planet, and maybe i think its faster than other methods because i just stink at cubing)

love to hear some input
 
ive found that learning all the PLL's helps a lot... they are relatively easier to memorise vs the OLL's
 
I've been struggling with this as well. I've found that its a trade off, I'm usually slower inserting when using F moves but it does sometimes save me a rotation on the next insert. If it feels natural to insert it then keep with it, but if its a struggle then just rotate And insert.

*dislclamer* I am a noob and in no way are my opinions supported or endorced by the speedcubing community.
 
did you try the alg i suggested?

once you get used to the re-grip it becomes one smooth motion to insert the pair
 
Not rotating isn't always fastest. Idealy you want to learn to do both. When you perform just one quarter rotation you can view the entire cube (baring B). You may learn a lovely alg that cuts out a rotation, but what if that sets you up into a really Nasty f2l case? It saved to nothing. Cutting down on rotations is always a good thing, but only when it will save you time. Just food for thought.
 
for sure I agree with you, i often find myself doing 1/2 rotations to see whats on the backside (without adjusting my grip)

as far as leaving myself with difficult f2l cases.. i actually find that using this alg more often than not leaves me with another completed pair ready to be inserted, or an easy case...

still hoping some more experienced cubers will try out the alg and tell me their thoughts
 
Welcome!

I use that alg from all different directions if the pair happens to be there, and I agree it's very fast.

Predicting whether or not it will hurt the next pair just takes some practice. This move leaves a whole block of stuff untouched and unmoved so it's really handy sometimes.
 
If you try to think how to do things with less moves, not just solve not-optimal, you will think out almost all of optimal solutions. After a while just check some f2l alg's.
 
BillyRain said:
Welcome to the forum by the way! (Manners people)

You will love your Lubix Zhanchi :) Got mine the other day and it has smashed all my PB's.
Click to expand...

lol im so excited... i live in canada so ive been waiting almost 2 weeks and i know its just sitting at customs while they try to figure out if its some terrorist device

you have no idea how badly i screwed up my guhong... i lubed it with wd-40 and tried sanding the interior.. but ended up sanding the corner pieces' footy-thingy(at the end of the post? dunno what its called) too much so my corner pieces are super loose and rattle like crazy, and the inside is slow and gummy from the wd40..

anyhoo, thanks for the welcome guys im sure ill be picking your brains to the max... I seem to be stuck at ~45 seconds derp
 
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