Fixing pops and explosions

[sneaklyfox]

How do people deal with pops and explosions? Do you handle them well? I just realized that I'm really bad when my cube pops, even if it's just one piece. It takes me forever to put the piece back in. I'm not sure if it's because I'm fairly "gentle" with my cubes so I have to turn the face 45 degrees before pushing it back in where other people would just jam it in. Also, I find that when my cube does pop, it's often turned 45 degrees on a different face and so I have to align that face first and then turn the face with the popped piece. As an example of how bad I can be when pops happen, I just got a solve of 57.94. It had two pops during PLL but I'm quite sure I was already at PLL in less than 20 seconds, probably more like 18 or something. Which means that the pops cost me about 38 seconds!!!

So I guess the questions are...

1. What do you do when you get a pop or explosion? (Try to fix it or give up and accept DNF?)
2. If you do try to fix it, is there any certain method? (Jam it in or turn the face 45 degrees, etc?)
3. How long does it usually take you? (Very fast <1sec, medium few secs, or slow and forever?)

 

[JonnyWhoopes]

I'll just leave this bit of history here...

 

[MostEd]

On my fist comp, during 5x5 i had a pop and an explosion, i DNFed both, due to ridiculous amount of air travel the pieces took...

 

[5BLD]

I have an official 12 pop. For me it depends on how far the pieces goes off to. If it fires off somewhere I just give up.

 

[applemobile]

Give up everytime. I still don't quite understand the rule that you are allowed to put it back together, If it Pops it should be a DNF in my eyes. You are not allowed a stickerless cube, but if a set of edge pieces fall out of your 6x6x6, you are allowed to put them back? seems legit.

 

[already1329]

I always find the pieces and put them back in and finish the solve.

 

[JasonK]

For internal pops on my 2x2, I just DNF cos I need a screwdriver or something similar to fix it. But for everything else I'll put it back together and carry on. I've crawled under the table to get pieces in an official solve while shouting "DON'T TOUCH IT DON'T TOUCH IT" at the kids who were trying to pick them up to give them to me

 

[Cheese11]

It really depends on the kind of pop. If the piece flys somewhere it's almost inevitable I'll DNF, but if it just comes out a little bit or into my hand or lap, I'll finish the solve.

 

[5BLD]

Give up everytime. I still don't quite understand the rule that you are allowed to put it back together, If it Pops it should be a DNF in my eyes. You are not allowed a stickerless cube, but if a set of edge pieces fall out of your 6x6x6, you are allowed to put them back? seems legit.

what? a pop does NOT benefit you at all, how could you ever compare the two?

 

[Endgame]

Give up everytime. I still don't quite understand the rule that you are allowed to put it back together, If it Pops it should be a DNF in my eyes. You are not allowed a stickerless cube, but if a set of edge pieces fall out of your 6x6x6, you are allowed to put them back? seems legit.

if you dont understand a rule, you change it? seems legit.

 

[antoineccantin]

If its official, always fix and continue the solve. At home, who cares

 

[Mike Hughey]

I just realized that I'm really bad when my cube pops, even if it's just one piece. It takes me forever to put the piece back in.

It really helps if you're not trying to balance a baby on your lap while you're trying to fix the pop.



I hate DNFs, so I never give up on a pop, no matter how crazy. I've struggled several times (at home) until the timer expired trying to fix a pop with feet until the timer expired at 10 minutes.

I've had about 5 pops on megaminx BLD attempts, and I've always put them back in and kept going, hoping I might have gotten them right. I think one of those was actually a successful solve.

 

[uniacto]

If it's just an edge pop, I just jam it back in with the U face 45 degrees. I've never been in a competition before, but if I did get a pop during one, I would just complete the solve. I'd say I'm medium at dealing with pops.

 

[moralsh]

Fix the pop, continue solve, fix the fix, finish solve

Most of my pops are during really good solves (at my level, of course) so I end doing a decent time for a pop

 

[sneaklyfox]

It really helps if you're not trying to balance a baby on your lap while you're trying to fix the pop.



I hate DNFs, so I never give up on a pop, no matter how crazy. I've struggled several times (at home) until the timer expired trying to fix a pop with feet until the timer expired at 10 minutes.

I've had about 5 pops on megaminx BLD attempts, and I've always put them back in and kept going, hoping I might have gotten them right. I think one of those was actually a successful solve.

Wow, Mike. Persistence to fix a pop with feet! Hmm... I'm trying to remember whether I've had a pop while with baby in lap. Possibly. Thinking about cubing with baby in my lap is giving me an idea for video. Maybe "Why your mom doesn't do speedcubing (#2)" with video editing. Could be kind of fun...

 

[Ickathu]

Depends on how big the pop is. If it's just a few pieces and they are all nearby, I fix it, but if it completely crumbles or pieces fly across the room then I DNF it and quickly go searching for pieces so I don't lose them.