Fridrich F2L

[byu]

I'm learning the Fridrich (CFOP) method, and I'm getting times around 55 seconds, even though I really only started this week (which is really good, considering I get these same times with Petrus, which I've been using for over a month). This is how my times break down, on average:

Cross about 5 seconds
F2L about 30 seconds
OLL about 10 seconds
PLL about 10 seconds

Obviously I can improve my OLL and PLL recognition, I use 2-look OLL and I only know 11 of the 21 PLL algorithms. But even if I can reduce my OLL and PLL to 10 seconds together (5 seconds each), my F2L really stands in my way of reaching my goal of a sub-30 single and a sub-40 average.

I was wondering whether it would make me faster or slower to memorize an algorithm for each of the 42 F2L possibilities. If it makes me slower, how can I improve my F2L (my move count is really high)? Thank you.

 

[AlanAlanine]

If a single case takes you more than ~ 7 moves then you should look up the algorithm.

just practice a lot and you will build intuition on how to solve cases. and then practice going slowly and looking ahead

 

[ShadenSmith]

Just keep working on your intuitive f2l.

 

[byu]

New question: How long does it take you to do F2L using Fridrich?

 

[Samlambert]

11-12 seconds. Good cubers do it under 10 seconds

 

[AlanAlanine]

You have to be pretty good to get a 10 second f2l. I'd say 14-15 second f2l is a reasonable goal to shoot for, for a budding speed cuber

 

[Sir E Brum]

Watch a lot of F2L videos on youtube. I learned quite a few things from those considering they mostly show intuitive F2L.

 

[JohnnyA]

I get a ten second F2L and a ten second LL

 

[bichettereds]

I get a ten second F2L and a ten second LL

So you get negative times on your cross?

 

[shoot1510]

I get a ten second F2L and a ten second LL

How do you get that fast? ten second F2L is also my goal.

 

[Escher]

So you get negative times on your cross?

actually, f2l stands for first two layers

I get a ten second F2L and a ten second LL

How do you get that fast? ten second F2L is also my goal.

lots and lots of lookahead, a sub 2/3 cross reliably, smooth execution, good recognition/familiarity, and practice!

do lots and lots of solves in general using f2l, and go over every situation slowly and try and find the optimal way of doing it. then try some slow/smooth turning solves. i can average about 20-23 using slow turning (i mean SLOW turning, not the slow-turning-14s-average people who just turn SMOOTHLY), with good lookahead, you can have no pauses between any step.

 

[xSwiftxClawx]

Personally, I think the sucess of F2L really relies on look ahead.
So just get the basic cases down first and work on looking ahead.

 

[byu]

This is how my times break down, on average:
Cross about 5 seconds
F2L about 30 seconds
OLL about 10 seconds
PLL about 10 seconds

As my goal is to get a sub-20 second solve and sub-30 averages, this is my new goal for Fridrich:

Cross 2-3 seconds (subtotal: 2-3 seconds)
F2L 10-15 seconds (subtotal: 12-18 seconds)
OLL 5-7 seconds (subtotal: 17-25 seconds)
PLL 3-5 seconds (subtotal: 20-30 seconds)

Do you think these goals are accomplishable, and if so, how long do you think it would take me if I practice consistently. I'm hoping to do it by the end of 2009.

 

[manstrong]

A long time, I'm happy if I shave off 3 seconds. Working on getting better at cross. Going for 3-4 seconds right now.

 

[AlanAlanine]

This is how my times break down, on average:
Cross about 5 seconds
F2L about 30 seconds
OLL about 10 seconds
PLL about 10 seconds

As my goal is to get a sub-20 second solve and sub-30 averages, this is my new goal for Fridrich:

Cross 2-3 seconds (subtotal: 2-3 seconds)
F2L 10-15 seconds (subtotal: 12-18 seconds)
OLL 5-7 seconds (subtotal: 17-25 seconds)
PLL 3-5 seconds (subtotal: 20-30 seconds)

Do you think these goals are accomplishable, and if so, how long do you think it would take me if I practice consistently. I'm hoping to do it by the end of 2009.

if you really practice hard for a month you could hit sub-40 average, so i'm pretty sure you can achieve your goal by the end of the year. just practice and always remember to go slow and look ahead!

 

[EmersonHerrmann]

I usually get 9-10 second F2L + cross and about 6 second LL. When I first learned F2L I would constantly be practicing, and even though I got bad times but just kept practicing, eventually you begin to understand more concepts in F2L and your times will start improving dramatically

 

[byu]

As my goal is to get a sub-20 second solve and sub-30 averages, this is my new goal for Fridrich:

Cross 2-3 seconds (subtotal: 2-3 seconds)
F2L 10-15 seconds (subtotal: 12-18 seconds)
OLL 5-7 seconds (subtotal: 17-25 seconds)
PLL 3-5 seconds (subtotal: 20-30 seconds)

Do you think these goals are accomplishable, and if so, how long do you think it would take me if I practice consistently. I'm hoping to do it by the end of 2009.

It's been 3 days now, and here are my average times:

Cross 4-5 seconds (subtotal: 4-5 seconds)
F2L 20-25 seconds (subtotal: 24-30 seconds)
OLL 5-7 seconds (subtotal: 29-37 seconds)
PLL 4-6 seconds (subtotal: 33-43 seconds)

I actually average around 40 seconds now, but I'm aiming for sub-30 averages as soon as I can. F2L still is really my big problem, and if I could reduce that to a 10-15 second thing, I would be sub-30 almost all the time.

 

[abr71310]

To be quite honest, that was the hardest part to shave off - my F2L.
As people on this forum have noticed I've considerably done better for myself since I registered a month ago -- I went from solving F2L in 24 seconds to less than 18 (without cross -- cross went from 7 --> 5 seconds).

Now I have to work on my PLLs. (

BTW -- does anybody think I should learn all of the F2L algs, or stick with intuitive until I can get consistent sub-30 singles / avgs??