Garf's Progression Thread - Beating Hard Levels in GD (Hardest is Bloodbath)

[Garf]

No way...
Yesterday I was doing some 7x7 solves when I got a sub-4 single. That solve was so good.
The time was 3:53.42, using a gen-3 stackmat timer.

 

[Garf]

Alright, so I decided on the events I will practice:
3-BLD: hope to get several sub-2 solves with M2/OP before I switch to M2/3-style.
Squan: hope to learn advanced CS, good parity techniques. Sub-20
4x4: sub 35. Better lookahead with edges and whatnot.
7x7: sub-3:30. Get better at edges and centers
Mega: sub-1. Just hope to look ahead better
Skewb: Sarahs advanced, and one-looking skewb solves.

 

[bulkocuber]

Alright, so I decided on the events I will practice:
3-BLD: hope to get several sub-2 solves with M2/OP before I switch to M2/3-style.

Have you started learning 3-style for corners yet?

 

[Garf]

Have you started learning 3-style for corners yet?

I know how the method works, but setting up to the commutators is a little challenging. I watched Jperm's video on 3-style corners several time, but there are so many categories.

 

[bulkocuber]

I know how the method works, but setting up to the commutators is a little challenging. I watched Jperm's video on 3-style corners several time, but there are so many categories.

In his last video on BLD progression, Jack Cai recommended learning 3-style (corners) sooner than you might think, so that when you'll be pretty fast with OP, you'll have learnt (is this English? EDIT: yes it is, let's goooo) 3-style and you'll be ready to switch. This way you can learn it unhurriedly.

I'm going to do so.

 

[Garf]

In his last video on BLD progression, Jack Cai recommended learning 3-style (corners) sooner than you might think, so that when you'll be pretty fast with OP, you'll have learnt (is this English? EDIT: yes it is, let's goooo) 3-style and you'll be ready to switch. This way you can learn it unhurriedly.

I'm going to do so.

Alright, thanks for the tip!

 

[Garf]

Well, here is how my schedule will go to improve in cubing:
Week 0(this week): Square 1, mega and BLD
Week 1: 6,7, and 4.
Week 2: Skewb, mega, and BLD
Week 3: Squan, 6 and 7
Week 4: 4x4, Skewb and BLD
Week 5: Squan, Mega, and 6
Week 7: 7, 4 and skewb

Disclaimer: this just means what I will be improving in for events. This doesn't mean I will not practice the other events not correlating to the appropriate, it means I will focus on improvement for what I need to work on. So I might do other events to retain memory for fingertricks/skills I have learned/ etc.

This weeks goals:
Squan: learn CS algs for cases that I have trouble solving under 5 seconds. Meaning algs that I cannot execute to Scallop/Scallop or Scallop/Kite efficiently.
BLD: Better memo, more usage of letter pairs, and understanding 3-style corners better
Mega: just plain old lookahead and better solutions for F2L/S2L pairs.

 

[Garf]

Wow... sub 1:20 average of 5+pb single for Megaminx.
1:12.17 1:18.92 (1:05.29) (1:22.58) 1:16.95
I wasn't using CSTimer, but a timer on my phone. Anyway, I calculated the average to be 1:16.04.
CS is getting easier for square 1, and almost forgot L/I and I/L case for EO on squan. Shows I need to drill the algs everyday.

 

[Garf]

Jealousy alert...
MY FRIEND HAS A FRICKEN WUJI 7x7!!! HOW DOES HE GET ONE??? IT WENT OUT OF PRODUCTION A YEAR OR 2 AGO!!!
Not only that, but it is magnetic, too... It is sooo loose.

 

[Garf]

So I have fixed my channel link. It lead to an error. But I figured out how to fix it. So if you want to take a look at it, then you can.

 

[cuberswoop]

So I have fixed my channel link. It lead to an error. But I figured out how to fix it. So if you want to take a look at it, then you can.

Sureeeeeeeeeeeeeee it led to an error. I didn't get an error when I clicked it earlier


don't click it guys plz

 

[Garf]

Here is a picture of the puzzle. It has the Qiyi logo, and the pieces are magnetic. Definitely the Qiyi Wuji M. 90 dollars for a 7x7.

 

[DuckubingCuber347]

View attachment 18605
Here is a picture of the puzzle. It has the Qiyi logo, and the pieces are magnetic. Definitely the Qiyi Wuji M. 90 dollars for a 7x7.

I love Qiyi but $90... we're talking USD right? How does it compare to the MGC?

 

[Garf]

I love Qiyi but $90... we're talking USD right? How does it compare to the MGC?

Yes, USD.
Here are my thoughts on both cubes:
MGC: puzzle is really smooth and stable, and corner cuts really well. Actually use cube for averages. 9/10, not a solid 10 because lubing issues
Wuji: puzzle is fast, but unstable and locks up a lot. 6/10
Get the MGC. It is not worth the price and set-up to make the Wuji good.

 

[Garf]

So yesterday, my friend and I traded puzzles for the evening: I use the Wuji, and he uses the MGC.
Here is a brief review on my thoughts about the Qiyi Wuji (so far from me struggling to get good times on the puzzle)
The puzzle is really unstable. I cannot do a single T-Perm without the puzzle locking up on me.
The puzzle is really hard to tension. I just cannot find a setting that works for the puzzle. Too loose, it is unstable. Too tight, the puzzle loses is fluidity in the slices.
The puzzle has some great slice turns.
The price is 90 dollars when it was in stock at TC, making it extremely overpriced.

And my thoughts on the MGC (which I had gotten during the summer):
This puzzle is a lot more stable than the wuiji, making it easier to speedsolve.
Cornercutting is decent, and I am able to get a speed that I like.
Tensions are better.
AND the price is 35.

That's all I can say about the Wuji. It is an overpriced heap of junk, IMO. I know this cube was used to break the world record even before it was released onto the market, but the MGC is just better in turning, more stable, and blockier too, making it look nicer. Even my friend agreed that the MGC was better than the Wuji

 

[Garf]

So yesterday, my friend and I traded puzzles for the evening: I use the Wuji, and he uses the MGC.
Here is a brief review on my thoughts about the Qiyi Wuji (so far from me struggling to get good times on the puzzle)
The puzzle is really unstable. I cannot do a single T-Perm without the puzzle locking up on me.
The puzzle is really hard to tension. I just cannot find a setting that works for the puzzle. Too loose, it is unstable. Too tight, the puzzle loses is fluidity in the slices.
The puzzle has some great slice turns.
The price is 90 dollars when it was in stock at TC, making it extremely overpriced.

And my thoughts on the MGC (which I had gotten during the summer):
This puzzle is a lot more stable than the wuiji, making it easier to speedsolve.
Cornercutting is decent, and I am able to get a speed that I like.
Tensions are better.
AND the price is 35.

That's all I can say about the Wuji. It is an overpriced heap of junk, IMO. I know this cube was used to break the world record even before it was released onto the market, but the MGC is just better in turning, more stable, and blockier too, making it look nicer. Even my friend agreed that the MGC was better than the Wuji

Also, you can't even buy the puzzle on speedcubeshop of TC anymore, so there's that. CH or stock w/ no magnets.

 

[Garf]

Watch - Screencastify

watch.screencastify.com

VS FNAF1 FNF Mod.
Stupid me, the video has no audio. I thought it would get included, but it isn't there. I used system audio, so maybe that's the issue.

 

[Garf]

Okay, week two is here. Here were my goals for last week:
Squan: learn CS algs for cases that I have trouble solving under 5 seconds. Meaning algs that I cannot execute to Scallop/Scallop or Scallop/Kite efficiently.
BLD: Better memo, more usage of letter pairs, and understanding 3-style corners better
Mega: just plain old lookahead and better solutions for F2L/S2L pairs.

How I did:
For squan, I didn't do a lot of solves, but I want to keep pursuing the event, and get better.
BLD: The fear of failures are keeping me back from a lot of practice, but if I want to get better, I just have to get used to the fails.
Mega: managed a sub-1:10 single several times, many sub-1:20s, and a lot of sub-1:30s.

This weeks goals:
6x6 and 7x7: Get better with edge pairing, and a lot of slow solves. Sub 2:30/sub 4 minutes for 6/7
4x4: keep practicing better center-building. Sub-40
And maybe some 5x5: better center building techniques, and using good habits for the edges.
Also, if you want, you can use this sight to help save more money: joinhoney.com/ref/nfzzb85
Honey: for all of your buying needs at TC, SCS, and DP.

 

[Garf]

Week 3! Sorry if I hadn't been posting much. I will try to keep yall updated on my progression and whether or not I break any PBS.
Last week's goals:
6x6 and 7x7: Get better with edge pairing, and a lot of slow solves. Sub 2:30/sub 4 minutes for 6/7
4x4: keep practicing better center-building. Sub-40
And maybe some 5x5: better center building techniques, and using good habits for the edges.

How I did:
6x6 and 7x7: I actually got a little fast on 6x6 with times around 2:50, but nothing else showed up. Also, got some sub-3 solves, and got an average of 5 with an average of around 3:53-3:55.
4x4: I slowed down, but that's because I was trying to enforce good techniques into my solves. Once I get better, then I will re-enforce the lookahead and get faster.
5x5: just something I wanted to do for fun.

So gotta keep practicing 6, 7, 4 and work this week.
Also, Imma change up how I will do cubing progression. On week will be skewb, mega, square-1, 5 and 3-bld, the other week will be 2-3-4-6-7.

This weeks goals:
skewb: get better with inspection. If anyone can tell me some tips, they would be highly appreciated.
mega: slow-sloving to help with look-ahead. A lot of my solves have recently threatened to go above 1:30 because of bad f2l lookahead. Any tips would be appreciated.
square-1: advanced cs. No avoiding it.
5: slow-solving to get better with look-ahead and fluidity.
3-bld: start of actually memorizing letter pairs for OP corners, and the start of learning 3-style corners.

 

[Garf]

NO!!! I was trying to clean and lube my MGC 7x7... the outermost corner center on the white side... snapped.
I was just trying to put it in, Then it went into a weird angle and SNAP! there goes my cubes.

The saddest thing is I wasn't even trying to use force. The piece just went in at a weird angle before I snapped it.
I had gotten this puzzle back in June 2021, and it never did anything like this before.