Getting started

[David Pritts]

Hey folks,

I'm a bit curious about OH cubing... I've never been able to do it, but it looks like a lot of fun. Back in HS a couple years ago I got bored and decided to try to solve the cube one handed... I think it took me like 6+ minutes, and was a miserable experience.

A few questions

1) Like all other forms of cubing, I'm sure there are some good basic guides for getting started. Which one do you guys recommend?

2) One issue I have with cubing in general is that I am unable to remember the moves of algorithms. However, I don't mean that I have trouble learning them... I can do that just fine. But, I seem to do so strictly with muscle-memory. If someone asks me "what is the algorithm for {some case}?", I often have to spend some time executing the algorithm over and over again in order to figure out what it is on paper. Sometimes, I can't even do it, because I'm unable to execute algorithms slowly.

This problem also manifests itself when I try to solve big cubes, and have trouble using my algorithms when the big cube forces me to slow down.

I figured OH solving might help me with this, forcing me to *know* my algorithms. So I was wondering what percentage of your "standard algorithms" do you use for OH? Is it impractical for me to use my old ones?

3) Are there some people who are just NOT dexterous, and thus fail at OH cubing? If so, I worry that might be me I do have fairly long fingers, though.

4) How long does it take to learn? (a bad question, I know)

thanks for any input!

David


EDIT: Just attempted OH solve. I started off by solving the cross wrong, which was nice. F2L finished in ~2 min. I use 3LLL, but got lucky and got one of the 2 OLL cases that I know (T-OLL, very easy). So OLL took ~10 seconds. Then I got a 3-cycle PLL, which I ****ed up. Had to reorient with sune (which I ****ed up as well), then reorient again with sune+M`UMU2M`UM, then I got a G perm, tried to solve it with a T-perm+3cycle, but I ****ed up the T-perm and then....

ya you get the idea i don't know my algorithms except from muscle memory

Result: DNF

 

[Mike Hughey]

Don't give up. Just look at the PLLs you messed up one at a time and try to do them one-handed a few times. You'll probably mess them up again, and have to try again, and maybe again. Just keep trying until you get them right. You'll slowly get where you know the PLLs via non-muscle-memory. I think that's one of the best things you get out of learning to solve OH.

Eventually I'm sure you get where you have muscle memory for your OH solves as well, but I've never gotten all that good at OH, so I'm still thinking my way through most of my algorithms.

 

[AvGalen]

I think muscle memory happens even more for OH than for 2H.
If I have to stop halfway a 2H-alg I can finish it later by looking at the pieces.
If I stop during a OH-alg I can finish it later by doing the first moves mentally (with moving my hand, but not the cube)

 

[Pedro]

if I stop during a OH alg I can't finish it most of the time

well, if it is a U or A perm maybe I can...but the rest...

 

[Tomarse]

i cant do 2h algs with 1h

 

[niKo]

I just started OH today. I solved it the first time I tried (didn't time it), but had serious problems remembering algs. This was with my pretty new DIY (not yet broken in).

-niKo

 

[ajmorgan25]

Yeah, it's pretty hard to do the 2h algs with one hand. Muscle memory plays a big part in solving the cube which is a good thing in my opinion. When you're doing algorithms, you don't want to think through them.

 

[Swordsman Kirby]

I just started OH today. I solved it the first time I tried (didn't time it), but had serious problems remembering algs. This was with my pretty new DIY (not yet broken in).

-niKo

DIYs don't need to be broken in, you can just set the tension to be looser!

 

[Rama]

I just started OH today. I solved it the first time I tried (didn't time it), but had serious problems remembering algs. This was with my pretty new DIY (not yet broken in).

-niKo

DIYs don't need to be broken in, you can just set the tension to be looser!

Yes they do, my Rubik's DIY's all have tight tensions, they pop a lot less then cubes wich are new and has a loose tension.

 

[Lofty]

Yea, DIY definitely have to be broken. I have two DIY set to the same tension (well the screws are set to the same distance, the tension isn't exactly the same...), the older more used one turns 1298615 times better.

 

[DennisStrehlau]

HEY!!!
I started OH today...of course i did some OH-Solves but today, i learned some algs for OH...so my best time is 37.34 seconds and my first average ever is 56.94 seconds (45.92 37.34 1:05.19 55.53 1:05.88 1:02.45 1:02.8 1:07.41 59.95 44.45 50.08 57.16)
It's really a lot of fun

Greetings...Dennis

 

[fanwuq]

Dennis,

are you serious? you are such an experienced cubist and you just started OH?
We have about the same average except my pb is 46.

 

[TimMc]

Just started OH solving

1:43.58
1:13.77
1:40.93
1:42.38
1:29.11
1:19.43

I'm using two handed algorithms and only J/U Permutations for PLL x.x

Tim.

 

[SajberPinGu]

If you have trouble with doing the PLL and OLLs then sit down and doit slow and understand exactly what your are doing!
When you have done this you will be able to do it how ever you want even with feet, and i think it is good for training the brain in 3D also.