Hello!

[GuRoux]

I like the idea of blind solving the cross for CFOP/First Block for Roux (which I'm still not great at), because it helps you use your inspection time well. I practice this during my untimed solves, as well as practicing color neutrality things and new block building things. There's two reason why targeted practice doesn't appeal to me. First of all, you break the solve into steps, and I think the fastest solvers blend the steps together. They finish one step setting up for the next, and targeted practice doesn't address this. Second of all, the only reason I would do targeted practice is because I think one or more of my steps is now perfect, and all of my steps are far from perfect, so they all warrant practice.

well, i think targeted practice for algs is a good idea, though i have done very little of it and have become relatively slow at finger tricks.

 

[Lazy Einstein]

I like the idea of blind solving the cross for CFOP/First Block for Roux (which I'm still not great at), because it helps you use your inspection time well. I practice this during my untimed solves, as well as practicing color neutrality things and new block building things. There's two reason why targeted practice doesn't appeal to me. First of all, you break the solve into steps, and I think the fastest solvers blend the steps together. They finish one step setting up for the next, and targeted practice doesn't address this. Second of all, the only reason I would do targeted practice is because I think one or more of my steps is now perfect, and all of my steps are far from perfect, so they all warrant practice.

Targeted practice is more beneficial for CFOPers I think. I mean when I was learning Full OLL and Full PLL in the first few months of owning a cube, targeted practice is what help me remember those algs by turning most of them into muscle memory or remembering patterns and triggers. Since some OLLs occur more rarely than others (like OLL #20 & #55 from Wiki), without targeted practice I would be hard pressed to remember and maintain a good execution speed.

 

[PJKCuber]

Targeted practice isn't essential, but it can be beneficial, and it can be fun.

Thanks for your help. I will try the blindfolded F2L. How should I practice look ahead if I'm full Color Neutral in CFOP?

 

[mark49152]

Thanks for your help. I will try the blindfolded F2L. How should I practice look ahead if I'm full Color Neutral in CFOP?

I'm not CN so I'm not sure what the implications for look ahead are, but for blind practice, I doubt the colours of the pieces will matter with your eyes closed

 

[RjFx2]

Thanks for your help. I will try the blindfolded F2L. How should I practice look ahead if I'm full Color Neutral in CFOP?

I think you should just practice each case for each color. Sure it's more work but at least you might get faster times. I am so mad that I'm not CN, I used the rubik's solving guide but one of my friends learned it as CN.

 

[PJKCuber]

I think you should just practice each case for each color. Sure it's more work but at least you might get faster times. I am so mad that I'm not CN, I used the rubik's solving guide but one of my friends learned it as CN.

It's never to late to switch to color neutral. IMO, the earlier the better. It only takes around a month to get the hang of it. I used to solve White cross until I was around 50 seconds. Then I switched to CN. It's more work, but you gain it in the end

 

[DeeDubb]

I had a pretty fun weekend. I went to a bar called "Cube" in Daegu, and the gimmick there is if you can solve a Rubik's Cube, you get pretty much anything on the menu for free (if you order one dish). I don't think they give away too much free food. My table was the only one that could do it in the 5 hours that we were there. Of course, they use terrible cubes. The brand name is "Noble" and it's actually worse than a Rubik's Brand. Still it was fun getting rewarded a little bit for my hobby.

 

[Lazy Einstein]

That is sweet that a restaurant like that even exists. Did they ask you how you solved it so fast or anything like that?

 

[kcl]

For some people (like Feliks, Kennan and you) that's apparently enough. Others (like me) struggle to move ahead without targeted practice. It's a valid approach.

In tennis, if my serve sucks, I practice my serve. If my backhand sucks, I practice my backhand. I don't think you'll find any successful tennis player who just goes out and plays tennis over and over with no specific training.

Unlike tennis, cubing seems to have a few people who don't need, choose or care for targeted practice, but that doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile tool.

I agree with you, to a certain extent targeted practice helps fine tune stuff. In your case, you don't have the luxury of doing 300-400 solves per day like I do. What I do is just straight brute force practicing. I naturally improve certain parts of my solving all at once. Targeted practicing will probably help people in your predicament more. I will admit I'm getting to a point where my LL is bad enough I may have to start doing LL practice..

Tennis is different, and I guarantee that while they don't just play tennis to get better, they had to play a LOT to even find out what their weak points were. To get to their level you can't just have a perfect serve or backstroke. Really I feel like there's a balance between target and spam practice, it just depends on the person.

 

[mark49152]

In your case, you don't have the luxury of doing 300-400 solves per day like I do.

That's true, but targeted practice is also about developing skill or technique by doing things you don't do as part of regular solving - like blind F2L practice.

Really I feel like there's a balance between target and spam practice, it just depends on the person.

Yeah exactly, spot on.

Remember I'm also 3x your age so have a very different set of mental and physiological challenges in improving my cubing .

 

[DeeDubb]

That is sweet that a restaurant like that even exists. Did they ask you how you solved it so fast or anything like that?

Nah, I think they don't like giving away free food. They didn't seem too pumped about me solving it. They probably know that no one "accidentally" solves the cube, so I must just be a cuber.

Also, I met a new Korean friend that night. He calls people who can't solve the cube "muggles", which cracked me up.

 

[PJKCuber]

Nah, I think they don't like giving away free food. They didn't seem too pumped about me solving it. They probably know that no one "accidentally" solves the cube, so I must just be a cuber.

Also, I met a new Korean friend that night. He calls people who can't solve the cube "muggles", which cracked me up.

LOL. That is really cool. Can I ask you how you got your signature to be more than 1 line? It won't let me make a two line signature.
EDIT: It also allows me FAIL!!!!

 

[DeeDubb]

LOL. That is really cool. Can I ask you how you got your signature to be more than 1 line? It won't let me make a two line signature.

Uhhh.. I think I've always been able to do 2 lines, just not 3.

 

[PJKCuber]

Uh... DeeDubb, what dog do you have and have you been to a competition yet?

 

[DeeDubb]

Uh... DeeDubb, what dog do you have and have you been to a competition yet?

I don't have a dog, and I haven't been to a comp yet. I think the next comp in Korea is in August, so I'll probably go to that.

 

[PJKCuber]

SuperFAIL!!!!!!!!! I thought your profile pic was your dog's. ROFL LOL

 

[FailCuber]

I don't have a dog, and I haven't been to a comp yet. I think the next comp in Korea is in August, so I'll probably go to that.

Really? An official competition? If true, I will be going there for sure.

 

[DeeDubb]

Really? An official competition? If true, I will be going there for sure.

There's whispers about it. Nothing official yet though. If it happens, I'll see you there. I'll be the only foreigner, haha.

 

[FailCuber]

Where? I only do speedsolving forums so I don't really know a lot about what's going in the cube community in korea.

 

[DeeDubb]

Where? I only do speedsolving forums so I don't really know a lot about what's going in the cube community in korea.

I just talk to my friend who is involved with the process. He still isn't sure. It was just an estimation. I will post here when I hear something official.