Hi folks, Adam from England here!

[pipkiksass]

Hi all, long time cuber, first time poster! ;-)

Apologies in advance for the long post. Feel free to stop reading here and just say hi!!!

Here goes... 12 years ago someone taught me cross-on-top F2l, and I taught myself LL. I could solve the cube in about a minute on a good day, best was 37 (lucky). My method was kind of cross on top, beginner F2L but upside down, then permute, then orient corners, then edges (all on bottom)!!!

2 months ago I broke out my old Rubik's brand 3x3x3 after a 10 year break, and was SHOCKED by the amount of information that's now available online. I ditched my old method, and decided to learn CFOP. I invested in a Guhong V2 and did my first timed solves. Average was 1:14.3, best 52.7.

2 months later, I had my first sub 30 AO12 today (29.03), as well as my first NL sub 25 single (24.26).

New target is sub 20... next goal is not sucking at lookahead!

Some of my PLLs are horribly slow, I mean 6-7 seconds (!!!) for N perms and about 3-5 for G perms. A 'bad' PLL can add 4 seconds or more to a solve. I recently found an awesome E perm on the wiki ((y x') R U' R' D R U R' D' R U R' D R U' R' D'), which is about 2 seconds faster than my old one.

My plan is metronome solves (just cross and F2L), gradually getting faster. I'm also looking for better PLLs for my slower cases, and carrying on learning one-look OLL. I think I probably know about 30 cases. I'm not going out of my way to learn OLL at this stage.

So yeah, that's me. I know how to use the search function, so I won't ask stupid questions, I just enjoy solving my cube and wanted to join the community! If you have any advice that you want to share, then I'd love to hear it.

Thanks all, and hi again!

 

[kunparekh18]

Hello! Welcome. I'm slower than you, so I can't give you tips, but I really appreciate you for getting a Guhong as soon as you picked up cubing again. It's recommended to use a fast cube from the start and not use a boring Rubik's until your fingers hurt.

And WHOA sub-30 in 2 months! I'm just at 37-38 at 2 months! Amazing.

 

[Noahaha]

Nice. Seems like you're really well oriented, probably because of all that lurking =P

P.S. That's the E-perm most people use, so it's no surprise that you like it!

 

[kinch2002]

Welcome UK cuber!

 

[applemobile]

Hello fellow uk cuber. Dont listen to others, just learn everything you want to learn at the rate that you want to learn it

 

[pipkiksass]

Thanks all, and yes Noahaha, I've been lurking like a pro! I owe most of my progress to Badmephisto, YouTube, and this forum!

Totally agree Cuboris - it's all about the F2L practice (intuitive F2L FTW!!). I watch some of the sub 10 solves on YouTube and yeah their PLLs are fast, and their OLLs too, but anyone can drill single algs - it's the like 5 second cross+F2L that makes all the difference. I know there's about 15 seconds (in theory!) I could shave off my F2L, which I find encouraging!

And because it's basically all about F2L, I also agree that the algs I've learnt aren't necessary, learning them was almost an accident. I learnt the 2 look PLL algs, then Js and T (followed Badmephisto's orders ). But then I broke ranks - I kept having Fs coming up in my solves, so learnt it. My V is basically the same alg, but with a U2. I realised you could do a J or T on most of the other PLLs, and leave an easy case like an A or another T, instead of the usual 2-look. Then I kept having Y's come up, so learnt Y... Before I knew it, I only had the R's left, and I recently found an alg I really like, so that was that!

Same with OLLs - I've just counted, I actually know 24 well and another few roughly, so just under 30. I don't go out of my way to learn OLLs, some of them just seem to leap out at me, or I'll realise that an OLL is coming up a lot and look for algs out of curiosity. Like the square OLLs - I looked them up and hey, they're just sune/antisune with wide turns... even for some of the cases I know I still use 2 look when doing timed solves, but I normally think 'grr, could've saved a second there'. As my recognition improves I try to throw in the 1-look alg.

I don't have a great deal of time on my hands, but when I do I'm normally cubing. It's weird going from 10 second improvements to 1/2 second improvements, but no less satisfying.

Great to hear other peoples' stories - Cuboris, hopefully I'll be joining you under 20 seconds in a couple of months!

 

[pipkiksass]

Bit of a progress update - now regularly averaging sub-30. Just hit my Ao500 on CCT, which was 30.3x, but I only started using it recently.

Turned my N perms on their side and replaced R/U/L with D/R/U moves, which knocked about 3 seconds off each! Still sucking at lookahead. Occasionally I can see the next pair, but nowhere near as often as I should. Need to stop concentrating on speed!

Just had my second (lucky) sub-20 solve. Keep getting lockups on decent non-lucky solves and ending up at 21-22 seconds, I must get a dozen 21-22 second solves on a good day. Not sure if my cube is too loose or too tight, it's a Guhong 2 and I recently took it apart to clean and lube it. After lubing, it was slightly too loose and I was getting occasional pops, despite torpedos. I tightened it about a half-turn per side, and it stopped popping, but still lockups. Now I'm not sure whether I should tighten it a bit more or loosen it to the point of almost popping!? I guess my turning accuracy is mostly to blame, just need to have the patience to slow down in order to get faster.

Having said that, could probably do with cleaning the cube again, it spends a lot of time in my jacket pocket! I have some new lube and cubes on order from The Cubicle, so will take it apart, re-lube and re-tension in a few days. Getting a white Zhanchi DIY and Cubicle full-brights (fluro red, not pink) - whichever of the two I like best after cleaning and lubing will be banned from my jacket pocket and, hopefully, stay lint free and speedy for longer. Also getting a 50mm stickerless to practice OH (I have small hands, and struggle with pinkie moves on my standard size cube), so that might become my 'pocket' cube!

Happy cubing all!

 

[TheOneOnTheLeft]

Nice progress! In the past few days I've started slowing down my F2L and looking ahead as best as I can and as weird as it seems when you're turning so much slower, I actually ended up with an Ao12 with 3 sub-20s, when normally I'd get a sub 20 once every ~50 solves on average. It's hard to keep myself turning at that speed when I know I can execute cases faster, but I'm sure that once I switch consistently then my times will improve drastically.

Also, I have a Zhanchi, but I sometimes get the same problem with lock-ups, so I've ordered a ShengShou Wind (actually 2, one in black, one in white, to see which colour I prefer) because once I'm used to the corner cutting on that, then it should stop my lock-ups on the Zhanchi - maybe it's something worth considering for yourself.

 

[sneaklyfox]

Welcome!

 

[Bestsimple]

Always nice to have a new cuber on the forums

 

[pipkiksass]

Time for another update, I guess!

So I got my white Zhanchi with full Cubicle full-brights, and... it's AWESOME, turns like lightning, especially during the last layer. My OLLs and PLLs feel much faster, but I REALLY struggle with lookahead on the white cube. Trouble is my PLLs are WAY faster on the Zhanchi than on my Guhong 2... so I either have bad lookahead and fast OLL/PLL or good lookahead and a bad last layer. Hmm... anyone else struggle with recognition on a white cube? I thought it was a good idea when I bought it, but now I think I need a black Zhanchi - best of both worlds!

My non-lucky pb was 20.8x two days ago, then yesterday I hit 20.6x, then 20.50 on the Guhong. Then today I hit 20.43 with my white Zhanchi. I've now had about 5 lucky sub-20's, and about 8 20.x solves. Just waiting for that first sub-20 legitimate, non-lucky, full-step solve. I remember being in the same situation, waiting for a non-lucky sub-30 not so long ago, so I know it will come.

I tried timing my PLLs for the first time the other day. They are terrible, apparently. Several over 4s. This was on the Guhong - be interesting to see if they're faster on the Zhanchi, they certainly feel faster. I also recorded a few solves - camera angle is shocking, so I won't be uploading. I don't have a webcam, so I lodged my phone between 2 cubes to point it at my hands/laptop! This revealed to me that my F2L is still way too choppy.

Progress is slowing as I crawl closer to sub-20, but I've still got definite improvements to make - cross still needs work, F2L, still about 15 OLLs to learn, and PLLs need drilling. There's time to be saved at every stage, and some more focussed practice should get me there. If I can get 20.xx with bad lookahead, poor PLL and only knowing 3 of my cross edges when i start turning, I wonder how fast I can be?!

 

[sneaklyfox]

I tried a white cube once because it seemed cool and different. I ordered a white lunhui. In the end, I decided I prefer the classic black so I think I would be ordering only black in the future. It does affect recognition too. My theory is that since the cube is white, your eyes have to not only look for white flashing around the cube (say when you're doing F2L and looking for a corner with a white sticker) but have to look specifically for white sticker. But that's just a theory. People who like white cubes don't seem to have this problem. And since I don't use my white cube as my main, I tried putting on black stickers today for the white side but that's throwing me off even more lol...

 

[kunparekh18]

White cubes do not hurt my recog at all but black stickers do

Sent from my A75 using Tapatalk 2

 

[CuberCat]

I have been cubing since Year 7 (Now Year 10) and I am SUB - 1 minute. I recently started CFOP and I am hoping to SUB 40. My brother is SUB 40 with Beginners method!

 

[pipkiksass]

I tried a white cube once because it seemed cool and different... It does affect recognition too. My theory is that since the cube is white, your eyes have to not only look for white flashing around the cube (say when you're doing F2L and looking for a corner with a white sticker) but have to look specifically for white sticker. But that's just a theory...

Exactly the mistake I made - thought it would be cool and not affect my solving too much. I had the same thoughts about the white-on-white recog though - it's easier to spot a polar bear in space than to spot a polar bear in the Arctic!!

White cubes do not hurt my recog at all but black stickers do

You're lucky - I suck with my white cube. I have to get very lucky with my F2L pairs - i.e. already paired, sat on front face just waiting to be inserted, to get a decent solve with my white cube. LL takes me about 2-3s less with my white cube, but I come out of F2L at about 18-22 seconds. With my black cube, I come out of F2L anything between 13 and 20 seconds, but LL takes an age because I lock up and it's gummier.

I have been cubing since Year 7 (Now Year 10) and I am SUB - 1 minute. I recently started CFOP and I am hoping to SUB 40. My brother is SUB 40 with Beginners method!

Good luck. I used to be a casual cuber - I knew a beginners-type method and could solve in a little over a minute. Started CFOP in December and went from 74.3 average to sub-40 average in a month! A good cube really helps - a Zhanchi might be fairly hard to control for you, but I can highly recommend the Guhong 2.

 

[sneaklyfox]

Exactly the mistake I made - thought it would be cool and not affect my solving too much. I had the same thoughts about the white-on-white recog though - it's easier to spot a polar bear in space than to spot a polar bear in the Arctic!!

Good analogy.

 

[pipkiksass]

Thanks, I was quite pleased with it!

On another note, just had a 17.84 NON-LUCKY single. Not an easy scramble, just smooth turning and no stopping. Woohoo! PB by almost 3 seconds!

 

[sneaklyfox]

Thanks, I was quite pleased with it!

On another note, just had a 17.84 NON-LUCKY single. Not an easy scramble, just smooth turning and no stopping. Woohoo! PB by almost 3 seconds!

Nice! Update your signature!

 

[kunparekh18]

Awesome! Congo...

Sent from my A75 using Tapatalk 2

 

[pipkiksass]

So anyway, someone suggested I set up a YouTube channel, so I have done. The whole recording process is a work in progress - cameraphone propped up against a cube - angle was wrong at first:

Apparently I scramble low, then raise the cube to solve. I adjusted the camera angle and managed to capture a decent Ao5:

Some analysis:

Spoiler

Solve 1 - 25.94 U R B2 F' R' U' B U R U B2 F' L2 R2 B' F2 L2 R B2 U B L' R F2 D'

OK - 4 second cross, 14 second F2L, almost 8 second LL...

Solve 2 - (27.68 B' F' L2 R2 D R F L2 B2 F D U2 B' F2 U F2 L2 B' F' D' U' L D' U2 L2)

7 second cross, 13 second F2L, 7 second LL

Solve 3 - 26.56 B D' F' R D' L2 R2 D2 L D2 F' D2 U L' D' B F R' D' F U' L2 R' U B

4 second cross, 12 second F2L INCLUDING DROPPING THE CUBE!! :fp, 10 SECOND LAST LAYER

Solve 4 - 23.86 R B F D' B D U' L' D2 U2 L2 F' L R2 D2 B2 D B F' D2 L R' D L' D

second cross, 14 second F2L, 6 second LL

Solve 5 - (23.73 B D' U' L R U R2 B2 L2 R2 D2 U2 F' L2 R2 U' B D B U2 B F2 R U' F2)

Same as solve 4 - 3 second cross, 14 second F2L, 6 second LL

Interesting watching for me - tells me a few things about my solving:

1 - my slowest solve was 4 seconds slower than my fastest, and that solve the cross took me 4 seconds longer. I'm sure there's something to be learnt from this, but the maths is beyond me!

2 - my F2L is still choppy and full of pauses, but pretty consistent - 12-14 seconds across the 5 solves. Still time to be saved by looking ahead more effectively.

3 - The cube is turning like a swingball during F2L. Cube rotations anyone? *makes mental note to watch JSkyler91's series on avoiding cube rotations*

4 - I REALLY need to drill my PLLs!!

According to the highly popular systematic training post, apparently "The "idealised" relative proportions are: cross 12%, cross+1 24.5%, F2L (inc cross) 62%, OLL 16.5% (inc recog and AUF), PLL 21.5% (inc recognition and AUF), Total last layer 38%."

Spoiler

For this set of solves my average was 25.45.
Cross average, very roughly, was 4.4s (17%)
F2L average, again roughly, was 13.4s (52%)
F2L including cross was 17.8s (70%)
Last layer was 7.4s (30%)

So, proportionally at least, my last layer is OK, but only because my F2L is so choppy and my cross is so inconsistent.

New goals:

Sub-4 cross average (blind cross solving)
Work on lookahead.
Drill weaker PLLs.
Reduce F2L cube rotations.