How can I bring my time on 2x2 with Ortega down from 7-8 seconds to 4-5 seconds?

[Hades139]

I learned Ortega a few days ago on my 2x2 and now instead of getting averages of 5 or 6 I am getting averages of 7 or 8. How can I lower my time to 4-5 seconds like everyone says I should be able to with Ortega?

 

[SpeedCubeReview]

I learned Ortega a few days ago on my 2x2 and now instead of getting averages of 5 or 6 I am getting averages of 7 or 8. How can I lower my time to 4-5 seconds like everyone says I should be able to with Ortega?

For only using Ortega for a few days and having a 7-8 second average is great. I've used it for months and still average that. I don't practice 2x2 that much, but 7-8 is still a decent time.

 

[Hades139]

Then how long do you think it will take for my time to go down because I was going a lot faster with LBL

 

[tseitsei]

I learned Ortega a few days ago on my 2x2 and now instead of getting averages of 5 or 6 I am getting averages of 7 or 8. How can I lower my time to 4-5 seconds like everyone says I should be able to with Ortega?

1. During your inspection you should plan the first face AND also be able to predict what permutation it will be in. (that means you need to KNOW without looking where the solved bar on D-layer will be or will you have diagonal swap or solved layer)
2. Use good OLLs and learn to do them fast. Also you could learn to predict OLL in inspection at least for easy solves (not necessary for 4-5s times though)
3. Learn good PBL algs and learn to do them fast. Maybe learn different PBL algs for different angles too...
4. PRACTISE A LOT!

 

[Hades139]

I've been using the Olls and PBLs from CubeWhiz, are those good or should I try to find different algs?

 

[TDM]

I've been using the Olls and PBLs from CubeWhiz, are those good or should I try to find different algs?

His OLLs are good, but not all of his PBLs are. Look on algdb.net for better algs. Learning multiple algs is helpful (2 for each PBL isn't that hard and can save lots of time avoiding x2/z2 rotations).

 

[Hades139]

His OLLs are good, but not all of his PBLs are. Look on algdb.net for better algs. Learning multiple algs is helpful (2 for each PBL isn't that hard and can save lots of time avoiding x2/z2 rotations).

Yeah I definitely noticed that some of his PBLs felt awkward to use

 

[Wylie28]

There is no need to predict your oll during inspection but it will help a lot if you can. Most importantly know where your bar is and put it in a good place for pbl while solving your face. I average 4.5 with ortega

 

[Lazy Einstein]

For you I recommend paying extra attention to your PBLs. You can obviously do solved 1st layers and OLL well.

For example as TDM stated:

Look on algdb.net for better algs. Learning multiple algs is helpful (2 for each PBL isn't that hard and can save lots of time avoiding x2/z2 rotations). To give you a good idea, I average low 6 with Ortega and the odd CLL I haven't forgotten. I know and use 4 algs for PBL 1 and I know and use 7 algs for PBL 5.

and as tseitei said:

1. During your inspection you should plan the first face(Definitely. Know if you will have a bar, solved layer or diag swap)
2. Use good OLLs and learn to do them fast. (You should be good here from LBL. But check out definite OLL algs. For example, I use y' R' F R2 U' R2' F R for the Pi OLL as it is unreal fast and is also a great EG-1 alg)
3. Learn good PBL algs and learn to do them fast. Maybe learn different PBL algs for different angles too(Read above with what I said on TDMs post
4. PRACTISE A LOT! Seriously. Find way to practice extra. I watch movies with my wife and kids and just drill algs while sitting there. Random extra practice on top of solves helps a ton.

 

[Chree]

Another tip, something I've been doing a lot lately... if you have any CLL/COLL recognition, you can begin to predict what your Top Layer will be if you perform any particular OLL. Since you already knowing what your Bottom Layer is, and you can predict what PBL will be and flow right into it without thinking.

Also, you can try to force certain PBLs, if you find them easier. For me, I usually aim to have a Bar on Bottom when I'm making my first face. Since there's a 2/3 chance of also having a Bar on Top, this gives me a 2/3 chance of having a Bar/Bar PBL, (which is one of my favorites to execute). And the remaining 2 possible PBLs aren't that hard to pull off either.

 

[TDM]

Also, you can try to force certain PBLs, if you find them easier. For me, I usually aim to have a Bar on Bottom when I'm making my first face. Since there's a 2/3 chance of also having a Bar on Top, this gives me a 2/3 chance of having a Bar/Bar PBL, (which is one of my favorites to execute). And the remaining 2 possible PBLs aren't that hard to pull off either.

Interesting... adj-adj is one of my worst PBLs (except solved-diag and diag-solved). 90% of the time I do a diagonal or solved face. I like to force adj-diag (my favourite PBL), diag-diag and adj-solved. The single diagswaps aren't very nice though

 

[ComputerGuy365]

Just practice. I average 6-7 and I don't even know full ortega.

 

[Chree]

Interesting... adj-adj is one of my worst PBLs (except solved-diag and diag-solved). 90% of the time I do a diagonal or solved face. I like to force adj-diag (my favourite PBL), diag-diag and adj-solved. The single diagswaps aren't very nice though

Maybe I like doing Bar-Bar simply because it's the most common PBL (right?) and I get to practice it a lot. I doreally like getting Diag-Adj... def one of the fastest algs. It's just easy, low-move-count Bars are easier to spot than building Diag or Solved.

That's a good point, tho. Getting Diag on Bottom is awesome... 5 out of 6 times the PBL is sweet. But Diag-Solved is the worst.

 

[TDM]

Maybe I like doing Bar-Bar simply because it's the most common PBL (right?) and I get to practice it a lot. I doreally like getting Diag-Adj... def one of the fastest algs. It's just easy, low-move-count Bars are easier to spot than building Diag or Solved.

That's a good point, tho. Getting Diag on Bottom is awesome... 5 out of 6 times the PBL is sweet. But Diag-Solved is the worst.

I don't practise it much, so I suck at it Just quickly timed my main algs (I have about three for each PBL, sometimes more), here's what I got for 1/5/12:

Spoiler

DD: 0.21/0.26/0.26
AD: 0.33/0.35/0.39
AS: 0.65/0.67/0.72
AA: 0.96/1.19/1.25
DS: 1.00/1.23/1.31

All timed with keyboard, so they're a bit faster than normal, but roughly accurate. So it's my second slowest PBL, and it isn't much better than my slowest
I've done so many diagonal faces that they're easy to spot for me too. They're not much harder than adjacent faces, and if they're hard to see then I'll just do an adjacent face.
Yeah, I agree about the diagonal on bottom thing. Luckily I know more than one CLL for each case, so I can almost always avoid the solved-diag case. It's more like 35/36 for me. It can happen if I don't concentrate though, which sucks.

 

[Hssandwich]

I average sub 4 with ortega and some CLL, what I think you should do, which really helped me, is learn what pieces get swapped around when you do certain OLLs and possibly learn another OLL for each case so that you can force and predict PBL, I like to build a diag-swapped face to start over an adj-swapped face because I know that I can force either adj-diag or diag-diag with a face solved in that way.
Also, practice a lot, leave it some time and practice some other cube, like 3x3-7x7 , and then go back to practicing.
These are some things that definately helped me.

 

[STOCKY7]

I learned Ortega a few days ago on my 2x2 and now instead of getting averages of 5 or 6 I am getting averages of 7 or 8. How can I lower my time to 4-5 seconds like everyone says I should be able to with Ortega?

I haven't read the other comments, but to me, it seems like you just need to practice and get used to Ortega.
You've only been using it a few days, and can't expect times to drop straight away.
Give it a few months of good practice and you'll be there I'm sure.