How can I practise the 7x7x7 without completely solving it?

[BinomDreher]

I have a similar problem, I dont like practicing 7x7x7 , because the edge pairing takes me so long and I'm pretty sure there must be a smarter "method" for this step...Is there any good youtube tutorial for the edge pairing?
I liked Michaels center tutorial a lot, something similar for edges would be great

 

[JLarsen]

I have a similar problem, I dont like practicing 7x7x7 , because the edge pairing takes me so long and I'm pretty sure there must be a smarter "method" for this step...Is there any good youtube tutorial for the edge pairing?
I liked Michaels center tutorial a lot, something similar for edges would be great

Freeslice? Something to look up.

 

[Lucas]

Do 6x6! when you get good at that, the skills transfer over.

From practice, my 6x6 times went from 15 mins--->9 mins

and without practicing 7x7, my times went from 30 mins---> 19 mins.

So that was a big improvement.

This is what happened with me...

3x3 avg from 25 to 20.... look ahead improved...

Results:

Improved 4x4, 5x5, 6x6 and 7x7 times easily (7x7 time went from 8:13.xy to 7:23.67 today in 3 tries... edit: 6:53.95).

 

[rjohnson_8ball]

@BinomDreher, I know of 3 methods of edge pairing. A simple way, known as "2 at a time", is to set up 3 edges so when you perform a slice to make one edge, then toggle another piece into its place and undo the slice, a 2nd edge will be made. Another way is to set up a chain of edges so you can perform one slice (parallel to U and D) to make 3 edges, then toggle those out of the slice (to the U or D face) and bad ones in so that when the slice is undone, 3 new edges will be made. Another method, which I prefer for 7x7, is to use slices parallel to U and D to complete an entire edge one at a time, then toggling it out to the U or D face when completed. The slices do not need to be undone until all 8 edges on the U and D face are completed. For the final 4, you can use the "solve 2 at a time" method.

You can try http://www.youtube.com/user/LanceTheBlueKnight to see his 5x5 tutorials on edge pairing, which can of course be applied for 7x7. Also, try http://www.youtube.com/user/MeMyselfAndPi . You might want to search to find more.

 

[luke1984]

It's not that I can't solve it, it's that I don't want to have to power through every solve for 16 minutes just to practise. It seems a bit of a drag having to go through the entire sequence.

If you want to get faster, you're going to have to get past this point. When I first got my 7x7x7 it took me more than 20 minutes to solve. After 20 or so solves I was down to 13 minutes. Then I didn't touch it for 4 weeks because I felt the same about it as you did. But practicing 5x5x5 in those weeks got my 7x7x7 average under 10 minutes.

So either buy a 5x5x5 and practice solving that, or just push yourself past this point by practicing 7x7x7. If you want to accomplish something, you're going to have to work for it.

 

[Muesli]

It's not that I can't solve it, it's that I don't want to have to power through every solve for 16 minutes just to practise. It seems a bit of a drag having to go through the entire sequence.

If you want to get faster, you're going to have to get past this point. When I first got my 7x7x7 it took me more than 20 minutes to solve. After 20 or so solves I was down to 13 minutes. Then I didn't touch it for 4 weeks because I felt the same about it as you did. But practicing 5x5x5 in those weeks got my 7x7x7 average under 10 minutes.

So either buy a 5x5x5 and practice solving that, or just push yourself past this point by practicing 7x7x7. If you want to accomplish something, you're going to have to work for it.

Looks like I'm just going to have to keep up the hard work. I can centre in 6 minutes :fp

 

[BinomDreher]

Thanks for the description and for the links rjohnson, I think I will try the last method you mentioned. My look ahead is too bad for this "chain-edge-solving" I guess ( and far to advanced for my level). What I've often seen in videos (also for 4x4x4 that is) that during the edge pairing the slices were not turned back to reconstruct the centers for each edge piece - hard to describe what I mean actually - and I alsways wondered how that works.
I will watch some videos to learn this

 

[amostay2004]

You don't have to just concentrate on solving a 7x7 every time you play with it. Just solve it while you're watching TV or doing something else since the time doesn't really matter.