[Help Thread] How do I get better as a beginner?

[Ayden]

I have quite a few questions that I want to be answered. I am a beginner.

This is my list of questions
1. How long should I practice cubing every day, or how long do you spend cubing daily?
2. What are some tips for memorizing algorithms?
3. What are some good websites, and youtube channels related to cubing?
4. How long is too long in terms of how long I practice daily?
5. If it is possible, I wanna see a timeline of your pb’s on 3x3.
6. How many different types of cubes should I have, and how many did you have at different times?
Cfop Questions
1. How long will it take me to learn cfop, or how long did it take you? (How long for every section)
2. How do I get better at f2l?
3. What was your time with beginners method before you switched to cfop?
4. How do I learn cfop?
5. What order should I learn the different sections?
6. Should I write notes about cfop?
7. What are some good websites to learn cfop?
8. Tips?
5x5 Questions
1. What are some tips for redux method?
2. Is it a good idea to learn 4x4?
3. I have the MF5. What is a list of some good cubes?
4. What are some ideas for getting faster?
5. How long did it take you to be sub 3min? 2min? 1min?
6. What are some good websites?
7. What things do advanced 5x5 cubers that use redux do that are any different than what a beginner does?
8. How long should I practice daily?
9. Should I learn all L2E algorithms?
10. When you first learned 5x5, what were your times?

Thank you so much for reading this. Even if you aren’t going to answer, I really appreciate your time. This took me a very long time to make.

 

[WoowyBaby]

You have a lot of questions, so I’ll just answer a few-

2. I found spamming the algorithm a dozen times, with correct fingertricks of course, puts it into memory better than anything else.
3. Good websites? This one!
Speedsolving Forum, Speedsolving Wiki, AlgDb, and J Perm on YouTube are some you should know.
4. The more good practice you do the better you get, but of course don’t let your life be swallowed by cubing, try do all the work you have to do before picking up a cube that day. (I’m not perfect at it either I’ll work on it myself)
6. I have 16 twisty puzzles myself, and honestly that’s all I need. If you don’t have many puzzles then that’s fine, but if you want more, I’d recommend always buy the best budget option, which like 80% of the time is YuXin Little Magic cubes, because they’re actually amazing and really cheap. If you don’t already have 2x2, 4x4, Skewb, and Pyraminx, I’d consider getting them.

CFOP Questions-
If you want to learn CFOP, then J Perm’s videos are the best ones around. Here are the 3 videos to start with-
F2L
OLL
PLL
And at first you may be slower doing F2L Pairs than doing Beginner’s method, this happened to me, but if you practice F2L Pairs for a few days I bet It’ll make you faster.
Another note is that F2L is the step for the biggest room for improvement, so if you want to get faster then learn new stuff for F2L and practice it.

Thanks for such an organized post and maybe other people can answer the rest of your questions!

 

[Ayden]

Thank you so much! I was also wondering, I only have like 2 cubes, and I am thinking about buying more. I used amazon for my purchases, and it seemed to work fine, and it was nice because it was 2 day shipping, but I don’t know if this is really the best place. Do speed cubers buy from amazon, or not, because I need to know if I should get my cubes from Speed Cube Shop, or TheCubicle.us. Thanks again!

 

[jronge94]

Let me start by saying I would definetly recommend a professional speedcube retailer over amazon. If you live in the US Thecubicle and speecubeshop are both great options.
For the rest of the questions I'll copy paste and answer them to best of my ability (without looking at woowy's answer)

This is my list of questions
1. How long should I practice cubing every day, or how long do you spend cubing daily?
Depends on how much time you have and how many events you want to practice. for 3x3 an hour a day would be good I guess (you'll improve very quickly, I think almost evryone is capable of reaching sub-20 within the year)
2. What are some tips for memorizing algorithms?
Split them up in triggers (e.g. R U R' U' is a trigger that's used in a lot of different algs) that and keep spamming them until they're muscle memory
3. What are some good websites, and youtube channels related to cubing?
Algdb, cubeskills and Chris Olsen's site are the best I know of of the top of my head and for youtube just look around a bit and you'll find channels and tutorials you like
4. How long is too long in terms of how long I practice daily?
I personally consider whenever my times go to the dumpster and I get waaaaay too tired for cubing too long (or when I get tilted)
5. If it is possible, I wanna see a timeline of your pb’s on 3x3.
euhm I would say I'm not representative due to long breaks but 2009-2014 over 1 minute (wasn't trying to be fast) 2014 went from 1:30 to 30sec in about 4 months I think 30 --> another 3 months I think 20 --> 18 another 3 months or so 18 --> 17 dunno but that's what I was averaging summer 2015 when I returned to cubing summer 2018 took me about 2 months to get back to speed and then atm 17 --> 14.5 august2018 until now
6. How many different types of cubes should I have, and how many did you have at different times?
this is a very personal question, but I would reommend to at least have a main cube you really like and a back-up.
Cfop Questions
1. How long will it take me to learn cfop, or how long did it take you? (How long for every section)
learn 4LLL practice 2 weeks to a month to get used to it. Afterwards switch to F2L and just get used to it your times will get worse at the beginning, but you just have to push through.
2. How do I get better at f2l?
Practice, look-ahead and search algs for cases you solve in more than 9 moves or do 2 rotations for (gradually learn the algs)
3. What was your time with beginners method before you switched to cfop?
Immediatly switch to CFOP
4. How do I learn cfop?
tutorials on youtube?
5. What order should I learn the different sections?
first 4LLL (starting with the 6 PLL (T, Y, Ua, Ub, H, Z) algs and afterwards the 8 OLL (2 to orient the edges and than the rest to orient the corners)
6. Should I write notes about cfop?
I never did, but that's up to you
7. What are some good websites to learn cfop?
Youtube
8. Tips?
Are only a problem with pyra solving (sorry couldn't resist )
analyse your solves and spot your weaknessess and figure out like this what you need to work on
5x5 Questions
1. What are some tips for redux method?
centers are intuitive learn free-slice if you have the time (it's intuitive enough)
2. Is it a good idea to learn 4x4?
yes, skip redux and immediatly learn yau (or hoya)
3. I have the MF5. What is a list of some good cubes?
look up some lists and reviews
4. What are some ideas for getting faster?
practice and figure out how to do centers faster
5. How long did it take you to be sub 3min? 2min? 1min?
sub-3 a few 100 soves dunno actually sub-2 when I became sub-16 on 3x3 (didn't really practice 5x5) sub-1 --> I WISH
6. What are some good websites?
same as the ones I mentioned above
7. What things do advanced 5x5 cubers that use redux do that are any different than what a beginner does?
Look at example solves and figure out for yourself, but in all not that much
8. How long should I practice daily?
Same answer as 3x3, but basically as much as you'd like it's a hobby, you decide
9. Should I learn all L2E algorithms?
Yes. They really won't win you a lot of time and if you're not sub-2 there is no real need for them to become faster, but they won't hurt you.
10. When you first learned 5x5, what were your times?
10 minutes iirc, they go down quick and are heavily based on your understanding of the cube (and 3x3 skills)

 

[3Squareheadz]

Thank you so much! I was also wondering, I only have like 2 cubes, and I am thinking about buying more. I used amazon for my purchases, and it seemed to work fine, and it was nice because it was 2 day shipping, but I don’t know if this is really the best place. Do speed cubers buy from amazon, or not, because I need to know if I should get my cubes from Speed Cube Shop, or TheCubicle.us. Thanks again!

If you live in the southern parts of the US i'd recommend SpeedcubeShop but if you live in the northern spots near New York i'd recommend TheCubicle. However if you live in Canada there is a retailer called Cubing Out Loud that is based in Ontario. The prices are a bit more expensive but the shipping cost will be less.

 

[ImmolatedMarmoset]

Thank you so much! I was also wondering, I only have like 2 cubes, and I am thinking about buying more. I used amazon for my purchases, and it seemed to work fine, and it was nice because it was 2 day shipping, but I don’t know if this is really the best place. Do speed cubers buy from amazon, or not, because I need to know if I should get my cubes from Speed Cube Shop, or TheCubicle.us. Thanks again!

what 3Square heads said about retailers doesn’t really matter as long as you are ok waiting an extra day for your order. Just find a store you enjoy purchasing from and that you connect with, and stick to that.

 

[AbsoRuud]

If you live in the southern parts of the US i'd recommend SpeedcubeShop but if you live in the northern spots near New York i'd recommend TheCubicle. However if you live in Canada there is a retailer called Cubing Out Loud that is based in Ontario. The prices are a bit more expensive but the shipping cost will be less.

Or www.cancube.com!