How do I get sub 20?
- Thread starter Rogidk
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NigelTheCuber
Veteran
try getting your f2l cases into muscle memory (you can solve them blindfolded)
execute your algs faster
and most importantly, practice and grind.
execute your algs faster
and most importantly, practice and grind.
IsThatA4x4
Veteran
Learn full PLL if not already, and you could think about full OLL too (you could)
I have a pastebin for F2L improvement, where I put all the tips I can think of:
I have a pastebin for F2L improvement, where I put all the tips I can think of:
// Fundamentals / things to learn //
- Intuitive F2L: Both J perm and Brody have a video on this. You will probably get slower at first, but with practice it will heavily pay off.
- Advanced F2L: This is just intuitive F2L but with some faster solutions for bad cases, and with some other ways to pair pieces up. Lots of practice is again key here. J perm has a great video on this, I highly recommend it.
- Keyhole: This is where one piece is solved and the other is not, and there is an empty slot available. This allows you to solve long cases in as little as 5 moves. This can be extended to...
- Multislotting: If the corner for one pair is solved and the edge for another is solved, you can insert the two pieces at the same time like an F2L pair using keyhole. J perm also has a video on this.
// Lookahead //
Lookahead is the most important thing for a fast F2L. There are many things you can do to improve it. The following sections are about such things:
// Cross - F2L transition //
One of the biggest pauses in your solutions will be here, and improving this could make you faster by at least a second.
- Make sure you can do your entire cross in inspection. Practice this by working out the cross solution, then doing it with your eyes closed.
- You should aim to turn as fast as you can during cross, but because you know the solution, you can be looking for first pair at the same time. Do not look at the cross pieces while solving it
Eventually, you should learn to inspect a solution for cross + first pair. This will completely eliminate the pause, and allow you to look for second pair at the same time.
// Solving pairs //
How you solve your pairs will make a lot of difference to lookahead.
- Make sure you can easily solve any pair you come across. This means that when you look at the pair, you should be able to fully solve it with your eyes closed. If you can do this, it will help with lookahead in general, which I will explain in a bit.
- Whenever you can, avoid having both front slots solved. When you have both front slots solved, most of the visibility you have is blocked, leaving mostly blind spots. Whenever you have to rotate, choose a rotation that will end up leaving at least 1 front slot unsolved.
- You should only rotate at most once per pair, never more. More rotations means more pieces moving around in front of you, which makes it harder to see what's happening.
- Make sure you have good solutions. Go through a solve slowly, trying to solve each pair as efficiently as possible. If you notice you're taking more than 8 moves, check this document: bit.ly/bestf2l to sed if your solution could be better.
// Turning speed and where to look //
- You should not solve your F2L pairs at top speed, instead, and this takes a lot of practice, you should turn as fast as you can while your brain can still register the movement of the other pieces in front of you. If you ever feel like you solve a pair and got confused after solving it, slow down. Start very slow, and gradually speed up over time. Your brain can't move as fast as your hands, so you shouldn't move your hands faster than your brain can register it.
- Never look at what you're solving while your solving it. If you can do a pair with your eyes closed, you don't need to look at it; so why bother looking at the pair when you can look around the cube for other pairs?
- Look at where new pieces will come from. When solving into the back, pay attention to what pieces will be put into the top layer, not what you can already see in the front.
- Try to do "bookmarking", where, for example, if you see a corner in a slot, remember that for later, because you know that when you insert the correct pair into that slot, that corner will come out. This will reduce the amount of pieces you have to look at, which will ease the pressure on your brain so you can turn faster.
Remember, all of this is a gradual improvement over time: none of this will happen instantly and all at once. You should work on one item at a time, until eventually your F2L is much faster!
- Intuitive F2L: Both J perm and Brody have a video on this. You will probably get slower at first, but with practice it will heavily pay off.
- Advanced F2L: This is just intuitive F2L but with some faster solutions for bad cases, and with some other ways to pair pieces up. Lots of practice is again key here. J perm has a great video on this, I highly recommend it.
- Keyhole: This is where one piece is solved and the other is not, and there is an empty slot available. This allows you to solve long cases in as little as 5 moves. This can be extended to...
- Multislotting: If the corner for one pair is solved and the edge for another is solved, you can insert the two pieces at the same time like an F2L pair using keyhole. J perm also has a video on this.
// Lookahead //
Lookahead is the most important thing for a fast F2L. There are many things you can do to improve it. The following sections are about such things:
// Cross - F2L transition //
One of the biggest pauses in your solutions will be here, and improving this could make you faster by at least a second.
- Make sure you can do your entire cross in inspection. Practice this by working out the cross solution, then doing it with your eyes closed.
- You should aim to turn as fast as you can during cross, but because you know the solution, you can be looking for first pair at the same time. Do not look at the cross pieces while solving it
Eventually, you should learn to inspect a solution for cross + first pair. This will completely eliminate the pause, and allow you to look for second pair at the same time.
// Solving pairs //
How you solve your pairs will make a lot of difference to lookahead.
- Make sure you can easily solve any pair you come across. This means that when you look at the pair, you should be able to fully solve it with your eyes closed. If you can do this, it will help with lookahead in general, which I will explain in a bit.
- Whenever you can, avoid having both front slots solved. When you have both front slots solved, most of the visibility you have is blocked, leaving mostly blind spots. Whenever you have to rotate, choose a rotation that will end up leaving at least 1 front slot unsolved.
- You should only rotate at most once per pair, never more. More rotations means more pieces moving around in front of you, which makes it harder to see what's happening.
- Make sure you have good solutions. Go through a solve slowly, trying to solve each pair as efficiently as possible. If you notice you're taking more than 8 moves, check this document: bit.ly/bestf2l to sed if your solution could be better.
// Turning speed and where to look //
- You should not solve your F2L pairs at top speed, instead, and this takes a lot of practice, you should turn as fast as you can while your brain can still register the movement of the other pieces in front of you. If you ever feel like you solve a pair and got confused after solving it, slow down. Start very slow, and gradually speed up over time. Your brain can't move as fast as your hands, so you shouldn't move your hands faster than your brain can register it.
- Never look at what you're solving while your solving it. If you can do a pair with your eyes closed, you don't need to look at it; so why bother looking at the pair when you can look around the cube for other pairs?
- Look at where new pieces will come from. When solving into the back, pay attention to what pieces will be put into the top layer, not what you can already see in the front.
- Try to do "bookmarking", where, for example, if you see a corner in a slot, remember that for later, because you know that when you insert the correct pair into that slot, that corner will come out. This will reduce the amount of pieces you have to look at, which will ease the pressure on your brain so you can turn faster.
Remember, all of this is a gradual improvement over time: none of this will happen instantly and all at once. You should work on one item at a time, until eventually your F2L is much faster!
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