How do you look for F2L pairs?

[Zarxrax]

Sometimes I just get stuck when I'm looking for an F2L pair, usually on the first or 2nd pair, when there are still a lot of unsolved pairs. But, I just got to thinking, maybe I'm looking for my pairs "wrong".

The way I approach it right now, is I just let my eyes scan the cube, looking for any two blocks that go together. Maybe I think "there's a red-green-white corner, but I don't see the red-green edge... oh, but there's the blue-green edge, but I don't see the blue-green-white corner... oh, but here's the orange-blue edge..."
By trying to find "anything" I often end up looking around the cube for multiple seconds, finding "nothing". But, maybe it would be better to just say "ok, here's the "red-green-white corner, so I WILL make this pair first".

What do you think? How do you guys go about finding the pairs?

 

[BoxxyBabee]

It's second nature for me.
After a certain amount of practice, it becomes sub-conscious.

 

[liljthedude]

If I can see a easy pair I go for it, then if none start with a corner. Kind of like you.

 

[Zarxrax]

I think a lot of the time, a piece I need is in the back-left, and I always forget to look there...

 

[LNZ]

I use keyhole (or empty slot) F2L.

 

[cmhardw]

Here's a link to an analysis I did a while back as to whether it is better to be biased towards looking for the corner, then the edge, or vice versa.

Hope this helps,
Chris

 

[HowSuneIsNow]

I haven't been cubing that long -- maybe 2 months. I have used a four point trainning program to get better at F2L.

1. Practice everywhere you go
2. Practice slowly and move slowly and think abotu every little thing you do
3. Practice before you go to bed so you can perfect it in your dreams (seriously)
4. Practice while having a conversation with someone, watching tv, etc. This will help you be able to work without thinking about what you're doing while you're doing it. This transfers inbto being able to think about the next move.

When this fails and seems to stop helping you improve practice

 

[Muesli]

I haven't been cubing that long -- maybe 2 months. I have used a four point trainning program to get better at F2L.

1. Practice everywhere you go
2. Practice slowly and move slowly and think abotu every little thing you do
3. Practice before you go to bed so you can perfect it in your dreams (seriously)
4. Practice while having a conversation with someone, watching tv, etc. This will help you be able to work without thinking about what you're doing while you're doing it. This transfers inbto being able to think about the next move.

When this fails and seems to stop helping you improve practice

If I do this I struggle to sleep. Instead of sleeping I imagine cubing.

 

[rubiknewbie]

If I fail to find a pair, then I just do it the crude way, bring up a corner from the bottom to the top and force the pair, because normally when I cannot find a pair, it is when the corners are hiding at the bottom layer .

 

[Cride5]

I always search for corners first, but probably because edges are easier to find when they're already oriented. This may not be so much the case for Fridrich.

 

[KConny]

Try not just to solve the pair that is the easiest to find, but to solve the easiest pair. I used to miss a lot of R U R' pairs because it's not as easy to spot as a pair that is already connected but bad orientation.