[Help Thread] How to Get Faster using the Fridrich / CFOP Method

[MoyuFTW]

You need to work on PLL recognition again. It is a bit slow.

Work on solving your cross in inspection time. I mean planning how to do it. Don't worry about how long it takes to inspect so long as you can do the whole cross.

And work on reducing your cube rotations. Cube rotations aren't that slow but they do make you regrip which can block your view of the cube, or they can just confuse you (makes your lookahead harder slightly)

By the way what cube are you using? You might want something faster or to loosen your cube.

 

[CubePro]

I'm using a Dayan Zhanchi. I had to tighten it a bit so it doesn't pop . Yea the cube is a bit of a drawback for me. And I have to wait a bit to buy a new 3x3 because my parents are not allowing me to buy a new Aolong . Can I improve on anything else? Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Isaac Lai]

Lol hard to inefficient xD . And other than that? Is F2L okay or should I work on look-ahead? And what can I do to improve my cross? And yeah, I'm pretty bad at G-Perms, failed the G-Perm at the 4th solve pretty bad. Thanks for the feedback anyway!

Oops I meant hard to execute. Your F2L atm is still okay, and it should get better with practice.

 

[CubePro]

Okay thanks for the advice!

 

[rj]

I'm using a Dayan Zhanchi. I had to tighten it a bit so it doesn't pop . Yea the cube is a bit of a drawback for me. And I have to wait a bit to buy a new 3x3 because my parents are not allowing me to buy a new Aolong . Can I improve on anything else? Thanks for the feedback!

Try buying something cheap, like a Thunderclap or Weilong V1. They might frown less.
Also, try making your cube really loose, so you'll be forced to be accurate. You'll be amazed when you get a new cube.

 

[CubePro]

No, It's not about money man. It's about wasting money when I have a 3x3 already. Well, I'll have to do with this cube till I get a new one. And yea, I'll try loosening my cube .

 

[tomahawker314]

I have been stuck at around and average of 42 seconds for about 2 weeks now, having dropped from 46 seconds a week before that. I use 2loll and 2lpll, with intuitive f2l and semi advanced cross ( regularly less than 5 seconds). My cross and f2l tends to be done in about 25 (more like 23-30) so my last layer is around 15 seconds, which is quite worrying. I drill algs regularly and probably do around 40-50 solve a day. My cube is a tanglong, just switched form a zhanchi. How can i get faster as I really want to be sub 20 eventually, but for now I'd be happy with 35 seconds.

 

[Hypocrism]

I have been stuck at around and average of 42 seconds for about 2 weeks now, having dropped from 46 seconds a week before that. I use 2loll and 2lpll, with intuitive f2l and semi advanced cross ( regularly less than 5 seconds). My cross and f2l tends to be done in about 25 (more like 23-30) so my last layer is around 15 seconds, which is quite worrying. I drill algs regularly and probably do around 40-50 solve a day. My cube is a tanglong, just switched form a zhanchi. How can i get faster as I really want to be sub 20 eventually, but for now I'd be happy with 35 seconds.

Always work on F2L. LL will come and no need to really work on it for now. Practice looking ahead by doing slow, untimed solves and thinking about what you're doing next. Try blind pairs to make sure it's muscle memory to do your inserts.

 

[CubePro]

Hello!

I suggest you make a video of atleast one solve like I did. It makes it easier for people to identify your weak-points and tell you how to improve on them. I did this literally 2 days ago and it has helped me a lot.

Thanks

P.S.-Sorry if my English is bad as it is not my 1st language

 

[Prototype Cuber]

Do you mean TPS? If so, then practice.

 

[tomahawker314]

Thanks for the advice about slow solves, after watching some tutorials on f2l this seems to be the main source of improvement. I have noticed i pause excessively from cross to f2l also, can i apply lookahead here too?

 

[mafergut]

Thanks for the advice about slow solves, after watching some tutorials on f2l this seems to be the main source of improvement. I have noticed i pause excessively from cross to f2l also, can i apply lookahead here too?

Sure! If you plan your cross during inspection and can do it blindly then you can search for your 1st pair during cross. The best cubers can even plan the 1st pair during inspection, at least in most of the solves (except perhaps for difficul crosses).

 

[Dadd]

I average about 17 seconds. I use the following:
Full OLL (except for dot cases where I use sledges)
Full PLL
Advanced F2L algs for bad cases
Intuitive F2L for good cases
Cross on Bottom (6-9 moves)
Good Lookahead

Here are my average splits:
Cross: 2-3
F2L: 7
OLL: 2-3
PLL- 1-2
LL Together: 4.75-5.75

 

[MoyuFTW]

I average about 17 seconds. I use the following:
Full OLL (except for dot cases where I use sledges)
Full PLL
Advanced F2L algs for bad cases
Intuitive F2L for good cases
Cross on Bottom (6-9 moves)
Good Lookahead

Here are my average splits:
Cross: 2-3
F2L: 7
OLL: 2-3
PLL- 1-2
LL Together: 4.75-5.75

Are you sure those splits are right? 3+7+3+2 = 15.

 

[shadowslice e]

I average about 17 seconds. I use the following:
Full OLL (except for dot cases where I use sledges)
Full PLL
Advanced F2L algs for bad cases
Intuitive F2L for good cases
Cross on Bottom (6-9 moves)
Good Lookahead

Here are my average splits:
Cross: 2-3
F2L: 7
OLL: 2-3
PLL- 1-2
LL Together: 4.75-5.75

If those splits are taken individually I would advise that you work on the transition between each of the steps and try to cut down on pauses as much as you possibly can- try to predict cases to help with this during slow turning.

Are you sure those splits are right? 3+7+3+2 = 15.

they should be right if he took the spilts individually (which I think he did as the OLL+PLL is different from the full LL)

 

[Prototype Cuber]

I have been stuck at around and average of 42 seconds for about 2 weeks now, having dropped from 46 seconds a week before that. I use 2loll and 2lpll, with intuitive f2l and semi advanced cross ( regularly less than 5 seconds). My cross and f2l tends to be done in about 25 (more like 23-30) so my last layer is around 15 seconds, which is quite worrying. I drill algs regularly and probably do around 40-50 solve a day. My cube is a tanglong, just switched form a zhanchi. How can i get faster as I really want to be sub 20 eventually, but for now I'd be happy with 35 seconds.

I average 25-30 seconds, and i would reccomend learning full pll, as well as a least 10 f2l algs. I just started learning full pll, and i know about 3 algs (besides the 2lpll ones), and my last layer times went down alot. once i know more pll and full f2l, my times could go down quite alot more. So, back to you. My suggestions; Learn full pll as well as more f2l

-Prototype Cuber

P.S. Hope this helps ;P

 

[NickE]

You really need to work on your cross. It is probably the worst part of your solve. You are very inefficient and you don't use your inspection time wisely. You should be able to plan your whole cross during inspection. Give yourself unlimited inspection time when you practice. Your F2L isn't so good either. It's not efficient and you have too many pauses in your solves. Try turning slower and looking ahead. You only need like 2 TPS in your cross and F2L to get sub 30. Try learning full pll. Try learning 1 PLL every 2 days. You only have 14 plls left to learn so you can finish all your PLLs within a month. Learn your OLLs when your about sub20. It will help but not by that much. Last thing to do is PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

Everyone tells me to slow down but when I do I just get even worse times??? I don't know how to brake sub 30 I've been averaging 30.XX for like a month and a half.<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/142972184" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[fiftyniner]

don't time yourself too often.

The main aim of going slow is not for 'slowness' sake but to develop the ability to slot in pairs without looking (subconsciously) while your eyes and mind are looking for or tracking another pair. The optimum speed of "slow" is "no-pause" during turning, while multitasking the said exercises.

 

[Hypocrism]

Everyone tells me to slow down but when I do I just get even worse times??? I don't know how to brake sub 30 I've been averaging 30.XX for like a month and a half.<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/142972184" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>

You slow down to learn how to go faster!

An analogy is sprinting. You don't just run the 100 over and over again to get faster at the 100 - that would not make you fast. You need to step back and lift weights, work on flexibility, and everything else. Doing slow solves is the equivalent of lifting weights in 3x3. Yes, it will make individual solves slower, but that's because you're going slowly! Don't time your slow solves. Just solve it slowly and with thought rather than going on autopilot. In addition you can do your whole blind pairs, blind cross stuff, and work on TPS of algs when you're perhaps sub20.

 

[tomahawker314]

I average 25-30 seconds, and i would reccomend learning full pll, as well as a least 10 f2l algs. I just started learning full pll, and i know about 3 algs (besides the 2lpll ones), and my last layer times went down alot. once i know more pll and full f2l, my times could go down quite alot more. So, back to you. My suggestions; Learn full pll as well as more f2l

-Prototype Cuber

P.S. Hope this helps ;P

thank you for the pll suggestion, learnt the first one today, plus the ones i know from 2lpll. slowing down to lookahead, my times went up yesterday, but today i did an average of 12 at 39.57 so I'm back on track and can only improve. Thankyou everyone for your suggestions