How to learn algorithms faster?

[MagicianCuber]

I've had a cube for five years in a dusty box because cubes weren't interesting to me and i had like 5 years so there was no way i was going to solve it. But in 2022 chirstmas i got a new MoYu cube. The old one was VERY cheap and locked every five seconds, but with this new one i decided to take my time and learn how to solve it. It has been almost a year from when i solved my first cube and now i am learning full PLL but it has a decent amount of algorithms and they are hard to learn, especially because some of them are very similar to each other, most of the time adding or removing a ' (prime). If someone has a way to learn algorithms faster than 3 hours please tell me, because i am planning to learn full OLL next... and 57 algorithms...

 

[ProStar]

You are correct that many algorithms are very similar to each other, but try to use that as an advantage rather than a disadvantage. You’ll find that minor variations of a few patterns of moves (“triggers”) make up a large portion of algorithms. OLL in particular will be infinitely easier for you if you learn to recognize different triggers and their variations, rather than purely remembering each individual move.

Other than that, it’s kinda just doing it over and over again and relying less and less on looking at the alg and doing it faster and faster until you’ve got it down. Then make time to review the algs you recently learned later.

Also, make sure to learn fingertricks. The way you do the moves is just as important as the moves themselves. You can find videos online (I love J Perm’s tutorials) of the best fingertricks to use. If you don’t learn them now, you’ll just have to relearn it later, which will be very difficult.

Here’s some great tips of how to learn algorithms in video form:

 

[Discomantis]

Before you read this, I want to mention that I am not good at, nor do I know any algorithm sets for any long events or square-1.

Because of this, the longest algorithms in terms of move count that I have memorized are PLL's.

This advice may not work for algorithms that are longer than about 20 moves, and for square-1.




First, to learn algorithms faster, you should know these basic move triggers:

R U R' U' = Sexy move, often shortened to sexy

R' F R F' = Sledge hammer, often shortened to sledge

U R U' R' = Reverse sexy move, often shortened to reverse sexy

F R' F' R: Hedge slammer, often shortened to hedge.


These move triggers show up in a lot of algorithms, and knowing them can make it easier to memorize.

Often times, you can memorize a short sequence if it is similar to one of the 4 triggers.

For example, R U R' U could be memorized as sexy move, but the last move is a U instead of a U'

Now, when memorizing an algorithm, you can memorize the notation, but this usually isn't the best way.

Here is how you can memorize an algorithm without necessarily memorizing the notation:

You will want to start off slow to get the algorithm in your head.

Try to memorize what the algorithm feels like in your hands and not the notation.

Breaking the algorithm up into parts while trying to memorize can also be helpful.

Make sure to not use a trainer while attempting to go slow.

Once you can do that, try to execute the algorithm as fast as you can with a trainer

At that point, you will realize that there are some parts that are difficult for you, and you should try to individually practice those difficult spots.


Then, either learn another algorithm, or do solves to practice the one you just learned.


By doing this, you can learn to do the algorithm fast easier.

You might not learn the algorithm at a fast pace, but you will learn to do the algorithm at a fast speed at a faster pace.

Good luck on learning full OLL!

 

[Spencer131]

• Do a little bit every day (even 5 or 10 minutes helps to reinforce what you've learned)
• Learn mirrors and inverses
• Sometimes you only have to memorize the beginning of an alg, and you can figure out the end intuitively
• Use spaced repetition as a learning technique. Basically that means if you get a case wrong, you need to practice it more, and if you get a case right, you need to practice it less. The cubingapp trainer automatically does spaced repetition for you

 

[Deleted member 74176]

The way that I learn algs is that I slowly do the alg over and over again, reading the notation off my phone/computer/notebook and I repeat it until I no long need to read the notation and I will drill the alg in (doing it as fast as I can to get it into muscle memory) and I will usually use some kind of trainer (mostly useful for big alg sets)