inconsistent times

[AlanAlanine]

so I'm averaging in the low 20s right now and I use fridrich

and ever since I started speedcubing, I noticed that every time I have a really good solve, I get a really bad one right after.

just now for example, I had a 17.05 second solve (no skips) and right after I had a 29.84 (ouch)

i only know half OLL algs but I don't think that's what's causes a 12 second increase in time.

maybe it's a mental thing?

any suggestions on how to smooth out my times?

 

[Toire-Dakku]

Do you still remember how the process of those solves went? Both fast and slow.

Find out what step took you longer than usual.
Know what made you slow down on that particular step.
Work on that problem. Look for tutorials, FAQs, or ask about it again here.

 

[Offblast!]

The skeptic in me says coincidence and positive reinforcement

While solving, you tend to remember the more unlikely scenarios and forget the normal ones.

Do you have any logs for your solves? Would be interesting to see.

 

[AlanAlanine]

well in general I feel like I shouldn't be getting 30 second solves at all since they're so slow.

whenever I get a bad solve it's definitely f2l. i don't understand how I can take 20 or more seconds to do f2l though in a bad solve, when I can solve the cube in less time. i know it's a matter of look ahead, but still, why is it that sometimes I see every pair and sometimes I don't? I guess I have a bit of a problem when all of the pieces are already in f2l. i don't know. yo'ure probably right about that coincidence part. here's a kind of recent time log.

326: 00:23.09 x
325: 00:17.53 x
324: 00:20.69 x
323: 00:26.10 x
322: 00:20.56 x
321: 00:20.74 x
320: 00:23.82 x
319: 00:21.49 x
318: 00:25.12 x
317: 00:29.84 x
316: 00:17.05 x
315: 00:23.89 x
314: 00:21.67 x
313: 00:22.36 x
312: 00:21.61 x
311: 00:25.43 x
310: 00:24.87 x
309: 00:21.23 x
308: 00:26.60 x
307: 00:21.02 x
306: 00:23.28 x
305: 00:24.86 x
304: 00:23.16 x
303: 00:21.80 x
302: 00:22.48 x
301: 00:25.09 x
300: 00:24.87 x
299: 00:20.76 x
298: 00:26.81 x
297: 00:20.64 x
296: 00:28.12 x
295: 00:28.21 x
294: 00:25.03 x
293: 00:32.48 x
292: 00:19.99 x
291: 00:26.05 x
290: 00:23.01 x
289: 00:23.55 x
288: 00:26.14 x
287: 00:24.49 x
286: 00:23.58 x
285: 00:20.71 x
284: 00:21.59 x
283: 00:21.00 x
282: 00:20.57 x
281: 00:26.86 x
280: 00:22.69 x
279: 00:19.88 x
278: 00:23.74 x
277: 00:23.39 x
276: 00:25.99 x
275: 00:27.61 x
274: 00:23.58 x
273: 00:22.85 x
272: 00:22.61 x
271: 00:23.45 x
270: 00:26.49 x
269: 00:18.49 x
268: 00:26.64 x
267: 00:21.68 x
266: 00:22.05 x
265: 00:21.05 x
264: 00:23.39 x
263: 00:23.34 x
262: 00:23.63 x
261: 00:24.81 x
260: 00:21.20 x
259: 00:22.01 x
258: 00:22.09 x
257: 00:25.53 x
256: 00:23.86 x
255: 00:21.09 x
254: 00:23.81 x
253: 00:23.89 x
252: 00:18.63 x
251: 00:25.78 x
250: 00:28.55 x
249: 00:23.45 x
248: 00:22.90 x
247: 00:27.81 x
246: 00:23.42 x
245: 00:21.25 x
244: 00:30.68 x
243: 00:23.34 x
242: 00:23.35 x
241: 00:25.29 x
240: 00:25.09 x
239: 00:20.30 x
238: 00:26.24 x
237: 00:21.65 x
236: 00:27.89 x
235: 00:20.29 x
234: 00:23.88 x
233: 00:21.61 x
232: 00:21.00 x
231: 00:23.94 x
230: 00:33.61 x
229: 00:26.97 x
228: 00:19.19 x
227: 00:25.91 x
226: 00:21.78 x
225: 00:25.34 x
224: 00:25.25 x
223: 00:26.73 x
222: 00:22.07 x
221: 00:18.45 x
220: 00:27.89 x
219: 00:15.24 x
218: 00:23.71 x
217: 00:23.02 x
216: 00:18.99 x
215: 00:25.29 x
214: 00:21.63 x
213: 00:22.47 x
212: 00:22.49 x
211: 00:25.06 x
210: 00:23.34 x
209: 00:23.63 x
208: 00:21.10 x
207: 00:25.79 x
206: 00:28.60 x
205: 00:22.12 x
204: 00:21.52 x
203: 00:31.02 x
202: 00:26.33 x
201: 00:28.32 x
200: 00:25.16 x
199: 00:19.70 x
198: 00:34.52 x
197: 00:22.81 x
196: 00:20.77 x
195: 00:23.37 x
194: 00:25.18 x
193: 00:22.99 x
192: 00:19.08 x
191: 00:23.15 x
190: 00:21.98 x
189: 00:23.15 x
188: 00:23.09 x
187: 00:21.31 x
186: 00:22.08 x
185: 00:22.67 x
184: 00:25.37 x
183: 00:22.90 x
182: 00:24.57 x
181: 00:25.17 x
180: 00:23.33 x
179: 00:24.40 x
178: 00:26.70 x
177: 00:20.90 x
176: 00:21.75 x
175: 00:23.13 x
174: 00:22.88 x
173: 00:22.84 x
172: 00:22.22 x
171: 00:20.54 x
170: 00:26.50 x
169: 00:20.15 x
168: 00:26.75 x
167: 00:20.17 x
166: 00:20.25 x
165: 00:22.93 x
164: 00:31.73 x
163: 00:27.87 x
162: 00:25.37 x
161: 00:30.22 x
160: 00:26.19 x
159: 00:22.41 x
158: 00:25.04 x
157: 00:19.40 x
156: 00:28.00 x
155: 00:21.12 x
154: 00:26.99 x
153: 00:21.01 x
152: 00:24.61 x
151: 00:24.15 x
150: 00:23.10 x
149: 00:21.33 x
148: 00:23.89 x
147: 00:21.54 x
146: 00:25.26 x
145: 00:30.35 x
144: 00:22.15 x
143: 00:19.54 x
142: 00:21.56 x
141: 00:20.90 x
140: 00:20.37 x
139: 00:22.48 x
138: 00:27.06 x
137: 00:20.61 x
136: 00:22.66 x
135: 00:25.78 x
134: 00:23.24 x
133: 00:22.14 x
132: 00:24.41 x
131: 00:24.68 x
130: 00:27.07 x
129: 00:22.22 x
128: 00:22.80 x
127: 00:26.27 x
126: 00:30.33 x
125: 00:21.79 x
124: 00:27.12 x
123: 00:19.33 x
122: 00:27.30 x
121: 00:20.71 x
120: 00:23.74 x
119: 00:25.88 x
118: 00:29.29 x
117: 00:26.11 x
116: 00:27.98 x
115: 00:27.91 x
114: 00:23.01 x
113: 00:21.65 x
112: 00:26.15 x
111: 00:20.30 x
110: 00:26.38 x
109: 00:20.95 x
108: 00:24.15 x
107: 00:28.90 x
106: 00:21.41 x
105: 00:24.09 x
104: 00:30.50 x
103: 00:21.05 x
102: 00:21.24 x
101: 00:26.37 x
100: 00:23.67 x
99: 00:23.61 x
98: 00:32.60 x
97: 00:21.72 x
96: 00:22.53 x
95: 00:29.58 x
94: 00:27.38 x
93: 00:26.16 x
92: 00:26.86 x
91: 00:27.14 x
90: 00:22.85 x
89: 00:24.16 x
88: 00:23.52 x
87: 00:21.94 x
86: 00:24.49 x
85: 00:20.52 x
84: 00:23.11 x
83: 00:22.55 x
82: 00:23.86 x
81: 00:31.17 x
80: 00:29.80 x
79: 00:23.02 x
78: 00:22.27 x
77: 00:27.13 x
76: 00:20.03 x
75: 00:27.01 x
74: 00:21.05 x
73: 00:24.03 x
72: 00:25.62 x
71: 00:21.17 x
70: 00:25.82 x
69: 00:22.48 x
68: 00:21.13 x
67: 00:20.41 x
66: 00:21.46 x
65: 00:25.86 x
64: 00:20.26 x
63: 00:22.79 x
62: 00:28.45 x
61: 00:21.19 x
60: 00:25.16 x
59: 00:20.79 x
58: 00:27.29 x
57: 00:24.41 x
56: 00:24.18 x
55: 00:28.90 x
54: 00:20.25 x
53: 00:20.66 x
52: 00:16.68 x
51: 00:26.81 x
50: 00:24.27 x
49: 00:26.00 x
48: 00:23.72 x
47: 00:22.40 x
46: 00:21.18 x
45: 00:21.52 x
44: 00:27.18 x
43: 00:20.57 x
42: 00:25.87 x
41: 00:22.04 x
40: 00:27.06 x
39: 00:23.51 x
38: 00:23.42 x
37: 00:24.69 x
36: 00:25.13 x
35: 00:20.98 x
34: 00:25.66 x
33: 00:28.41 x
32: 00:24.03 x
31: 00:20.84 x
30: 00:24.28 x
29: 00:19.85 x
28: 00:31.93 x
27: 00:21.73 x
26: 00:28.86 x
25: 00:21.25 x
24: 00:22.24 x
23: 00:36.06 x
22: 00:22.82 x
21: 00:31.72 x
20: 00:27.22 x
19: 00:20.55 x
18: 00:22.86 x
17: 00:21.69 x
16: 00:20.84 x
15: 00:21.13 x
14: 00:26.87 x
13: 00:26.26 x
12: 00:31.56 x
11: 00:20.71 x
10: 00:24.44 x
9: 00:23.96 x
8: 00:22.02 x
7: 00:22.56 x
6: 00:23.27 x
5: 00:21.81 x
4: 00:31.88 x
3: 00:20.99 x
2: 00:23.73 x
1: 00:19.88 x

 

[jcuber]

I hope you didn't do all those solves at once

 

[fanwuq]

I love inconsistency.
I think I got that after reading something by Johannes.

 

[James Kobel]

I hope you didn't do all those solves at once

Average of 236 FTW

 

[abr71310]

My guess is cockiness; you all of a sudden believe you're better than you are, and you stop seeing the obvious pairs...

I'm the EXACT same way (with much much higher times) -- I had a 29.33 second solve (second sub-30 single EVER -- NONLUCKY!), then a 58.29 second solve -- WHAT THE FRIG?!

I stopped seeing the obvious pairs because I believed that I was something I wasn't; once you are able to snap that cloudy fog of cockiness I guarantee you'll get sub-20 averages.

 

[Odin]

I hope you didn't do all those solves at once

Average of 236 FTW

Do you mean 326?

 

[blah]

I love inconsistency.
I think I got that after reading something by Johannes.

*blah nods in agreement*

Being consistently slow can be demoralizing when you're looking to improve. I'm consistently sub-18 now but heck, I want a sub-15 average. I'd rather be getting occasional sub-15 solves, so that I have reason to tell myself that it's possible (and blame the sup-18s on bad luck )

 

[Ryanrex116]

Using LBL, I got a barely sub-30 average of 5. It felt easy, so I decided to try to beat it. I did not even get one time under 30. After that, I went back to my 34 second average.

 

[Toire-Dakku]

well in general I feel like I shouldn't be getting 30 second solves at all since they're so slow.

whenever I get a bad solve it's definitely f2l. i don't understand how I can take 20 or more seconds to do f2l though in a bad solve, when I can solve the cube in less time. i know it's a matter of look ahead, but still, why is it that sometimes I see every pair and sometimes I don't? I guess I have a bit of a problem when all of the pieces are already in f2l. i don't know. yo'ure probably right about that coincidence part. here's a kind of recent time log.

So you're having problems with F2L recognition? I might be able to give a couple of tips on that.

Is this when the pieces you are looking for are in a place where you can't see them (or probably you can see them, but only a part of it)?
for example, the pieces are in the F2L slots at the back of the cube.