Intermediate cuber. Help me improve my times.

[js112]

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum, but I have been cubing on and off for about 6 months. My average time is about 1 minute 20 seconds. I know that's pretty bad, so I'll jump right in...

1. How can I improve to around 30 seconds?

Currently, I can solve the cross in around 12 seconds. It's mostly LL that takes the longest time. I use Alg F2L, which tends to consume quite some time as well.

2. Should I switch to intuitive F2L?

I tried starting out with that, but it didn't really work out well for me. Alg F2L wasn't the best either, but I eventually got better. I have only memorized some cases though. For other cases, I move them around to the case I have an algorithm for, and I use the algorithm to solve it.

3. What's the best way to memorize algorithms?

In all honesty, I forgot how I memorized the F2L algorithms I know currently. I memorized them around 5 months ago when I spent around 2 hours cubing per day. I could easily achieve sub 40, but now my times have drastically declined.

One day, I hope to get sub 20 or even sub 10. I now have the time to spend around an hour a day (or more) cubing. I have the rest of the summer to work on this, so I really hope to get at least around 30 seconds average by the end of August.

I have tried searching the forum for these questions. For some reason, the search won't work for me.

TL;DR: Just read the questions.

 

[sneaklyfox]

Welcome!

1. I think you can answer your own question. You said you could get sub-40 easily when you were practicing 2 hours a day. So basically, you need to practice more. If you only get back to sub-40 which you were already doing then it only takes a little bit more to improve a few more seconds.

2. It is good to understand how the pieces move around the cube. You should work on understanding this. Keep the algs you already know of course. Personally, I started out with intuitive F2L. Gradually I learned some algs for some harder less intuitive cases. Every so often I still learn a new trick. Now, it's mostly all like algs because I know them well. Even if you have an alg for a case, try understanding how the pieces move.

3. For LL algorithms, take say one alg a day (more or less depending on your capacity) and repeat it over and over. Figure something fingertrick friendly for that alg and get used to how it feels. Try to make it become muscle memory. Sometimes you may want to consciously remember the first few moves. Start with OLL algs for 2-look OLL (basically 7 algs), then learn PLL algs, then learn the rest of the OLL when you feel like it. There are many people sub-20 who still use 2-look OLL.

 

[windhero]

For LL algorithms it depends on the person. I learned them all in a week and got up to my current speed in a few more weeks. So thats 3 algs per day. I could've learned a lot more but didnt feel like it.

Imo you should go for intuitive F2L until your F2L times are around 15-25 seconds. Cross should take less than 8 or 5 seconds from that process. 2 look OLL is fine for quite a while. Full PLL gets more useful when youre averaging 30-35.

 

[ben1996123]

1. practise
2. yes
3. keep doing the alg until you can do it without reading the alg. the more you learn the easier it gets, I can usually do a 15 move alg after reading it and doing the alg just once because I've learned alot of algs

(also 1:20 isnt really intermediate)

 

[kcl]

1. Increase TPS, use intuitive f2l, and learn 4LLL. This got me to sub 25.
2. Yes. If you learn intuitive f2l you fully understand the cube. Badmephisto has an excellent tutorial on this.
3. Personally I like to flood my brain with algs. I do solves and at first I suck with new algs but they quickly get better when they come up and I get used to them. I have done up to 40 in one day.. Then the next day I just relearn forgotten ones. There are typically like 2 or 3. However, 1-2 per day works really well for most people.

 

[Patrick M]

1. practise
2. yes
3. keep doing the alg until you can do it without reading the alg. the more you learn the easier it gets, I can usually do a 15 move alg after reading it and doing the alg just once because I've learned alot of algs

(also 1:20 isnt really intermediate)

Must be nice learning algs instantly xD

gogogo full zb

 

[jayefbe]

It sounds like your biggest obstacle is not fully understanding how the cube moves (12 second cross, alg-F2L). The reason why intuitive F2L is so important is that you learn how the pieces move, how your turns effect the cube, and you're able to efficiently and quickly pair pieces without having to resort to robotic movements for specific cases. It allows for a fluid solve, and you're more able to tailor your moves to what the cube gives you. Rather than having to force certain F2L cases because that's what's necessary for your algs.

I would focus on intuitive F2L, learn how to solve the specific cases. When you do learn an F2L alg, learn how it works, and why you're performing each move. If you don't understand how an F2L case is solved, then stop, and don't move on until everything makes sense to you. Don't just memorize it, understand it. I would also really focus on getting cross to around ~6-8 seconds. With a basic understanding of how the pieces move, you should be able to perform even an inefficient cross in that time. If you start thinking about solving the cube as learning how it works, and less on memorizing algorithms, I think it will help a lot. Learn your 2-look OLL and 2-look PLL, and then forget about memorizing algs until you've got a better grasp on intuitive F2L. By then, memorizing algs will probably be surprisingly easy.

 

[js112]

Welcome!

1. I think you can answer your own question. You said you could get sub-40 easily when you were practicing 2 hours a day. So basically, you need to practice more. If you only get back to sub-40 which you were already doing then it only takes a little bit more to improve a few more seconds.

2. It is good to understand how the pieces move around the cube. You should work on understanding this. Keep the algs you already know of course. Personally, I started out with intuitive F2L. Gradually I learned some algs for some harder less intuitive cases. Every so often I still learn a new trick. Now, it's mostly all like algs because I know them well. Even if you have an alg for a case, try understanding how the pieces move.

3. For LL algorithms, take say one alg a day (more or less depending on your capacity) and repeat it over and over. Figure something fingertrick friendly for that alg and get used to how it feels. Try to make it become muscle memory. Sometimes you may want to consciously remember the first few moves. Start with OLL algs for 2-look OLL (basically 7 algs), then learn PLL algs, then learn the rest of the OLL when you feel like it. There are many people sub-20 who still use 2-look OLL.

Thanks everyone for all the help.

How and where did you learn intuitive F2L? How long did it take you?

Finally, should I learn how to solve the cross blindfolded? I've tried, but it's really difficult for me lol.

 

[Wassili]

All I ever did was solve and after some time I was able to do the cross blindfolded, without ever practicing it. And this goes for pretty much everything, all these things come with time: look ahead, tps, etc.

 

[IanTheCuber]

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum, but I have been cubing on and off for about 6 months. My average time is about 1 minute 20 seconds. I know that's pretty bad, so I'll jump right in...

1. How can I improve to around 30 seconds?

2. Should I switch to intuitive F2L?

3. What's the best way to memorize algorithms?

TL;DR: Just read the questions.

1. Well, this whole thing is that question, I guess.

2. I use intuitive F2L, but if it just doesn't work for you, maybe you could try a different method that is fairly similar, such as Roux or ZZ. I tried ZZ, and I can probably get better at it by getting used to it. You can do the same.

One great way to improve on intuitive F2L is, like fox said, have a good understanding of how the pieces move around the cube. Color-recognition is also good, like if the edge and corner colors are the same, you bring the edge over after hiding the corner, and if the edge and corner colors are opposite, then you can match them up and put the slot in. You need to make sure that white is on the left. I basically base my F2L off of R' U2 R and R U R'. It may not work for you, but it's worth a try.

3. How I do it probably won't work for you, since I base my memorization with photographs, since I can use a photographic memory. But for some reason I can't do BLD XD.

I just look at the algorithm, do it five times, then take the paper or algorithm away, and then do it until I have it embedded in my muscle memory and embedded in my brain as a photograph.

But to your main question, the way I got sub-20 (technically not, since I just average and CAN get sub-20), was fairly quickly and I managed to get sub-20 from the day I bought a cube in about five months. It was simple:

-I started by learning intuitive F2L
-Then I learned 2-look OLL and PLL
-Then I began memorization and learned full PLL (besides G-Perms) before nationals
-And to get even better, I learned full-OLL
-I'm working on effective look-ahead

 

[ultimatecuber]

learn intuitive f2l.
dont memorise algs for oll and pll.just keep performing one alg again andagain and you will get the pattern.

 

[mark49152]

I use intuitive F2L, but if it just doesn't work for you, maybe you could try a different method that is fairly similar, such as Roux or ZZ.

Because intuitive EOline or L6E or block building is loads easier than F2L, right?

Color-recognition is also good, like if the edge and corner colors are the same, you bring the edge over after hiding the corner, and if the edge and corner colors are opposite, then you can match them up and put the slot in. You need to make sure that white is on the left.

Insufficient information - please refer to specific case numbers from the wiki and use notation to describe your moves.

 

[sneaklyfox]

Thanks everyone for all the help.

How and where did you learn intuitive F2L? How long did it take you?

Finally, should I learn how to solve the cross blindfolded? I've tried, but it's really difficult for me lol.

I started with intuitive F2L when I started to learn CFOP. There are only a few basic cases. Gradually you learn some tricks to make your F2L pairing more efficient and sometimes you look at some algs to help the less intuitive cases. Algs can be found on the speedsolving wiki and many other places online. It's a gradual process so once in awhile I may still pick up a new trick. Learning it isn't hard. Mastering it is completely different and takes a lot of practice.

Blindfold cross: Remember that all crosses can be solved in 8 moves or less. (Only one case actually requires 8 moves.) While looking, try to figure out how to make your cross efficiently. If you need help with efficient crosses, look up badmephisto on youtube. Once you're comfortable with making efficient crosses, try remembering your moves and do it with your eyes closed. You can also practice doing two edges, then when comfortable, move to three and finally all four edges.

 

[KongShou]

this^

also practice

 

[speedcuber115]

1. practice, practice, practice. this is one of the best things you can do. sometimes just unconsciously playing with a cube helps.
2. intuitive F2L can help you understand the cube more but it could be that F2L is just not the right thing for you. if this is the case then look for another method that you might find easier. I use intuitive F2L but that is mainly because I saw a video about it but it wasn't very clear so I just figured it out. you should use some algs for the more complicated cases because the solution may not be very obvious.
3. just go over them over and over again. then, do lots of solves and see if you get the case you have learnt (works better with PLL). if you can't remember it then you haven't learnt it well enough.

if your times are not dropping take a break for a few days and then come back to it. you may find this makes a big difference.