IsThatA4x4’s CFOP progression thread // Road to sub 10! // Working on: Cross + 1, Better F2L solutions

[IsThatA4x4]

Solve #11111 done in 11.1 seconds (couldn't be bothered to wait 30 minutes for 11:11am though)
Generated By csTimer on 2022-04-24
single: 11.17

Time List:
1. 11.17 U' R' F2 U D F B2 L B R2 D2 F2 L2 D2 L2 U' F2 D R2 F2 U'

 

[IsThatA4x4]

After today's session, my ao1000 is now 12.14, I got a sub-11.6 ao100, that awesome PB single, and a bunch of sub-10 and sub-9 singles. I'm so close to sub-12 now, and then I can start pushing for the main goal: sub-10

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Sub-7 fail

B' F2 D2 F' D2 U2 R2 B' R2 F' R2 L' D2 L B F2 R' U2 L

x2 D R2 D' F' L F' // X-cross
L' U L // Pair #2
y L' U L U' L' U L // Pair #3
U2 R' U' R // Pair #4
R U R' U R U' R' U' R' F R F' // OLL
r' D' F r U' r' F' D r2 U r' U' r' F r F' // PLL
// Locked up on Nb

 

[Timona]

What's ur main cube?

 

[IsThatA4x4]

What's ur main cube?

WRM 2021

 

[IsThatA4x4]

After today:
ao1000 = 12.04
Sub-7 fail
Tonnes of sub-10 singles

I'm feeling really happy about my improvement recently, clearly doing 1/2 weeks of untimed practice is the way to go when I hit an improvement wall (~sub-13 for me). I even looked at my time graph and there is a steep downward slope recently which looks really out of place compared to my sub-15 days which took more than a month to get out of.
I'll be sub-12 by tomorrow or day after tomorrow for sure, and then I'll probably learn a bunch of new stuff and do untimed practice once again.

 

[IsThatA4x4]

I just realised I've never tried downsolving before, so I think I'm gonna see how low my PB scramble can go (same solution ofc)! My goal is sub-5.

 

[Timona]

I just realised I've never tried downsolving before, so I think I'm gonna see how low my PB scramble can go (same solution ofc)! My goal is sub-5.

First time hearing about downsolving, good luck lol

 

[IsThatA4x4]

W- wait hang on a sec...
Generated By csTimer on 2022-04-26
avg of 12: 10.93

Time List:
1. 10.72 L U2 B2 R U2 F2 U2 B2 U2 R' D2 F L D' L F' U2 R F U2
2. 10.55 F' L U' B2 L' F L2 U' L2 D2 R' B2 U2 R' F2 R B2 D2 R2 U2
3. 11.28 B2 F2 R2 U' R2 D R2 D2 F2 D2 U' L B L2 U2 B' U L2 F
4. 11.57 B' R F2 B' D2 B D L' R2 B2 U2 F' U2 R2 F' D2 F' D2 R'
5. 12.40 F' L' U' L2 B2 L2 B2 D U L2 U B2 U R' F2 U2 B R U2 R'
6. (12.85) R2 U2 R2 D2 R2 F2 L2 D' L2 R2 B' U' L2 F R' D' F' L' B2 F'
7. 10.78 B' R U' R2 B' D B L2 D' B2 U2 R' L' D2 R' F2 D2 B2 R U2
8. 10.10 R2 U2 B2 U2 F D2 L2 U2 L2 U2 B R2 L F2 U' R' U' R2 D U2
9. 11.60 D' R2 D2 B2 U B2 D L2 U2 R2 B R' B R' B2 L U' L D R'
10. 10.17 L' F2 R2 D2 R' F2 L2 D2 F2 R B2 D R' B2 D F D2 U2 B' R
11. (9.67) R2 L2 F L2 B D' B R F2 D' R2 D2 L2 F2 D' B2 U R2 U' L2 R'
12. 10.14 D R' D2 F2 L2 U2 F2 L' B2 F2 D2 R' D F' R' F' R B' U' R

APPARENTLY I got this without even noticing yesterday. First sub-11 ao12 yay!

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Sub-12!!

 

[goidlon]

Sub-7 fail

B' F2 D2 F' D2 U2 R2 B' R2 F' R2 L' D2 L B F2 R' U2 L

x2 D R2 D' F' L F' // X-cross
L' U L // Pair #2
y L' U L U' L' U L // Pair #3
U2 R' U' R // Pair #4
R U R' U R U' R' U' R' F R F' // OLL
r' D' F r U' r' F' D r2 U r' U' r' F r F' // PLL
// Locked up on Nb

Hey, I just wanted to point out something I noticed in your solution that probably could have gotten rid of that lock up and made it a faster solve in general,

Your solutions for the X-cross and pair #2 are good but there was something on your 3rd pair that you could have done better, instead of doing y L' U L U' L' U L you could have done R U R' U' F R' F' R, then you would do a y' U' L' U L for your 4th pair. Now for oll you can do U2 M' U M U2 M' U M. Then you have an Rb perm which is a much easier algorithm to complete than a Nb perm.

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Hey, I just wanted to point out something I noticed in your solution that probably could have gotten rid of that lock up and made it a faster solve in general,

Your solutions for the X-cross and pair #2 are good but there was something on your 3rd pair that you could have done better, instead of doing y L' U L U' L' U L you could have done R U R' U' F R' F' R, then you would do a y' U' L' U L for your 4th pair. Now for oll you can do U2 M' U M U2 M' U M. Then you have an Rb perm which is a much easier algorithm to complete than a Nb perm.

I also found that swapping pairs 3 & 4 gives a worse OLL but a Ja which is very consistent. Unfortunately you can't change what happens in the heat of the moment, in an ideal world I would've been able to predict and avoid diag CP.
Also, I generally try to avoid doing hedgeslammers in the F2L solutions for now because I find them a little awkward compared to just rotating (same goes for f/f' R/R'/R2 f/f' to avoid rotating, it's a little awkward)

 

[goidlon]

I also found that swapping pairs 3 & 4 gives a worse OLL but a Ja which is very consistent. Unfortunately you can't change what happens in the heat of the moment, in an ideal world I would've been able to predict and avoid diag CP.
Also, I generally try to avoid doing hedgeslammers in the F2L solutions for now because I find them a little awkward compared to just rotating (same goes for f/f' R/R'/R2 f/f' to avoid rotating, it's a little awkward)

Cool, I would just recommend constantly working on small things like sledges and wide moves in f2l so that when the time comes you can make amazing use out of any scramble that you see

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Cool, I would just recommend constantly working on small things like sledges and wide moves in f2l so that when the time comes you can make amazing use out of any scramble that you see

Yup, it's all part of the F2L improvement I need to have for sub-10 so gotta keep experimenting!
(Also I am now doing untimed practice for a while-ish now so hopefully when I come back to timing solves again I will have a big improvement spike)

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Oh btw how do you guys fingertrick the M move in OLL 28 (r U R' U' M U R U' R')
I'm doing it with my right pinkie but it can be a little inconsistent.

 

[bulkocuber]

Oh btw how do you guys fingertrick the M move in OLL 28 (r U R' U' M U R U' R')
I'm doing it with my right pinkie but it can be a little inconsistent.

I do r' R

At least it's very consistent.

 

[Timona]

Oh btw how do you guys fingertrick the M move in OLL 28 (r U R' U' M U R U' R')
I'm doing it with my right pinkie but it can be a little inconsistent.

Right Ring Finger

 

[Imsoosm]

Doing M moves in an RU alg is actually pretty hard for me because my other fingers are busy elsewhere and can't hold the cube in the normal position to do M. I just do r' R, same as bulkocuber.

 

[IsThatA4x4]

I just realised it wasn't right pinkie it was left pinkie I use which is even stranger lol. I'll try some other fingers and see what happens, r' R just wastes a move although it is very consistent.

 

[OreKehStrah]

Oh btw how do you guys fingertrick the M move in OLL 28 (r U R' U' M U R U' R')
I'm doing it with my right pinkie but it can be a little inconsistent.

left ring