IsThatA4x4’s progression thread // Sub-10 3x3 // Sub-9 Squan // Road to Squan UKNR - 3-looking now !!! (OBL/PBL)

[IsThatA4x4]

Also got 2 other massive PBs today:
Generated By csTimer on 2023-03-16
avg of 5: 8.45 - improvement by 0.49!

Spoiler: Time List:

1. 9.83 U2 R2 B2 U F2 R2 D F2 D2 F2 B' D L' B2 L' B D U B
2. (7.25) D' L2 B2 F2 D' L2 F2 R2 D' R2 D L' U F' R F2 U2 R' D
3. (9.97) D2 R2 F2 R2 U2 B L2 F R2 F' R' B2 D B' U R' D R' U'
4. 8.02 D2 F2 U2 R2 F L2 B' F L2 U2 L U L' R' D F' D2 F D2 B2
5. 7.49 R' F2 D F2 U' B2 U F2 R2 U L2 U2 F2 R' F D F' R' U F2

Generated By csTimer on 2023-03-16
avg of 12: 9.45 - improvement by 0.35!

Spoiler: Time List:

1. 9.83 U2 R2 B2 U F2 R2 D F2 D2 F2 B' D L' B2 L' B D U B
2. (7.25) D' L2 B2 F2 D' L2 F2 R2 D' R2 D L' U F' R F2 U2 R' D
3. 9.97 D2 R2 F2 R2 U2 B L2 F R2 F' R' B2 D B' U R' D R' U'
4. 8.02 D2 F2 U2 R2 F L2 B' F L2 U2 L U L' R' D F' D2 F D2 B2
5. 7.49 R' F2 D F2 U' B2 U F2 R2 U L2 U2 F2 R' F D F' R' U F2
6. 10.88 F' L2 B L2 D2 B R2 U2 F' U2 F' L B' F2 U' F2 R' U2 F' L'
7. 9.98 L D2 F R D2 B' D B2 L R2 F2 U F2 L2 B2 D2 R2 L2 D' R2 U'
8. 8.20 L B' L B2 L2 U2 L D2 L' F2 D2 R U2 F' D2 L2 U' B D2 R'
9. (11.15) L' B' U' B2 F2 U F2 R2 F2 L2 D2 U' B L2 R2 D' L U2 L2 U2
10. 9.45 F' R D' L2 B2 F2 U F2 L2 F2 D U' B2 F' L2 D' B' L F D' R'
11. 9.90 R F L D F2 U2 F2 L2 R2 D' L2 D L2 U L' D F R2 B F2 L
12. 10.82 D' U2 F D2 U2 F2 L2 B L2 D2 B' R2 F' D L R' U' L2 U R2 B'

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Generated By csTimer on 2023-03-18
single: 6.82 - sub-7 single!!

Time List:
1. 6.82 L2 D2 L2 D2 B' D2 U2 B2 F' R2 F L2 U' L' U L R' B' L' B D'
Recon:
z2 U D' L R F B' R2 D2 // cross [8/8]
R U2 R' U R U' R' // pair [7/15]
L U L' U y' R U' R' // pair [7/22]
U L' U' L U2 L U' L' // pair [8/30]
L' U L U' L' U L U' L' U L // pair (OLL skip) [11/41]
U R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F' U' // PLL (T) [16/57]

57/6.82 = 8.4 TPS (insane for me)

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Thought I'd do a little progress update because I got some insane PBs recently:
mo3 - 7.95
ao5 - 8.41
ao12 - 9.04 (nearly sub-9 wow)
ao50 - 9.79
ao100 - 9.88 (this improved from 10.1x in 2 days)
ao1000 - 10.21

Getting really close to sub-10, all I need now is that ao1000 which is decreasing every day. I've started doing cross + 1 more in my solves, and it's really helping.

 

[IsThatA4x4]

8.58 Squan PB single!
Scramble: (4,0)/ (-1,2)/ (-2,-5)/ (0,-3)/ (3,0)/ (-1,-1)/ (1,0)/ (-3,-3)/ (-5,0)/ (-4,-2)/ (2,-4)/ (-2,0)

6-2/02/-1-2/-3-3/ // CS (pair/4-2) [4/4]
50/0-3/63/ // CO (should've tried to OBL) [3/7]
/-1-1/ // EO (line/line) [2/9]
61/30/-3-3/03/ // CP (J/J) [4/13]
-40/03/-1-1/1-2/-30/03/-1-1/1-2/06 // EP (U/-) [8/21]

21/8.58 = 2.45 SPS

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Nevermind I got another one this one's really funny... (also EP execution was kinda bad so I'm a little upset this wasn't a 7)
8.45 PB Squan single!
Scramble: (0,-4)/ (-5,-5)/ (-4,-4)/ (0,-3)/ (-2,-2)/ (3,0)/ (0,-4)/ (3,0)/ (-3,0)/ (3,0)/ (-3,0)/ (-4,0)

// CS skip LMAO [0/0]
1-2/30/30/ // CO [3/3]
33/30/30/-1-1/-21/-30/ // EO (1-1) [6/9]
/03/-3-3/30/ // CP (J/J forgot to preserve blocks out of panic) [4/13]
-30/03/-1-1/1-2/-30/30/-1-1/-21/23 // EP (U/Z, would've been bad U/U if I preserved blocks which is the same slice count) [8/21]

21/8.45 = 2.49 SPS

 

[IsThatA4x4]

3x3 PB single: 5.79 [-1.03]
Scramble: U' R2 U' R2 F2 U' L2 F2 U L2 D' F' D2 L' D2 U F' R' B2 F

x2 y D' R' D' B2 D2 // x-cross [5/5]
y' R U' R' U R' U' R // pair [7/12]
U' R U' R' U R U' R' // pair [8/20]
y' L' U L U2 L' U L // pair [7/27]
U' r U R' U R U2 r'// OLL [7/34]
U2 R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U2 // PLL (Jb) [14/49]

49/5.79 = 8.46 TPS

I am in utter shock how did I get a fullstep 5

EDIT: I showed this to my friend I met at a comp and he said he found a better solution; when I tried it I realised I had reconned the wrong solution because that was the one I did all along (same movecount surprisingly, the only difference is from LS to finish), I've put the correct solution here now.

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Generated By csTimer on 2023-04-07
avg of 5: 9.88

Time List:
1. (14.32)
2. 9.93
3. 9.93
4. 9.78
5. (9.27)
Sub-10 Squan ao5 let's gooo (14 had parity)

I'm averaging basically sub-13 now, I've got a comp coming up where I'm travelling to Ireland and it looks like I should be able to podium which would be fun.
I will probably start more seriously on CSP soon.

 

[Nevan J]

Do you know a CSP or a bit of CSP? Nice average though!

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Do you know a CSP or a bit of CSP? Nice average though!

I know the star cases, that's about it, and I don't use it in my solves. I recently got derpy's MGC which is awesome and my turning is way better than before which is probably why I've suddenly improved.

 

[IsThatA4x4]

A couple more squan PBs:

Generated By csTimer on 2023-04-08
mean of 3: 9.29
9.37, 9.96, 8.55
Generated By csTimer on 2023-04-08
avg of 5: 9.30
9.37, 9.96, (8.55), (11.28), 8.57
Generated By csTimer on 2023-04-08
avg of 12: 10.99
9.96, (8.55), 11.28, 8.57, 13.13, 12.22, 12.19, (14.26), 9.25, 10.70, 8.67
Sub-11 ao12 let's gooo

 

[IsThatA4x4]

7.70 squan PB single!
(-5,0)/ (-3,0)/ (0,6)/ (-1,-4)/ (-3,0)/ (-3,-3)/ (1,0)/ (-3,-3)/ (-3,0)/ (0,-4)/ (0,-4)/ (0,-4)/ (-3,0)

-10/20/-2-1/33/ // CS (4-2/pair) [4/4]
1-3/ // CO [1/5]
60/30/30/-1-1/-30/-30/ // EO (3-3) [6/11]
0-3/30/-30/30/-30/ // CP (N/J) [5/16]
-51/03/-1-1/1-2/30/03/-1-1/1-2/66 // EP (U/-) [8/24]
24/7.70 = 3.12 SPS

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Generated By csTimer on 2023-04-09
avg of 1000: 9.99
The grind for sub-10 3x3 is finally over! This is the goal I have long aimed for ever since I started cubing, it's crazy to have finally reached it. I guess I have to rename this thread now...

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Squan PB single - 7.65 (-0.05)
I was practicing for Don't Lockup Loch Garman (tomorrow) and I got this solve but I was kinda sleepy so the execution wasn't the best, definitely could've been a low 6 if I was more awake

Scramble: (0, -4) / (4, -5) / (-1, -1) / (3, 0) / (0, -3) / (4, -5) / (2, 0) / (6, 0) / (3, -3) / (-4, -1) / 10, -4) / (2, 0) / (-2, 0)

20/-20/-2-1/33/ // CS (pair/4-2) [4/4]
30/-30/ // CO [2/6]
-33/30/30/-1-1/-21/-30/ // EO (1-1) [6/12]
-3-3/5-1/-30/11/30/60/50 // EP (good U/U) [6/18]

18/7.65 = 2.35 SPS (bad exec)

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Comp overview! (Don't Lockup Loch Garman 2023)
It was certainly interesting travelling to Ireland to do a comp, I met a lot of nice people (although really only talked to them for the last hour or two of the comp) and got some pretty nice results!
(I wish I lived in Ireland I could actually have a shot at some NRs

Spoiler: 3x3

R1 - 11.44 ao5 ft. 10.06 single (9th)
R2 - 10.47 ao5 ft. 8.28 PR single (8th)
Finals - 10.14 ao5 ft. 8.04 PR single (8th)
Unfortunately no sub-10 ao5, but I had some quite bad nerves and I'm very happy with an 8.04 single

Spoiler: 2x2

R1 - 4.45 ao5 (13th)
Finals - 4.42 ao5 (also 13th)
Yeah I don't practice 2x2 as you can tell

Spoiler: OH

R1 - 22.47 ao5 ft. 19.01 single (5th)
Finals - 21.41 ao5 ft. 20.09 single (4th, but gap to podium was 5 whole seconds. This average was also done with cold hands and it was somehow actually good for me...)

Spoiler: 4x4 (seriously i just don't practice this)

R1 - 57.50 ao5 (missed finals by one spot, 17th)

Spoiler: Squan - the best event!

R1 - 14.47 ao5 ft. 9.76 PR single (3rd, that single is 28th in the UK!)
Finals - 13.55 ao5 ft. 10.89 PR fail single (2nd!)
I was only going for podium, I did not expect to get 2nd but I am very happy!
I'm gonna learn CSP now.

Spoiler: Honourable mention - Clock finals

You might be wondering, why am I talking about clock finals?? Well, it was a pretty insane round; someone got NR average but THEN, someone (after saying "now I'm gonna take it off you") took it off him, also i was judging someone and somehow a person pulled the entire tablecloth off during the solve and everything fell off the table (good job judge).

Overall this was a great experience, I think I want to go to Irish champs this year.

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Over 20% of CSP learned!! I have been sat here grinding this out for about 2.5 hours and at this point I don't know what is tracing and what isn't...

 

[IsThatA4x4]

I've been silent here for a while but I'm at Irish nationals (I know I'm from the uk but why not), and I've been grinding squan very hard to try to podium in finals; and I got a PB single!
Generated By csTimer on 2023-07-08
single: 7.43

Time List:
1. 7.43 (1,-3)/ (0,3)/ (0,-3)/ (3,0)/ (3,0)/ (-1,-4)/ (0,-5)/ (3,0)/ (3,-4)/ (-2,0)/ (-2,0)/

/20/-14/-30/ // CS (good pawn/pawn) [4/4]
-20/ // CO [1/5]
-30/30/30/-1-1/-21/-30/ // EO (1-1) [6/11]
-30/30/-3-3/03/ // CP (J/J) [4/15]
/03/-1-1/1-2/6-3 // EP (adj/adj) [4/19]

19/7.43 = 2.56 SPS (bad exec again)

I'm at 38/90 CSPs, and I'll keep going with it - currently averaging mid-high 11s; after CSP my goal is OBL and then PBL!

 

[IsThatA4x4]

I finished CSP!!!
It took a few months to learn the first half, but I managed to speedrun learning the second half in less than a week! My average probably won't change a whole lot given the CSP knowledge I had before was enough for me to get parity quite rarely anyway.

Anyway, I guess it's time to start OBL (learning it before PBL because it's apparently quick to learn). I have a long holiday now so I should be able to make decent progress.

 

[Anthonycube]

I've been silent here for a while but I'm at Irish nationals (I know I'm from the uk but why not), and I've been grinding squan very hard to try to podium in finals; and I got a PB single!
Generated By csTimer on 2023-07-08
single: 7.43

Time List:
1. 7.43 (1,-3)/ (0,3)/ (0,-3)/ (3,0)/ (3,0)/ (-1,-4)/ (0,-5)/ (3,0)/ (3,-4)/ (-2,0)/ (-2,0)/

/20/-14/-30/ // CS (good pawn/pawn) [4/4]
-20/ // CO [1/5]
-30/30/30/-1-1/-21/-30/ // EO (1-1) [6/11]
-30/30/-3-3/03/ // CP (J/J) [4/15]
/03/-1-1/1-2/6-3 // EP (adj/adj) [4/19]

19/7.43 = 2.56 SPS (bad exec again)

I'm at 38/90 CSPs, and I'll keep going with it - currently averaging mid-high 11s; after CSP my goal is OBL and then PBL!

Nice! I was at Irish champs as well.

 

[IsThatA4x4]

Nice! I was at Irish champs as well.

Ah then you would know that drake absolutely dominated in every event...

 

[Anthonycube]

Ah then you would know that drake absolutely dominated in every event...

Yeah, and a 2.5 3x3 WR single!!! He's a great up and coming talent!!!