Layer by Layer Time Breakdown

[cinnes7]

What parts should i work on towards a faster time, i'm using a beginner layer by layer:
Cross: 14.14 sec
1st Layer: 12.96 sec
2nd Layer: 27.19 sec
Last Layer Edges: 4.30 sec
Last Layer Edges: 2.82 sec
Orientation of last layer corners:6.17 sec
Permutation of last layer corners: 9.39 sec
Overall:1min16sec

 

[CubeLTD]

I advise you to switch to a better method, but for your LBL breakdown, you should work on your cross. It's also useful to work on it if you do plan to switch to Fridich, since it involves doing the cross first.

 

[Riley]

Cross and first two layers can definitely be faster, so I suggest that. Works towards 45 seconds total for the whole first two layers.

 

[Muesli]

All of them, but specifically Cross, seriously cross. You should aim to be able to get your cross down so well that you can inspect the cube and then construct a cross blindfolded.

Just practise mainly. At the speed your at a little practise can take tens of seconds off your times. When you get to around 45 seconds, that's when you should be looking for specific things to speed up especially.

 

[Yuxuibbs]

Like everyone else above says, work on Cross. I actually think you can learn F2L. If you don't want to switch to F2L, you could just solve a corner after you do the cross and solve the 2nd layer edge that goes with the corner right after. When I do beginner's method on my 3x3 I get around 45 seconds. Try to look ahead. When you are doing the cross, look for another piece of the cross while you do the first piece of the cross (if that makes sense). When you insert corners, look for the next corner while you insert the current corner. Same for 2nd layer edges and the rest of the solve.
I found that trying to do the cross in less than 8 moves is very helpful. I can usually build the cross during my 15 sec inspection time in my head.
Like everyone else said, practice

It might be easier to just switch to learning F2L through youtube. There are a lot of good tutorials online like badmephisto. It helped me go from 1+ min down to about 30 before I started full fridrich.

 

[bwronski]

Just practice. I remember when I was beginning and I tried to measure everything and do tests and things like that, and thats part of the reason why I have recently started improving. I would read the forums too much and watch too many videos, I thought I was "stuck at 30 seconds" but now I just put on some music and just solve and solve and solve, timed or not timed just solving and trying new things is the best way to get better.

 

[clifford2704]

Just practice. I remember when I was beginning and I tried to measure everything and do tests and things like that, and thats part of the reason why I have recently started improving. I would read the forums too much and watch too many videos, I thought I was "stuck at 30 seconds" but now I just put on some music and just solve and solve and solve, timed or not timed just solving and trying new things is the best way to get better.

wow really! thats me right now... lol I spend more time on youtube/forums looking for tips and not practice as much! lol, ok I'll practice more xD

edit: what music is good for cubing? when I practice I cant seem to do it that well and go off track to watch vids lol

 

[bwronski]

there is no "good" music. Sometimes music A will be what i'm into, while other times music B will be what i want to listen to. I normally just put my ipod on shuffle.

with practicing, at the level your at (sup 1min) you really just need to keep solving, just have the cube with you a lot of the time. Once you get to around 50-45 seconds average, id say your single would be around 38-40's. Then I would learn intuitive f2l and 4 look last layer. The reason I think you should wait a bit longer is I feel like when you wait, your turn speed goes up over all. Instead of learning fast algorithms and methods when your slow, making you learn 'fast' things when your TPS is still really low. You should hold off and wait to get a good idea of how look ahead works, the current algs you use work and TPS will be developed. But other than all the technical stuff, just practice, no timer, no breakdowns, no forums, practice.

just early habits i develop you could try to avoid
- doing only green cross, then switching to blue cross when I tried to become dual cross, finally getting dual cross, now CN for cross
- not learning new algs, for the longest time I new 17 PLL's (sub 22)...i didnt know 3 G's, an R and E. Once I learned the full set, I know want to keep going with other algs. Once you know you can solve that step in one alg all the time and know the complete set, it is a huge motivator.
- when learning intuitive f2l, learn it from a video, then just keep practicing on your own, eventually you will develop your own ways to solve cases, if you get down to 30ish seconds, I would slowly start to weave in optimal/finger tricky algs to your f2l. If you start to learn them keep learning your other algs at the same rate. Just throw one on top and learn it...not hard with f2l algs
-recklessly buying puzzles. Not time related, but when I started out i was on twistypuzzles and speedsolving ALL the time, and I would buy every new puzzle and multiples of puzzles just because I wanted everything, but now I just see it as a huge waste of money, the puzzles are just sitting in a drawer in my room

Obviously dont go completely away from the forums....but improvement comes from solving not reading.