Looking at the timer during a solve

[PatrickJameson]

I do sometimes for 4x4 and 5x5 even though i try not to.

 

[Cerberus]

4x4,5x5,OH,BLD

4x4 get less often because I improve, but sometimes I got the time to do it
5x5 after Centers and after Edges to see if it's a fast solve
OH I am slow there and can look at the timer pretty much if I like
BLD during memo and after, because I memo like 2 mins mostly and can see how good I am at that solve, during the solve itself I can't see the timer ^^

 

[Dene]

I put BLD. I normally quickly glance after memo.

 

[ShadenSmith]

I do a quick glance on 3x3 to check my f2l time, and a glance to check my memo for bld.

 

[n00bcubix]

3x3,4x4, and OH It helps me keep track at what im at and how fast i go average for each section e.g. pll, oll, f2l, cross

 

[coopersacatfilms]

I've trained myself not to look at the timer and it helps a lot not to be so distracted =]

 

[immortalcube]

I try to avoid looking at timers, except for sometimes after the F2L, because I can tell what my time will be like by F2L times.

 

[Mike Hughey]

Occasionally, I look for 5x5x5, and almost always for BLD. I never look for 5x5x5 in an actual competition, though, although I usually do for BLD.

 

[MiloD]

Patrick, I heard your dad say something about this to you at Armonk. I also try not to look at the timer. I feel like I'm not suppose to know the time till it is done since it changes the results. Sometimes I can't help myself...like at Armonk I had 1 good 4x4 solve(the rest sucked pretty bad) I checked the timer after edges... it was 40! Then I proceeded to have a horrible 3x3 with both parities...and the result was still my best time of the tournament. Checking the time always ruins my transitions and gets me too excited.

 

[SkateTracker]

5x5 almost every time, 4x4 sometimes and 3x3 rarely.

Bad habit that I'm trying to break.

 

[PatrickJameson]

@MiloD Yes, and i didn't look at the timer on my 56 solve

 

[Hadley4000]

All, and I know it's a bad habbit.

 

[cmhardw]

My philosophy is the time spent looking at the timer is wasted time that could have been spent trying to look ahead.

For BLD on my fastest solves I don't look at the timer, memorizing the time is just one more thing to memorize, so why do it?

On my slower solves I do look at the timer, but I am trying to never do it.

Chris

 

[ExoCorsair]

In practice, 5x5 every so often.
In competition, 5x5 every once in a while.

 

[shelley]

Looking at the timer during solves is a bad habit I'm trying to break. I do glance at it during BLD to take note of my memo time.

 

[Inusagi]

I do it under a 5x5, 4x4, 3x3 and an OH solve.

 

[mrCage]

Hi

When doing "serious training" at home i always (used to) look at the timer after certain steps for 4x4x4 and 5x5x5. In fact i found that this helped trmendously in getting faster. Seeing first step is on par or faster is a great direct psychological motivation (and also sometimes demotivation). I guess i needed this kick to improve my pb's (and uwr) all those yrs ago. On the other side, in competitions i missed having these "corrective looks". That and additional nerves made me not achieveing my best times in competitions.

I guess looking or not looking at the timer during solving has a (potential) big effect on your solving times.

If anyone has had the opposite effect by looking at timer during solving i would like to know about it ...

I guess looking at the timer while cubing has a similar effect to checking intermediate time while skiing, skating etc etc ...

- Per

 

[512456]

I think that people look at the timer because they are nervous.

 

[Karthik]

Fortunately from the very beginning I have learnt not to look at the timer at all.
Sometimes I don't look at the timer even after the solve, if the solve went very bad.

 

[shelley]

I think that people look at the timer because they are nervous.

It can also make you nervous. How many times have you checked the timer after your F2L, only to jam on your LL because you were too excited about the possibility of getting a good time?