Lost all Hope

[vgohit]

Hello Everyone

I just cant take it anymore. I average 30-33 sec and i dont seem to be improving at all.
Please dont consider this as a "How to improve Speed" post. Its just that i am completely demotivated.
Should i quit it completely.

 

[TheNextFeliks]

No. Go do 100 solves. Post your average. It'll be sub-30.

Spoiler: Disclaimer

Only 75% sure it'll work

 

[Kelsparov]

Don't quit completely.
What method are you using? Because it would be fun to change methods at this point, and you might improve dramatically.
If you are using CFOP (which I assume you're using), you might just need a more intuitive method like Roux to boost your interest and get faster.

 

[Yellowsnow98]

Learn different methods. It helps you to understand how the cube works. Do other puzzles too.

 

[5BLD]

Try to take a break
You'll probably come back to it in a bit

 

[MaikeruKonare]

Fingertricks. TPS. Look ahead.

 

[sk8erman41]

I'm pretty much exactly where you are time wise. I've been stuck for a couple months as well. My interest is still high but I am beginning to get a little discouraged as well. The whole thing about cubing is that its supposed to be fun. If its not that for you right now, then maybe you should take a little break or focus on other puzzles for awhile. I definitely wouldn't give up on it though, if it were easy to be "fast" then everyone would do it and it wouldnt be special. Also, I find that I am most discouraged when I compare myself to others or where I feel I "should be" at this point. When I focus on going slow and actual practice of a specific technique I find my times get slightly better. I think more dedicated focus on practice instead of just solving will yeild progress if you stick with it. Each time you have a success it should fuel you to want more. If you are discouraged then that will probably show up in your solves. Give it a little rest and come back to it. Good luck in your progress and don't stress about time too much, just fun.

 

[vgohit]

Don't quit completely.
What method are you using? Because it would be fun to change methods at this point, and you might improve dramatically.
If you are using CFOP (which I assume you're using), you might just need a more intuitive method like Roux to boost your interest and get faster.

Thanks for the reply.
And I use CFOP which you have rightly guessed. I'll just check out Roux method as u said.

if it were easy to be "fast" then everyone would do it and it wouldnt be special.

Thanks for explaining and sharing your view.
Its more useful since you share almost the same time slot as mine. This line which you have quoted really explains everything.
Also when i compare with other speedcubers, i actually get Motivated seeing the speed. And then when i try to solve and find out that i am stuck at the same speed, thats where it bothers me and I keep asking myself "Will I ever Improve ???"

 

[pipkiksass]

I posted a few months ago about the beginners plateau, I'm on mobile atm so can't link it I'm afraid, but I was in EXACTLY the same situation, which I strongly believe can only be fixed by doing slow solves. Seriously, put away your timer, and solve at maybe 1 turn per second. Remember, to get sub 30 you only need around 2 turns per second.

When slow turning, watch out for f2l cases you can't do efficiently, and look them up. Yep, stop mid-solve and look it up on cubewhiz or elsewhere, then try it. Finish that solve, and set up and try your new f2l case a few times.

If you can, video yourself solving. You don't have to post it, just watch it yourself. What you'll see will be big pauses. That's what's holding you back. Slow turning will allow you to work on improving the efficiency of your technique, something that just doesn't happen when turning full-speed.

Anyway, I wrote about this I fast more detail in a post called beating the mentioned plateau, or something like that. I got stuck at 32, then again at 26, it's helped me both times (I currently average about 21, and I'm trying it again to get sub 20). If you're interested, search for beginners plateau, should bring it up.

Re: switching method, while I think there is some merit to this suggestion, it will make you slower in the sort term. The best in the world have proved there is little speed difference between CFOP and Roux, so if you've already invested time in learning CFOP, I'd stick with it. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MarcelP]

My interest is still high but I am beginning to get a little discouraged as well. The whole thing about cubing is that its supposed to be fun.

That last sentence is so very very true. I have had a big plateau for about 6 months. It was just after getting sub 30. Right now my speed has picked up again and I am sub 25 at the moment. The problem now is when I do a Ao50 for example I start to curse and swear at 26- and 27-second solves. If I come to think about that, not so long ago I was very happy if I got a 26 seconds solve.. So when times are getting on my nerves I stop practice that routine for while. This week for example have I only been practising BLD and Big cubes. No 3X3 solve Try to keep fun in cubing.

 

[Sam Cubes]

I had this same problem All summer I was stuck at 20 seconds and got a sub twenty solve once every 15 solves or so. After getting better at look ahead, I started getting faster. Then I learned patterns in my 2 look oll, like taking a no edges case and instead of doing 3 look, I might give myself an oll I know by doing it from a certain side of the cube. Also, learn How to insert f2l pairs blind. Pll attacks work as well, just do what ever you can to get better tps. But just because you have high tps doesn't make you better. You have to have good recognition.Also, when I was at 30 seconds, I broke that barrier by learning full pll.

 

[applemobile]

Quit. Sell all your cubes. Buy a pink dress.

 

[sk8erman41]

I don't know how many cubes you have in your collection, but if you have one to spare, I would HIGHLY recommend creating a F2L training cube (no LL stickers). I have always read about them in other threads and thought, "nah, that's just a waste of stickers" until I tried it myself yesterday. Granted I have not been using it for very long, but for me it brought a lot of fun back into practice. I cannot stand an incomplete cube, and when practicing (even when attempting to focus on strictly cross or F2L), I would complete the whole cube- this takes care of the need to do so and saves you practice time. It also takes "practice" (repeated solving with no intentional purpose) and turns it into PRACTICE (purposeful attention to a specific area of your solve with the intentions of improvement). It forces your brain to focus on just the important pieces. Actually, maybe its more like it does the opposite and frees your brain from trying to filter the correct pieces. Anyway, it allowed me to PRACTICE more effectively, and today after 30 minutes PRACTICE with the training cube, and 15 minutes PRACTICE on a full cube, I was able to log my PB Ao12 (30.76) which I was happy with and motivates me to keep going. Give it a try and see for yourself it is a lot of fun and really helps maintain focus with a purpose.

 

[vgohit]

Thanks Once again. Yes i do have an old cube and i will remove the stickers and try.
I had this idea before but never thought it might be useful and hence i never tried. I will try that now and hope atleast 1-2 seconds drop .

When slow turning, watch out for f2l cases you can't do efficiently, and look them up. Yep, stop mid-solve and look it up on cubewhiz or elsewhere, then try it. Finish that solve, and set up and try your new f2l case a few times.

If you can, video yourself solving. You don't have to post it, just watch it yourself. What you'll see will be big pauses. That's what's holding you back. Slow turning will allow you to work on improving the efficiency of your technique, something that just doesn't happen when turning full-speed.

Thanks for giving such a good explanation. I have made those videos which you suggested and I can see now the number of pauses i make.
It looks so obvious now where i am slowing down. I know that "looking ahead" helps but whenever i try to turn slowly, I get a feeling that this technique is not working and I again start moving fast.
In short whenever i turn slow , i feel my time is becoming slower.
And i coudn't find the "plateau" link

Also, when I was at 30 seconds, I broke that barrier by learning full pll.

Thanks for the reply. I am not very good at full pll right now. Still learning.
And can you please tell me what is a "PLL Attack" ???

 

[What37]

Hey don't give up, I used to get and average of 30 until I got a faster cube (moyu weilong) it dropped me to and average of 25 and a best of 18, if your having trouble, NEVER give up keep trying

 

[mark49152]

The training cube idea helped me. I got a spare cube unstickered so that I can swap pieces around easily for different configurations. As well as F2L it's great for cross, and I also used it to try out Roux block building.

Blind practice also helped me. For each F2L pair, study the cube then close your eyes and solve it blind. Do 7-look solves, with cross, each pair, OLL and PLL all blind. You'll find it gets much easier. Once it seems easy, look also for a second pair when inspecting the first three F2L cases, and as you solve one blind mentally track where the pieces of the second are going, and keep doing this until you're always right. You can do the same with cross but it's harder.

These things sound like they won't help with speed but they do - after a while you'll find that you're seeing things faster when doing normal solves and you'll get smoother with fewer pauses.

 

[sk8erman41]

PLL attack is when you do drills to run through all of your PLL's in sequence to try and lower times. I think this would be more benefitial to break the sub-20 barrier than the sub-30 barrier. Ask anyone who's "fast" or even just watch your own videos, and I am sure that you will find that F2L is your weakness. You might be able to shave off .5-1 sec by improving PLL speed, but practicing F2L will make a much greater impact. If you are going to spend time on PLL practice at this point, I would recommend that you watch some youtube videos on recognition and review cases and study your cube to find things that stand out in your mind. Im sure that execution is not hurting you TOO much (always room for improvement- TPS, better algs, etc.) but your pauses and transitions are adding more to your time than anything

 

[rj]

Thanks Once again. Yes i do have an old cube and i will remove the stickers and try.
I had this idea before but never thought it might be useful and hence i never tried. I will try that now and hope atleast 1-2 seconds drop .
Thanks for giving such a good explanation. I have made those videos which you suggested and I can see now the number of pauses i make.
It looks so obvious now where i am slowing down. I know that "looking ahead" helps but whenever i try to turn slowly, I get a feeling that this technique is not working and I again start moving fast.
In short whenever i turn slow , i feel my time is becoming slower.
And i coudn't find the "plateau" link



Thanks for the reply. I am not very good at full pll right now. Still learning.
And can you please tell me what is a "PLL Attack" ???

I broke 30 seconds by:
Getting a Weilong
Drilling crosses
Drilling pairs
Learning full PLL
Practice

 

[Lchu613]

Take a break.

 

[CubezUBR]

why do you care about speed anyway? Im slow and i dont care about: 1, what other people say, and 2, i do it for fun not for speed. just get a cube that your fingers feel happy turning and play around with cool stuff