Manual scramble method

[cubematter]

Hi Speed Cubers,

I'm looking for a trigger-based manual scramble method that is fast and optimal. I've seen several videos where people solve the cube then seem to effortlessly manually re-scramble the cube in like 1 second. I suspect they are using triggers, like Sexy and others, but it happens so fast its hard to tell.

What is a good way to 'manually' scramble the cube with an easy repeated trigger pattern or likely combination of triggers?

I've searched the web and these kind of sites and no one seems to think this is important. The threads inevitably result in people recommending scramble algorithm sites or programs or robots.

*** Answers that I do *not* want:

1) Use a scramble generator ... I don't want to sit there for 30 seconds reading some random generated and hard to follow pattern

2) Just do it randomly ... Yeah, I know, but I'm looking for triggers or patterns that I can learn that will do this fast and optimally without thinking or even having to randomly guess if its scrambled enough

3) Buy a scramble robot ... Note the word "manual"

4) Use a scramble generator - See #1... watch, people will still say this below

 

[obelisk477]

Hi Speed Cubers,

I'm looking for a trigger-based manual scramble method that is fast and optimal. I've seen several videos where people solve the cube then seem to effortlessly manually re-scramble the cube in like 1 second. I suspect they are using triggers, like Sexy and others, but it happens so fast its hard to tell.

What is a good way to 'manually' scramble the cube with an easy repeated trigger pattern or likely combination of triggers?

I've searched the web and these kind of sites and no one seems to think this is important. The threads inevitably result in people recommending scramble algorithm sites or programs or robots.

*** Answers that I do *not* want:

1) Use a scramble generator ... I don't want to sit there for 30 seconds reading some random generated and hard to follow pattern

2) Just do it randomly ... Yeah, I know, but I'm looking for triggers or patterns that I can learn that will do this fast and optimally without thinking or even having to randomly guess if its scrambled enough

3) Buy a scramble robot ... Note the word "manual"

4) Use a scramble generator - See #1... watch, people will still say this below

Well I hate to tell you, but you're not going to find many people who care here either. All of us at one point were frustrated with how long it took to read and execute a proper random scramble, and we all learned eventually and got over it.

 

[DGCubes]

What is a good way to 'manually' scramble the cube with an easy repeated trigger pattern or likely combination of triggers?

I don't know about others, but when I personally handscramble cubes I just do whatever random moves I'm able to perform/fingertrick easily with the current position of my fingers in mind. Usually my handscrambles are relatively regripless, just because it's the easiest way to turn the cube. I don't use any specific triggers or patterns; it's really just improvisation.

1) Use a scramble generator ... I don't want to sit there for 30 seconds reading some random generated and hard to follow pattern

Whenever you're seriously practicing, you should still be using a scramble generator though. Handscrambles are never as trustworthy as computer-generated random-state scrambles and will likely result in more lucky solves. Also, you will get faster with generated scrambles if you do them more often. I just timed myself doing the first scramble I could find on cstimer and did it in 4.019 seconds with little difficulty.

It's like learning to read; when you first learn, you focus on each and every letter and sound out the words. As you get better and faster, you start to focus on the whole words and can read and understand them just by looking at them without sounding them out. When reading scrambles, I used to have to pause and ask my self, "Wait, which way is D'?" but now I can just see the notation and perform it instinctively.

4) Use a scramble generator - See #1... watch, people will still say this below

Maybe because it's the right answer.

 

[lucarubik]

just use a scramble generator bruv
I usually insert parts of plls on my scrambles, i used to get always the same scramble, i even learnt it to solve it by heart
also trhow the cube in the air to get a random orientation in the middle

 

[Silverback]

 

[AlphaSheep]

Hi Speed Cubers,

I'm looking for a trigger-based manual scramble method that is fast and optimal. I've seen several videos where people solve the cube then seem to effortlessly manually re-scramble the cube in like 1 second. I suspect they are using triggers, like Sexy and others, but it happens so fast its hard to tell.

What is a good way to 'manually' scramble the cube with an easy repeated trigger pattern or likely combination of triggers?

If you'd stopped the question here, I'd likely have written a polite response explaining that what you'd likely seen is people scrambling for demonstration purposes, not caring about the quality of the scramble. I'd have also have pointed out that many triggers, like sexy or sledgehammer actually only affect 7 pieces (a single move affects 8) which makes a series of 25 random triggers less effective at scrambling a cube than a series of 25 random moves. I'd likely have also have brought up the fact that random moves start off from a biased edge orientation state, leading to significantly easier scrambles - only after about 100 random moves does the distribution get close enough to what it should be.

Random state scrambles generated by a computer are typically around 20 moves, sometimes even less, but guarantee a perfectly random distribution of scrambles without any bias toward easy or hard scrambles.

But then you went and added this:

I've searched the web and these kind of sites and no one seems to think this is important. The threads inevitably result in people recommending scramble algorithm sites or programs or robots.

*** Answers that I do *not* want:

1) Use a scramble generator ... I don't want to sit there for 30 seconds reading some random generated and hard to follow pattern

2) Just do it randomly ... Yeah, I know, but I'm looking for triggers or patterns that I can learn that will do this fast and optimally without thinking or even having to randomly guess if its scrambled enough

3) Buy a scramble robot ... Note the word "manual"

4) Use a scramble generator - See #1... watch, people will still say this below

This part comes across as hostile and arrogant, and puts off those who would otherwise have tried to be helpful.

1) The patterns get much easier to follow with practice, and believe it or not, are actually faster to apply than "manual" scrambles.

2) Anything you do without thinking is going to be instinctive, and your muscle memory is going to take over. That means you're going to fall into habits without even realising it. Unless you're happy doing the same few scrambles over and over again, you're going to have to have to actively concentrate on not doing the same thing over and over.

3) Why did you even add this? No one would have suggested it if you hadn't mentioned it. But since you brought it up, why don't you just buy a scramble robot?

4) Yes, I'm going to say it, because you've obviously put in zero effort into finding out why it's always recommended. Instead of dismissing it for no reason, you really should use computer generated random state scrambles.

 

[Ollie]

I agree with the above. I appreciate the idea, and I think it can be built into modern timers quite easily, at the cost of a bit of randomness. But what we have at the moment isn't broken, it just requires practice.

To add, practicing on a scramble generator enough will allow you find your own "tricks". You will naturally start to recognise the nicer parts of scrambles and look ahead to the next few letters as you execute them.

Examples (first 3 scrambles I found from qqtimer)

(R2 D2) (L2 D2) (L' D2 L') B2 (L' D2 L) U F' L (D U') L2 F' D2 B
L2 B2 (D R2 D2) (U' R2 D) F2 U' L2 R' F' D F' U' R D B U2 F
D2 L2 B' U2 (L2 D2 L2) B2 U2 B L' U F L2 R2 B (D' L' D' R')

For clarity, I've highlighted the parts of the scramble I think are quite easy to identity and execute reasonable well.

 

[SenorJuan]

2) Just do it randomly.
Seriously, if you try and deliberately use sub-algorithms, you're moving in the wrong direction, towards 'not random'.
I've been hand-scrambling without a problem for decades. Make sure you orient the cube xyz randomly before you start, and add a few extra random orentation changes throughout the scramble. Vary the length of time you spend scrambling, eg. sometimes 15 secs, sometimes 40 secs, it adds to the variation. Throw in 'odd' moves, even if you don't normally use them, eg E,S, U3, feel for the puzzle locking up where you've misaligned faces, and use this random factor to influence a change of course in your scrambling.

 

[SirWaffle]

You could always do scrambles like this

Turn the bottom face clockwise by 90 degrees, turn the top face clockwise by 90 degrees, turn the left face clockwise by 90 degrees, turn the front face by 180 degrees, turn the right face counterclockwise by 90 degrees, turn the left face by 180 degrees, turn the front face clockwise by 90 degrees, turn the bottom face by 180 degrees, turn the top face by 180 degrees, turn the front face clockwise by 90 degrees, turn the back face by 180 degrees, turn the bottom face clockwise by 90 degrees, turn the front face counterclockwise by 90 degrees, turn the left face clockwise by 90 degrees, turn the bottom face clockwise by 90 degrees, turn the right face by 180 degrees, turn the back face counterclockwise by 90 degrees, turn the front face by 180 degrees, turn the left face by 180 degrees, turn the back face by 180 degrees, turn the front face clockwise by 90 degrees, turn the left face counterclockwise by 90 degrees, turn the bottom face counterclockwise by 90 degrees, turn the back face by 180 degrees, turn the top face counterclockwise by 90 degrees



Only kidding. But really just practice the regular ones and eventually they will become second nature