pipkiksass
Veteran
Let's start with the important facts - I'm not very fast. I currently average between 23 and 26 seconds, having started cubing in December. I went straight into full CFOP.
So here's a little snapshot of my progress:
From start to sub 40 in a month. Sub 30 in another month. Now I'm sub 25 on a good day, a full 2 1/2 months later. Why did my progress slow down? Because I only ever do timed solves.
The fact of the matter is, there's far more time to shave off when coming down from 70+ seconds to 30, than there is from 30 to 20, or 20 to 18, etc.. As a result, without actual practice (by which I mean any focussed effort to improve a specific aspect of my solving technique) I managed to improve rapidly. Personally, I think c.30 seconds is where you can get without any really focussed effort whatsoever. I may be wrong, it's just my opinion.
Now, I've been 'stuck' around the 26 second mark for a couple of months. Not because I'm stupid, lazy, or can't get faster - more because I have a family and a full-time job, and the little time I get to cube, I just like to do timed solves. I'm happy being able to solve the cube under 30 seconds practically every time. It's not my limit, it's just a plateau!
In the 2 months I've been sat around this mark, I must have seen a dozen individual posts asking for help getting sub 30, sub 40, or sub XX. It bugs the hell out of me, and I can only imagine how faster cubers feel about it.
Here's my 2 cents worth:
1 - When you posted, did you not see the massive red warning to make sure you've searched the forum first?
2 - Why don't ANY of you include videos in your posts? How are people meant to critique your technique without videos? Which brings me on to...
3 - Why not just post a vid in the solve critique thread? and
4 - USE THE MOTHER LOVING SEARCH FUNCTION!!!
There are some truly excellent posts about how to practice, as well as how-to get faster. Maybe even try a more systematic approach?
Seriously, people, this forum is a great resource, if used correctly. By abusing it, you're just p*ssing people off. There is no magic trick that will make you faster, and no specific advice that you will get that hasn't already been given. If you want to get faster you need to practice, and if you're stuck at XX it's because you're practicing wrong.
So please think before you post. If this post stops even one person posting then I'll go to bed happy!
And remember - "there are no limits, there are only plateaus, and you must not stay there - you must go beyond them."
So here's a little snapshot of my progress:
13/12/2012 - average 74.3
19/12/2012 - average 57.7 (sub minute)
08/01/2013 - average 45.1 (sub 50)
15/01/2013 - average 39.4 (sub 40)
21/02/2013 - average 29.73 (sub 30)
07/05/2013 - average 26.67 (latest Ao50)
19/12/2012 - average 57.7 (sub minute)
08/01/2013 - average 45.1 (sub 50)
15/01/2013 - average 39.4 (sub 40)
21/02/2013 - average 29.73 (sub 30)
07/05/2013 - average 26.67 (latest Ao50)
From start to sub 40 in a month. Sub 30 in another month. Now I'm sub 25 on a good day, a full 2 1/2 months later. Why did my progress slow down? Because I only ever do timed solves.
The fact of the matter is, there's far more time to shave off when coming down from 70+ seconds to 30, than there is from 30 to 20, or 20 to 18, etc.. As a result, without actual practice (by which I mean any focussed effort to improve a specific aspect of my solving technique) I managed to improve rapidly. Personally, I think c.30 seconds is where you can get without any really focussed effort whatsoever. I may be wrong, it's just my opinion.
Now, I've been 'stuck' around the 26 second mark for a couple of months. Not because I'm stupid, lazy, or can't get faster - more because I have a family and a full-time job, and the little time I get to cube, I just like to do timed solves. I'm happy being able to solve the cube under 30 seconds practically every time. It's not my limit, it's just a plateau!
In the 2 months I've been sat around this mark, I must have seen a dozen individual posts asking for help getting sub 30, sub 40, or sub XX. It bugs the hell out of me, and I can only imagine how faster cubers feel about it.
Here's my 2 cents worth:
1 - When you posted, did you not see the massive red warning to make sure you've searched the forum first?
2 - Why don't ANY of you include videos in your posts? How are people meant to critique your technique without videos? Which brings me on to...
3 - Why not just post a vid in the solve critique thread? and
4 - USE THE MOTHER LOVING SEARCH FUNCTION!!!
There are some truly excellent posts about how to practice, as well as how-to get faster. Maybe even try a more systematic approach?
Seriously, people, this forum is a great resource, if used correctly. By abusing it, you're just p*ssing people off. There is no magic trick that will make you faster, and no specific advice that you will get that hasn't already been given. If you want to get faster you need to practice, and if you're stuck at XX it's because you're practicing wrong.
So please think before you post. If this post stops even one person posting then I'll go to bed happy!
And remember - "there are no limits, there are only plateaus, and you must not stay there - you must go beyond them."
