Need Help (sorry for this)

[JTW2007]

Okay everyone, I'm sorry about this thread, and I completely expect to be flamed for this, but after using and being overwhelmed by the search function, I'd had enough, and decided to make another post. I know you've all seen an infinite number of posts like this, so I hate to add to it, but here we go:

I'm going to US Nationals in August, and I really want to get to the point where I can break the 18 second cutoff in the preliminary round. I'm wondering what I should practice that would help me the most/the quickest. Any input, other than "Suck it up and deal with the search function,"?

 

[Gparker]

What is your average now?

Work on F2L most importantly and if you dont know full PLL, learn it and learn some new OLL's. Doing stuff like getting PLL times under 3.5 seconds and PLL time attacks under a minute should help. Time each step of the cube individualy and make an average of that. Cross, F2L,Last layer. It would be a good idea to do the cross and F2L sepreate and then do it together.

 

[JTW2007]

As of now, average of 19.05 w/ full PLL and algorithmic F2L.

EDIT: Time breakdowns look something like:

Cross (on top): 4 Seconds
F2L (including cross): 11 seconds
OLL (I know all edges only, and a few others): 5 seconds
PLL: 3 seconds

 

[daeyoungyoon]

If its in august, maybe learn full oll??? You got like 2-3months and learning knowing full oll will probably cut off your times by 1-2sec at the least and your already averaging at 19.xx

 

[EmersonHerrmann]

Learn a new method.

or

Practice.

or

Learn more algs for your method.

then

Practice those algs.

 

[brunson]

LOL, Jackson. Again, I never know people's nicknames so I voted before I knew it was you. I should have at least looked at the poster's times.

Your F2L and look ahead are better than mine, but you know me, I'm always studying something or other, ZB, MG, Open slot, Guimond (btw, I'm almost done learning it, it's mainly just not doing the wrong alg for the wrong case), etc. I think it actually hurts my times.

I don't know if I could tell you what you *should* do, but I hope that my own experience can tell you what you *shouldn't* do. Focus on what you already know and get better at it.

But finish your OLLs (after nationals), that's just basic. Slacker.

 

[shelley]

18 seconds is not the preliminary round cutoff. That's the average you need to have achieved in order to bypass the preliminary round. The actual preliminary round cutoff will depend on the times of everyone else who competes in that round. Top five in the prelims will definitely move on, and we will take more depending on how many places we can fill in the first round.

 

[ThatGuy]

Cross on bottom so you can look ahead into f2l maybe? get your PLLs down to 2 or 3 seconds? slowly work your way to full OLL, just a few every day? do a mix of algorithm and intuitive f2l (algs for the cases where intuitive takes longer than alg)(i'm assuming maybe you've seen badmephisto's videos?). although you can get sub 18 with 2LOLL

 

[Ellis]

You could potentially move on if you get a 19.xx average in the preliminary round, right?

 

[JTW2007]

@ Eric: Haha. Yeah, I am a slacker when it comes to algs.

@ Shelly: Yeah, I know. Perhaps I mis-worded my post. I meant hopefully I can break the 18 second cutoff for the first round during the preliminary round, as I won't have another opportunity.

@ ThatGuy: Yeah, good suggestion. I do use the badmephisto approach to F2L, it's just that I say algorithmic because most of my intuitive solutions are the same as the algs for those cases.

 

[Ellis]

@ Shelly: Yeah, I know. Perhaps I mis-worded my post. I meant hopefully I can break the 18 second cutoff for the first round during the preliminary round, as I won't have another opportunity.

I think you mean 17 seconds then, right? Unless I'm still completely misunderstanding this.

 

[JTW2007]

Yes, technically, I need a time of 17.99 or better, but I consider that "breaking the cutoff time."

 

[Ellis]

Are you talking about a qualifying time? In order to not have to do the qualification round, you need to have better than an 18.00 average in another competition before nationals. If you don't though, you need to have an average better than 17.00 to have a definite spot in the first round.

 

[JTW2007]

Oh, sorry. I was the one who was wrong. I misread the qualification section of the Nationals website. Thanks for clarifying that for me Ellis.