New to speedcubing, lots of questions

[Waynilein]

Hello speedcubers

I learned how to solve the cube with the beginners method a few months ago (had to look up most algorithms as I solve, of course). A few days ago, I discovered speedcubing and I thought I'd give it a shot.

I searched for faster solving methods, I didn't like Fridrich because it had way too many algorithms to learn (I'm lazy -.-), I tried Heise but it confused me since I don't have much experience with the cube yet.

I settled for Petrus for now, I know the 7 algorithms that are necessary (1 for edge orientation, 2 for corner positioning, 1 for corner orientation, 3 for edge positioning).

My best solve is 1 minute 43 seconds, my averages are a little over 2 minutes.


So, my questions...
Should I stick with Petrus? I see most people use Fridrich, what are the advantages of it?
When should I learn the algorithms for solving the last layer in 1 or 2 looks?
How long will I have to practice before I can solve it in like 30 seconds?
I used a $1 cube which locks up on every other turn and is impossible to turn with one finger until I could do 4 minute solves, now I bought a rubiks brand cube (not DIY) which is much better. Is a DIY cube necessary if I want to get good? Also, should I lube my cube? I'm afraid of doing something wrong and messing up my cube :S
How fast should I be before I start learning fingertricks? Right now I'm doing really clumsy moves, using my whole hand for turning.
Is it normal to have to pause for like 10 seconds to look for pieces after each step? Is there some special technique to learn, or is this a matter of practice?
Are people gonna think I'm a nerd if I cube in public?

 

[fanwuq]

Stick with petrus, Fridrich is not any faster. In fact, once you get better, Petrus can take less moves.
Learn algs when ever you are comfortable. Understanding edge orientation is more important then learning more algs for it.
DIY is not necessary. Neither is lube. I did it without either. It might lower your times a bit like 5% though. However don't cube with anything so stiff that it hurts you hands. Have something as loose as possible.
Practice is the key for better look ahead.

 

[badmephisto]

So, my questions...
Should I stick with Petrus? I see most people use Fridrich, what are the advantages of it?
When should I learn the algorithms for solving the last layer in 1 or 2 looks?
How long will I have to practice before I can solve it in like 30 seconds?
I used a $1 cube which locks up on every other turn and is impossible to turn with one finger until I could do 4 minute solves, now I bought a rubiks brand cube (not DIY) which is much better. Is a DIY cube necessary if I want to get good? Also, should I lube my cube? I'm afraid of doing something wrong and messing up my cube :S
How fast should I be before I start learning fingertricks? Right now I'm doing really clumsy moves, using my whole hand for turning.
Is it normal to have to pause for like 10 seconds to look for pieces after each step? Is there some special technique to learn, or is this a matter of practice?
Are people gonna think I'm a nerd if I cube in public?

1. I'm a Fridrich fan myself, but a few people around here worship the Petrus method.
2. Learn the algs whenever you feel ready to learn them You can start today, learning new algs cant hurt you
3. To get to 30 seconds? Depends on practice time, should be in range 4-6 months.
4. Yes DIY is necessary to get very good times. And yes you have to lube. Cube4You type D's are what I use and they are very nice.
5. you can start learning fingertricks any time... sooner you start the better.
6. You pausing during solve does not make you special at all I'm afraid.
7. Yes, but thats a good thing!

 

[McWizzle94]

Hello speedcubers

I learned how to solve the cube with the beginners method a few months ago (had to look up most algorithms as I solve, of course). A few days ago, I discovered speedcubing and I thought I'd give it a shot.

I searched for faster solving methods, I didn't like Fridrich because it had way too many algorithms to learn (I'm lazy -.-), I tried Heise but it confused me since I don't have much experience with the cube yet.

I settled for Petrus for now, I know the 7 algorithms that are necessary (1 for edge orientation, 2 for corner positioning, 1 for corner orientation, 3 for edge positioning).

My best solve is 1 minute 43 seconds, my averages are a little over 2 minutes.


So, my questions...
Should I stick with Petrus? I see most people use Fridrich, what are the advantages of it?
When should I learn the algorithms for solving the last layer in 1 or 2 looks?
How long will I have to practice before I can solve it in like 30 seconds?
I used a $1 cube which locks up on every other turn and is impossible to turn with one finger until I could do 4 minute solves, now I bought a rubiks brand cube (not DIY) which is much better. Is a DIY cube necessary if I want to get good? Also, should I lube my cube? I'm afraid of doing something wrong and messing up my cube :S
How fast should I be before I start learning fingertricks? Right now I'm doing really clumsy moves, using my whole hand for turning.
Is it normal to have to pause for like 10 seconds to look for pieces after each step? Is there some special technique to learn, or is this a matter of practice?
Are people gonna think I'm a nerd if I cube in public?

imo choosing between Petrus and Fridrich is a matter of personal preference. Fridrich can get very fast, and the fastest cubers use it. The only problem is that Fridrich has a lot of algs, and it takes a lot of practice to master. Try putting of the 1look or 2look algs until you've reached your limit without them. To reach 30 seconds, it takes a different time depending on the cuber. Some it may take 4 months, others it could take 8. A DIY will help your times, and lube it with silicon spray. Don't use WD-40. It's bad. Don't use it. You can start learning fingertricks now. Try to reduce your 10 second delays by looking ahead for the next pieces while solving the current ones. And for your last question, it depends on who you are around. Some people will think its cool, others might call you a nerd.

I'm not the best person to give advice, but these are just my opinions. I hope this helps.

PEACE OUT!

 

[Rabid]

Is it normal to have to pause for like 10 seconds to look for pieces after each step? Is there some special technique to learn, or is this a matter of practice?
Are people gonna think I'm a nerd if I cube in public?

I'm in your canoe. I get an occasional "awesome" when I cube on the bus. Nerds read books.

 

[hawkmp4]

Hello speedcubers
So, my questions...
Should I stick with Petrus? I see most people use Fridrich, what are the advantages of it?
When should I learn the algorithms for solving the last layer in 1 or 2 looks?
How long will I have to practice before I can solve it in like 30 seconds?
I used a $1 cube which locks up on every other turn and is impossible to turn with one finger until I could do 4 minute solves, now I bought a rubiks brand cube (not DIY) which is much better. Is a DIY cube necessary if I want to get good? Also, should I lube my cube? I'm afraid of doing something wrong and messing up my cube :S
How fast should I be before I start learning fingertricks? Right now I'm doing really clumsy moves, using my whole hand for turning.
Is it normal to have to pause for like 10 seconds to look for pieces after each step? Is there some special technique to learn, or is this a matter of practice?
Are people gonna think I'm a nerd if I cube in public?

I'll go in order.
YES!! I use Fridrich but I think Petrus and the other block building methods have the potential to be faster in the end. The advantages of Fridrich are that it provides a pretty good balance between easy recognition, speed, and number of algorithms.

I'm not the best to ask for advice on Petrus itself, I don't know it very well at all.

The 30 second thing, well, that depends on your dedication and practice. Don't overdo it though, some things take time.

A DIY is not required at all to get fast. I've done numerous non-lucky solves in the 30-35 second range with my Rubik's brand cube. But you may want to get a DIY anyway- it'll save some frustration from lockups and such.

I wouldn't bother lubing your cube, honestly. Its not going to make much of a difference till you're at least sub-minute.

Learning fingertricks...well, its a matter more of just practicing your algorithms more and pretty soon you'll start seeing shortcuts and sequences which are quicker than others. I haven't seen many if any sites on fingertricks.

Yes, its normal to have to take some time to find the next piece. However, this time is something you want to minimize as much as possible. A good way to work on that is to go a bit slower than usual, and focus on looking for the next piece while you solve the first. But, at the point you are in your times, just more practice in general will do you more good.

EDIT: Forgot one!
Yeah, they'll probably think you're a nerd. But I get more "Awesome"s than put-downs.

 

[ooveehoo]

First of all, petrus is fine. In no way is fridrich significantly faster, so stick with it. Fridrich is a bit easier to get faster, and recognizing the situations is faster. But it requires learning of more algorithms, and is less intuitive, kind of repeats itself, and IMO it's more boring than petrus (I use petrus as my "secondary method", and I haven't practised it nearly as much as fridrich. I average 28-30 on petrus and 20-23 on fridrich). Petrus also uses less moves, which is good especially for slow people.

Start learning the two-look LL when you average around 30seconds for the first two layers. 1-look LL is in my opinion compately unnecesary.

It might take less than two monts to average sub-30, or for people like me over six.

A diy isn't necesary, many people better than me, and also I, use storebought Rubik's 3x3x3's. Just lube it with silicon spray. You have to take it apart (take off an edge piece, and then the rest), wash the pieces, spray them with silicond and them put it back together again.

As your cube gets looser, you will "automaticly" start making less powerful moves. You should watch the solves by fast cubers, because Lars' wristing technique might not be that good.

It's normal especially in the more intuitive steps (1 to 4) to think a lot, but as you cube more, it will grow on you, and the moves will come natural to you. Don't go too fast during the F2L, but try to anticipate the the next step and do it complately non-stop (well, because it's petrus, just try to minimize the stops). You'll get better bit by bit. Believe me, it works(even on petrus). The last layer can be done faster, you will learn to recognize the pieces by cubing more.

Not necesarily. They'll probably think you're more like a mathematical genious (maybe you are), especially if you don't look too nerdy.

 

[nitrocan]

saying that petrus is faster, or fridrich isnt faster, is a complete lie. it depends on the person. dont get scared because of the 78 algs in the fridrich method. at first, you only need 5-6 algs for the ll. then eventually you will want to learn more and it will become easier as you learn. i have been cubing for 3 months now and i know all the pll algs (21) and i know 41 of the 57 oll algs. so its not so hard, but its also about how bad you want to learn it . i average sub 30 with it.

 

[Escher]

i think one look last layer is around 1200 algorithms...
- Petrus is just as valid as Freidrich,
- looking like a nerd is fine, most people are just impressed and the ones that say they arent, are just jealous...
- I think that for the LL 2-Look is unnecessary until you can average sub-20 without it, 3 look is fine, maybe just learn the OLLs based on dots as well.
- DIYs are essential for getting really good speeds, practically (unless you're Yu Nakajima). type a and D are both good, use silicone spray to lubricate it, NOTHING ELSE.
- fingertricks are part of being fast if you want to practise looking ahead, go very, very slowly, looking at what each of your moves are doing to other pieces as you make a block etc.
- i think pretty much everyone else has done a good job of answering your questions

 

[bundat]

- For your cube:
Store-boughts are fine. Just lubricate it with silicone.
Yu Nakajima (world-record-holder for 3x3 average, ex-WR-holder for 3x3 single solve) used to use them, and he could easily average sub-11 with it.

- For your method:
If you're judging the methods by the least number of algs to memorize,
it's not really as simple as Petrus=few and Fridrich=many.
Petrus is ok. People have proven that you can sub-15 or better with Petrus.
But the number of algorithms they use isn't that few either
(I'm not sure what they use, is it CLL+ELL? ZBLL is also possible...? That's 494 algs).

Fridrich can be learned with only intuitive F2L, 2 edge OLLs, 7 cross OLLs, 2 corner PLLs, and 4 edge PLLs (for a total 14 quite similar algs) and this 4LLL approach can easily get you a sub-40 average within just a month.

Even absolute minimalist Fridrich (intuitive F2L, FRUR'U'F' edge OLL, sune, 1 corner and 1 edge PLL) with only 4 algs, can easily get you even sub-1 averages in just a week or two.
And at 28 algs (7 cross OLLs + 21 PLLs), the world-class sub-15 is possible.

So Fridrich isn't really the "it's too many algs to memorize" method it seems to be. All the well-known methods have their "beginner versions", Petrus, Fridrich, and Roux. I suggest you try all and see what fits your style.

 

[nitrocan]

how could nakajima average easily under 11 seconds, even the wr is 11.xx

 

[bundat]

And the UWR is 9.81 for average of 10 (although that's Harris' time, Nakaji's is 9.97...5 months ago).
And Jason Baum's says in his site that Yu posts sub-10 averages, and he's been around here for quite a long time so I'd trust his words.

And even with 100 solves, Yu still manages a sub-12 time (almost 1 year ago), so I doubt sub-11 in an average of 5 would be hard for him in a non-official competition setting.

 

[nitrocan]

i meant in competitions, and sub 11 is still not so easy for anyone.

 

[bundat]

Obviously I was not talking about competitions, as my point was that "he doesn't really need a DIY cube to be good and that a store-bought isn't bad, because a well-known good cuber uses a store-bought".
Pray do tell how "competitions" fit in there.
"i meant in competitions" just sounds like a cop-out reason.

And Yu Nakajima is not "anyone".
What's your point anyway? Are you trying to say something?
Just get straight to it if you have a point that you want to make.

I'm just going to reinforce my point here for the thread starter, because you seem to enjoy steering way off the topic for no apparent reason, which IMO is just thread hijacking with irrelevant posts.

The UWR for PLL time-attacks is 35.02. Nakaji's PLL time-attack with a store-bought is 36.72, only 1.7s slower, ranking 4th.
He says that it is a store-bought himself in the comments.

Although it is still your choice if you want to switch to a DIY. Even Nakaji switched to a Rubik's DIY recently. I'm just saying that your current cube isn't bad.

 

[nitrocan]

i know that nakajima is one of the best cubers for 3x3. im just saying getting a sub 11 average is very very hard. even harris chan admitted that his 10.46 average of 12 (not really sure of that number) included many easy scrambles.

 

[bundat]

im just saying getting a sub 11 average is very very hard.

And that is relevant to the topic, how?

If in your opinion that cubers like Harris, Nakaji, and Erik aren't consistently sub-11 enough for them not to have any trouble coming up with sub-11 averages of 5 (or even 10 if you want), then that's your opinion.

You don't need to force it onto other people in beginner topics asking for advice on methods and cubes, effectively derailing and possibly killing the thread. If my opinion is that they're skilled enough to be able to get non-lucky sub-11 averages, I don't see why you'd take it as your responsibility to have to convince me otherwise, in any thread regardless of derailing it, just because your opinion differs.

I myself personally use a DIY, and I recommend it too, but his question was if a DIY was necessary to be good or if he could manage with his cube (not if Nakaji is sub-11 or sub-12), so I just answered him that his cube is not bad by showing an example.

 

[nitrocan]

im just saying getting a sub 11 average is very very hard.

And that is relevant to the topic, how?

That was an reply to your post. Should I have phoned you?

 

[PCwizCube]

im just saying getting a sub 11 average is very very hard.

And that is relevant to the topic, how?

That was an reply to your post. Should I have phoned you?

Yes you should have (seriously). Actually you should have just PMed him because it's the argument between you two.

 

[nitrocan]

dont we just get mad so easily lol

 

[not_kevin]

Indeed we do.