Older cubers discussions

[kbrune]

But, anyway, 5th solve out of the box 59.7x Just 2 solves with the 5x5 and nothing great yet.

Everyone's so fast on 4x4! I can't seem to get below 1:25 ave. So many ppl around the same speed as me on 3x3 are around the 1 min mark on 4x4. I wonder what it is that im missing. Most likely practice but im sure my method is a part of it.

 

[mafergut]

Everyone's so fast on 4x4! I can't seem to get below 1:25 ave. So many ppl around the same speed as me on 3x3 are around the 1 min mark on 4x4. I wonder what it is that im missing. Most likely practice but im sure my method is a part of it.

I think most of it is practice, yes. I was around 1:20 average 8 months ago and decided to keep practising almost exclusively 4x4 for several weeks. After maybe 1000 solves or more I was below 1:15. Now I'm around 1:13 but there are guys several here who are much closer to 1min global average so it's certainly possible. The cube can also give you 3-5seconds. I improved a bit when I bought a WuQue I would need to do something similar with 5x5 and see if I can get closer to 2min mark (currently around 2:35 - 2:40 average probably).

Now it's my turn to say... everyone's so fast on 3x3! I just checked your official average and it's impressive. I would like to know how to get a bit closer to 15sec average but never seemed to be able to get below high 17 or low 18.

 

[h2f]

My PB ao5 and single from last comp. I'm very happy about it. After 46 solve I needed 2 good solves so I pushed myself to do it. And it worked. 46 solve was just crap from the beginning - bad cross, poor f2l and mess during Aperm at 20 seconds. I knew it's bad so I didnt hurry to solve the cube.

 

[newtonbase]

Registration is open for the UK Championships
https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/UKChampionship2017/register

 

[mark49152]

Registration is open for the UK Championships
https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/UKChampionship2017/register

Despite clicking the button before 1 second past 7pm I was still only 3rd

 

[newtonbase]

Despite clicking the button before 1 second past 7pm I was still only 3rd

You made the podium! Didn't catch my number this time.

Edit: It's on the email. I was 10th.

 

[Shaky Hands]

Think I got 6th place.

 

[newtonbase]

55 people have been accepted already.

 

[mark49152]

20 second qualification for clock, and two comps to achieve it!

 

[newtonbase]

20 second qualification for clock, and two comps to achieve it!

Another event I'll have to pass on.

 

[bubbagrub]

20 second qualification for clock, and two comps to achieve it!

You're currently top on the psych sheet for MBLD, Mark...

 

[Fyzzna]

So after putting it off multiple times, I've finally started learning proper CMLL Currently learning one set every one or two days so it shouldn't take me that long either.
I have to say I enjoy this quite a bit more than 2look. Should've probably made the switch sooner (as everyone suggested) as it might take a while for my recognition to get up to speed now.

 

[mark49152]

You're currently top on the psych sheet for MBLD, Mark...

Cool . Currently I'm UK 3rd behind Ollie and Dan, so unless Ollie competes, I'll probably stay top ranked of the Brits. However, Callum, Ben Ridley and Bertie are all capable of doing more cubes than me in one hour. All they need is the luck and concentration on the day. Oliver Wheat is also closing fast. So that #3 ranking might not even last beyond Guildford. Its nice to see UK folks pushing for better scores in MBLD though - with all those talented and fast youngsters out there, it seems too easy if an oldie like me can make 3rd .

 

[Jason Green]

M2 kind of kicked my butt this week. I didn't have much time to practice and when I did I was tired so that's not good. I think I was really messing up my set up moves mostly, along with some bad memo and possibly doing the I/S algs wrong. Usually when I double checked my memo it was correct. I had done success on 4 of 5 OP solves before switching so it was a little discouraging. I finally got an M2 success before leaving work today so maybe it will get better. I do like it though.

@Selkie you mentioned having a few successes when you learned the first time. Were you doing M2? I could see it getting discouraging for me more so than OP was, although who knows maybe I was just lucky on my OP solves.

 

[mark49152]

@Jason Green, hang on in there, it will get easier! Sighted solves help a lot.

For those wanting to push their M2 to the next level, this came out recently and is really good (check out part 2 as well):

 

[pipkiksass]

Everyone's so fast on 4x4! I can't seem to get below 1:25 ave. So many ppl around the same speed as me on 3x3 are around the 1 min mark on 4x4. I wonder what it is that im missing. Most likely practice but im sure my method is a part of it.

As I'm about 2 seconds slower than you on 3x3, but about 5 seconds faster than you on 4x4, I feel I'm in a decent position to answer this question?!

We had a little exchange a while ago about how looking further into 3x3 solves during inspection helped me drop a good 1.5 seconds off my average (over a few months). I don't think, with 4x4, it's so much about inspection, but efficiency and lookahead during F2C is somewhat useful. I've found I'll always know at least how my first centre is being built completely during inspection, and where the first bar of my second centre will be formed. I'm assuming you already do this, though!

As I say, I don't think it's SO much about inspection with 4x4, and the biggest kick in the teeth (for me) is always first 3 cross edges, and I think it's where I make up a little time. The key to cross edges really is lookahead. If you can spot something to get you going during F2C, you're on for a winner, then (like 3x3) it's about not going too fast. This is the hardest stage of (the Yau method of solving) 4x4, so I guess we should all be practicing it in the same way as we practice F2L when trying to improve on 3x3, but nobody makes much fuss about it. At least not to the extent that fuss is made about F2L on 3x3...

Do you use half-centres? J-Perm (can't remember his forum name) recently made a good video on YouTube about looking ahead between the last 2 half-centres, which helped me knock a little extra time off. Half-centres in general are great for L4C.
I'm assuming your edge pairing is solid, and your 3x3 stage will clearly be good. I think a lot of people neglect cross edges, and we should all (me especially) probably dedicate a lot more time to it if we want to improve 4x4.

 

[Jason Green]

@Jason Green, hang on in there, it will get easier! Sighted solves help a lot.

For those wanting to push their M2 to the next level, this came out recently and is really good (check out part 2 as well):

Thanks that's a great video! Josh is from somewhere in Texas he's been at comps here. I think I have been messing up my Q alg so that would definitely kill a solve, I may switch to his version.

 

[newtonbase]

@Jason Green, hang on in there, it will get easier! Sighted solves help a lot.

For those wanting to push their M2 to the next level, this came out recently and is really good (check out part 2 as well):

They are very good videos. There's a few bits in there that are new to me including some nice M slice algs.

 

[mafergut]

Hi guys! I'm on vacation (and my wife isn't) so I might have some more time to cube, even if only for a couple of weeks.

I've done more than 600 skewb solves and got Ao50 down to 10.5x. I've decided to order an XMD Magnetic "Wingy" to see if it helps with grip because my biggest problem right now is the cube slipping in my hands (and terrible hedge execution). Any other suggestions for a good skewb with good grip? To keep it company in the box I have also ordered the new 50mm Mini MF3RS and the XMD Magnetic "Bell" Pyraminx as I find the Moyu Magnetic one a bit too uncontrollable. I had to refrain from ordering also the Yuexiao Pro, the new Dayan Zhanchi 2017 and some other new cubes but I have enough 3x3s for a lifetime, unless somebody comes up with something really epic good!

I also tied my 3x3 PB Ao12 (16.66) right now with my Weilong GTS2M (mass produced version). I might be starting to like the magnets. I also did a few more solves with the Wushuang M but no PBs. I can feel my average could drop below 2:30 as soon as I get used to it, though.

From my last non-WCA cube order, I have just solved once the LanLan Master Skewb. I had a hard time with the corners. I still have to try all the others (3x3x3 Mixup Plus, Bermuda Venus, Camouflage, ...). The Qiyi 2x2x3 is very nice to turn but so terribly boring / easy to solve.

 

[pglewis]

Hi folks, just checking in - how is everyone? I've been snooping around the thread occasionally, but far too busy these days to get overly involved. I'm struggling to find enough time to cube, let alone hang about on the forums!

Glad to see a check-in; it's been a little while, though I figured practice time has been a challenge.

My PB ao5 and single from last comp. I'm very happy about it. After 46 solve I needed 2 good solves so I pushed myself to do it. And it worked. 46 solve was just crap from the beginning - bad cross, poor f2l and mess during Aperm at 20 seconds. I knew it's bad so I didnt hurry to solve the cube.

Even I did a fist pump on the 15.x! Well done keeping your composure.

So after putting it off multiple times, I've finally started learning proper CMLL Currently learning one set every one or two days so it shouldn't take me that long either.
I have to say I enjoy this quite a bit more than 2look. Should've probably made the switch sooner (as everyone suggested) as it might take a while for my recognition to get up to speed now.

It wasn't so long ago you and I were roughly the same speed, get thee to a comp pronto!

M2 kind of kicked my butt this week. I didn't have much time to practice and when I did I was tired so that's not good. I think I was really messing up my set up moves mostly, along with some bad memo and possibly doing the I/S algs wrong. Usually when I double checked my memo it was correct. I had done success on 4 of 5 OP solves before switching so it was a little discouraging. I finally got an M2 success before leaving work today so maybe it will get better. I do like it though.

There have been a few occasions thus far where I've needed focused sessions of sighted blind, myself. It's easy to know what went wrong with just a couple flipped edges and/or corners but I've occasionally hit spells where I end up with too many failures without a clue where it went afoul. A solid practice session or two of peeking to verify things after every piece usually does the trick. Just solving sighted M2/OP "on the fly" without tracing cycles has also been a useful exercise for me to get my Speffz letters more automatic since the letters are coming at you like flash cards.