Older cubers discussions

[mafergut]

That's absolutely insane, Mike. I didn't even know that it was possible to solve a square-1 blindfolded.

 

[mark49152]

For anyone who doesn't want to hunt for it:

And method: http://skarrie.se/square1blind/

Insane .

 

[Jason Green]

@JohnnyReggae Congratulations. Your progress is impressive for 2.5 years. I've been cubing for 4 years already and I have yet to get a 10.xx, much less a sub-10.

@Jason Green You still don't own a Megaminx? And what are you waiting for? Same with 6x6 and 7x7 and skewb and pyraminx and SQ-1 if you don't have any of those either.

I just finished my first skewb Ao1000 after learning Intermediate (letting the cases sink in took another 500 solves or so, which I discarded). It came in right under sub-10 (9.94), with best Ao100 at 9.22 and best Ao50 at 8.86. Wish I could do the same with Pyraminx in 3-4 days but that's more difficult without learning several methods and practising much more. Anyway, following Jason's advice I will try to focus on one event at a time and I think I can still save a second or so in skewb... before my vacation period ends and I go back to "little or no practise" status.

I own a skewb and pyraminx and actually have competed in them. But I'm like 20 seconds and don't practice. I used to have the opinion compete in all you can solve, but the next comp has pyra and I'm not doing it. I'd rather spend the time warming up, practicing, or chatting than do something I care so little and am really bad at. But I still do 2x2.

That wasn't meant as advice so much as my preference. I've just always been one to get bothered with trying to do too much and not improving at anything.

I just noticed the mobile version of this forum is not showing signatures. I was going to point out that the page describing my method is in my signature. But maybe you can't see my signature?

If not, you can find the link in the information section of my profile page.

On mobile if you click the username, then click the name again in the pop-up it takes you to a page. On there if you click information in the little table you can see the signature. It's not too cumbersome but a little.

 

[newtonbase]

I just noticed the mobile version of this forum is not showing signatures. I was going to point out that the page describing my method is in my signature. But maybe you can't see my signature?

If not, you can find the link in the information section of my profile page.

Yes, and if I use my phone rather than my tablet I don't even get the WCA ID and YouTube links but I suppose it's down to space.
Thanks for the link. It's interesting but I don't think I will be learning it. Too many other things ahead in the queue.

 

[Jason Green]

I had 4/7 success tonight on blind practice, so I stopped. I was starting to feel tired and figured I wanted a session with over 50% for once. I had one 5:16.xx which I think is a PB. It was an easy scramble. I'm anxious to break 5 minutes. Some are still 10 or more though. Sometimes I'll be looking at a target wrong for so long! Like trying to put green/yellow into the green/white spot. And if the rest of the memo seems to work I don't even catch it, that's the biggest reason for my failures still, memo wrong.

 

[pipkiksass]

I'd been flirting with sub-1 single on 4x4 since popping magnets in my WuQue... PB was 1:01.xx, then yesterday had a 1:00.5x DNF, E perm which I'd mistakenly thought had PLL parity...

Anyway, Ao5 is down from 1:07 to 1:05.081, Ao12 is down from 1:10.52 to 1:09.39, Ao100 down from 1:19.xx to 1:15.730 (and falling), but just DEMOLISHED my single PB with 54.834. First sub-1, and it's almost 6 seconds faster than my second fastest ever solve.

Go figure.

Sorry, had to share!!!

 

[mafergut]

I'd been flirting with sub-1 single on 4x4 [...]

Anyway, Ao5 is down from 1:07 to 1:05.081, Ao12 is down from 1:10.52 to 1:09.39, Ao100 down from 1:19.xx to 1:15.730 (and falling), but just DEMOLISHED my single PB with 54.834. First sub-1, and it's almost 6 seconds faster than my second fastest ever solve.

That must be the correct way to do it, because my PB single also went from 1:01.22 to 55.33. I have got another 4 sub-1 singles since then but no PB (closest was 55.37 though, the rest are all 59.xx). Congratulations. It tastes great, right? At least for me it was almost compensation enough for the still missing 3x3 sub-10. You are right now so close to my own times that it almost deserves a race to sub-something

Continuing with my skewb PB streak. Another 150 solves into my second Ao1000 with Sarah Intermediate and, bam! 8.72 Ao100 and 8.24 Ao50. And that was before my XMD Wingy came in the mail 15 minutes ago. First impressions: instant main out of the box. The concave design not only helps with grip but also with fingertrick turning by pushing the corners.

With it in the same package I got an XMD Bell Pyra. Also instant main, very similar feeling to the Moyu Magnetic but more stable and the stronger magnets almost make it wanna finish the turn for you. Finally I also got a 50mm Cubing Classroom 3x3. Very nice puzzle. It turns even better than an MF3RS and locks up less. I bought it as a collection item but I could see me using it and not only for OH but for 2H as well. For less than $2 it's worth every cent.

 

[earth2dan]

Dang. @pipkiksass and @mafergut last time I checked in we were all around the same times on 4x4. Now you're both posting sub 1:00's and I'm actually slower than before :/

Any specific tips? or is it just practice practice practice?

It's been a good summer, but earlier this week I went down pretty hard on my bike and got some ugly road rash on my leg, as well as some other bumps and bruises. So I'm somewhat limited to activities till this heals up a bit. The downside is I'm missing out on summer fun times, the upside is... I'm cubing again

I haven't ordered any new cubes in a dogs age. I've got about $100 CAD to blow. Any suggestions?

 

[pipkiksass]

Dang. @pipkiksass and @mafergut last time I checked in we were all around the same times on 4x4. Now you're both posting sub 1:00's and I'm actually slower than before :/

Any specific tips? or is it just practice practice practice?

It's been a good summer, but earlier this week I went down pretty hard on my bike and got some ugly road rash on my leg, as well as some other bumps and bruises. So I'm somewhat limited to activities till this heals up a bit. The downside is I'm missing out on summer fun times, the upside is... I'm cubing again

I haven't ordered any new cubes in a dogs age. I've got about $100 CAD to blow. Any suggestions?

Ouch! Hope you're healing up ok?!

Buy some magnets and make a make a decent cube AWESOME? Fun and frugal at the same time!!

I'll give you the same 4x4 tips I gave @kbrune a couple of weeks ago. Again, I'm going to assume you use Yau?!

Plan first centre fully in inspection. Try your best to look ahead a bit from second centre to cross edges, and remember cross edges is the hardest part of Yau.

IMHO cross edges is the step where we could all improve most - we're all solid 3x3 solvers, but I'd bet my life that any sub-30 Yau solver gets to L4C in WELL under half the time it takes me to get there.

From there on, it's all about fluidity - smooth L4C, not screwing up edge pairing, or not getting bad cases, then good 3x3 stage. TBH I don't think there's huge improvements we can make at these steps - you have bad solves where you get bad edge cases or double parity, but it's just a matter of practice. I reckon I could be sub-1 if I was better at F2C and cross edges, without changing anything about the rest of my solve whatsoever.

 

[earth2dan]

Ouch! Hope you're healing up ok?!

Buy some magnets and make a make a decent cube AWESOME? Fun and frugal at the same time!!

I'll give you the same 4x4 tips I gave @kbrune a couple of weeks ago. Again, I'm going to assume you use Yau?!

Plan first centre fully in inspection. Try your best to look ahead a bit from second centre to cross edges, and remember cross edges is the hardest part of Yau.

IMHO cross edges is the step where we could all improve most - we're all solid 3x3 solvers, but I'd bet my life that any sub-30 Yau solver gets to L4C in WELL under half the time it takes me to get there.

From there on, it's all about fluidity - smooth L4C, not screwing up edge pairing, or not getting bad cases, then good 3x3 stage. TBH I don't think there's huge improvements we can make at these steps - you have bad solves where you get bad edge cases or double parity, but it's just a matter of practice. I reckon I could be sub-1 if I was better at F2C and cross edges, without changing anything about the rest of my solve whatsoever.

Pretty uncomfortable, but on the mend. Thanks

I've been wanting to get in on this magnet craze for a while, but not yet willing to pay for a cubicle one. Is there a specific guide anyone here followed and would recommend?

For 4x4. Yes I'm a Yau solver. Though I solve my cross edges on bottom rather than the left side like many Yau solvers do. I also place them in order rather than misaligning one edge like some do. My F2C is pretty solid, I can usually plan most of it in inspection. But cross edges, L4C and edge pairing are all equally bad I think. I know I just need focused practice, like I did to get sub-20 3x3. I shouldn't expect 4x4 progress to come any easier than 3x3 did...

 

[Mike Hughey]

I'm really surprised how everyone does Yau now. I guess I should really learn it?

And I still use AVG for 5x5x5+ edges. About once a year I try to learn freeslice edges, I work on it for several months and get better, then discover my AVG is still 10 to 15 seconds faster, even for bigger cubes.

 

[mark49152]

I'm really surprised how everyone does Yau now. I guess I should really learn it?

And I still use AVG for 5x5x5+ edges. About once a year I try to learn freeslice edges, I work on it for several months and get better, then discover my AVG is still 10 to 15 seconds faster, even for bigger cubes.

Same here. I find AvG so much easier for lookahead. With Freeslice I find myself just turning the cube around getting impatient with it for half the solve. I am persevering with it anyway on 6x6+ though.

Have you looked into Hoya as an alternative to Yau?

 

[mafergut]

@earth2dan I agree with @pipkiksass and in my case cross edges is probably the worst part as well. But don't get a wrong idea. We are talking about our 1st sub-1min solves. That's it, the rest are still above 1:05 for the most part, at least in my case. The only advice I can give you is practice, practice, practice... and a good cube helps. But I got there without magnets, with a standard WuQue. Now I got a magnetized one and I have to admit that I am more consistent with it but any sub-1 or close to that is still a lucky solve.

 

[Mike Hughey]

Same here. I find AvG so much easier for lookahead. With Freeslice I find myself just turning the cube around getting impatient with it for half the solve. I am persevering with it anyway on 6x6+ though.

Have you looked into Hoya as an alternative to Yau?

Actually, I had never even given Yau a chance. I just did my first ever 25 Yau solves. First one was 4:34.70; last one was 1:41.89. I might just learn to like Yau!

 

[mark49152]

Actually, I had never even given Yau a chance. I just did my first ever 25 Yau solves. First one was 4:34.70; last one was 1:41.89. I might just learn to like Yau!

Hoya is worth a look before you commit to Yau. Hoya is to Yau what AvG is to Freeslice. AvG is a little less move efficient but allows for easier lookahead and fewer pauses because you only have to look for one piece at a time. Likewise Hoya lets you build the cross edges in place, like Yau, but one piece at a time instead of having to find both matching pieces to pair up. Hoya seems to be growing in popularity especially with intermediate cubers.

 

[One Wheel]

I haven't ordered any new cubes in a dogs age. I've got about $100 CAD to blow. Any suggestions?

I just spent about that on my first puzzle order in a while. I ordered Qiyi and Yuxin megaminxes, Cyclone Boys G6, Qiyi Wuji, and SS Gigaminx. What I can't tell you for certain is whether any of that is worth it, but it's what I'm looking forward to. My intention is to at least attempt to magnetize everything except the gigaminx. I might get carried away, though.

 

[Jason Green]

Dang. @pipkiksass and @mafergut last time I checked in we were all around the same times on 4x4. Now you're both posting sub 1:00's and I'm actually slower than before :/

Any specific tips? or is it just practice practice practice?

It's been a good summer, but earlier this week I went down pretty hard on my bike and got some ugly road rash on my leg, as well as some other bumps and bruises. So I'm somewhat limited to activities till this heals up a bit. The downside is I'm missing out on summer fun times, the upside is... I'm cubing again

I haven't ordered any new cubes in a dogs age. I've got about $100 CAD to blow. Any suggestions?

The Wuque M is definitely awesome! My normal Wuque may have been from another batch someone said but it's nothing like the M even though I have tried some to set it up. I also have a 55 single but still average close to 1:20.

Actually, I had never even given Yau a chance. I just did my first ever 25 Yau solves. First one was 4:34.70; last one was 1:41.89. I might just learn to like Yau!

I really like Hoya! Mike DeCock compared it a long time back that Hoya to Yau was like Petrus to CFOP, or maybe he said Roux to CFOP. Hoya just feels very intuitive to me, but I've never tried Yau much. I don't like the idea of keeping the stuff on the side and having limited movement.

Honestly I don't even think I know what Avg is, I'm going to look that up now.

 

[Mike Hughey]

Thanks guys; I'll give Hoya a try sometime this weekend.

 

[pipkiksass]

I've been wanting to get in on this magnet craze for a while, but not yet willing to pay for a cubicle one. Is there a specific guide anyone here followed and would recommend?

I've done guides for both the Valk and WuQue. I can look them up, but a forum search for... maybe something like pipkiksass magnet WuQue/Valk should pick it up. Happy to answer any questions. I'm no expert, but can help you avoid making some of the mistakes I made early on. I haven't had the opportunity to compare my DIY M's to cubicle's offerings, but they're pretty darn good IMHO compared to their stock equivalents.

 

[kbrune]

Hey all! Ive been lurking instead of posting the last 2 weeks. The following pics will explain. I sort of hit a wall after being angry. so stupid. Anyway since then i've just been popping on a readign posts a bit. Jealous of my inability to practice anthing anymore. In the last few days though my broken has felt better and i decided to resume 4bld practice. Well.. i managed a first success of 26:32.11 (2 cheats - check after centers and check after wings since it was a first attempt)

It was a fairly easy scramble as far as i could tell. no cycle breaks in center memo and 1 cycle break in wings which made it easier. Not sure ill be replying much. typing is a huge pain in the ass. but pretty glad im able to practice something while i heal up. Turning is cumbersome and slow but that's normal with 2 healthy hand while learning any new event. Cheers all!

Edit.. how do i post pics? it's asking for a URL and didn't work