Older cubers discussions

[mafergut]

Hey! Really sorry to have missed you at the competition -- I had no idea you were there. I'm very impressed by your result -- sub-20 3x3 average is something I've been aiming for for years and just missed out on at this comp (I got 20.17). Great to hear you had a good time as well -- hope to catch you at some future competition, perhaps. Hopefully you've caught the competition bug now!

Had I been there for more than just Saturday we surely would have found each other sooner or later. Thanks for your encouragement and, yeah, it was a thrilling experience that I would like to repeat in the future, let's see.

Also, I forgot to mention, @mark49152, I was told that you could not attend due to a last minute personal issue. I hope it was nothing serious. I would have loved meeting you too and hearing about a 20/20 MBLD success!!!

 

[SpartanSailor]

Good morning... (here in the States anyway)

Did just a couple 3BLD “memo” drills... Recently, I’ve just been doing a lot of sighted edge drills. But rather than just doing pairs, I’m doing 3 pairs with only a single trace. Simply looking at the first 6 targets and then just going. After checking that those were correct (or wrong), I do the next six until I’m done. It’s not exactly how I’d do it, but it is forcing me to keep moving.

This morning, I did a couple timed memo attempts. I set my countdown timer on my phone for 90 seconds. When the alarm went off, I closed my eyes and executed what ever I had. The first one, went well. I got my corners down in 30 seconds and essentially finished my edge memo. During execution, I forgot an edge pair, but otherwise, it turned out decent. The second felt very rushed and I forgot my edge memo after only 4 targets... I could remember the later section, but there was a pair that I knew I couldn’t recall...

I think I’m going to work this into my practice more often. Not only did I really have to rush my memo, but the pressure of seeing my countdown timer really added extra pressure which would bre more like a competition where every second counts if you’re going for speed. I KNOW I can execute in a 1:00 to 1:15 or so... sometimes faster. I’m getting more comfortable with my edges now and as long as I can recall my memo, I can keep my execution closer to a minute. If I can get memo down to 1:30 or less... I’ll have PLENTY of time to get a sub-3 time for 3BLD.

Sub-3 is the next MILESTONE. I’ve done it a couple times, but those were unusually fast memo times for me. I must have been in the zone or had easy memos.

I don’t think my goal in Pennsylvania will be a sub-3 result, rather, a mo3. However, between now and then if I can push my memo down to less time, that will give me more time to complete 3 solves. To get a mean with a 10min cumulative limit, I’ll have to be 3 for 3 at 3:20 or better. So, a sub-3 result isn’t off the table anyway. I’ve added the FU/BD special case where you solve two at a time with one of those and an edge. Even with a slight slowing down to recall that pattern, I feel like that is much faster than doing two separate targets.

I saw a video by a young man on YouTube, 4BLD, that has some good tips for basic commutators to match a couple edges simultaneously. I’ll be working on that this fall. Who knows, by the end of the year, I could be a easily under 3 minutes—and to think this all started around Christmas as just something cool and interesting to see if I could actually do it.

Happy Monday, gents!

 

[Old Tom]

Good morning... (here in the States anyway)

Did just a couple 3BLD “memo” drills... Recently, I’ve just been doing a lot of sighted edge drills. But rather than just doing pairs, I’m doing 3 pairs with only a single trace. Simply looking at the first 6 targets and then just going. After checking that those were correct (or wrong), I do the next six until I’m done. It’s not exactly how I’d do it, but it is forcing me to keep moving.

This morning, I did a couple timed memo attempts. I set my countdown timer on my phone for 90 seconds. When the alarm went off, I closed my eyes and executed what ever I had. The first one, went well. I got my corners down in 30 seconds and essentially finished my edge memo. During execution, I forgot an edge pair, but otherwise, it turned out decent. The second felt very rushed and I forgot my edge memo after only 4 targets... I could remember the later section, but there was a pair that I knew I couldn’t recall...

I think I’m going to work this into my practice more often. Not only did I really have to rush my memo, but the pressure of seeing my countdown timer really added extra pressure which would bre more like a competition where every second counts if you’re going for speed. I KNOW I can execute in a 1:00 to 1:15 or so... sometimes faster. I’m getting more comfortable with my edges now and as long as I can recall my memo, I can keep my execution closer to a minute. If I can get memo down to 1:30 or less... I’ll have PLENTY of time to get a sub-3 time for 3BLD.

Sub-3 is the next MILESTONE. I’ve done it a couple times, but those were unusually fast memo times for me. I must have been in the zone or had easy memos.

I don’t think my goal in Pennsylvania will be a sub-3 result, rather, a mo3. However, between now and then if I can push my memo down to less time, that will give me more time to complete 3 solves. To get a mean with a 10min cumulative limit, I’ll have to be 3 for 3 at 3:20 or better. So, a sub-3 result isn’t off the table anyway. I’ve added the FU/BD special case where you solve two at a time with one of those and an edge. Even with a slight slowing down to recall that pattern, I feel like that is much faster than doing two separate targets.

I saw a video by a young man on YouTube, 4BLD, that has some good tips for basic commutators to match a couple edges simultaneously. I’ll be working on that this fall. Who knows, by the end of the year, I could be a easily under 3 minutes—and to think this all started around Christmas as just something cool and interesting to see if I could actually do it.

Happy Monday, gents!

Happy Monday also. But.... First you guys tell me I should try blind solving. Now you are scaring me with all this arcane stuff. I do think I understand what you are doing in a very vague way, but looks like there may be an initial steep learning curve. Is there a site or a forum where I can find good intro to blinding stuff? I might go sit in a corner for a couple of days and get started.

PS: Really pleased I survived that first comp. I am now motivated to get much better!

 

[h2f]

About rushing memo and progress.
My tabels says that progress in blindes is mixture of both: regular practice and rushing memo. I'm rushing my memo in a pace I feel a little bit uncomfortable - not much but significantly. For example in 5bld I cut reviews. It works quite well. Times are slowly going down.

@mark49152, I was looking forward your results in blindes during Euro. It's sad you couldnt be there. I hope everthing is ok.

 

[One Wheel]

I guess my question was really if anyone had a 7x7 M and what their thoughts were? Reviews online are suspect. Everyone is either gushing with love or just hates it for no well articulated reason—or because they just don’t like the feel.

IMO: bigger and even-layered cubes benefit most from magnets. 6x6 makes the most difference, 4x4 vs. 7x7 are both significantly more stable with magnets, then 5x5, and 3x3 are helped the least of the magnetic puzzles I've tried.

It's a little tedious, but not that bad to magnetize a 7x7. I could propably do it in not much more than 3 hours including reassembly. If it's your first attempt at magnetizing maybe double that, but if you've got a table that won't be disturbed it doesn't have to all be done in one go.

 

[mark49152]

@mafergut & @h2f - thanks for the kind words. I'm OK, just family stuff. I hope to meet you at a future comp @mafergut - actually both!

@SpartanSailor - good call. Time limited memo is great practice. I use the same time each session, then reduce the time limit each time I have a session with 50%+ success rate. It really helps.

@Old Tom - Nice to hear you're considering BLD. My recommendation would be to watch a few tutorials. They are not that long and it helps to hear different explanations. Hopefully you'll find one that clicks for you.

 

[Mike Hughey]

Is there a site or a forum where I can find good intro to blinding stuff? I might go sit in a corner for a couple of days and get started.

This is tough because I know you'd prefer not to use videos, and most of the best tutorials these days are videos. For website tutorials you can read, you mostly have to go to the old websites. I did a search and found the following that might work, but I admit I haven't gone through them carefully to see how good they actually are. The first two are just the Old Pochmann method, which most people will say is fine to learn first for corners, but is probably not ideal to use for edges anymore. Still, if all you want to do is be able to solve it blindfolded and you don't care how fast you get, it might work well, since it's simpler than M2, which is probably the best alternative for beginner edges. Here are the Old Pochmann sites I found:
https://ruwix.com/the-rubiks-cube/how-to-solve-the-rubiks-cube-blindfolded-tutorial/
http://en.lerubikscube.com/rubiks-cube-blindfolded/

This teaches M2, but it's really old (from Shotaro Makisumi - a legend from the very early days of cubing - it was his normal blindsolving tutorial that I first used to learn how to blindsolve 11 years ago):
http://cubefreak.net/bld/m2_guide.php

Perhaps some of the other people on here will have better recommendations - I hope so! There are a bunch of videos; maybe you can find one with decent captions that can help you. It is probably easier to learn BLD with videos, but if it gives you any encouragement, I learned exclusively from written tutorials (I watched no videos on BLD before I was already pretty good at it), and I got pretty decent at it.

 

[h2f]

actually both!

I wish I could attend comp in UK.

 

[pglewis]

Now you are scaring me with all this arcane stuff. I do think I understand what you are doing in a very vague way, but looks like there may be an initial steep learning curve. Is there a site or a forum where I can find good intro to blinding stuff? I might go sit in a corner for a couple of days and get started.

It's surprisingly easy... well, easier than it likely seems . Nothing is individually really mind-bending but there are multiple little things to learn and put together for a solve. The very first thing you need is a letter scheme and I suggest "speffz" simply because it's fairly standard nowadays and there is little benefit to using something different unless you memo in something other than English where it might be useful to swap out some of the letters.

24 unique symbols can identify any sticker position for a piece type (4 of each piece type per face * 6 faces) which works out well with the letters A-X. Letters are assigned clockwise on each face starting from the top right of the face and the faces in order: U, L, F, R, B, D. So the top left corner (UBL) and the top edge (UB) on the U face are A. Top left corner (LBU) and top edge (LU) on the L face: E. Reasonably easy to learn and you'll put it to work once you start memorizing.

You'll also want to select an orientation to use, purely personal preference.

 

[mark49152]

I wish I could attend comp in UK.

You'd be more than welcome! Would be great to see you there.

@Old Tom - apologies, I forgot that video might not work too well for you. I can vouch for Maki's tutorial that Mike linked. That was one of the ones I learned from.

 

[Old Tom]

@pglewis, @mark49152 and @Mike Hughey: Thanks for all those leads. Yes, I think finding a memo method is where I need to get a way to start, foot in door. I think execution may be similar to commutator routines I first used in 1981, quickly abandoned but I saved some notes.

Yes, videos not ideal for me, but possible if captioned, would need to view several times. I will first try the old text sources. (I read my way all through school, since couldn't hear the teachers, it's my natural learning method.)

I have bridge classes to teach this week (lots of prep), but no classes in August. I am getting more and more curious about BLD, so I think I will! And yes, I don't care about my times. (Though I will bring my 3x3 times way down, I swear!)

 

[SpartanSailor]

Sooooo...

I’ve started learning 4BLD centres. I guess that means I’m starting to learn 4BLD.

Worked out all the set ups for my letter scheme and all the U/D face algs. Put them in a document for my own reference. I’ll just drill those for fun for a couple weeks. When those are pretty smooth, I’ll move onto wings, then finish with corners.

Who knows... I might even attempt a 4BLD solve in a comp by the end of the year. I’m not in a hurry on this one.

 

[pglewis]

I am getting more and more curious about BLD, so I think I will! And yes, I don't care about my times. (Though I will bring my 3x3 times way down, I swear!)

I'm developing a completely irrational superstition that blindfold practice magically improves my 3x3. Recent focus: a 5 cube mbld attempt Fri, pushed memo day Sat, then a PB 3bld last night in two attempts. I followed that up with an Ao50 for 3x3 and finally manged to duck :25. Been after that for ages, all it took was a lot of blindfold work lol.

 

[SpartanSailor]

I'm developing a completely irrational superstition that blindfold practice magically improves my 3x3. Recent focus: a 5 cube mbld attempt Fri, pushed memo day Sat, then a PB 3bld last night in two attempts. I followed that up with an Ao50 for 3x3 and finally manged to duck :25. Been after that for ages, all it took was a lot of blindfold work lol.

Well, my friend, my experience has been quite the opposite! Lol... I made some gains/improvements around Christmas time with 3x3. I’ve actually regressed over the past couple months and I practice a lot.

I’m going to take the completely irrational approach that “too much paractice is bad” and cut back my 3x3 practice in favour of other events that have LOTS of room for improvement. And I’m assuming that magically my 3x3 will just get faster too. Lol

 

[Mike Hughey]

I've heard so many people talk about how not practicing 3x3x3 makes them better. It makes me so jealous. That never happens for me. If I practice like crazy on 3x3x3, I'll start to get very slightly better - it will make a difference - but a couple of weeks off and it's as if I never improved at all. What I find so very frustrating about 3x3x3 speedsolving is that it seems to take so much constant, steady practice, and I'm just not interested in doing that, even if I had the time. I'll do it for some weeks at a time and improve occasionally, but then I always seem to regress again when I slack off with the practicing. So I never really improve anymore.

 

[pglewis]

What I find so very frustrating about 3x3x3 speedsolving is that it seems to take so much constant, steady practice, and I'm just not interested in doing that, even if I had the time. I'll do it for some weeks at a time and improve occasionally, but then I always seem to regress again when I slack off with the practicing. So I never really improve anymore.

This touches on a curiosity I've had for a while as to what rough speed might be maintainable for me without a lot of daily solves. I've still never quite "plateaued" for any length of time, the improvements are smaller and slower now but I am still seeing measurable improvement. I'd probably regress to 30-35 before too long if I was only practicing a few days a week. Luckily for me, mindless spamming while watching TV seems to be enough to at least maintain where I am if not continue to drive improvement.

 

[Old Tom]

Question for all you guys about practicing in general. I was amazed at the comp, even a little freaked out, how all those hot-shot kids were constantly twirling their cubes. Non-stop! Are they just random moves, or alg practice, do you know? They must drive their parents mad!

 

[Mike Hughey]

Question for all you guys about practicing in general. I was amazed at the comp, even a little freaked out, how all those hot-shot kids were constantly twirling their cubes. Non-stop! Are they just random moves, or alg practice, do you know? They must drive their parents mad!

Good question! Probably some of both. Some are doing random moves, most are probably doing algorithms; some are just spamming the same algorithms for no particular reason other than to get/keep warm, some are actually going through multiple algorithms for real practice, some just think it feels cool to be turning the cube a lot.

 

[Old Tom]

Good question! Probably some of both. Some are doing random moves, most are probably doing algorithms; some are just spamming the same algorithms for no particular reason other than to get/keep warm, some are actually going through multiple algorithms for real practice, some just think it feels cool to be turning the cube a lot.

I admit to some random twirling while watching TV. My excuse is that I'm doing a scramble, but really just a nervous habit, and somewhat relaxing.

 

[SpartanSailor]

This touches on a curiosity I've had for a while as to what rough speed might be maintainable for me without a lot of daily solves. I've still never quite "plateaued" for any length of time, the improvements are smaller and slower now but I am still seeing measurable improvement. I'd probably regress to 30-35 before too long if I was only practicing a few days a week. Luckily for me, mindless spamming while watching TV seems to be enough to at least maintain where I am if not continue to drive improvement.

I definitely hit mid-20s almost regardless of how much I practice. In fact... as long as I’m working bigger cubes, the final 3x3 portion is probably sufficient to keep me around 25-27s without much other dedicated practice.

This is the frustration... even after a few hundred solves a week for a couple months I’m still getting 25s in comp and just as likely to get a 30-something as I am to get 21 or faster...