One-Answer 3x3x3 Question Thread

[jms]

I use CFOP, and have recently been getting ao12s of between 31 and 33 seconds. I have been getting more and more sub-30 times, where now in an ao12 I will normally get 2 or 3 sub-30 times. I have been finishing most ao12s with nothing above 40 and most being around 35s. My NL PB is around 23 seconds.

However, the last week or so my times have got much worse. My ao12s are now more like 36 seconds. I am getting 2 or 3 sup-40s during most ao12s, and now I am lucky to get one sub-30.

This is where I was maybe a month ago. I haven't learned any new algs or anything that might conceivably slow me down. I am not ill or anything, and I am still practising maybe an hour a day which is normal for me.

I have just plain got worse for no reason I can think of.

Is this normal?

 

[mafergut]

I use CFOP, and have recently been getting ao12s of between 31 and 33 seconds. I have been getting more and more sub-30 times, where now in an ao12 I will normally get 2 or 3 sub-30 times. I have been finishing most ao12s with nothing above 40 and most being around 35s. My NL PB is around 23 seconds.

However, the last week or so my times have got much worse. My ao12s are now more like 36 seconds. I am getting 2 or 3 sup-40s during most ao12s, and now I am lucky to get one sub-30.

This is where I was maybe a month ago. I haven't learned any new algs or anything that might conceivably slow me down. I am not ill or anything, and I am still practising maybe an hour a day which is normal for me.

I have just plain got worse for no reason I can think of.

Is this normal?

I cannot say for sure that it is "normal". What I can say is that it happens to me as well. Right now I'm fighting against the "infamous" sub-20 barrier and I usually have long averages that can be as far as 1 or even 1.5 seconds worse than my PBs. One day I have a 20.0x or 20.1x or even a 19.9x Ao50 (my PB is 19.87) and the following I get a 20.9x or even 21.2x. Bad streaks can last for days or even a week and they also are like the good ones from one month ago or even two months ago.

If you did not experience this before perhaps:
- You were steadily improving until now (which is reasonable at that speed) but you have now reached a small plateau. Keep practicing and you will soon overcome it. We all have plateaus, some at 30sec mark, some at 20sec mark, others at 15 or 10. In my case it is happening at 20sec.
- You are trying to turn faster (during F2L) and your lookahead is suffering, with the consequence that your overall solves are slower instead of faster. If that's the case try to concentrate in lookahead even if you have to turn a bit more slowly, because you will greatly reduce pauses.
- Your cube is starting to feel worse (needs cleaning, lubing, ...). Easy, clean and lube it again.
- You are not concentrated and have other things in your mind. This happens to me at times ;-)

Hope this helps.

 

[jms]

I cannot say for sure that it is "normal". What I can say is that it happens to me as well. Right now I'm fighting against the "infamous" sub-20 barrier and I usually have long averages that can be as far as 1 or even 1.5 seconds worse than my PBs. One day I have a 20.0x or 20.1x or even a 19.9x Ao50 (my PB is 19.87) and the following I get a 20.9x or even 21.2x. Bad streaks can last for days or even a week and they also are like the good ones from one month ago or even two months ago.

If you did not experience this before perhaps:
- You were steadily improving until now (which is reasonable at that speed) but you have now reached a small plateau. Keep practicing and you will soon overcome it. We all have plateaus, some at 30sec mark, some at 20sec mark, others at 15 or 10. In my case it is happening at 20sec.
- You are trying to turn faster (during F2L) and your lookahead is suffering, with the consequence that your overall solves are slower instead of faster. If that's the case try to concentrate in lookahead even if you have to turn a bit more slowly, because you will greatly reduce pauses.
- Your cube is starting to feel worse (needs cleaning, lubing, ...). Easy, clean and lube it again.
- You are not concentrated and have other things in your mind. This happens to me at times ;-)

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply.

I think it may be a combination of things. I haven't lubed the cube in a long while, I am starting to turn faster so maybe that's having an effect, and this is probably my first real barrier.

I'll keep plugging away and see what happens.

 

[mafergut]

Thanks for the reply.

I think it may be a combination of things. I haven't lubed the cube in a long while, I am starting to turn faster so maybe that's having an effect, and this is probably my first real barrier.

I'll keep plugging away and see what happens.

Yeah, sure. As long as you enjoy cubing you will find a way around this. Also some people in this forum suggested me to change puzzle for a while, like, e.g., staying away from 3x3 for a week or two and concentrate in 4x4. I have to say, though, that this has never worked for me.

 

[penguinz7]

If I do a solve like: 2x2, 2x2x3, orient L7E, finsih F2L 2gen, OLL, PLL, is that Petrus, or freefop?

 

[PurpleBanana]

I don't see how it's different from Petrus?

 

[penguinz7]

I don't see how it's different from Petrus?

Traditional Petrus is: permute corners, orient corners, permute edges.
I basically want to know, if I use OPLL, is it still considered petrus?

 

[PurpleBanana]

Traditional Petrus is: permute corners, orient corners, permute edges.
I basically want to know, if I use OPLL, is it still considered petrus?

According to the speedsolving.com wiki, the LL method you described is just one way of doing it. OLL-PLL is also considered valid Petrus LL.

 

[jms]

Yeah, sure. As long as you enjoy cubing you will find a way around this. Also some people in this forum suggested me to change puzzle for a while, like, e.g., staying away from 3x3 for a week or two and concentrate in 4x4. I have to say, though, that this has never worked for me.

Thanks for the advice. I just took a day off and went back to it. Scores now picking up again.

34.21, 30.22, (40.45), (28.14), 29.22, 34.42, 33.84, 37.38, 33.49, 34.58, 38.29, 31.88.

ao10/12: 33.75.

 

[penguinz7]

According to the speedsolving.com wiki, the LL method you described is just one way of doing it. OLL-PLL is also considered valid Petrus LL.

Thanks, I must have missed that.

 

[Ryp]

Sub-1 minute on 4x4 is equivalent to sub-what on 3x3?

 

[slinky773]

Sub-1 minute on 4x4 is equivalent to sub-what on 3x3?

I'd say sub-20. Sub-1 minute on 4x4 is when you start getting on the fast side.

 

[Ryp]

So they take about the same amount of time to reach?

 

[PurpleBanana]

It shouldn't take you as long for 4x4 if you're already decent at 3x3, because 4x4 times depend heavily on 3x3 times.

 

[Arkwell]

Yes, switch to pinky as early as possible.

What's the advantage of the pinky over the ring finger?

 

[mafergut]

What's the advantage of the pinky over the ring finger?

Yes, please, somebody give a good answer. For now I'm practicing with the pinky and, as it is placed further away from index, the angle at which the pinky attacks the R slice (or L slice if with right hand) is much better than the ring finger. The drawback is that pinky is weaker but I have already managed to be faster with pinky than with ring... but at times I use the ring inadvertently. I also get hurt at times in the base of the nail against the corner piece when doing R' moves.

And TDM, I know that your arguments towards using the right hand for OH are very good. I'm still practicing with both but, as I am nearly ambidextrous (I use, for 2H, many lefty versions of OLLs and PLLs) I am probably choosing the left hand because I started with it (bad decision, I know) and I am a bit better with it and because I'm trying to use z'-turn to reuse OLLs and PLLs with my right hand (converting U in L and R in U, if you know what I mean) and if feels awkward.

EDIT: And also because there are more resources in OH algs for left hand. Maybe I'm wrong here. Do you know of anybody that can solve OH with either hand? That would be great!

 

[TDM]

Yes, please, somebody give a good answer. For now I'm practicing with the pinky and, as it is placed further away from index, the angle at which the pinky attacks the R slice (or L slice if with right hand) is much better than the ring finger. The drawback is that pinky is weaker but I have already managed to be faster with pinky than with ring... but at times I use the ring inadvertently. I also get hurt at times in the base of the nail against the corner piece when doing R' moves.

And TDM, I know that your arguments towards using the right hand for OH are very good. I'm still practicing with both but, as I am nearly ambidextrous (I use, for 2H, many lefty versions of OLLs and PLLs) I am probably choosing the left hand because I started with it (bad decision, I know) and I am a bit better with it and because I'm trying to use z'-turn to reuse OLLs and PLLs with my right hand (converting U in L and R in U, if you know what I mean) and if feels awkward.

EDIT: And also because there are much more resources for OH algs for left hand. Maybe I'm wrong here. Do you know of anybody that can solve OH with either hand? That would be great!

Yes, it is a bit of an awkward angle if you use your ring finger. I remember my pinky did used to hurt too when I started OH, but it does get better quite quickly, and soon it won't hurt at all. I think it is ok to use your ring occasionally when your pinky isn't in a good position, since the main reason why people use their pinky (I think?) is that turning is easier.

If you're ambidextrous, then you can use your left or your right; it doesn't really matter. I only think using your right hand is better if you are right handed. While it's true there are many more resources for your right hand, there are programs which mirror algs for you.

I don't think there is anyone who can solve with either hand, and tbh, there isn't much point. You aren't going to know what's coming up after the cross+1 anyway, so you may as well get really good with one hand than only slightly good with two.

 

[mafergut]

Yes, it is a bit of an awkward angle if you use your ring finger. I remember my pinky did used to hurt too when I started OH, but it does get better quite quickly, and soon it won't hurt at all. I think it is ok to use your ring occasionally when your pinky isn't in a good position, since the main reason why people use their pinky (I think?) is that turning is easier.

If you're ambidextrous, then you can use your left or your right; it doesn't really matter. I only think using your right hand is better if you are right handed. While it's true there are many more resources for your right hand, there are programs which mirror algs for you.

I don't think there is anyone who can solve with either hand, and tbh, there isn't much point. You aren't going to know what's coming up after the cross+1 anyway, so you may as well get really good with one hand than only slightly good with two.

Thanks for the tip with the AlgTrans tool!!!
So is the attack angle in fact the main reason to prefer the pinky? It is what I found out when analysing both ways of turning myself for pros and cons but I wouldn't have guesses that I would score a bullseye on that one so easily
Yeah, no point on solving OH with both hands except for showing-up (like solving two cubes one with each hand simultaneously) or for dexterity training or just for fun.

Also I'm not fully ambidextrous but probably more than most people. I have a stronger right hand and I write with the right hand as well but I can do many things with my left and I feel very confortable inserting pairs on the left slot or doing the T-OLL with mirror-sexy (F' L' U' L U F) if I find the T in the proper orientation to save me the U2. I also find that my left hand is already used to hold the cube most of the time while I do PLLs, etc.

 

[Mes]

Are there 2 look f2l cases? Do certain cases show up more, or is this when the 43 quin cases come into play? TYIA

 

[supercube]

the beginner method is a 2-look method but you do it for each slot so you do it 4 times. the advanced method is inserting a corner+edge pair into an empty slot.

there are less than 43 quintillion F2L cases, much less. it is about (8!-4!)*3^4*(12!-8!)*2^4/4 = 6,253,272,491,397,120. divide by two for mirrors. if you do not care about LL orientation, there is a short list of algorithms for the last F2L slot.