Progress time-line

[Jason]

HI there,
I've been speedcubing for 5 months now, my record is 36 seconds, with an average of about 50 seconds, with half my solves between 40 and 50 seconds, and the other half between 50 and 60 seconds, roughly. Everybody posts their records but I was wondering after how long these times were achieved. For example, how long did it take people to get an average of 50s, 40s, 30s and 20s. Am I on track or am I rubish??

 

[Todd]

Hi,

There is a similar thread somewhere on thsi forum... typically it took people around 5 months to average sub 30.

It took me about 4 or 5 months to consistently average <40s but once i got there it took me only a few weeks to get to 0s.

 

[yish]

Hi, I have been speedcubing since about June? I am still a newbie. Please guide me!

2007 Aug 22 29.6
2007 Aug 31 24.2
2007 Sept 2 22.6
2007 Sept 11 19.97
2007 Sept 15 17.29
2007 Sept 16 16.17
2007 Sept 29 15.86
2007 Sept 29 13.44

 

[Jason]

Hi, I have been speedcubing since about June? I am still a newbie. Please guide me!

2007 Aug 22 29.6
2007 Aug 31 24.2
2007 Sept 2 22.6
2007 Sept 11 19.97
2007 Sept 15 17.29
2007 Sept 16 16.17
2007 Sept 29 15.86
2007 Sept 29 13.44

That's insane!!!!!! You got down to 13 seconds in a matter of 4 months?? I take it you use pure Fridrich? How many hours a day do you practice for???

 

[Johannes91]

Those are single times, not averages. Look at his signature.

 

[yish]

erm no actually >< those are averages.

because i have been telling a girl that i like about it..

and she helped me to log it haha.

 

[Johannes91]

Sorry, I misread it. Maybe because I assumed that you wouldn't be calling yourself a newbie and asking help on a forum where most members are beginners if you were sub-14...

 

[yish]

sorry.. but i am a bit insecure about my cubing.

cos i am a pure wrister (person who uses wrist to turn the cube) and the only finger tricks i know are like RuR' and using my ring finger to push the D layer and some thumbing to help in the fluidity of my movement.

and yes i use pure fridrich mixed with some beginner FuRR'U'F' is still a useful tool to me sometimes.

and contrary to the fact.. i usually go for a period of hardcore cubing, then i stop for a while. like a couple of days. then i continue. if not everything will be mechanical.

 

[Jason]

What do you mean by insecure about your cubing? Also, I thought mechanical was good, as in hardwiring oll and pll into your brain. It still seems pretty amazing to be able to achieve those averages in so little time. How did you proceed in your learning?

 

[yish]

haha mechanical as in you.. you do purely for the speed, not for the fun.

well how did i proceed... the people in my school are in a rubik's craze. one of them is chue hsien. and he is way scary. i mean i use a wrist to turn (very awkward) and the uber fast turning of his fingers just scares the crap out of me haha.

well but he was my target, so i just focused on chasing up to him. then now i am seeking to widen the gap between us. it is getting very very hard though. and i try to make my each average improve. so if i get 29, my next average must try to be faster than 29 etc.

the progress i posted? they are all consecutive..

 

[Jason]

I don't play just for speed, but I am interested in speed. I've also learnt the Lars Petrus method, The Heise method and the Human thistlethwaite algorithm. I'm also learning about group theory. So stop being a Smart Alec, get some manners and be constructive. And don't tell me you're not interested in speed cos that seems to be your obsession, vis-a vis of chue hsein

 

[Theromy]

It's taken me just under 2 months to get a lucky 22.xx seconds, a non lucky 24.xx seconds and an average of 30.xx.

 

[Dirk BerGuRK]

Hey Jason,

It took me about 5 to 6 months to reach sub-30 and another 8 months to reach sub-20 just concentrating on my Fridrich method. If you just want to improve your times quickly, I would recommend picking your favorite method and sticking to it. As for a time-line, everyone progresses at a different rate. Some people have gotten a sub-20 average in just a few months while others have taken many years (I thought I would never get there). It all depends on the person and most importantly... practice. Good luck.

 

[yish]

jason you misunderstood.

if you play purely for speed, as in just to break the barriers, i myself find it very hard to do it. so i play for the fun of improving myself.

i heard that the block method is supposedly the fastest in solving it, but i am stuck at 40 seconds with it. like dirk said, find a method and stick to it. for me i am using pure CFOP. though i have not finished mugging all the algorithms.

you can hasten your progress time if you practice, but i find it best if you find a target to try and practice with. someone who is closer in timing with you and you practice with him.

but try not to smash barriers for the sake of smashing it, try to have fun along with it.

if you are stuck too long at a barrier say like sub 25. then try searching for a) fingers tricks b) better algorithms 3) cut down on your delay 4) check and see whether your cube is fast enough for you.

those are the main 4 ways of progressing in speed. the reason for sticking to one method, is so that there are less algorithms, you can spot faster to cut your delay.

i am using a store cube now, but i recently purchased a DIY cube so that ii can hopefully break the 13 second barrier.

that is the physical limitation part.

for mental, like i said just try and have fun and not be too mechanical. i find the murphy's law works here. if you expect too much of yourself, you will end up screwing up instead.

so try to relax while cubing.

 

[sheriff]

i can't believe u use ur wrists and average 13 dude... i started cubing 10th April, practised considerably, and have 23.50 best avg, and 15.33 best single. i find it really hard to improve, though i only know 7 OLL.

you insist in being a "wrister" and doing 13-avg?? are you going to budapest? what's your name?

 

[yish]

my name is yish.

i am 15 yrs old, 16 in a few weeks.

no i am not going because i cannot afford to.

and that was a lucky average i think >< you know those times when you are really high and you do a few good cubes in a row. my real average should be about 15.

 

[sheriff]

same way, wrists and 15? i'm really astonished, do u have videos in the internet?? youtube?? mine, for examle, are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCb7_p7R-Oo

and OH:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmwRm8DW3S0

 

[yish]

nope.. but i will post them up soon as my friend gets his phone camera to work.

it is just that i use more of my wrist rotation than finger flicks to turn my cube.. same as yours really, except that i use a lot less of my thumbs.

and nice solve.. but your cube seems a bit.. catchy. a bit rough. which resulted in a lot of your delays, otherwise that solve will be sub 30 for sure.

 

[Lofty]

Hey I have been cubing since March and I am not sub 20 yet. It really all depends on what you practice and how much you practice. I personally see myself getting to be sub-30 OH before I get sub-20 with both hands. I have never known anyone in person who can cube at anywhere near the speed as I have...
Yish, I am looking forward to seeing your films.

 

[Lotsofsloths]

this makes me wanna learn evry single damn PLL :|