Race to sub X on a 2x2

Round 42 - Race to sub 5.5
Method: Ortega / Varasano
Cube: Moyu WeiPo Stickerless

Generated By csTimer on 2016-7-3
avg of 12: 5.43 (3/3)

Time List:
5.32, 5.06, 5.59, 5.60, 5.84, 5.29, 5.33, 5.73, (2.91), (6.18), 5.48, 4.99

Nice!!! Now, the road to sub-5 is gonna be a long and winding one. I think I might even need to learn CLL and EG to get to that point.
 
Now, the road to sub-5 is gonna be a long and winding one. I think I might even need to learn CLL and EG to get to that point.

I'm really hoping that this is a joke.
If you are being sarcastic, as I assume, sorry for miss understanding your comment. I often can't tell if someone is being sarcastic because sometimes people actually do think that it requires all that work.

If not...
Sub-5 with Varasano is very possible.
I have a random session of 260 2x2 solves with a mean of 4.82.
I did ~1000 solves when my parents where away for a week, and was surprised to find that my times dropped about a second and a half (sup-6 to sub-5ish).
Some tricks to decrease your times (These are basically from watching cyo's videos):
1. Predict position of the first layer bar
2. Put the bar where the bar is needed so you wont have to rotate for PBL [eg. all cyo's PBLs have the bottom bar in the front]
3. Learn PBL algs from as many angles as possible
4. Practice
5. Try to predict OLL
6. If you know CxLL recognition then try to know when you're going to get a skip or diag-swap on the top.
eg. T case if your color bar is in the back and T-head is on the left. Set-up: (F R U' R' U' R U R' F')
If you do sexy/sledge to solve, you get a diag-swap, but if you U2 and do lefty sexy/sledge to solve, you get a skip. Little things like that can help a lot. I would learn them for H, Pi, T, and U:
H: Headlights front/back (Solve with R U2 R' U' R U R' U' R U' R'), colour bars vertical skip, colour bars horizontal, diag-swap
Pi: Headlights left, Chameleon eyes right, facing you and the back (Solve with F (double sexy) F') Colour bar on the right, skip, colour bar on the left, diag-swap.
U: Headlights left (solve with F (sexy) F'), colour bar on left, skip, colour bar on right, diag-swap.

L S and AS are to difficult to recognize to be worth it.
 
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I'm really hoping that this is a joke.
If you are being sarcastic, as I assume, sorry for miss understanding your comment. I often can't tell if someone is being sarcastic because sometimes people actually do think that it requires all that work.

If not...
Sub-5 with Varasano is very possible.
I have a random session of 260 2x2 solves with a mean of 4.82.
I did ~1000 solves when my parents where away for a week, and was surprised to find that my times dropped about a second and a half (sup-6 to sub-5ish).
Some tricks to decrease your times (These are basically from watching cyo's videos):
1. Predict position of the first layer bar
2. Put the bar where the bar is needed so you wont have to rotate for PBL [eg. all cyo's PBLs have the bottom bar in the front]
3. Learn PBL algs from as many angles as possible
4. Practice
5. Try to predict OLL
6. If you know CxLL recognition then try to know when you're going to get a skip or diag-swap on the top.
eg. T case if your color bar is in the back and T-head is on the left. Set-up: (F R U' R' U' R U R' F')
If you do sexy/sledge to solve, you get a diag-swap, but if you U2 and do lefty sexy/sledge to solve, you get a skip. Little things like that can help a lot. I would learn them for H, Pi, T, and U:
H: Headlights front/back (Solve with R U2 R' U' R U R' U' R U' R'), colour bars vertical skip, colour bars horizontal, diag-swap
Pi: Headlights left, Chameleon eyes right, facing you and the back (Solve with F (double sexy) F') Colour bar on the right, skip, colour bar on the left, diag-swap.
U: Headlights left (solve with F (sexy) F'), colour bar on left, skip, colour bar on right, diag-swap.

L S and AS are to difficult to recognize to be worth it.

Hi @GenTheThief. First of all thanks a lot for your long post. I really appreciate it when people here tries to help others like you've done. Let me clarify that it was sort of a joke. Just sort of because I don't plan on learning CLL & full EG any time soon. But there's really a part of me that thinks I cannot get much faster at 2x2. Main reason: I'm 46 years old and my fingers and reaction times are not what they used to be so, for a pure TPS event such as 2x2, I'm very limited in that aspect.

Anyway, there are always things that one can try to improve and here's where your suggestions are most welcomed. I definitely do 1 to 3 already, and those were great tricks to get to sub-6 that I recommend everyone. Regarding 4 (practice) I don't do as much as I'd want because of too many events and too little time. Regarding 5 I also do that, but I can only do it for 2-3 move faces... at least within the 15 second inspection limit, even though at home I at times give me unlimited inspection to try and improve this skill.

Now let's talk about 6. Because this is the best advice I've received for Ortega in a long time. Not that I had not thought along those lines already but put so simply as you have it makes me realize that it could lead to PBL prediction during OLL (for the cases where it's worth it, as you say), which has the potential of saving me half a second on its own on those solves, or even more if I can get more skips... well, in case of Ortega, the "skip" is something relative, as I try to avoid layers on bottom as much as I can to avoid the nasty PBL cases but if you have a diag-swap 1st layer and know how to force another diag swap on top during OLL and you can transition directly from OLL to R2 B2 R2 without recog pause that could be great.

Have you thought of maybe learning a couple OLLs per case with different CP to have more flexibility? (like with the lefty sexy-sledge). Do you think that would be useful? My ideas regarding this had gone more on this direction of forcing a particular CP than just predicting it so that you can predict PBL (well, in the bar cases you still need to know how to correctly AUF the bar for the PBL).

One little trick related to this that you gave me the idea to implement is for the headlights front / back case. I use R2 U2 R U2 R2 but I long since realized that R2 U2 R' U2 R2 works the same but leaves the top layer a U2 away, so this can be used to try and e.g. force the bar at front and avoiding pre-AUF before PBL (if, as mine, your PBLs are mainly for bar at front). If you have just one vertical bar, depending if it is on the left (do the OLL with R) or on the right (do it with R').

Sorry for the long post and thanks again for the great advice. Maybe you're right and even an old dog like myself can get sub-5 with Ortega.
 
Sorry for the long post

@mafergut , I like long replies; it means you care about what you're talking about.

Now let's talk about 6. Because this is the best advice I've received for Ortega in a long time.
Quick disclaimer: this was something I came up with while experimenting with 2x2 while learning COLL for 3x3. I don't know if pros would ever actually use it. I've been doing other things with 2x2 while improving, so I can't actually say how much this helps, if at all.

I'm 46 years old and my fingers and reaction times are not what they used to be so, for a pure TPS event such as 2x2, I'm very limited in that aspect.
Ah, I'm a 14 young puppy still with quick fingers and a sharp young mind. Though I think that even without insane TPS, one can still be sub-5, or even sub-4.5. Of course to compensate for a slower turning speed, other things will have to be eliminated and heightened, namely pauses and look ahead.
Regarding 4 (practice) I don't do as much as I'd want because of too many events and too little time.
And, if you want sub-5, effort (practice) will be required to decrease times. Try and decide what events you really like the most (I have 5: 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, OH, and Feet). Prioritize the practice of those events. And of course, practice smart. Look ahead/efficiency and more alg subsets are something I think are what every one can work on. Lookahead is vital for quick intuitive portions (CF) and Algs are necessary for algorithmic portions (OP). Don't just to solves over and over, thats a waste of time. But if you are just doing this for fun, a less intense approach could be take.
I'm young and want to become world class at my favourite events and think that I can. But if your goal is just to become a decent speed, then simply doing solves should definitely do it.

I use R2 U2 R U2 R2
Ah, I forgot about that, thus the title. My mistake.
My off-the-top-of-my-head-amateur Tips
But both algs are 2-gen and therefore don't mess with corner permutation, so the idea can still be applied for both algs.

I long since realized that R2 U2 R' U2 R2 works the same but leaves the top layer a U2 away
I actually hadn't realized that, I'll try to do that in my solves.

Have you thought of maybe learning a couple OLLs per case with different CP to have more flexibility? (like with the lefty sexy-sledge)
The lefty sexy-sledge thing is actually a COLL thing I use on 3x3 to solve. But no, I don't think it would be worth it. The reason it can be expressed as lefty sexy/sledge is because it is nothing new. The only thing different is the "lefty" part.
Basically you just described learning half of CLL. The thing with lefty sexy/sledge, is that its really basic and simple. That was the idea of my post. None of it was new alg sets, just little simple things that could help but wouldn't require a whole lot of effort.


Also, something I just realized, for when you get a top layer skip (which you may be able to influence) and still have a T/Y perm on the bottom, instead of doing an x2 or z2, for Y perm, you can do R2 F(B)2 R2 and solve the bottom, and unsolve the top.
For T perm, if a pure x2 would position it, an R2 would also suffice. To add on that, you can cancel the first move on the Tperm (sexy/sledge F R U' R' U' R U R' F') and just do an R' to start the alg.
 
Round 42 results
GenTheThief - sub-6 - 5.08 - [3/3]
joopsmarko - sub-6 - 5.59 - [1/3]
Isaac VM - sub-8 - 7.94 - [3/3]
muchacho - sub-7 - 7.34 - [0/3]
mafergut - sub-5.5 - 5.43 - [3/3]

Congrats GenTheThief, Isaac VM and mafergut! :)

I'm starting to use CMLL and learning to use anti-CMLL, and maybe one day I'll learn EG1, probably I'll also learn some cases where CLL is much better than CMLL, but I think that's all I'll try.
 
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Round 43 (Round ends when Sunday ends)

Scrambles:
1. R' F2 R' U2 F R2 U' F'
2. F2 R2 U' F' R' U2 R2 U' F' U'
3. U2 R' U R2 F2 U F U R2
4. R' F' R2 U' F2 U' R
5. R2 F U' F U F2 R' U R
6. F2 R' F' U2 F2 R2 F' U' R'
7. F' R' F2 U F2 U' F R' U'
8. R' F2 U' R U' R F' U2
9. F2 R' F' U' R2 F U' R' F2
10. F' R' F R2 F R2 F' U
11. F2 U' R2 U R2 F' R2 F R U2
12. R2 U' R' F U F' R2 U R2
 
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@mafergut , I like long replies; it means you care about what you're talking about.

I think the same :)

But both algs are 2-gen and therefore don't mess with corner permutation, so the idea can still be applied for both algs.

Yeah, I came to the same conclusion. Also, for this case, if you want to get the opposite result (skip vs diag-swap) you can use F 3*sexy F'. I have known it for some time but have never implemented it... until now. It's not learning any new algs as it is one that most people know from 3x3 anyway.

The lefty sexy-sledge thing is actually a COLL thing I use on 3x3 to solve. But no, I don't think it would be worth it. [...] Basically you just described learning half of CLL. The thing with lefty sexy/sledge, is that its really basic and simple. That was the idea of my post. None of it was new alg sets, just little simple things that could help but wouldn't require a whole lot of effort.

Yeah, you're completely right. It's clear I hadn't thought about this very much :)

Also, something I just realized, for when you get a top layer skip (which you may be able to influence) and still have a T/Y perm on the bottom, instead of doing an x2 or z2, for Y perm, you can do R2 F(B)2 R2 and solve the bottom, and unsolve the top.
For T perm, if a pure x2 would position it, an R2 would also suffice. To add on that, you can cancel the first move on the Tperm (sexy/sledge F R U' R' U' R U R' F') and just do an R' to start the alg.

For those cases I have learned specific algs. The "bottom T-perm" flows very nicely (it's even faster than the normal top T-perm), for bottom & top Y-perm I also learned a new alg (and yeah, the bottom version is just a cancellation into R2 B2 R2) but I am not satisfied with my execution so Y-perms are my most dreadful outcome in Ortega, luckily they don't happen very frequently, the more so if you try to avoid layers on the bottom, which I do unless I get a 2-3 move easy layer.
 
Round 43
Race to sub 1.95
EG + Leg-1
1/3
I wont usually do this good I think, scrambles were pretty nice

Generated By csTimer on 2016-7-5
avg of 12: 1.812

Time List:
1. 1.824 R' F2 R' U2 F R2 U' F'
2. 1.594 F2 R2 U' F' R' U2 R2 U' F' U'
3. 1.982 U2 R' U R2 F2 U F U R2
4. (3.141) R' F' R2 U' F2 U' R
5. 1.798 R2 F U' F U F2 R' U R
6. 1.706 F2 R' F' U2 F2 R2 F' U' R'
7. 1.940 F' R' F2 U F2 U' F R' U'
8. (1.374) R' F2 U' R U' R F' U2
9. 1.459 F2 R' F' U' R2 F U' R' F2
10. 2.000 F' R' F R2 F R2 F' U
11. 2.050 F2 U' R2 U R2 F' R2 F R U2
12. 1.771 R2 U' R' F U F' R2 U R2
 
Round 43 - Race to sub 5.0
Method: Ortega / Varasano
Cube: Moyu WeiPo Stickerless

Generated By csTimer on 2016-7-5
avg of 12: 5.64

Time List:
1. 5.15 R' F2 R' U2 F R2 U' F'
2. (4.47) F2 R2 U' F' R' U2 R2 U' F' U'
3. 5.00 U2 R' U R2 F2 U F U R2
4. 6.08 R' F' R2 U' F2 U' R
5. 5.20 R2 F U' F U F2 R' U R
6. 6.08 F2 R' F' U2 F2 R2 F' U' R'
7. 6.38 F' R' F2 U F2 U' F R' U'
8. 6.62 R' F2 U' R U' R F' U2
9. 4.78 F2 R' F' U' R2 F U' R' F2
10. 6.13 F' R' F R2 F R2 F' U
11. (7.10) F2 U' R2 U R2 F' R2 F R U2
12. 4.93 R2 U' R' F U F' R2 U R2

Wow! I'm really bad at dealing with pressure. I just graduated sub-5.5, try to go for sub-5... and I don't even get a sub-5.5 average. I'm going to be here for sooo long.
 
Round 43 results
WACWCA - sub-1.95 - 1.812 [1/3]
mafergut - sub-5 - 5.64
GenTheThief - sub-5 - 4.36 [1/3]
Ordway Persyn - sub-5 - 5.802
muchacho - sub-7 - 6.84 [1/3]
 
Round 44 (Round ends when Sunday ends)

Scrambles:
1. F R U2 R2 F R' F U2 F2 R'
2. R2 F' R F2 U2 R F R2 U'
3. U' R U' F2 U F' U' F2 U'
4. U R2 F U R2 U' R U'
5. F U2 F' U R' F' U R U'
6. F2 U2 R F' U F2 U2 R' F' U
7. U' R U2 R' U2 F' R2 F2
8. U2 F R F2 R F' R F
9. U' F R2 F2 U' R' U R2 U'
10. U2 F2 U R U2 R2 F U' F' U'
11. U F' R F R U2
12. U F' U2 R F' R U R' U2
 
Round 44 - Race to sub 5.0
Method: Ortega / Varasano
Cube: Moyu WeiPo Stickerless

Generated By csTimer on 2016-7-11
avg of 12: DNF

Time List:
5.24, 4.91, 5.74, 6.43, (3.94), 5.08, 6.19, DNF, 6.37, (DNF), 5.93, 5.75

Trying to push TPS beyond own limit is clearly NOT the way to get to sub-5. Lockups, DNFs...
 
Round 44 Race to sub 1.95
Eg and LEG-1
Those easy scrambles really saved me
avg of 12: 1.927

Time List:
1. 2.152 F R U2 R2 F R' F U2 F2 R'
2. 2.129 R2 F' R F2 U2 R F R2 U'
3. 2.140 U' R U' F2 U F' U' F2 U'
4. 1.509 U R2 F U R2 U' R U'
5. 1.493 F U2 F' U R' F' U R U'
6. 1.992 F2 U2 R F' U F2 U2 R' F' U
7. 1.961 U' R U2 R' U2 F' R2 F2
8. 1.900 U2 F R F2 R F' R F
9. 2.448 U' F R2 F2 U' R' U R2 U'
10. 1.544 U2 F2 U R U2 R2 F U' F' U'
11. (1.451) U F' R F R U2
12. (2.614) U F' U2 R F' R U R' U2
 
Round: 44
Race to Sub: 5
Cube: MoYu LingPo
Method: Varasano/LBL+ Some CLLs
Average: 4.11

1. 2.73
2. 3.98
3. 3.98
4. 4.79
5. (2.57)
6. 4.74
7. 4.39 messed up PBL
8. 3.75
9. 2.94
10. (5.96)
11. 4.00
12. 5.73

...
um.
HOW?
THIS ROUND HAS SUCH GOOD SCRAMBLES! I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I DID THIS. ALMOST SUB-4 AVERAGE.
2 COUNTING SUB-3s! THIS IS INSANE.

On a side note, PB ao12 3.91!
 
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