Stopping the speedstacks timer... with some kinda style?

[BillyRain]

Hey guys,

As I am going to my first comp real soon (The UKO), I have been practicing more with my speedstacks timer rather than my spacebar/qqtimer.

Only problem is that I find stopping the timer really awkward to do at the end of my solve :/

Also I find myself dropping my cube onto it whilst trying to get my hands to the pads ASAP.. I guess this is a penalty too?

I watch people at comps on youtube and they seem to stop the timer with such ease and sometimes you hardly even notice them actually putting their hands back!!

Anyone got any tips on how I can get used to stopping the timer a bit more?

Something I've been meaning to ask for a while..

 

[Ickathu]

Solve a lot with the timer. It's not too hard really, you just kinda drop the cube and pretend that the hand pads are a spacebar.

 

[Dacuba]

I find it more awkward to start the timer and to take the puzzle in the hands as fast as possible

For stopping the timer you just should be relaxed. I have the habit to solve a puzzle behind the timer (away from me) so I just drop it and put the hands to the timer, so that probaly makes it easier for me. Or was it in front of the timer? Well, my point would be the same.

Good luck on your first comp

 

[ben1996123]

Also I find myself dropping my cube onto it whilst trying to get my hands to the pads ASAP.. I guess this is a penalty too?

no, it's not.

 

[BillyRain]

Thanks guys, some good advice

 

[Cheese11]

What I do is I throw the cube forward during my last turn then let go and pull my hands back down onto the timer. Works 90% of the time. Sometimes I get +2's though.

 

[PatrickJameson]

Also I find myself dropping my cube onto it whilst trying to get my hands to the pads ASAP.. I guess this is a penalty too?

It's not, but make sure it doesn't land on the reset button. That would be a DNF.

 

[bobthegiraffemonkey]

I clicked this topic expecting discussion of things like 'breaking the habit' (look it up on the cubing memes if you don't know). But yeah, just practice with the timer a lot, holding the puzzle in the general area that you want to drop it is advisable to make it easier. Might help to practice on something like 2x2 since it's fast, so you will be stopping the timer more often.

 

[Goosly]

Depending on where you hold your cube during the solve (some people sit close to the table and hold the cube high, others sit back from the table and solve it like, on their lap), you would either drop and stop the timer or throw and stop the timer.
Only thing that matters is that you don't touch the cube when stopping the timer

 

[Bob]

Depending on where you hold your cube during the solve (some people sit close to the table and hold the cube high, others sit back from the table and solve it like, on their lap), you would either drop and stop the timer or throw and stop the timer.
Only thing that matters is that you don't touch the cube when stopping the timer

...and that the cube isn't touching you!

 

[Ranzha]

If you stop the timer, and the cube is atop your hands, at the discretion of the judge, you could get a +2. Be careful. I usually turn the puzzle close to my body, so when I go to stop the timer, the projection of my hands as I reach for the timer makes the puzzle land past the timer.