Sub 15 help, guide and techniques [PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION]

[IamSpeedcubing]

[PLEASE READ ALL]
Hi! I have been cubing for over a year now and average from 14/15-18 seeconds. I decided to make this thread because I am stuck on becoming sub 15. I'm guessing this is a common question, so I decided to make this thread as I believe there is just not enough information on the web, or at least easy to acsess info. I hope this thread will be useful to many in the future, so I decided to make a new thread so that this info doesn't get lost in the hundreds of pages of the "How to improve at the CFOP method" thread.

PLEASE DO NOT MOVE THIS THREAD TO ONE OF THE HUGE THREADS WHICH ARE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS THIS. I WANT THIS TO BECOME A GUIDE OF SORTS NOT A COMMENT OR POST LOST IN THE FLOOD OF OTHER POSTS IN A THREAD OF OCEANIC SIZES. THANK YOU.


So, I would like to ask for help in techniques and generally things that will help cubers break the sub 15 barrier.

P.S. I am currently in the process of learning OLL.

Thank you in advance

 

[Malkom]

I think you should use my method:
average 15-16 seconds on 3x3
practice a lot
Stop improving
Get tired of 3x3 and start to practice megaminx
Pracitce megaminx like a madman
Get sub 1:10 on megaminx
Pick up 3x3 again and practice for half an hour
Voila you're now sub15

 

[AlphaSheep]

The thing is, people get stuck for many different reasons, so there can't be a single rule that covers everything. For one person, it may be poor lookahead that's holding them back. For another, it may be an inefficient F2L, and for someone else, it may be clumsy last layer algs.

There is only one piece of advice that I can give, and it works at any level:

1. Film yourself for an average of 5. Ideally this should be a typical average with some good times and some bad times.
2. Reconstruct all 5 solves
3. Watch a video of an average of 5 for someone really fast and find reconstructions of those solves on cubesolv.es
4. Watch your own video and work through your reconstructions and look for differences: Where did you pause? Where were you inefficient? Where did you lock up? Where was your TPS fastest and where was it slowest?

One you've done that, go back to practicing, but instead of worrying about your times, think only about eliminating your weaknesses. If you get a good time where you did something wrong, think of the solve as a failure. If you get a bad solve, even if everything went right think of the time as a success.

 

[IamSpeedcubing]

Thanks! I will try Alpa Sheep's tips first, and will listen to
Malkolm if that fails hahaha. Thanks again

 

[AlphaSheep]

You dont need full OLL its pretty over rated the real secret it F2L

Rubbish. The real secret is dedication, and if you're too lazy to learn OLL, you just don't have the dedication to be world class.

 

[FastCubeMaster]

@AlphaSheep I really think that you or anyone else with a similar response to these help posts should make a good response and copy and paste it to other people asking for help, because I see the same questions and answers so many times in so many different places, it might be the easiest thing to do. Even if an FAQ thread is made, people will still ask.
Since there are a few common questions, there may have to be multiple messages to copy paste and reply to people with.

Just an idea

 

[IamSpeedcubing]

There is literally one thread asking for sub 15 help and one general improvement thread wich is huge and the posts just get lost.

 

[IamSpeedcubing]

The thing is, people get stuck for many different reasons, so there can't be a single rule that covers everything. For one person, it may be poor lookahead that's holding them back. For another, it may be an inefficient F2L, and for someone else, it may be clumsy last layer algs.

There is only one piece of advice that I can give, and it works at any level:

1. Film yourself for an average of 5. Ideally this should be a typical average with some good times and some bad times.
2. Reconstruct all 5 solves
3. Watch a video of an average of 5 for someone really fast and find reconstructions of those solves on cubesolv.es
4. Watch your own video and work through your reconstructions and look for differences: Where did you pause? Where were you inefficient? Where did you lock up? Where was your TPS fastest and where was it slowest?

One you've done that, go back to practicing, but instead of worrying about your times, think only about eliminating your weaknesses. If you get a good time where you did something wrong, think of the solve as a failure. If you get a bad solve, even if everything went right think of the time as a success.

Thank you