The Solve Critique Thread

What Am I Doing Wrong in My Solve?

Hi. I am about 30 seconds with my solves. I am showing a scramble with my solution, and then the time. I would like someone to check my TPS, please, and tell me if my solve has too many moves, or if I just need to improve look ahead. I am also color neutral, however my fastest solve is with green as my cross. I also solve my cross on the top, and then rotate. I know I should stop doing that, but that is what I do. Can someone also tell me how many moves my solve is? I dont know if moves like R2 count as 1 or 2 moves.
EDIT: I did NOT rotate during inspection.

Thanks for responding, if you do, that is.
2180161​
NOTE: For my solves, I will use double layer turns. I use the notation of u instead of Uw.
Scramble: L D2 F2 U L2 R D2 F R F2 U2 F' L2 F' D' B2 D B F L B R2 B2 R F'
Cross: U R' D L2 U M2 U2 M2 U2 (z2)
First F2L pair:U' F' U F U' F2 R' F2 R
Second F2L pair: U L' U L U' F U' F' U R' U2 R r' F r
Third F2L pair: d2 R U R' F' L F L'
Last F2L pair: U' R U R' U R U R' U2 R U' R'
OLL: F R U R' U' F' U' R' F R B' R' F' R B
PLL: d' U R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'
Time:00:27.52 (courtesy cubetimer.com)
Once again: Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Here's my thoughts. Your F2L is inefficient - 44 moves is far too many. You should be aiming for around 30. Study and experiment with different solutions to cases, and look at reconstructions of fast solvers. There are lots on http://cubesolv.es/.

Try the following (from the same cross):-
First pair: U2 L' U L R U R'
Second: L' U L U2 L' U L
Third: d L' U2 L U L' U2 L (note deliberate preservation of other pair)
Fourth: d L' U' L

Or this, which shows how to use sledgehammer to flip an edge:-
First pair: U2 L' U L R U R'
Second: L' U L U' L F' L' F (choose different insert to flip edge and form next pair)
Third: U' L U L'
Fourth: d L U' L'

Also, your cross is inefficient. Aim for 6-8 moves max and do it on bottom. Again, looking at reconstructions is useful, and so is http://laire.fi/jarcs/.
 
Last edited:
Seems like you could really use some work on cross efficiency. In this solve, for example, starting the cross with U' instead of U removes the M2 U2 M2 at the end. So it would be U' R' D L2 U'. Possibly an even better solution would be y2 F2 U R U. Watching example solves on youtube will help a lot with this, and so will experimenting on your own. Try doing the same scramble a few times until you find a cross solution that you really like.

Hope it helps!
 
Yes, you are using too many moves. Your cross shoukd be 7-8 moves at most and should average around 6, especially if you are color neutral. Try BLD crosses where you use as much inspection as needed to find an optimal solution, then solve it wih your eyes closed. Don't do cross on top. You said it yourself, you know it's bad. Jist don't do it. Your F2L doesn't seem too bad, but it woukdn't hurt to watch example solves and see what different ways people solve certain cases. Good luck!
 
2180161 said:
Hi. I am about 30 seconds with my solves. I am showing a scramble with my solution, and then the time. I would like someone to check my TPS, please, and tell me if my solve has too many moves, or if I just need to improve look ahead. I am also color neutral, however my fastest solve is with green as my cross. I also solve my cross on the top, and then rotate. I know I should stop doing that, but that is what I do. Can someone also tell me how many moves my solve is? I dont know if moves like R2 count as 1 or 2 moves.
EDIT: I did NOT rotate during inspection.

Thanks for responding, if you do, that is.
2180161​
NOTE: For my solves, I will use double layer turns. I use the notation of u instead of Uw.
Scramble: L D2 F2 U L2 R D2 F R F2 U2 F' L2 F' D' B2 D B F L B R2 B2 R F'
Cross: U R' D L2 U M2 U2 M2 U2 (z2)
First F2L pair:U' F' U F U' F2 R' F2 R
Second F2L pair: U L' U L U' F U' F' U R' U2 R r' F r
Third F2L pair: d2 R U R' F' L F L'
Last F2L pair: U' R U R' U R U R' U2 R U' R'
OLL: F R U R' U' F' U' R' F R B' R' F' R B
PLL: d' U R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'
Time:00:27.52 (courtesy cubetimer.com)
Once again: Thanks!
Click to expand...

Here are some alternatives for the way you inserted each pair.

First pair is done better with:
U L' U' L U2 RUR'

Second pair is done better with:
L' U2 L U L' U' L (saves you EIGHT MOVES!!!!!)

Last pair is done better with:
U R U' R' U2 R U' R' (saves you FOUR MOVES!!!!!)


It's more advanced but your 3rd pair can also be done:
L' U2 L2 U L2 U L
...which preserves the pair in the slot


That's a pretty big difference in move count, and it avoids using awkward F moves. As a general rule, don't do F moves.


The way I've divided the algs up gives you hints about how to think about F2L while you're still relatively new - you know basic inserts and see how to setup to them most efficiently. At the moment your long insertions use two or three setups, which you should never do. E.G. in your first pair you first set up the cross-colour sticker to U, then paired up, then inserted. In your second pair you separated the pieces into the top layer, THEN put white off the top, THEN paired them up, THEN inserted, when you should have set up for insertion in one step as in my example for your second pair. You'll learn ways to setup more efficiently with practice, but I would suggest instead of doing timed solves do slow ones, and whenever you use more than one step to setup see if you can think of a way to setup in just one step. If you can't think of one, then look it up because then you'll learn it. Repeat.
 
Thank you for all the help I have uploaded a video with this of my thought process while solving, along with a full speedsolve.[video=youtube_share;Ap9gt-mnQtI]http://youtu.be/Ap9gt-mnQtI[/video]
 
Back for some more critique!
The reason I am back is because I am also a Roux solver, and actually get faster times with Roux than CFOP. However, I have trouble with some things, and just overall need help with getting faster at it. Also random fact, if anyone was at Wiscube 2014 in Wisconsin, US, I was there. I got several 30-40 second times there.
ANYWAY...
Scramble:F' R' F R' D' U' B2 F2 R' F2 B U' D2 B' L R D' R U R U2 D2 F' R2 U'
Inspection:x' y2
FB: D2 R2 U' R U R' U L U F U F' U' B'
SB: B' U B L' S U' S' M' U M U2 L' U L U' L' U' L U2 L' U' 'L
2-look CMLL: R' F R B' R' F' R B R' U L' U2 R U' R' U2 L R U2
Fix bad edges: M' U' M' U' M' U2 M2 U M U2 M' U M
Solve LR sides:M U2 M' U M U2 M' U'
Solve M layer:U2 M U2 M' U2 M' U2 M
I have a horrible move count I know, but I'm still getting into to Roux. Actually at Wiscube, I got my fastest time with Roux.
Time:43.55
Thanks for the help!
 
2180161 said:
Back for some more critique!
The reason I am back is because I am also a Roux solver, and actually get faster times with Roux than CFOP. However, I have trouble with some things, and just overall need help with getting faster at it. Also random fact, if anyone was at Wiscube 2014 in Wisconsin, US, I was there. I got several 30-40 second times there.
ANYWAY...
Scramble:F' R' F R' D' U' B2 F2 R' F2 B U' D2 B' L R D' R U R U2 D2 F' R2 U'
Inspection:x' y2
FB: D2 R2 U' R U R' U L U F U F' U' B'
SB: B' U B L' S U' S' M' U M U2 L' U L U' L' U' L U2 L' U' 'L
2-look CMLL: R' F R B' R' F' R B R' U L' U2 R U' R' U2 L R U2
Fix bad edges: M' U' M' U' M' U2 M2 U M U2 M' U M
Solve LR sides:M U2 M' U M U2 M' U'
Solve M layer:U2 M U2 M' U2 M' U2 M
I have a horrible move count I know, but I'm still getting into to Roux. Actually at Wiscube, I got my fastest time with Roux.
Time:43.55
Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

for eo: M' U2 M' U2 M U' M'

are you a lefty? If not, do you first block on your left side so that your second block will be R.

Don't use S at any time. For now, don't use B or F during second block.

i'm not really use to your color scheme so i won't do any examples, i'm sure others will though.
 
Is this a good or bad LSE:
Scramble:M U M U M2 U M2 U' M' U M U2 M' U2 M' U' M2 U' M U2 M U2 M2 U M'
Solve:M' U' M' U M U2 M' U M U' M U2 M' U' M U2 M U2 M2 U M U2 M2 U2 M
Time:14.65
 
Just a quick question - Is it OK if I post some of my (around 1:15/30ish) solves? Im trying to get better, and I well, Suck...
 
the super cuber said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVGRqavd1JI

first sub 10 on video! tips will be appreciated :)
Click to expand...

mafergut said:
mmmm, I cannot see the vid.
Click to expand...

I just realized that, even though in the forum I could not see the embedded video, when replying I could actually see the URL and it works!

Sadly I'm too slow to give you any advice. Only thing I saw is that perhaps with a bit more turning accuracy you could be even faster and avoid some lockups. Other than that I wish I was this fast.
 
Hey here is an AO5. Tell me what I need to work on. I wont do example solves, simply speedsolves.
AO5-25.66
Avg. 5- 24.87
[video=youtube_share;ddf-2v4pTmQ]http://youtu.be/ddf-2v4pTmQ[/video]
 
2180161 said:
Hey here is an AO5. Tell me what I need to work on. I wont do example solves, simply speedsolves.
AO5-25.66
Avg. 5- 24.87
Click to expand...
On your first solve, you paused between your OLL and PLL for a fair amount of time. try working on lookahead on your LL. Also your OLL alg seemed a bit slow, try working on fluency. (maybe do some slow solves, working on fingertricks and lookahead). Pretty much the same thing on your second solve, lookahead mainly on the F2L. On the third solve your OLL to PLL transition also had a fairly long pause. On your fourth solve you had several pauses in between F2L pairs, and you also did a lot of cube rotations (mainly x').
Pretty much the ways you'll drop the most time are in improving your lookahead and TPS. you can work on these both pretty easily just by doing slow solves working on lookahead and fingertricks.
 
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