Too fast too soon?

[JackJ]

Since I started cubing in September 2008, I found it weird how some cubers take about 3 months to get sub 20 (Feliks Zemdegs) and some cubers take around a year or longer to get sub 20. (Chris Hardwick) Is it the work ethic or the individual to reach such great times in such a small amount of time. What do you think the reason for people to become so fast so soon?

 

[skarian]

hmm im curious of the same thing

 

[JLarsen]

I think with your specific examples; Faz does mainly speedsolving, while Chris does more FMC and puzzle theory. Also keep in mind the age difference, work load difference, thus time spent on cubing difference. It also relies on talent of course. Talent is what makes person A do better than person B while both put in equal effort.

 

[Muesli]

Faz hasn't got a job.

 

[josmil1]

the reason is practice....24/7...you answered your own question about work ehtic and the individual. Not everyone has the same amount of time to practice cubing.

 

[JLarsen]

Faz hasn't got a job.

Don't be an ass

 

[Gurplex2]

Faz hasn't got a job.

yo, hes only like 13.

but i just realized. like just now.
on facebook he said "i finally figured out how to complete the square!"

he is 13 and in grade 10? (i learned that in grade 10)
did he skip grades?
he must be a really awesome thinker, as expected from someone so amazing

 

[Faz]

Err, no I'm still in year 8. Although I do advanced maths.

Muesli: Very true.

 

[Cyrus C.]

he is 13 and in grade 10? (i learned that in grade 10)

Darn, he just 1-upped me, when I'm 13 I'll be grade 9 (12th grade math though).

 

[deadalnix]

Also, the advices you get makes differences.

When I was 30 avg, I was some kind of blocked. It was a time where you couldn't find so many ressources about cubing as you find now.

I had at this time not many cuber in my friends, and so, I had to figure out by myself what to do to progress.

I have met Edouard Chambon, and with his advices, I won 5s in 1 afternoon and get sub20 really fast. I was blocked to 30s before.

I think chris is very talented, but remember when he start cubing. Nothing to do with now.

 

[miniGOINGS]

Wow, when I red this title I remembered Act II, Scene VI, lines 9 - 15 from Romeo and Juliet;

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume: the sweetest honey
Is loathsome in his own deliciousness
And in the taste confounds the appetite:
Therefore love moderately; long love doth so;
Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow."

anyway...

 

[tkcube1]

I don't get how you can be born with like a talent for being good at rubiks cubes. Like is it your intelligence level or like, idk I don't think its the same, like how some people are just amazing at some sports or something. if this made any sense at all.

 

[SkateTracker]

I've been cubing for 2-3 years and I'm still not consistently sub-20. Though, I did have to take a few, several month long breaks due to school and life being evil, haha.

Also, I've been using the beginner LL (what Dan Brown teaches, haha, ugh...) until about a month ago I switched over to 4LLL.

 

[EmersonHerrmann]

Faz hasn't got a job.

Don't be an ass

He was just stating a fact!

 

[Zarxrax]

For example, if you have no god-given skill at all, but you practice 3+ hours a day and you've been cubing for, say, a month, I wouldn't be surprised if you average ~30. But if you do have skill, you practice for less than 45 minutes a day, and you have been cubing for a month, I wouldn't be surprised if you're even better than the guy who practices 3 hours a day.

I would disagree. I don't believe in the notion that people have "natural" skill at things. If someone if good at something, it's because he put in hard work and practice, not because he has some god-given talent.

Of course, we all have different bodies. Some of us are naturally bigger and stronger than others, while others of us are naturally smaller and weaker. Likewise, some people are more intelligent than others, or might be a bit more adept at certain mental tasks. Maybe someone is born with a body thats great for playing football, but that guy is still going to suck at football unless he practices hard. In the same way, if someone wants to become a world class musician, they are probably working at it for hours upon hours for most of their life.

I'm not a great cuber, but I don't make any excuses for myself. I know that the reason I'm not good is because I don't put in the amount of practice that it takes to become good.

 

[chris410]

Hard work combined with an ability to recognize patterns in addition to strong spatial skills which lead to easily recognizing the various positions and states faster than most people. I think the people who are able to solve VERY quickly have an ability beyond most.

In the end, I do feel to a certain degree that it is a combination of the talents above combined with hard work.

 

[Muesli]

Faz hasn't got a job.

Don't be an ass

????

 

[Hyprul 9-ty2]

Everyone is different, I've been cubing for 4 months, the same timespan as my friends, and we all average different times. I'm 16-17, one's sub 40, another is still at 1 minute.
But with enough practice we all end up like Faz

 

[cmhardw]

I am very interested in this same topic. I started cubing the summer before high school started, so I also did not have a job when I began. This meant that I had lots of free time, and I was very active and cubed on a daily basis when I first started.

I know a little bit of why it took me so long to get sub-20 (almost 5 years). I wrote a post about it here describing what I did to finally break the 20 second barrier on average. I think the biggest difference as to why some people get fast quickly and others more slowly is in how you practice, not how much you practice.

Chris

 

[FatBoyXPC]

I would definitely agree with Chris on the how you practice concept. I had a coach that said "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect." I don't care if I practice 15 hours a day, unless I intentionally slow down to learn F2L I will never get any sub10 solves, and most likely won't break sub20. I didn't get below 25 until I slowed down enough and my F2L dropped crazily, much quicker F2L then when I 'try'.

I'd also say that there is definitely a talent for some people who get incredibly fast. People are all born with such variety, you could never compare two individuals at birth. They both might only cry and not be able to communicate very effectively, but right then they are two completely different individuals. Let's also not forget how they are raised from birth will make quite an impact on this. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that somebody like Erik Akkersdijk was playing with puzzles since he was in diapers.

I'd also say that the amount of time it takes somebody to get sub20 will depend on what method they use. I've been cubing since 2004, yet only started learning Fridrich F2L since this past Aug/Sep and I don't practice nearly what I should, or used to.