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[Evan_Frame]

I am currently slow but know it will come the more I practice. Was almost cracking a minute with a very slow LBL method. Am now doing 'intuitive' F2L and 4 look LL. (Yes, then on to full PLL) My question is once you are on the LL what do you recognize immediately? I was doing corners first but it seems easier to recognize edges first. Was looking for 2x1x1 blocks but that doesn't seem to always 'work'

So, in short, what do you look for/recognize as soon as you get to the LL.

 

[RyanReese09]

well for 4lll

first i identify the edges and if they are all oriented. if not, then perform the corrosponding alg

then look at corners and the shape they form and perform the algorithm

for PLL, 2 look, find a side with 2 matching color stickers (aka lets say the right side has 2 matching red stickers). put them in the back and perform the A perm
x R' U R' D2 R U' R' D2 R2

and then the corners will be fixed. then find the edge cycle and solve that
(note, for the PLL first step of finding 2 matching color stickers, if that fails then just perform the A perm (it doesn't matter how you hold it as long as you have it affect your LL)

THEN you will definately have 2 matching color stickers

 

[Evan_Frame]

Hrm, I don't see how two matched colors on the back and an A-perm are going to make the corners fixed when you don't take into account if there are two matched colors on the front when there are two on the back or that perhaps you need to do CCW A-perm.

If I don't have two matching stickers then I am going to do an algorithm just to get two stickers to match up and not advance my cube in any real way? Should not 2 look PLL only have 2 algorithms in it max?

 

[Cubenovice]

2 look PLL means you can finish the last layer permuation in two looks , not two algs.

1st look:use A perm (headlights in the back) or E perm (when there are no headlights), this step leaves only four possible PLL's
2nd look: use U, Z or H perm (the four possible states remaining aftter A or E)
Done

 

[Evan_Frame]

Thank you Cubenovice, I see the truth of it now. So my immediate concern when at PLL is to see headlights.

 

[Cubenovice]

Headlights is the way to go for 2 look PLL

To make things easier you can even skip the E perm if you like; when there are no headlights an A perm will create headlights. (basically what Ryan posted)
So you give up one alg but you will have to do two A perms instead of the E-perM

 

[Evan_Frame]

So its not just me who doesn't like E-perm?

 

[justhereify]

Ooookkkkkk so I incredibly new so I'm not quite sure if this is a stupid question lol but i'm itching to ask it so here it goes.

Alright so I just started solving with the beginners method and I'm at a 3 min average and its still dropping but i'm not sure what I should do next?
Should I get a faster cube yet or stick with the one I bought in the store?
Should I start getting used to other methods?
Or should I just keep practicing until I get faster then go to the next step??

 

[marthaurion]

Ooookkkkkk so I incredibly new so I'm not quite sure if this is a stupid question lol but i'm itching to ask it so here it goes.

Alright so I just started solving with the beginners method and I'm at a 3 min average and its still dropping but i'm not sure what I should do next?
Should I get a faster cube yet or stick with the one I bought in the store?
Should I start getting used to other methods?
Or should I just keep practicing until I get faster then go to the next step??

I'd say wait until you're at about a minute and a half before you look at a faster cube. Definitely be under a minute before looking for a different method. Practice really does help a lot.

 

[sheerfire]

can someone help me with the finger tricks? last time i tried to do it, i broke my cube.

 

[RyanReese09]

^heh that's hilarious actually

watch fast people solve on youtube, adapt it
generally it's just using only your fingers to turn / finger tips

just practice it really, noone can help you

 

[a_ heidari]

hi every body
i have a problem with my avrage record in solving 3x3 cube
i cant faster than 24 s
please help
tell me how to improve my record

 

[RyanReese09]

Practice

 

[da25centz]

can someone help me with the finger tricks? last time i tried to do it, i broke my cube.

make sure u have a loose enough cube that u can actually turn it with one finger

 

[Abridgers]

I'm new to speedcubing and my last layer is taking forever. I spend all my time on it... Any tips on how to speed this up?

 

[cyoubx]

What are you using to solve your last layer?

 

[Abridgers]

Ummm i really dont know what the method is called its just the only way i ever learned to do the last layer. I think i align all the corners and then fix the edges

 

[Abridgers]

I guess you could call the beginners method of doing the last layer... im sure their is something 10x better than what i am doing

 

[Hoboe]

Hi guys! i just joined this site to better myself at puzzles. i am in middle school and in 13. i am currently using the beginners method on my aloha 5 with a personal record of 1:07:32. i am currently working on getting fridrich f2l.

 

[yockee]

What the hell is an Aloha 5?