What am I doing wrong?

[YddEd]

I think I've told you to tighten the cube so you can control it and as your fingertricks get better you loosen it.

 

[rubikmaster]

I think the problem might be your turning style, you've probably gotten used to a very "rough" turning style on your Rubik's brand cube so now the Zhanchi is probably too easy to turn for you. I wouldn't say that it's too loose because the problem is probably in your turning style, not the cube. Try tightening the cube a bit, perhaps you will be more comfortable with a slightly tighter cube, that's one thing you can do. But the main thing I would recommend is to just PRACTICE. Because you've been using a Rubik's brand for some time your fingers are still not used to turning very fast, so again, the limitation is probably not in your cube but in you. Practice and with time you will acquire more dexterity and quickness in your fingers, so just keep practicing and you will get better, but it might not happen overnight so give it some time. I hope I helped you out, I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress.

 

[avgdi]

Hi!

My average was around 30 seconds on a standard Rubik's brand. I had fairly decent F2L lookahead, 2-look OLL and most 1-look PLL cases. My best time was 24 seconds.

I bought a Dayan Zhanchi.

My average is around 30 seconds on the Dayan Zhanchi. I have some, but not the best, fingertricks. The cube doesn't feel comfortable for fingertricks. I have been unable to get decent lookahead with fingertricks. I have 2-look OLL and most 1-look PLL cases. My best time is 21 seconds. Today I got 23 seconds, then a few solves later I got 41 seconds.

Why? What am I doing wrong? Might the Zhanchi not get me sub-20?

It kind of seems like you're answering your own question there.

Also, it looks like you got a new PB single, 3 seconds faster with your Zhanchi. So how is it not working?

 

[pipkiksass]

Personally, I'm amazed by this thread - 30s average on a Rubik brand cube is a real achievement, unless it's been significantly modded. I'm also very surprised that someone can move from a Rubik's to a Dayan and be slower - Rubik's cubes are horrible!

I highly suggest you post a vid of you solving BOTH cubes, we should be able to give some more specific advice and see what works for you on the Rubik's and not on the Dayan.

 

[YddEd]

Personally, I'm amazed by this thread - 30s average on a Rubik brand cube is a real achievement, unless it's been significantly modded. I'm also very surprised that someone can move from a Rubik's to a Dayan and be slower - Rubik's cubes are horrible!

I highly suggest you post a vid of you solving BOTH cubes, we should be able to give some more specific advice and see what works for you on the Rubik's and not on the Dayan.

He isn't used to the cube.

 

[Ronxu]

A well lubed Rubik's brand isn't that bad. I can easily sub-20 with my first cube.

 

[PeelingStickers]

The jump from sub-30 to sub-20 is by far the hardest jump you have came to so far. It will not come by getting a better cube. Although considering you've used a rubik's I would have thought you may have been at a mid-20's average on a zhanchi). However you've shown that you've not tensioned it well or lubed it. Do this.

Furthermore you'll need to improve lookahead to get sub 20 anyway.

 

[speedcuber50]

Neither cube is lubed or tensioned.

@PeelingStickers I'm not sub-20.

I'm working on a video.

EDIT: What is the correct way to obtain the best tensioning?

 

[KongShou]

Neither cube is lubed or tensioned.

@PeelingStickers I'm not sub-20.

I'm working on a video.

EDIT: What is the correct way to obtain the best tensioning?

No point tensioning if u don't have any lube

 

[TheOneOnTheLeft]

It's still worth tensioning without lube. There are plenty of youtube tutorials, like this one, although I still recommend you set it fairly tight to encourage turning accuracy/control.

 

[kcl]

Actually, this is not entirely true. New and better cubes don't magically make your times better at any time if what's holding you back is look ahead and bad fingertricks. It only helps when it's the cube holding you back.

I dropped my average about 20 seconds when I got a zhanchi. I think I did the switch at a good point.. (around 50 second avg..) because now I'm used to cubes and it helped me improve a lot.

 

[speedcuber50]

PLL takes 6 seconds

Hi!

My PLL takes, on average, between 4 and 8 seconds (usually around 6), while my total average is around 25.

In order to reduce my total time, I've attempted to get OLL solved by 20 seconds, but my PLL takes forever.

How long should the PLL take, and how can I get it there?

Thanks,

speedcuber50

 

[windhero]

Do you know all the cases? There are only 21. With all PLL cases and like 15 OLL cases I was able to hit 20-21 sec averages.

Also if OLL takes you 20 seconds you should work on that. A good F2L time to sub 20 is like 12 seconds from what I know, that would mean 3+3 for OLL/PLL = 18 seconds.

Just time your algorithms on all cases, see what's not working and maybe try other better algorithms that fit your cubing style better. When you're able to do all your PLL cases in 3 seconds or less you're doing good enough for now. Same with OLL.

I train this by doing F2L, stop timer and dont look at cube when inserting last pair. Then you start the timer again and stop when you've done OLL + PLL. For me that takes an average of 7 seconds. 5 seconds if I know the OLL case.

 

[jayefbe]

PLL should take however long it takes. World class cubers can sub-1 that step. 6 seconds for PLL (is this just PLL and not the whole last layer?) seems slow given your average. Fortunately, PLL is probably the simplest aspect of a CFOP solve to improve on. Just practice the algs over and over and over again. It's all about recognition and execution. It should be completely automatic.

I'm also assuming you already know full PLL. I would learn it if you haven't already.

 

[~Adam~]

Ask anyone who has seen me cube, my hands are terrible.
I still average sub 3 for all my PLLs apart from my Ns which are just over.

Once you are performing the algs without thinking about them those times will probably drop dramatically.

 

[mark49152]

Speedpicker gives good advice on how long each stage of a solve should take, as a proportion of total, based on analysis of solves by top cubers. See http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/s...-that-yields-systematic-progress&goto=newpost

 

[speedcuber50]

I know all the PLLs except two G-perms. And yes, it takes 6 seconds for just the PLL, not the whole last layer.

In response to windhero, I'm quite happy with the algs I've got. I tried most of them to find ones which I like. The problem is that I can't push the turn rate up fast enough. My brain will manage and my cube will manage, but my fingers won't turn any faster. Also, OLL does not take 20 seconds! What I mean is that I usually aim to get OLL completed after 20 seconds of solving.

 

[AlexMaass]

You should post a video of some solves of yours.

 

[speedcuber50]

Yeah, I tried that once before, but the camera frame rate was too low to see the turns clearly (it was like 2 fps or something stupid like that).

 

[jayefbe]

The problem is that I can't push the turn rate up fast enough. My brain will manage and my cube will manage, but my fingers won't turn any faster.

The answer, just like everything else, is just loads of practice. Nobody has a high TPS without lots of practice. Use Marcel's alg trainer, or the OLL/PLL scramber option in Prisma Puzzle Timer.