What am I doing wrong?

[ncube]

Metronoming didn't really help for me, but when I started looking ahead I kind of made an internalized tempo and forced myself to stick to it. It takes lots of work to get used to lookahead, and you'll know you're doing it right when you're turning slowly but your time is better than before. Nowadays I practice lookahead with OH since it forces me to turn slower than I'm used to. Hope this helps.

 

[mark49152]

BTW I am comfortable with solving one corner-edge pair without looking at it (i.e. eyes closed), but the problem is that I spend the time thinking about other things or just staring blankly at the cube rather than actually looking for the next pair.

Rather than looking for the next pair, pause and find it, then *watch* it as you solve the other pair.

 

[TDM]

If people around you don't like the metronome, use an electronic one where you can either adjust the volume or use headphones. You could use this one, as you can slowly increase the speed. It's fine to practise at 1 TPS (60 on the metronome) until you're comfortable with that speed. Then slowly go up. You're not doing anything wrong at that speed; practise if you want to improve it.
You also mentioned that you can solve each F2L pair without looking for it. That's good. However, if you know you can solve it without looking where the pieces are, try looking where the pieces aren't. This will help you find the next pair. If you find two pieces, track where they're going as you finish the pair you're doing now, and solve them immediately after without stopping. Solve them slowly, and keep looking ahead. When you get to the fourth and final pair, forget about going slowly as you can't really look ahead to the OLL case, so just go as fast as possible then. But for the first three pairs, go as slowly as you need, look for other pieces and don't stop.

 

[speedcuber115]

Try learning the basic building blocks before putting them together.

Try untimed solves where for each pair, you stop, recognise the case, then close your eyes and execute it blind. Then repeat for the next pair, etc. This gets you used to solving cases without watching the pieces.

when you can do one pair blind try doing 2 blind. this helped me get sub 20.

 

[Chree]

when you can do one pair blind try doing 2 blind. this helped me get sub 20.

This is an interesting idea that I hadn't thought of yet. This might not seem very easy at first. How do you do this?

My guess would be:

1) Spot your first pair.
2) Before solving that pair, find the next pair. Try to visualize where those pieces will end up when you're done solving the first pair.
3) Close your eyes and try to solve both pairs.

Is that what you mean?

 

[TDM]

I started turning slowly like literally 1tps and then the next day I used look ahead at a speed of 2tps and then 3, then 4

That could be increasing speed too quickly for some people; remember jumping from 1 to 2 is doubling. Gradually increasing speed until you can find something you're comfortable with is better. And as you kind of said in 3, don't time most of your solves. Practising F2L will help more than timing whole solves.

 

[speedcuber115]

1) Spot your first pair.
2) Before solving that pair, find the next pair. Try to visualize where those pieces will end up when you're done solving the first pair.
3) Close your eyes and try to solve both pairs.

Is that what you mean?

Exactly. it worked really well for me and now my lookahead is much better. it doesn't take very long to get the hang of it.

 

[cyoubx]

Exactly. it worked really well for me and now my lookahead is much better. it doesn't take very long to get the hang of it.

Now do all four pairs

 

[aznanimedude]

now add OLL and PLL and just solve the whole cube BLD :O

 

[BaconCuber]

You might have gotten carried away by buying the Zhanchi right after the Rubik's brand. Your hands are probably just used to a slower cube, and now that you have a faster one, you think you can magically get faster. I think you are trying to turn too fast and can't keep up with the look-ahead. I recommend buying perhaps a LunHui or LingYun v2. I hope this helped.

 

[cubingawsumness]

You might have gotten carried away by buying the Zhanchi right after the Rubik's brand. Your hands are probably just used to a slower cube, and now that you have a faster one, you think you can magically get faster. I think you are trying to turn too fast and can't keep up with the look-ahead. I recommend buying perhaps a LunHui or LingYun v2. I hope this helped.

I think sticking with your zhanchi will probably be fine. This is what I (and probably a lot of other people) did. And lingyuns are really fast. It's true that you won't magically get faster either way though.
Like everyone else said, lookahead does not come overnight. If you think that you're doing it really well (0 pauses) at your current speed, increase tps and restart the process. If you have to turn at 1 tps, turn at 1 tps. When you can do 1 tps really well, gradually increase speed. Just don't get too carried away with turning fast
Good luck!

 

[Chree]

Now do all four pairs

Pff... one step at a time, homie.

Just so OP knows... I'm trying just 2 pairs now (eyes closed) and it's a toughy. But I can totally see how this would benefit. It's a great way to train your brain to foresee the orientation of the 2nd pair and just glide right into the F2L algs without pausing.

Another thing he can add to his tasks is trying to plan the first F2L pair during inspection. The transition from Cross to F2L is still a time killer for me, too.

 

[speedcuber115]

Now do all four pairs

I would try 3 first and then 4 but it's up to you.

 

[speedcuber50]

I read about practicing on a slow cube, and decided to try my Rubik's brand. It really works!

The ZhanChi just tempts you to turn faster...

 

[CubingIQ]

I read about practicing on a slow cube, and decided to try my Rubik's brand. It really works!

The ZhanChi just tempts you to turn faster...

I often go back to my Rubik's brand cube for practice. It really helped me be smoother since you have to be pretty darn perfect or you lock up. Plus when you go back to the ZhanChi it will feel like heaven compared to the Rubik's lol!

So basically what works for me is to practice on the Rubik's and then apply it on the ZhanChi. After a few solves it feels natural and your time will go down a little at a time. It takes time and patients but next thing you know sub-20 :tu

 

[speedcuber50]

Plus when you go back to the ZhanChi it will feel like heaven compared to the Rubik's lol!

LOL it did for me too!!!

 

[cube100]

Yes, you can get sub-20 with Zhanchi. I think you have to practise more, if then also the job is not done you can tighten it's tension then it would be easy to control it.

 

[CubingIQ]

LOL it did for me too!!!

I don't care what anyone says I love my ZhanChi

 

[brian724080]

1. With 'decent' look ahead, you shouldn't be averaging 30 seconds unless your LL algorithms are bad.
2. Try learning some finger tricks, or some better ones.
3. Keep practicing using the ZhanChi, if you feel like it isn't for you, you might have to consider buying another cube.

Sub-20 should come really fast if you practice consistently and try to pay attention on decreasing cube rotations and using finger tricks.

 

[Spaxxy]

What do you mean by "Decent lookahead?" What's your average Cross+F2L time? Bringing that down will drastically help your times. And while, over time, better cubes will improve your times, they take some time to get used to and will (generally) not have an instantaneous effect on your time.