Slow solves have helped me drastically improve my look ahead though, and taking time to plan my cross. That was hard to start with, I’d plan 3 edges and wing the last one but that took time I didn’t need to lose.
This week I’ve been planning my cross fully and even occasionally (on easy ones) planning my first pair. When I say that, I mean I’d have a pair in mind to start with, but not quite what the orientation of the pair will look like yet.
So next steps are planning first pair into my cross (and learning dot cases I guess).
Thank you for your answer. It’s very interesting to know what knowledge cubers have and what techniques they use.
It’s funny, we’re at the same place in our progression 🙂
I plan crosses and try x-crosses/cross+1 but I’m bad at this. As you, I do a lot of slow turning. I agree with you, it’s a very good practice.
For F2L, I’m still discovering new tricks/algs that save me time.
Actually, I know 20/21 PLLs and 2-look OLLs (+ 2 OLL-T). I don’t want learn full OLL, so, to skip dot cases I use sledge to insert the last pair or add M moves to a last 3-mover.
I decided I would never learn all OLLs (too much for me). So, in parallel to CFOP, a few days ago I started practicing edges orientation (EO) of the ZZ method. Because after F2Ls, up-face edges are already oriented and so, there are only 8 cases (we already know). It’s a (long) test. I’ll see later if I definitively switch or not.
I would fully recommend taking the time to learn full OLL or as much as you can.
I used Jperm’s website to learn OLL/PLL it’s a great resource when you learn that you can click on the picture of the case you’re learning to mark it as learning or learned, then go into the timer and set it to just show you cases you’re learning.
I did similar cases at the same time and tried remembering them in the trainer. If you forget the alg you can make it show up move by move with a keyboard press.
I took have tried learning EO but it blags my head. It’s a slow process but kills time
You have good advice but, it doesn’t suit who I am. Tx :)
I’m not a competitor and I don’t want spend time with a trainer.
I only do 40~50 solves a day. It’s not enough to keep 57 cases in memory.
I hear you, I’m 40 and never gonna compete. But I still compete with every solve I do, with myself.
The serotonin dump I get when I get a PB is enough for me to spend time learning a new alg here and there. I was trying to learn a new alg a day at one point, then just a new one a week, and it’s since dropped off a bit and my solves have plateaued.
So the decision to spend some time teaching myself better look ahead was exactly the kick up the arse I needed to care a bit more about cubing
I may not get the best times, but I do know that I was excited to be getting solves under a minute using 2 look and now I’m excited to be getting some in the 20-25 range.
The fact you’re getting sub 30 solves without that is quite impressive to me and so i just wonder how much faster you would be with all the algs in your head.
I started by just learning a couple. When those cases showed up I’d get a little giddy and shave loads off my normal times, and that pushed me to learn a few more.
Thing is, some you already know, you just add an extra move or two onto the beginning or end.
Anyway you do you, but I do honestly think you’ll be glad you learned at least a few full algs
I share your excitement and the serotonin addiction, like all cubers :)
I just wonder how much faster you would be with all the algs in your head.
I wonder too. You can also ask yourself how much faster you would be after learning some COLL or/and Winter Variations, or if you do x-crosses/cross+1 each solve. Learning is endless in cubing! I’ve decided to stop − for a moment − learning new algs and focus on inspection and F2Ls.
May be I’ll take a look at few sexy/sledge OLL algorithms ;)
Slow solves have helped me drastically improve my look ahead though, and taking time to plan my cross. That was hard to start with, I’d plan 3 edges and wing the last one but that took time I didn’t need to lose.
This week I’ve been planning my cross fully and even occasionally (on easy ones) planning my first pair. When I say that, I mean I’d have a pair in mind to start with, but not quite what the orientation of the pair will look like yet.
So next steps are planning first pair into my cross (and learning dot cases I guess).
Do you know full PLL/OLL?
Thank you for your answer. It’s very interesting to know what knowledge cubers have and what techniques they use.
It’s funny, we’re at the same place in our progression 🙂 I plan crosses and try x-crosses/cross+1 but I’m bad at this. As you, I do a lot of slow turning. I agree with you, it’s a very good practice.
For F2L, I’m still discovering new tricks/algs that save me time.
Actually, I know 20/21 PLLs and 2-look OLLs (+ 2 OLL-T). I don’t want learn full OLL, so, to skip dot cases I use sledge to insert the last pair or add M moves to a last 3-mover.
I decided I would never learn all OLLs (too much for me). So, in parallel to CFOP, a few days ago I started practicing edges orientation (EO) of the ZZ method. Because after F2Ls, up-face edges are already oriented and so, there are only 8 cases (we already know). It’s a (long) test. I’ll see later if I definitively switch or not.
I would fully recommend taking the time to learn full OLL or as much as you can.
I used Jperm’s website to learn OLL/PLL it’s a great resource when you learn that you can click on the picture of the case you’re learning to mark it as learning or learned, then go into the timer and set it to just show you cases you’re learning.
I did similar cases at the same time and tried remembering them in the trainer. If you forget the alg you can make it show up move by move with a keyboard press.
I took have tried learning EO but it blags my head. It’s a slow process but kills time
You have good advice but, it doesn’t suit who I am. Tx :)
I’m not a competitor and I don’t want spend time with a trainer.
I only do 40~50 solves a day. It’s not enough to keep 57 cases in memory.
I hear you, I’m 40 and never gonna compete. But I still compete with every solve I do, with myself.
The serotonin dump I get when I get a PB is enough for me to spend time learning a new alg here and there. I was trying to learn a new alg a day at one point, then just a new one a week, and it’s since dropped off a bit and my solves have plateaued.
So the decision to spend some time teaching myself better look ahead was exactly the kick up the arse I needed to care a bit more about cubing
I may not get the best times, but I do know that I was excited to be getting solves under a minute using 2 look and now I’m excited to be getting some in the 20-25 range.
The fact you’re getting sub 30 solves without that is quite impressive to me and so i just wonder how much faster you would be with all the algs in your head.
I started by just learning a couple. When those cases showed up I’d get a little giddy and shave loads off my normal times, and that pushed me to learn a few more.
Thing is, some you already know, you just add an extra move or two onto the beginning or end.
Anyway you do you, but I do honestly think you’ll be glad you learned at least a few full algs
I share your excitement and the serotonin addiction, like all cubers :)
I wonder too. You can also ask yourself how much faster you would be after learning some COLL or/and Winter Variations, or if you do x-crosses/cross+1 each solve. Learning is endless in cubing! I’ve decided to stop − for a moment − learning new algs and focus on inspection and F2Ls.
May be I’ll take a look at few sexy/sledge OLL algorithms ;)