You likely already know who I am; my name is Inesz Nuwar. I’m delighted I started cubing in 2013, which was about 10 years ago. I’m really appreciative that I had the opportunity to discover and interact with this beautiful new community. There weren’t as many resources available as there are now when I first started cubing. Don’t get me wrong, there were a ton of fantastic cubers who used to publish some really lovely work on blogs and YouTube, but there was a lot less of it than there is now.
It took me a long time to overcome various obstacles, such as sub-1 and sub-15, because I made a lot of mistakes during my earlier learning phase. I started this blog so you wouldn’t have to commit the same errors. So, the following advice for new cubers might help you overcome your time restrictions much more quickly than you might think!
As soon as possible, become color-neutral
The capacity to solve the cube beginning with any color is known as color neutrality. The fact that there are 6 different examples to pick from increases the likelihood of finding a solid cross-solution. Being color neutral in the beginning of cubing is much simpler because you don’t have any established habits. The practice of only looking at the white pieces while ignoring other colors will make it much more difficult for you to adapt to becoming color neutral if you become accustomed to solving only the white cross. Being color neutral will be simpler the earlier you begin because bad habits haven’t had a chance to set in.
Make it a habit to look at other pieces as you move the cube.
This method is known as gazing forward. When you know what to do, it might be quite tempting to just go on the offensive. However, going on the offensive quickly and then pausing frequently to consider the next case and its components is much worse than going on the offensive slowly and moving on to the next case without any pauses. Hence, make an effort to form this habit as soon as you can to avoid becoming accustomed to abruptly being aggressive.
When you learn a new technique, you initially become slower
This advice is quite straightforward and self-explanatory. Your times initially go slower after learning a new strategy or technique like F2L or PLL. That makes a lot of sense because it takes time to adapt to a new method, learn new things, and form new habits. Hence, keep trying even if your results start to decline after learning a more effective strategy. Be tolerant. With time, practicing frequently will help you become speedier.
It’s Not Always About The Hardware In The Cube
You’re probably mistaken if you believe that purchasing the best cube on the market can significantly enhance your times. Certainly, replacing your cube with a new one would help a lot if your current one doesn’t even turn correctly or is extremely locky. So purchasing a new cube won’t improve your times if your current one is already smooth and doesn’t lock up that frequently. Only when the cube is truly unfit for speedsolving does the hardware become important. I advise purchasing from reputable retailers and well-known companies like cubelelo.com because of this.
Participate in competitions
According to many cubers, you should only enter competitions if you can win a prize. That is untrue. Competitions serve as a venue for showcasing your abilities and a social gathering place for the cubing community. There are numerous opportunities to learn new skills and get faster. You can also develop as a speedcuber by getting advice from speedier and more seasoned cubers. Also, there are several possibilities to meet other cubers.
Also use your left hand.
Instead of getting into the habit of only rotating with your right hand and doing R and U actions, learn to solve with both hands and using mirror algorithms. In the long run, having this skill can be beneficial because you won’t have to break your hard-learned habit of just utilizing your right hand.
Practice a number of different activities
It’s always a good idea to practice other events even if you have a big event. When you are bored or frustrated with your primary event of 3×3, you can solve a pyraminx or a 4×4. More cubes to solve makes the experience much more enjoyable. You can always try to solve the conventional 3×3 while blindfolded, with one hand, or in the fewest moves possible even if you aren’t able to receive a new cube.
Conclusion
I wish you continued success with these advice. One more piece of advice: even though cubing might occasionally be frustrating, don’t give up! Take breaks instead, and then work on various puzzles or engage in completely unrelated activities. It’s perfectly normal to feel frustrated while learning and improving. Now continue on and have fun cubing!
