Update

Focused on solves rather than method this week - got a little lazy. I had plenty of sub 30 single solves and a whole bunchload of 37.xx averages. My PLL time attacks reached 1:26.xx on my best average of 12.

I'll be busy this week. Typically I relax when school is over, but I have finals, a few projects, and baseball to keep me busy this year.

I'm working on my FMC skills and have gotten down to 51 moves. Not bad for the first week. I also may try to BLD, but I'm not so sure about that. I do know that I will have a 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6, and 7x7x7 soon. When they come, my COLL practice may grind to a halt. Speaking of COLL, I feel confident in my recognition abilities, but I never remember the algs correctly.

Till next time...

COLL Progress

I'm happy to report that I am satisfied with my ability to recognize a COLL case. Memorizing the algorithms...different story. I can remember the algorithm most of the time, just not the case it applies to (usually a quick glance at my cheat sheet fixes that).

I'll try to cube a lot this weekend. Hoping to break 35 on an average of 12!

PLLs

My PLL optimization has been completed, and I have moved onto time attacks. While most are content to simply perform all 21 algorithms, I made my cube solve itself in the completion of the time attack. To do this I had to break up the process into self-solving groups, which would be stepping stones along the way. Only on the last group is there any cube rotation needed for the self-solve (it's a y rotation), so almost no speed is lost. For the most part the algorithms fit together extremely well.

My order for the PLLs on my time attacks (broken into self-solving groups) as well as the algorithms I currently use (perform the alg to find what rotation it solves):

G(d) - R U R' U' D R'2 U' R U' R' U R' U R2 U D'
N(a) - R U' R' U Lw U F U' R' F' R U' R U Lw' U R'
A (b) - x' R2 D2 R U R' D2 R U' R (x)
F - U R U' R' U R2 y R U R' U' F' x' R' U R U2 (x y')
G (a) - R'2 U R' U R' U' R U' R'2 U' D R' U R U D'

A (a) - x' R' U R' D2 R U' R' D2 R2 (x)
J (a) - R' U2 R U R' z R'2 U R' D R U' (z')
V - R' U R' U' y x2 R' U R' U' x R2 U' R' U R U (x y')

H - M'2 U' M'2 U'2 M'2 U' M'2
U (a) - M'2 U M U2 M' U M'2
Z - M'2 U' M'2 U' M' U'2 M'2 U'2 M' U'2
U (b) - M'2 U' M U2 M' U' M'2

N (b) - R' U R U' R' F' U' F R U R' F R' F' R U' R
Y - F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'
R (a) - U R U'2 R' U2 R B' R' U' R U R B R2
T - R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'

R (b) - U' R' U2 R U'2 R' F R U R' U' R' F' R2
J (b) - R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U'
G (c) - R'2 U' R U' R U R' U R2 U D' R U' R' U' D
E - x' R U' R' D R U R' D' R U R' D R U' R' D' (x) (y to solve in time attack)
G (b) - R' U' R U D' R'2 U R' U R U' R U' R'2 U' D

Recently I switched R, N, and Z perms, so I'm not perfect now, but here are my fastest PLLs, in order (refer above for algorithms):
U (b) - sub-1.2
H - around 1.2
U (a) - around 1.3
J (b) - around 2.2
T - around 2.25
Z - sub-2.4
A (a) - sub 3
A (b) - sub 3
J (a) - around 3.5
R (b) - sub 3.8
Y - sub-4
R (a) - around 4
F - sub-4.2
G (b) - sub-4.5
G (d) - sub-4.5
G (a) - sub-4.7
N (b) - around 4.7
N (a) - around 4.7
E - sub-5
V - around 5
G (c) - sub-5.5

When executed with no lag, this would be around 1:14, only 5 seconds off my current best average. Keep in mind the N's are newer than the rest, and I'm not 100% confident in them yet

Update

I've gotten my first sub-1:20 average of 12 PLL Time Attack. I have a way of making the cube solve itself as I finish. I'm that good. Also, I got my first non-beginner method sub-30 second solve, as well as some solid averages. My COLL recognition is steadily improving, though it is not ready for real solves.

I've been working with a metronome recently for my cross/F2L, and it's been working wonders. That stuff is hard to do when you get it to 100 bpm. I managed a 100 cross and my F2L at 72. After that, it falls apart.

My PLLs have become more refined and automatic. I have a roughly 2 second recognition at most, and a sub-4 second average PLL, so I get that done in 6 seconds, and that number is steadily dropping, so I'll try to start incorporating some COLLs into my solves. I love how I can sub-1.3 on every edge perm save Z, which I sub-2.4 (need to work on that).

Sigh...

It's Been a While

Well, baseball season is finally over. We lost our playoff game, so I'm done with that until summer ball (about a week away). I'm going to be able to concentrate on my COLL learning a lot more now, with no sport or AP tests to speak of. I need this school year to be over as quickly as possible, because I am VERY tired.

Recently (don't remember exactly when) I had 4 consecutive averages of 12 in the 40.2x range. That was very disappointing. I'll try to post more often now, but no guarantees.

Uodate

This is AP Test season, and in the next 2 weeks I have 3 AP Tests. I won't have much time to practice my cubing, but I've been trying to work it in whenever possible.

I'm working not on solve times now but algorithm times, as I feel being sub-4 seconds on every PLL will help me a lot.

Bottom line: I won't have time to cube.

Sorry!!!

I've been having technical difficulties. In fact, I'm writing this from a library computer. Needless to say, the PLL guide is not out yet. However, it is nearly complete and should be operational when my computer gets working again.

Sorry for those who were expecting something this weekend.