7 Tips and Tricks to Solve the Rubik’s Cube Faster
There are various strategies and techniques for solving a Rubix Cube, so we will cover only those which are most efficient for helping to solve it quickly and easily.
This method involves solving the first layer before aligning center pieces (EO) and edge pieces (Line). On average, this takes six moves, though you may be able to shorten that time with proper planning and execution strategies.
1. Plan Ahead
Plan ahead and reduce the time you devote to each move in order to speed up solving and build muscle memory more quickly. Shortcuts and finger tricks may also help decrease solving times.
The key to becoming a speedcuber is becoming familiar with the language and move notations used by speedcubers. Knowing there are six faces on a cube will assist with quickly solving it, while knowing beginner methods makes learning advanced ones simpler. Furthermore, understanding algorithms involved in cube centers, edges, corners is also important – the Fridrich Method offers an advanced layer-by-layer solution which involves correcting white cross pieces on first layers before aligning corner and edge pieces of last layers for optimal positioning.
2. Finger Tricks
Finger tricks are a series of movements designed to speed up cube-turning by decreasing hand movements, and speedcubers often use these moves in their solve times to cut time by up to 10 seconds.
One of the key steps in Cube puzzle solving is finding an optimal grip. Practice rotating it with your fingers until your position feels comfortable and adjust your grip until you find one that suits.
Once you’ve established a comfortable grip, learn some finger tricks to accelerate your rotation speed. Practice these techniques regularly and you will soon find yourself rotating faster than ever before. Furthermore, learn some advanced algorithms which will further reduce solve times, potentially getting close to breaking through the 1 minute barrier (U-perm, funky insertion and ZZ method are popular examples of such advanced solutions).
3. Shortcuts
Although beginner methods are great places to start, there are other shortcuts which may speed up the solution process. One such shortcut is known as F2L (First 2 Layers). This technique enables you to orient corners and middle layer pieces using one algorithm rather than two algorithms for solving cubes faster.
Another useful practice to speed up solve times is practicing algorithms at a slower speed. This will enable you to take more care in planning out each move more effectively, which will improve performance overall.
One of the most common mistakes new cubers make is turning their corners too early, to avoid this misstep, ensure all yellow sides face upward before beginning your solve time. Although this might seem like a simple solution, it can significantly slow your solve time if not managed carefully.
4. Rotate the Bottom Layer
Reduced turn counts can significantly speed up your cube solving time. Newcomers to cubing may be instructed to solve the top layer by creating a “daisy,” while faster cubers often bypass this step altogether and proceed directly to solving bottom center and edges directly.
To do this, locate a corner piece that requires orientation and match it with its center color. Arrange the cube such that its front face contains this corner piece, and run an algorithm.
This will enable you to load it directly into the bottom layer without rotating its top layer.
5. Rotate the Top Layer
As a beginner, it’s recommended that one begins on the white face where the cube logo can be found. Locate a yellow cross on this face, and concentrate on matching each center cube’s color accordingly. Ensure each matched cube is correctly positioned; if its edges don’t line up perfectly use an algorithm such as R U or R’ U’ R’ to twist them back into place.
Solving a Rubik’s Cube may not be easy, but it is certainly doable with practice and focus. By mastering its cube-smashing techniques you’ll soon be solving puzzles faster than ever before and also sharpening your problem-solving abilities that could come in handy in other aspects of life such as learning a foreign language or mastering complex math equations – give it a shot and let us know how well it goes!
6. Permute the Corners
One key to quickly solving a cube is learning how to permute corners. This step ensures that each edge piece on every side of the cube has been correctly aligned with its center and completed sides, speeding up solving time significantly.
For this task, first solve the top layer and then perform R U R’ U in order to orientate all top and middle edges before moving on to step two. This will ensure all corner pieces and middle-layer edges are aligned correctly before proceeding further with this step.
By practicing this step frequently, you’ll develop quick reflexes that will enable faster cube movement. Furthermore, doing this may also help improve other skills, like typing faster on computers or texting faster with mobile phones.
7. Permute the Edges
Orienting the edges can be one of the hardest aspects of solving the cube, requiring numerous algorithms and moves, but with practice it becomes much faster.
First and foremost, ensure that all yellow lines are horizontal – this saves both time and effort!
Next, use an algorithm corresponding to the color of the center dot to solve corners on the top face and edge pieces.
Some cubers prefer permuting edges before positioning them, while World Record holders like to do it after. It all depends on personal preference and which moves are easier for you to execute; but with practice you’ll learn how to perform this step quickly.
